Exploring is repetitive and boring, an automated exploring option would be a godsend

[Seelensturm]

Magna Mundi had for EU3 interesting event chains for exploration. But a simple AI control of my Explorer would be very welcome.
Introduced with 1.8 was the possiblity to reassign leaders without the need to unassign them first. So if your explorer ship will sink the next day, just tell him he is needed elsewhere and he will teleport home...

 

[shierholzer]

[...] just tell him he is needed elsewhere and he will teleport home...

That won't work. Reassigning leaders is only possible if the leader in question could be unassigned.

 

[BestOfTheWest]

I think 'exploring' in its current micromanagement-intensive way is just senseless, because as the human player, and an experienced one, you know about the Americas perfectly well in your head.
Whats the 'challenge' of discovering America when you already know that it is there in 1444?
(I tried random new world and I like the concept, but it seems too buggy to me and its only rewarding if you play a major (colonial) power, while I tend to start with minor nations)

 

[Immortal88]

Agree, exploration is a pain I already sunk two fleets with explorers in my current ironman game due to neglect. The problem with shift-click is usually you can explore 2-5 areas before having to return in the beginning - later on you can potentially discover 8 or more at a time but you can only ever click the one or two hidden areas that are immediately bordering explored areas. Effectively this leaves you with a choice: Play it safe and shift-click home to port after clicking just the one or two explorable areas or risk taking your eye off the ball and attend to your business back home for "a jiffy".

I think my solution would be an optional tick-box that effectively says "Come back to the closest port to repair once a ship of the expedition falls below 60% durability". Similar to how you can already tick the "Come to port during war" checkbox.

 

[zdlugasz]

... Effectively this leaves you with a choice: Play it safe and shift-click home to port after clicking just the one or two explorable areas or risk taking your eye off the ball and attend to your business back home for "a jiffy".

???
When you discover new province you can have pop-up window (it is on with default settings) and you know that you have to go to see guy and eventually send him home.

Anyway I support idea of autoreturn (although I do not know how much computation-consuming it would be - each next month attrition increases and if you enter ocean you get extra penalty etc, and what about enemy fleets?), I like idea of envoy - finance expedition to discover next area, even with % chance only.

 

[Seelensturm]

That won't work. Reassigning leaders is only possible if the leader in question could be unassigned.

So? I am doing it all the time.

 

[colinljx]

Nothing new here, I suggested this idea long long ago back when COP was announced with its "random new world". Actually, I might have suggested it once back in EU3 as well... Someone might have suggested it even before I did, but good ideas tend to get ignored and forgotten...

Anyway, my basic idea was to use colonists as explorers and send them out like other agents. e.g. missionaries/diplomats/traders. Just send them into a general direction (maybe trade nodes) and wait for them to report back from time to time about good news (found a land & set up a starting colony) or bad news (found land & failed to colonize, found natives, etc.).

 

[BestOfTheWest]

Another idea to solve this would be that explorer fleets can restock supplys/make repairs in the coastal waters of nearby unsettled, but discovered provinces. Thats what explorers actually did, natually.
So you don't always have to return to a home port or ask for fleet basing rights if you don't want your explorer fleet to sink.

Besides, it is quite strange that army troops can refill anywhere, even in the remotest, unsettled jungle provinces, isn't it?

 

[Aries666]

Surely auto explore could work if there was a condition like ship hull strength <50% results in the ship returning to port. I can't even count the number of explorers who have died when I got pre-occupied with a war.

 

[BestOfTheWest]

Thats kind of weird, isn't it?
You are an explorer 'anchoring' in the middle of the Atlantic.
"Sir, shall we advance further to the west or shall we return back home?"
"Neither. We will just stay here until we receive new orders form the admirality or until we drown."

 

[Mardal]

Many great suggestions, keep them coming.

 

[Immortal88]

I think auto-explore wouldn't work - for the same reason AI ships don't take naval attrition. How is the AI to know how many provinces and in which direction it can explore before having to return without dying? Seems a complicated task, falling below 50% is just an approximate solution, it's not guaranteed to work, even for human players it obviously depends how you explored. If you explored in a straight line into the Atlantic with no shore, 50% is too little to get home since attrition % is rising, while if you explore along a shore it may me more than enough.

 

[grommile]

Especially those 0-0-0 kings/heirs.

I'm firmly convinced that's why generals on sunken fleets survive.

 

[Chronicler]

This was something I reacted on in EU III as well. It's very annoying at times to explore.