Uncharted space

[BadJelly]

So there I am in a tortoise of a crate tootling along with the IDS off at about 3k.

On the nav map I'm heading 'West' / 'North-West' from Rucker - if you view it with <x> on the top and <z> down the left side. I start off with about 1200 fuel and jump max distance repeatedly until I'm down to about 90 fuel (an exciting way to spend some time I can tell you! ).

At some point I notice that I'm no longer shown as being in Rucker but in (I think) P246 although there's still nothing but a big fat zero on the nav scanner. I'm underneath the word Virgo on the quadrant map.

At this point I opened an airlock and called it a day.

Questions for all of you who've managed to find somewhere uncharted.

1. Just how far is it typically from one habitable area to the next? How many C5 max jumps etc?
2. I haven't checked but is P246 part of one of the regions on the charted map or not?

Given that there don't appear to be any clues as to a heading presumably I could've skirted the outside of a system far enough away so as to not see any planets etc and never get close enough for them to be on the scanner.

I know I've mentioned about ways in which info about uncharted planets could be introduced into the game but I'm interested in the thinking (I guess directed to Vice) behind how they would be found at present other than blind luck.

If I'm missing some clues/info etc then I'd like to know so my exploring can be a little more productive.

BJ

[EDIT] P.S Trawling some of the older posts on here (I'm still somewhat of a newbie) I see this is far from a new thread topic. Sorry for repeating many other people.

[Edited on 4-2-2008 by BadJelly]

[Vice]

1. Just how far is it typically from one habitable area to the next? How many C5 max jumps etc?

It can vary greatly, from perhaps as little as 200-300 sectors apart to more than 1500 or so. So you're looking at anywhere from at least 40 jumps up to 300 or more with a C5 jump drive.

2. I haven't checked but is P246 part of one of the regions on the charted map or not?

P246 sounds like a logged, but not charted system. So you were likely closer to that system then any other surrounding ones.

Given that there don't appear to be any clues as to a heading presumably I could've skirted the outside of a system far enough away so as to not see any planets etc and never get close enough for them to be on the scanner.

Correct, you could have flown right by it, or it could have been far away and was simply the nearest solar system that had been logged into the navigation map.

I know I've mentioned about ways in which info about uncharted planets could be introduced into the game but I'm interested in the thinking (I guess directed to Vice) behind how they would be found at present other than blind luck.

There is a loose gap pattern applied to the layout of the game's universe where solar systems generally fall within certain regions of each other. Once you explore and learn the general structural principles, it will become easier to locate uncharted systems.

[rayres2008b]

Are there uncharted planets in regular systems, other than just in uncharted systems? If so, what is the best strategy to locate these planets? I'm still a newbie.

Thanks

Rob

[Vice]

Yes, a circular search pattern that increases in size as you travel farther from the center of the solar system is generally the best method.