Here is a ship I built from scraps
It always seems like the more I learn the less I know.
First, comparison of ships. All have the same three upgrades in the most effective configuration. First thing learned, the most effective configuration is different in the Interceptor.
So, first conclusion: @Polyphemus is correct, the S class Explorer with the same modules in optimal configuration has the greatest range. The surprise is that optimal configuration as we discussed it was ‘drive on supercharge’ and that turns out not true in most cases. Well, in cases where you have a strong module. For the Explorer and the Exotic the ‘bare drive’ has a range of something just short of 200, and that module is 220. Optimal arrangement turns out to be supercharging the best number, so if the best module is stronger than the bare drive, supercharge the module.
Which brings us to what surprised me. Upgrade performance is severely nerfed in the interceptor.
The three modules only add 614 to the Interceptor. My hypothesis is that there is no ‘adjacency bonus’ with the Crimson Core. I have some additional tests to run.
For now, my conclusion is that the Explorer is the best long range jumper, as it is supposed to be. In my case this is compounded by the fact that I have higher priorities for the supercharged slots in my Exotic, so its jump range would not normally be optimized. This does resolve my issue from the other day, which was ‘is it worth adding an S class Explorer to my collection?’ It is apparently the optimal craft for long range trekking via hyperdrive, so yes.
So…additional testing verifies that while hyperdrive upgrade modules work on the interceptor, they do not recognize a ‘similar units adjacent’ bonus with the Crimson Core like they do with a hyperdrive.
Also verified that my stray thought on this does not prove out. I had this idea that since the Crimson Core didn’t register as a hyperdrive unit for that purpose it might not count as one for the ‘overload limit’ either, so maybe I could install a fourth upgrade module…but apparently it does.
Without being contrary, I wouldn’t be so sure. There’s a range of base jump capabilities in class S explorers, and there’s a range of base capabilities in the exotics, too.
Class A and class S explorers are relatively plentiful. There are enough around that we can fairly reliably estimate their upgrade potential. It’s not so easy to do this with exotics, though. They’re much harder to come by.
To make a fair comparison, we’d have to work out the maximum base stat for an explorer, and the maximum stat for an exotic, then upgrade both to the maximum possible. As you have pointed out, different types of ship don’t necessarily react to identical upgrades in the same way.
I note frrom your tests that the class S explorer came in at 1598, and the class S exotic at 1567. The difference is marginal. If the exotic’s starting base stat had been even a little higher, applied multipliers could have reversed the ranking.
For myself, I’d like to test a lot more exotics. Now I’ve just got to find the damned things…
Good luck. I almost never see exotics any more. Barely saw the squids before and have not seen one in ages.
I picked one up very early in this save, which was great. They make a very good all arounder in the early early game. However, I can’t say I like it (in fact, I think of it as the ugliest Exotic I have ever had) and I’m open to finding a new one.
I saw the first squiddie I’ve seen in about 3 years just the other day. Blue with tiger-stripes.
Never was a major fan but the rareness made them unique.
I have helped Mrs Mad-Hatter ship hunt a few times when chasing the ‘local’ exotic.
Same routine I’ve used for a while still seems to work.
Land near a trading post (not on it to keep the landing pad clear)
Wait through a couple of waves of ship landings.
Save point & then reload.
Rince & repeat allowing the day/night cycle to progress a little.
Typically it may take about 10 reloads to get an exotic to spawn but it varies.
I found the first one you see always has the best stats so I just grab it.
Best time is the first trading post or space station landing in a newly visited system. That’s when I most commonly see one when not purposely hunting.
This is an unmodified, as-found class S explorer. It has a base-line jump range of 216.7 - one of the highest base lines I think I’ve seen. It also has a block of three connected supercharged tech slots, which offers amazing possibilities for boosted hyperdrive upgrades.
I’m going to treat this one as an experimental subject. There may be more powerful explorers out there, but this one’s a pretty good starting point.
I got really lucky with my custom fighter, it has four supercharged slots in a straight line with gaps of non supercharged between them, base stats plus getting lucky with the layout of supercharged slots on an explorer/exotic could make a huge difference if using them for hyperdrive range.
I’m currently collecting parts to make a custom s class explorer to throw some more stats into the sciencing. I will save before each build and try one with a different engine (just to get a grading curve on custom ship/class). I’m thinking ill go s/c/b/a and then do S again for the final one, to see if theres any RNG happening with the ship builds (or if its like upgrade modules where a new string is generated after opening one? )
Class S Explorer Upgrade - Results
Probably the first thing to note is that the base jump figure for this ship changed slightly - just because I moved it to my freighter. If you look at the earlier picture, it was 216.7 - now it’s 219.5
OK, first thing is to move the hyperdrive to a supercharged slot. It makes a difference, but not much. We go from 219.5 to 274.2.
Now we install the standard cadmium, emeril, and indium drives. That also makes a difference - but it’s tiny. Jump distance increases from 274.2 to 287.8.
This is the one that really makes the difference. We install the three class S upgrades - two of them into adjacent supercharged slots. This brings the total jump distance up to a respectable 2, 298.9. Pretty good.
Hot dang! Now I need to go ship hunting!
Oh wow. Taking a tip from Tim, I moved the hyperdrive out of its supercharged slot, and put the third upgrade in there instead. It’s lifted the range to 2,381. Not a huge increase, but every little helps…
Explorer Test 2
This is a test on a much more commonplace ship. It’s a class A explorer with a baseline jump range of 173.6. You should be able to net one of these by hanging around a space station for half an hour or so.
This shows the cost to upgrade the thing to class S - 50,000 nanites.
The ship as upgraded - jump range has increased to 194.1, and it has gained a usefully positioned supercharged tech slot.
Moved some tech, cleared space for upgrades, and added a few new tech slots.
Added cadmium, emeril, indium, and Atlantid drives. Jump range has increased to 213.4
Installed three class S upgrades - two of them in supercharged slots. Jump range has increased to 1,955.3. Shame it didn’t make 2,000 - but this was a decidedly average ship to start with.
Try moving the Cadmium Drive up a slot, should give additional adjacency bonus to the center slot. Also make sure the center has the best upgrade in it.
Oh dear. It was just an experiment - I already scrapped it. I still have the previous one, though.
Upgrading the class A explorer to class S answered an important question. It was possible that there was a ceiling figure for class S explorers, and that upgrading a class A would hit that. We now know it doesn’t.
The class A had a starting range of 173.6, and the upgrade increased it to 194.1. However, we already know from the previous experiment that there are unmodified class S explorers available with a range of at least 219.5 - and that’s just the highest I’ve found so far. They may go higher.
So we know that upgrading to class S does not max them out.
I would be interested to see the tech loadout for that squid. I’d also like to know what the jump distance was before it was upgraded.
I went to test a few custom explorer ships and reload saves but have realised that because you can’t make a new ship until you fly the ship you just built out, it’s not possible to test with save scumming.
So I could only make two S class explorers with the parts I had in storage
Their hyperdrive ranges were 218.0 and 207.3
Updated with screens
