Hi,
piink , if you could read that, thank you 
I was wondering about what you can get with discoverer class, so I did some tests in Devtooluniverse.
Here some statistics :
You have a 1/10 rate to get a pirate/alien encounter.
You have something like 1/500 rate for a black hole (smaller or larger, we're not sure as the rate is extremely low).
Almost every pirate/alien has a fleet that is 0.3x the size of yours.
So, based on that, here are the possible profits with DISCOVERER CLASS, just imagine sending waves of 100k Battlecruisers :
- Cost of an exepdition is 5,4m deuterium on the same solar system, for an hour (1x deut consumption uni) (16,2m MSU at 3/2/1 rate)
- Don't forget that you get resources and fleets on some others expeditions, so we can easily half this amount of consumption (Let's take 2.7m deut).
An encounter will generate this DF :
100k Battlecruisiers*0.3 = 33k = 198m metal + 264m crystal which is equal to 596m MSU (metal standard unit at 3/2/1 rate and 20% DF).
Based on that, every expedition with 100k Battlecruisers will bring you on average 59,4m - 8,1m = 51,3m MSU. (8,1m MSU = 2,7m deut from consumption)
This is a really high number, but we will add the black hole rate now :
Considering that you have a 1/500 rate as said before, we will lose 100k battlecruisers every 500 expeditions, which cost in MSU rate : 14Bn MSU.
This cost on every expedition is 28M MSU.
You remove this loss from your expeditions, and you still have 23,3m MSU PER EXPEDITION as final profit. This is HUGE and we're talking about a server which has the default consumption rate.
If you send deathstars, you can even get more as there is no consumption, and you get all resources from all others expeditions.
Same calculations with others classes that generate 10% DF :
- 100k Battlecruisiers*0.3 = 33k = 99m metal + 132m crystal which is equal to 298m MSU (metal standard unit at 3/2/1 rate and 10% DF).
- We will consider that with others classes, we get less resources from others expeditions so we keep 75% of consumption cost (4,05m deut or 12,15m MSU).
- You still have the same black hole rate, which still generates a loss of 28m MSU.
- 298m MSU gives an average profit of 29,8m MSU per expedition
29,8 - (28 + 12,15) = 10,35M MSU LOSS
Even if you remove the consumption (with deathstars), you're almost at loss.
From my point of view :
The discoverer class outperforms all others classes and it's impossible to compete with another class.
In v6 ogame, the game was quite fair : the more you spend time, the more reward you get. Looting inactive accounts was possible for every raider/miner, whatever was your game style.
Now, if you're not a discoverer, you cannot compete, that's all. And bigger is the fleet you send, bigger will be the reward. Here, my calculations were based on a "small" fleet of 14Bn MSU value, but we've seen one guy in France who sometimes sends his expeditions with 10k Deathstars. Just imagine what profits he can do.
Is it fair ?
Some points that could fix it, IMO :
- Reduce the DF % for discoverer class for something between 10 to 15%, or
- Increase the DF% for others class for something like 15%, so others classes will be able to do expeditions too or
- Create a max cap size for pirate/aliens
- Increase the black hole rate if you send bigger fleets, with a formula like when you send more deathstars to moonbreak moons
Anyway, please consider that :
- The Collector class is a passive bonus, this should be the smallest bonus of all classses, but this class should be able to perform with others with inactive looting, or expeditions. Imo, this class is well balanced now
- The General class is an active bonus, and should be the class that give you the best bonuses as these are really specific for raiders and the hardest to profit. Why not consider a small RF improvement for this class ? Like 10% more RF, or even more fleet slots than only 2.
- The Discoverer class is a semi-active bonus : you have to send ships, but in a no-brain mode. The bonus given should be between Collector and General classes.
Current bonuses from the best to the worst : Discoverer/Collector/General
Suggested bonuses from the best to the worst : General/Discoverer/Collector