Learn about scanning, cooldown, and claiming your loot.
Scanning is an essential gameplay element in the Escape Velocity Campaign, a technical showcase and sandbox environment for the upcoming Star Atlas: Golden Era (SAGE) game. This article will guide you through the scanning process, its mechanics, and what to expect when participating in the campaign.
Scanning Basics
In Escape Velocity, each of your ships has the ability to move, scan, and claim. Scanning plays a vital role in discovering potential loot within the sector where your ship is located. The scans are managed off-chain, which means they are cost-free, allowing you to focus on exploring and finding valuable assets in the game.
When you perform a scan, your ship may detect some loot. If loot is detected, you can claim it without moving toward it.
Cooldown and Multiple Ships
Regardless of whether you find loot, each scan triggers a 30-second cooldown for that specific ship, during which its scanning equipment recharges and cannot be used.
If you have multiple ships in the game, you can perform scans with each ship individually, up to 15 scans within 30 seconds across all your ships. The cooldown is on a per-ship basis. For example, if you have four ships, you can perform four scans within 30 seconds, each with a different ship. You can choose whether to have these ships in the same sector or spread across different sectors. Moving your other ships to separate sectors is advantageous if you are the only player in a sector.
