Prospector Agreement

The prospector agreement is one of the identity agreements available to players. It was added to the game on 18 May 2022. It is automatically signed for new factions. Along with the neutrals' agreement it is the identity agreement with the currently highest achievable Dawn points reward, but this does not come for free - typically a significant amount of uEcoins will need to be invested to achieve it, and more importantly some utility ships will be unavailable for resource gathering while they are prospecting, lowering the faction's resource income.

## Lore

### Origin of Prospectors

As early as in the Terran Sphere age, the B-86 Manned Spacecraft reached the Oort Cloud by spending over 30 years and became the first of its kind to travel out of the Solar System. It shocked the whole Terran Sphere and ignited people's desire to uncover the mysteries of star systems.

In the following hundreds of years, countless corporations launched space probes into various star systems outside the Solar System to detect planets one after another and collect multiple types of data. Their actions were referred to as the "Great Prospecting Moves" by later generations, and they have become the first batch of "Prospectors" in history.

Throughout the history of the Lagrange Network, Prospectors play a vital role. From exploring planets, and getting to know the geographic environment of star systems, to igniting a new node in the Lagrange Network, each step of prospecting is full of difficulties and challenges. Especially in the detection works of Lagrange Nodes, Prospectors need to find appropriate observation sites for Lagrange points, launch beacons repeatedly to carry out experiments, and acquire relatively accurate warping info records after tens of thousands of experiments.

Prospectors represent not only a career but also an honor. According to the Centennial Exploration History—Final Prospecting Report on the Lagrange Network Reconstruction, it usually takes a lifetime of countless Prospectors to complete the prospection works of a star system.

### Prospector Agreement from the Hayreddin Clan

Hayreddin Clan is an ancient Galactic Faction. The records of them can be traced back to the early period of the Gold Rush era. With the collapse of Neptune Minerals, the Hayreddin Clan declared independence and began to run their own star systems and networks. It is said that they bear one piece of the precious "Lagrange Archives No. 1095." During wartime, we couldn't get much information about the Hayreddin Clan. However, they gradually stepped onto the stage of the Lagrange Network with the post-war recovery.

In the Prospector Agreement, the Hayreddin Clan hopes that explorers can complete the detection of the environment of the star system in which they are currently located, acquire important data, and finally submit a "Star System Prospecting Report." To support Prospectors exploring the star system environment, Hayreddin will provide the temporary blueprint authorization of the facility "Prospecting Tech Research Center" to the signatory explorers. Upgrading the Prospecting Tech Research Center at the Base to different levels will acquire different prospection techs.

Hayreddin Clan has specified the targets for Prospectors in the agreement, including planets, Orbital Paths, Lagrange points, and resource nodes. Prospectors are required to report as much data and information as possible.

#### Clauses of Agreement

The Hayreddin Clan issues this agreement to explore the star system environment and collect data on stars and Lagrange Nodes.

The agreement reads as follows:

```
Article 1. Agreement Signing Conditions

1. Pioneers entering the star system have 48 hours to sign this agreement.

2. After signing this agreement, changing to another individual agreement is not allowed.

Article 2. Agreement Goals

1. Temporary authorization will be granted for the duration of this agreement to the factions that entier into this agreement for the following facility:

Prospecting Tech Research Center

2. Temporary authorization will be granted for the duration of this agreement to the factions that enter into this agreement for the [Star System Prospecting Report].

Article 3. Rating Criteria

1. The star system development rating is based largely on the Prospection Points recorded in the [Star System Prospecting Report] owned by the individual faction for this exploration. Rewards will be issued according to the Rating Criteria at the time of star system development rating.

2. The Dawn Point rewards will be issued to you in the star system development rating. You need to unlock Zone 6 in the base to be eligible to claim Dawn Points.

```

## Identity Agreement Limited Tech

Like all identity agreements, since 11. November 2023 the prospector agreement provides explorers with the option to exchange weapon tech for star system limited technology specific to the chosen identity. For 25 points worth of R4 or R5 weapon tech (at 4 and 5 points each, respectively, so it is recommended to use 5 x R5), explorers can acquire one of up to three "Sunshield" Anti-Radiation Plating techs in the *Star System Limited Techs* section of the store. These are available for all capital and super capital ships and increase energy damage resistance by 5% while reducing stellar radiation damage taken by 90%. After exchanging for one of these in the store, explorers can install it to the armor system of an eligible blueprint of their choice.

Just like all star system limited technology, it cannot leave the star system and will therefore be removed upon the explorer's return to the hub.

## Prospector Gameplay

Signing the prospector agreement, the faction receives temporary blueprint authorization for the Prospecting Tech Research Center in the base's central district. Constructing and upgrading this building is necessary for all prospector gameplay. Depending on the building's upgrade level, the player can choose to prospect any of the following targets:

* regular resource nodes
* trojite crystal or data nodes
* planets and their satellites (i.e. the moons orbiting the planets)
* observation points of planetary orbits and Lagrange points

All prospecting is performed using utility ships, thus reducing the number of utility ships available to contribute to the faction's resource income. To prospect, a prospection target needs to be selected in the expanse view and a fleet comprising at least one utility ship can then be sent to prospect it via the corresponding command.

All prospecting tasks cost 10 AP, with most prospecting targets additionally incurring a uEcoin cost.

Most prospecting targets can only be prospected a single time by each explorer. The exception are planets and their satellites, which can be prospected three times each.

### Prospecting Resource Nodes, Trojite Crystals or Data Info

Prospecting resources nodes of levels 3 and 4 requires the Prospecting Tech Research Center to be upgraded to at least level 3, while nodes of levels 5 and 6 require it to be fully upgraded to level 5.

Prospecting resource nodes allows the discovery of **hidden reserves**. These hidden reserves can be additional regular mineral reserves, also of mineral types that were originally not found in the node. If prospecting in star systems signed under the Trojite Crystal Collection Agreement or the Data Rescue Agreement, hidden reserves can also comprise additional trojite crystals or data info, but only in nodes that originally already contained them.

After discovering hidden reserves, they become available to be collected by regular means, but only to factions that successfully prospected the node. The contents are shared, and other explorers cannot discover additional hidden reserves in the same node.

Because of this, in particular when prospecting for trojite or data, it is advisable to distribute the task of initially checking for hidden reserves among your group members and share locations of discovered reserves to the remaining group, who can then prospect only those. That way no more than the necessary resources are spent on discovering hidden trojite or data reserves.

If no hidden reserves are found, then your fleet will receive a small amount of minerals of the type found in the node instead, provided it has free cargo space.

If you do not care about hidden reserves, then prospecting low level resource nodes can still be a useful way to earn prospection points. While only a single point is gained per prospected resource node, at level 1 and 2 they take only a very short amount of time to prospect and do not incurr a uEcoin fee, allowing you to quickly convert surplus action points into prospection points.

### Prospecting Planets and Observation Points

    The only purpose of prospecting planets and observation points is to earn prospection points for the rating rewards. All planets and observation points are initially marked by an overhead icon in the expanse view, identifying them as eligible prospection targets (depending on the upgrade level of the Prospecting Tech Research Center).

Planets and their satellites are the only prospection targets that can be prospected multiple times, up to three times to be exact. This may not be immediately obvious because the prospection icon over the planet disappears after the first prospection already. Successive prospections take longer and have lower rewards, however.

Observation points are astronomical locations in space. Two types of observation points are available to be prospected, namely orbital paths and Lagrange points. The former require the Prospecting Tech Research Center to be upgraded to at least level 2, while the latter require at least level 4. They wil be marked by a prospection icon in the expanse view if they are available for prospection. If the corresponding planet or satellite has been prospected at least once, they can also be found via the so-called *Star System Prospecting Report*. For a satellite's data to be shown the planet they orbit must also have been prospected. The prospecting report can be accessed via the icon in the top left corner, then an already prospected planet or satellite can be selected to show their details, as shown in the screenshot on the right. Selecting an observation point then provides a button to go there in the expanse view. Already prospected points are shown with a yellow checkmark.

    One particularity of Lagrange points is that they can only be prospected by one fleet at a time, because prospecting will place an exploration beacon that will block the location for the duration. Note that if fleets use the transfer command on the prospection icon they will fly exactly to the same location and can block it for further prospection, therefore it is recommended to always manually choose the transfer location.

It is worth pointing out that the prospection targets that take by far the longest to prospect are the orbital path observation points of planets, and that for a reward that is half of what you get for prospecting Lagrange observation points. This results in the worst time/reward efficiency for these points along with higher level resource nodes and it is recommended to ignore them. For the details see the following sections.

### Risks

Prospecting fleets will become the target of hostile NPC factions and sometimes also of players. Note that to interrupt another player's prospecting operation on Lagrange points it is enough to attack and destroy the exploration beacon, which has only 200 hitpoints and can be removed by any utility ship. While player attacks are rare outside of an ongoing war, they can happen in particular when the prospecting fleet is found to be using small utility ships on Lagrange points and thus prospecting at very slow speeds, which is considered to be unreasonable by many players since it blocks the target for all other players in the star system during that time. Another common reason to be attacked is if your fleet is blocking a Lagrange point without actually prospecting.

## Prospection Efficiency

To be as efficient as possible in your work as a prospector, it is important to have a look at a few numbers:

### Prospection Costs

All prospecting actions cost 10 AP, but most prospection targets additionally require payment of a uEcoin fee for each prospecting action:

 Resource Node Level 3 and 4
 Resource Node lLevel 5 and 6
 Orbital Path Observation Point
 Lagrange Observation Point
 Planet or Satellite

### Prospection Duration

Prospection duration depends on the total number of engineering points provided by the utility ships in the prospecting fleet. These can also be reinforced or - on prospection targets that support it - be provided via multiple fleets of the same faction (not recommended due to the involved costs). Different factions prospecting the same target do not affect each faction's prospection duration or progress, however.

Maximum prospecting speed is reached with 11,500 engineering points - further engineering points in the prospecting fleet have no effect. While prospecting with small utility ships is acceptable during early game, later during the season is recommended to use at least 3 large utility ships (10,500 engineering points) both to reduce the risk of being intercepted by NPC fleets and - when prospecting Lagrange nodes - to be respectful of other players waiting their turn. Add another medium or large utility ship to reach maximum speed.

The estimated prospection duration is shown beforehand on the prospection confirmation dialog.

##### Calculation

The prospection duration can also be approximated using the following formula:

> Duration in seconds = 8640 / *divisor* \* 1.000202001 11500 - *engineering points*
>
>

where *engineering points* equal the total engineering points comprised in all fleets the faction has simultaneously prospecting the target, and *divisor* depends on the prospection target and can be found in the following table along with the pre-calculated minimum achievable prospection duration:

The maximum duration (prospecting with just one small utility ship) can be approximated as 9.6 times the minimum duration.

### Prospection Points

Each prospecting action gains prospection points, but the amount depends on the prospection target:

The time efficiency column is calculated from point gain and prospection duration, higher values are better. Naturally this does not consider travel times, wait times at obstructed nodes, nor are AP and uEcoin costs a factor, but it may serve as an indicator where not to invest your time in the first place.

## Rating Rewards

### Dawn Points

One rating reward are Dawn Points. The amount is based on the achieved rating points, which equal the number of prospecting points earned during the season.

 100
 180
 250
 360
 450
 600
 1000

Additional prospecting points earned are not rewarded, nor are there bonuses or achievements for gathering all available astronomical data in the system.

As with all identity agreements, Dawn Points are only awarded if the faction's base has reached at least zone 6 at the time of the star system development rating.

### Unidentified Prospector Technology Assets

After receiving a prospector identity rating reward, the explorer becomes eligible to purchase two *Unidentified Prospector Technology Assets* boxes in the Dawn Store. These remain available in the store until the next star system rating.

Click the icon in the store before purchase for an overview of the possible contents that can be identified. Technology assets boxes from other identity agreements have different contents.

### Star System Prospector Emblem

If the explorer earned at least 250 rating points under the prospector agreement, then a Star System Prospector Emblem collectible is awarded. Every time this is awarded, the collectible's version number increases by 0.01. At certain versions additional rewards are unlocked:

 1.02
 1.04
 1.06
 1.10