Scan
Scan is one of the ten basic ship statistics that will define your capabilities in the game. Players start with a scan power of 1. It is countered by Cloak.
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Scan Benefits
There are three primary uses for Scan:
- Finding Planets - Every time you add a planet to your "planets scanned" list, it gets harder to find another planet. This is not a straightforward calculation, but some empirical data is available. Improving your scan will increase your chances of success, thereby reducing the energy wasted by failed scans. Rather than just scanning haphazardly with a bit of energy here or there, experienced players prefer to perform a Scan Blitz.
- Scan will also let you gain detailed information about your PvP targets, such as what modules they have equipped, thus allowing you to better choose your targets for Combat. Higher scan also give a greater chance to cause critical hits against your enemy.
- Hacking - Scan is factored into the actual hack attempt (along with Cloak) to determine the success of your attempt. A successful Hack attempt can allow you to steal enemy research points. A critical Hack will allow you to steal the location of a random planet in your enemy's scan database.
Improving Scan
Scan can be improved by installing Sensors and Scanners on your ship.
A List of Top Scan Modules can be found on the Scan_Blitz_and_Max_Scan page.
Scanning for New Planets
On the Planets page, there is a detailed section on Scanning for New Planets
Chances to Scan a New Planet
From Lone.Lycan's 24oct2011 forum post:
good = 70-100%
fair = 40-70%
poor = 15-40%
very poor = under 15%
not sure where the button turns gray (probably 5%?)
According to BinaryMan later in that topic, the "your scans are not efficient" message will start appearing at 50%, partway through the fair range.
An Empirical Table for Max Planets Per Scan is available.
Random Drops When Discovering a New Planet
Ability Activated
- Nanosheared Weapon Scan - 220 required to complete the mission Enigmatic Destruction
- NSX Crate: Diamond, NSX Crate: Amber, NSX Crate: Amethyst, NSX Crate: Jade - See Nanoshearing Sensor
Seasonal
- Hyperluminal Readings - See QPedd_(seasonal_event) (Feb)
- Lepus Bio-Nest or Auric Lepus Bio-Nest - See Lepus_(seasonal_event) (March / April)
- Elios Solar Inverter - See Elios_(seasonal_event) (July)
- Psyshade Inducer - See Bane_(seasonal_event) (October)
- Scruuge Keystone - See Scruuge_(seasonal_event) (December)
Random Effects When Discovering a New Planet
- GenoMarker Signature - required to damage the Stryll Genosynth without the NPC repairing itself
Objectives That Require Scanning for New Planets
Allies
- In order to rank up your Trovar Zane, Elite Tracer ally, you must alert a planet that has been in your scan database for less than 12 hours.
- When you get a Vision of Discovery using your The Oruas Eye (ally), your next scan of a massive (or larger) planet will provide an additional 2% scanning boost for 30 minutes.
Missions
- Closing Engagement
- To be able to successfully run a "Bio-Scan" on the Alarri AX9 NPC, you have to have scanned a new planet or invaded a newly alerted one in the last 24 hours.
- To be able to successfully run a "Bio-Scan" on the Alarri AX9 NPC, you have to have scanned a new planet or invaded a newly alerted one in the last 24 hours.
- Enigmatic Destruction
- You need to collect 220 Nanosheared Weapon Scans to complete this mission. These artifacts are randomly dropped when you discover new planets while the "Nanosheared Weapon Signature - Recent Upload : Special Scanning +1" ability (received upon reading the Mission Briefing every 20 hours) is active on your ship.
- You need to collect 220 Nanosheared Weapon Scans to complete this mission. These artifacts are randomly dropped when you discover new planets while the "Nanosheared Weapon Signature - Recent Upload : Special Scanning +1" ability (received upon reading the Mission Briefing every 20 hours) is active on your ship.
Seasonal Missions
- The_Q-Pedd_Catalyst
- Red or Purple (Type 2 or Type 5) gas planet to collect Hyperluminal Readings (5 required for each completion of the mission)
- Red or Purple (Type 2 or Type 5) gas planet to collect Hyperluminal Readings (5 required for each completion of the mission)
Legion Missions
- The_Ardyne_Sabotage#Task_3:_Investigate_Nearby_Toxic_Plants
- 20 Toxic Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes.
- 20 Toxic Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes.
- The_Cerulean_Conclave_(Mission)#Task_2:_Setup_Listening_Posts
- 20 Icy Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes.
- 20 Icy Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes.
- The_Hunt_for_Mawks:_Showdown_in_Taladar#Task_1:_Find_Lady_Mawks
- 20 Tiny or Very Tiny Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes.
- 20 Tiny or Very Tiny Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes.
- The_Tenebris_Discovery_(Late_Timeline)#Task_3:_Return_the_Artifact_to_the_Bralkir_Shrine
- 30 Very Large (or bigger) Enemy Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes. (NOTE: the 5 minute restriction may have been relaxed [1])
- 30 Very Large (or bigger) Enemy Planets, scanned in the last 5 minutes. (NOTE: the 5 minute restriction may have been relaxed [1])
- The_Xathe_Vortex#Task_3:_Perform_Scan_Overlay_Analysis
- 20 Blue (Type 1 or Type 3) gas planet, scanned in the last 5 minutes.
- 20 Blue (Type 1 or Type 3) gas planet, scanned in the last 5 minutes.