I'd like to propose a complete change in expeditions. As everyone can no doubt attest, they are pretty crappy at the moment and something people pretty much never do, simply because they are not worth the effort. Obsolete game features are pointless, so let's give it a new purpose.

New mechanics

One expedition slot for every second level of Expedition Technology after level 1 until tech level 9 where it caps at 5 slots.

Tech 1 - 1 slot
Tech 2 - 1 slot
Tech 3 - 2 slots
Tech 4 - 2 slots
Tech 5 - 3 slots
Tech 6 - 3 slots
Tech 7 - 4 slots
Tech 8 - 4 slots
Tech 9 - 5 slots

Expedition hold time is removed, there is just one uniform exploration time for each universe. This time needs to reflect universe speed, so each is different.

Standard: Expeditions take 1 hour to explore the location.
Xtreme: Expeditions take 30 minutes to explore the location.
Speed: Expeditions take 15 minutes to explore the location.

New finds and chances

Common Finds 50% chance on each expedition to receive a random result from this list

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Message: Your expedition took some incredible images of a distant supernova, they return home in high spirits.
Result: Nothing happens, your fleet returns home.
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Message: This area of space is completely devoid of activity, your expedition fleet returns home disappointed.
Result: Nothing happens, your fleet returns home.
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Message: Your expedition finds a small asteroid field packed with mineral deposits.
Result: Your expedition returns home with 50% of it's cargo capacity filled with resources at a 3:2:1 ratio.
(Note: This result will only return an amount of resources up to a maximum possible find of 5.000.000, so for example a fleet of 1000 Large Cargo Ships will return from this result with 2,499,999 Metal, 1,666,666 Crystal and 833,333 Deuterium.)
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Message: Your technicians devise a way to inject solar plasma into the propulsion systems of your fleet, boosting efficiency on a massive scale.
Result: Your expedition fleet's return speed is increased by 150%
(Note: This is 150% of current speed, so if you sent your fleet on the expedition at 20% speed it would return home at 50% total speed)
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Uncommon finds 30% chance on each expedition to receive a random result from this list
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Message: Your fleet's propulsion systems are damaged by a burst of gamma radiation from a violent reaction in the nearby nebula.
Result: Your fleet returns home at 25% flight speed.
(Note: This is 25% of current speed, so if you sent your fleet on the expedition at 20% speed, it would make the return at 5% total speed.)
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Message: Your expedition has discovered the remains of an ancient fleet in orbit around a desolate planet, the technicians will try to get some of the ships working again.
Result: Your expedition returns home with a 25% bonus to the amount of ships in your fleet.
(Note: This result will give you 25% bonus to your fleet only up to the maximum possible value of 5.000.000 in resources, so for example, you will never find more than 83 Battleships or 40 Destroyers with this result.)
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Rare finds 15% chance on each expedition to receive a random result from this list
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Message: Your fleet encounters a hostile alien race, attempts at peaceful contact are a failure and catastrophic battle ensues.
Result: A combat report is generated, and the remains of your expedition fleet will return home afterwards.
(Note: The aliens will always have 3 levels less WSA than you and a fleet equal in numbers to 50% (rounded up to the nearest integer) of yours, the alien fleets will always be composed of ships that have the highest rapid fire over the most expensive ship in your fleet, the alien fleets will never include Death Stars,
debris is never generated from this battle.)
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Message: Your expedition comes across a deserted planet, it seems the ancient civilisation was wiped out by an unknown cataclysmic event eons ago. Your ships take some of the vast amounts of resources still stored in the planet's facilities.
Result: Your expedition returns home with 100% of it's cargo capacity filled with resources at a 3:2:1 ratio.
(Note: This result will only return an amount of resources up to a maximum possible find of 10.000.000, so for example a fleet of 1000 Large Cargo Ships will return from this result with 4,999,999 Metal, 3,333,333 Crystal and 1,666,666 Deuterium.)
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Super rare finds 5% chance on each expedition to receive a random result from this list
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Message: Your technicians try to decipher the latest transmission from your expedition fleet, but receive only static noise and the distant sound of a blood curdling scream.
Result: Your entire expedition fleet is lost forever.
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Message: Your expedition fleet is heavily damaged after passing through a violent region of space swamped with radiation. Navigation and propulsion systems are almost completely destroyed.
Result: Your expedition returns home at 5% speed to a random planet in your empire.
(Note: This means 5% of your current speed, so if you sent the expedition out at 50% speed it will return at 2.5% total speed. Returning fleet is visible to the Sensor Phalanx.)
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Message: Your expedition comes across a vast alien fleet, seemingly abandoned years ago. After failing to deduce the reason behind the fleet's fate, your technicians bring the more intact ones back online and bring them home.
Result: Your expedition returns home with a 50% bonus to the amount of ships in your fleet.
(Note: This result will give you 50% bonus to your fleet only up to the maximum possible value of 10.000.000 in resources, so for example, you will never find more than 166 Battleships or 80 Destroyers with this result.)
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Message: Your expedition make contact a friendly alien race, they will be sending a trade representative to your world shortly.
Result: You get a free one time use of the Merchant.
(Note: For this trade the Merchant will not accept trades if the resources traded on either side exceed the maximum storage capacity of the planet your expedition came from. If it came from a moon it will count the attached planet's capacity instead.)
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Message: Your expedition fleet detects strange magnetic readings from a nearby asteroid field. Further investigation reveals the presence of a small quantity of the rarest mineral in the universe, your technicians will attempt to extract it.
Result: 25% chance to return home empty handed, 75% chance to return home with 1 Zorg Ruby.
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Feedback and constructive criticism is of course always welcome! Thanks for reading.

is it possible to the extreme rarity for the expedition to find rubies? that might be one aspect of expedition mission for which any one would risk for the gamble.

i know i would.

EDIT: sorry my laptop scroller skipped on that paragraph

Clearly you didn't read it all.

A wonderful idea no doubt, although some of the things would be hard to code without bugs. Maybe simplify some of the things? For example the one time merchant and the massive alien battles. They are a bit complicated IMO, but still everything sounds wonderful and if it were to be implemented expeditions would again become an interesting mission to send.

I totally agree, Tom. I did maybe 2 or three expeditions when I first started. Seemed every time I sent a fleet, my fleet was lost. I have since never performed this fleet mission as it is totally not worth it.

I like all the options you stated and support a revamp of this strategy/game play.

This is an awesome idea! It would make most expeditions worth it. I hope this gets implemented asap.

Excellent idea, having such a vast amounts of results and greater rewards would ensure that expeditions are not pointless. You have my support.

I am a bit unsure about the reward of 1 ruby, there are many suggestions regarding free rubies which have been turned down. The rarity of such a find does hold some weight though.
If rubies are at stake, expeditions will become really popular.

this idea even made me talk, i love it and must be implemented.

Yeah I hear ya Cypher, I thought about it and tried to make it as rare as feasibly possible. You have to first hit the 5% super rare result bracket, then get the ruby result which is about 20% chance (1 in 5), then even further you still only have a 75% chance of getting the one ruby after that.

So in total judging by my proposals you have roughly a 0.75% chance of finding a ruby on an expedition.

Istalris wrote:So in total judging by my proposals you have roughly a 0.75% chance of finding a ruby on an expedition.

For those who don't like percentages, that's approximately 3 rubies given in every 400 expedition missions sent.