Missions & Complexes

Again, relic sites maintain better loot value because Rigs are made for salvage materials and Rigs are constantly being destroyed either by ships or by changing rigs.

Datacores that come from data sites are required for Invention but are able to be farmed from 2 other sources. Decryptors are completely optional for the invention process and thus have fluctuating demand.

All this does is make the sites safer to run, since it means that a hunter cannot sit cloaked in the site.

Just end the Cherry Picking and make the containers immune to cargo scanners.

Cargo Scanners: For data sites, yes. For relic sites, no. Flavor should also be considered. As an archaeologist how could I possibly scan a site (can) and know what is in it? Surely immersion counts for something?

Regarding relic sites, why not include in the loot tables the "texts" that can be found from other PvE activity that describes the various histories of the factions in New Eden? Again to add flavor and further enhance the lore.

Relic and Data modules: I have mentioned this before and will do so again. There was a time when these modules meant something. Their differences actually meant something. Odyssey has homogenized them. Do not blend them into a single module. Iterate on them. Make relic sites OLD. Even a reskinning of the mini game would be an improvement.

Actually, why am I hacking a relic site? Should I not be unearthing that which was lost and forgotten? DO not take away from the game, add to it and iterate.

There was a time what exploration was hard with a high barrier for entry. This kept loot values high. YOu had to choose how far you where going to invest in the profession. There was flavor. Over time changes where made that reduced the "busy" work. This was good. Odyssey then removed the barrier for entry. OK. Everyone can explore. Goal obtained.

Now, lets think about the veterans. Lets consider those that have been playing for more than five plus years. Time to make some elements of exploration hard again please.

It would be nice to see some variation between data and relic sites, although I don't see any reason to remove the ability to cargo scan the containers.

Some people like to blitz missions for the LP and others like to run them and salvage all the wrecks. I don't see any reason to remove this and along the same lines I don't see any reason to remove options for running exploration sites.

And it is this that is missing the point. Iterate.



That is true. It is also formulaic. Why not develop procedural based sites? Something that cannot be documented and standard operating procedures created for.



Loot can be used for whatever the player desires. Economic gain is a major factor but does not need to be the only thing to consider.

I have said in various threads that iteration of existing modules and mechanics is the solution to creating a more rich and dynamic playing environment. Unfortunately I have not been providing ideas for this. Let me correct that now. So let me toss out this idea for people to mull over because in this thread there is an active CCP reader and two CSM readers.

In the distant past archology in EvE was a thing. That evolved into Relic sites. As was pointed out, nothing to discover there just collect your loot. You see, we do not need salvagers on our ships anymore. Once upon that was a thing.

I see an interesting opportunity arising very soon. EvE has all these beautiful planets and some of those have moons. Moons served two purposes: Harvesting and Player Owned Station anchoring. Soon the POS requirements will not need moons unless you are harvesting (unless that is also being changed).

One of the contributing factors to null sec stagnation is that moon resources are stagnant. Moon scans completed years ago are still relevant now as then (Check out Dotlan an scan a moon. It's still the same. Don't take my word for it. Try it). Alliances settled in moon rich regions and fortified them to protect their economies. There have been many fights over moon ownership. Let us kick the ant hill and take a page out of PI: Moon resources are finite. A moon’s resources last no more than four to six months depending on the intensity of the harvesting. Now the moon is barren, economically unsustainable and will require double or triple the time to recover.

Now I need to go a scan other moons to find what I need. I have to actively seek the resources I need. Or I could hire someone. Maybe my alliance has explorers that can do this.

Planets and moons are interesting heavenly bodies. In our own time we are discovering absolutely fascinating things about them. SciFi writers also imagine amazing things about them. Archaeology would fit beautifully here. Scan a system and discover a cosmic signature. Is it a data site in space? Is it a relic site to be salvage? Could it be an archaeology site on a moon or planet?

Surface based sites on moons could require a player to go into orbit, scan to pinpoint the site’s location and once found require a “dig” (variation of the hacking mini game?) to be executed with a chance of loot recovered.

How about all those planets with abandoned PI facilities? Maybe the archaeology signature brings you to a planet. Maybe ice or barren or temperate planets have a great change of archaeology sites? Maybe you can attempt to recover abandoned PI related facilities or loot for economic gain.

TLDR:

Five exploration career variations:

1) Data site recovery. Space based. Data analyzer
2) Relic site recovery. Space based. Salvager (add a mini game variation is desired)
3) Archaeology recover. Surface based. Relic analyzer (add mini game variation)
4) Resources discovery. Moon scans as already being (been) conducted. Service or results to be sold.
5) Mini game for hacking unoccupied POSes (citadels). This is closely related to data recovery. Mini game could be a real challenge. Might make hacking tools something that an explorer could build for themselves if not a market item to be bought and sold.

Finally, remove the 4au spawn restriction. There was a time you need to warp to each planet, use the onboard 4au scanner to determine if anything was about. Over time this was changed to eventually evolve into the Discovery Scanner. Now that the Discovery Scanner is so powerful, why have the old 4au restriction? After all Citadels can be deployed anywhere within a system.

These are the ideas. They can be expanded upon, refined or scraped. One thing is for sure, the basic game mechanics already exist. Why not take advantage of them. Expand exploration into a proper career choice that it once was before Odyssey.

More exploration in exploration
"Dinsdale cloud" <- I miss this guy
There were also exploration project tied with WiS. Avatar exploration like in one of fanfest trailers (2012).

I asking that question for a long time now, it's some technical problem I think.

Finally some rebalance of data sites !
Was talking to a friend only couple weeks ago that BPC shouldn't drop in relic :)

However i'd move even Rigs BPCs from relic to data while leaving the most commonly used building materials as they are (halve the drop is still good in my opinion) and move the ancient construction parts to relic sites only, that simply makes more sense:

Data site --> Research --> BPC/Common building materials/Decryptors/Datacores
Relic site --> Wrecks/Archeological discoveries --> Salvage/Ancient Construction Parts

Even chance of some danger in signatures is nice idea, just it should be related to the ship used to run/trigger them (that will still allow low skilled characters -new players-) to do explo.

Just my 2 cents

o7

Thank you all for your awesome feedback, concerns and ideas here. They are all very much appreciated and have been noted.
Some very valuable points raised through out and I'm sure that together we'll get exploration to a wonderful state in the near future.