Survey

Planetary surveys can be performed on uninhabited planets and moons to gain XP, Survey Data and determine suitable targets for colonization.

Gameplay

To perform a survey, the player fleet must first either approach the planet and choose "Perform a survey" or use the Remote Survey ability (requires Makeshift Equipment skill) to do a preliminary survey. Each planet has a hazard rating identified during the preliminary survey that depends on planetary conditions such as extreme weather, low/high gravity, or temperature extremes. The base hazard rating is 100%.

Performing a full survey requires a minimum amount of Crew and Heavy Machinery and consumes some Supplies in the process. The estimated maximum amount of Crew and Heavy Machinery required is 900 and 200 respectively, for a size 5 planet with a hazard rating of 350%.

The equation for Supply consumption is 10 + (10 x hazard rating x size), with the result being double rounded to the nearest multiple of 10. The estimated maximum, using the planet above, is 190 supplies.

The amount of resources required for a survey can be reduced:

• The Makeshift Equipment skill cuts all requirements (Minimum Crew/Heavy Machinery required/Supplies used) by half.
• The amount of Heavy Machinery required and Supplies used can also be reduced using ships with the Surveying Equipment hullmod. This is applied after the Makeshift Equipment reduction, if applicable.

Heavy Machinery required and Supplies used can be reduced to a minimum of 5 each.

A full survey gives experience and produces a Survey Data, based on the difficulty and the conditions revealed (better conditions give more XP).

Tips & Tricks

• Not every planet needs to be surveyed. Gas and Ice Giants especially require a lot of resources to do so, very rarely contain ruins and their survey data is worth relatively little since they can only have one resource and never have positive conditions.
• There is no benefit to getting your fleet's total reduction with Surveying Equipment hullmods above 185 (Or 90 with the Makeshift Equipment skill), and even getting around half of that will reduce the majority of surveying jobs to the minimum cost.

Only up to date for version 0.96a. It is likely still broadly correct but not verified for the most up to date data yet. Please double check the Version History.