Only show the cool miniature globe of a planet in the system map after it has been surface scanned

[Arubeto]

I really like the new miniature preview globes in the system map that FD has teased at E3. I think they look great and even may have some gameplay implications (if you are looking for a specific geographic region or landing side - something we often had to do during the Distant Worlds expedition!) [up]

Therefore I think it would be great if FD could integrate those new planet views into the gameplay a little more.

My suggestion is to only make this new view of a planet that shows its actual geological features available to a Commander in the system map after he has scanned it. Use the current wireframe globe for planets that the player has only discovered using the basic or advanced discovery scanner but not yet scanned with the detailed surface scanner!

This isn't a big change, I guess, but IMHO it would create some nice little improvements and advantages:

• a visual reward for scanning planets (in addition to the monetary reward one already gets)
• a visual cue for players easily letting them distinguish between planets they have scanned and those they haven't (granted, that also easily possible by checking the navigation menu, but I think another way to distinguish wouldn't do any harm)
• it would feel like a very natural result of a detailed surface scan to see a planets detailed surface features
• the current wireframe globe could still have a use, namely for when zooming into those planets that haven't been scanned yet, which, IMO would also feel very natural as a visual placeholder for unscanned planets

[video=youtube;vitmkDZm4D4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vitmkDZm4D4[/video]

 

[Arubeto]

So, no opinion on this?

To visualize my idea a little bit, here is a crude mock-up of how I propose the new planet previews in the system map could be revealed by a detailed surface scan:

(never mind the right image not showing any surface installations and both images not actually showing the same planet, here )

 

[ahwala]

I really like the idea. +1

 

[Hydrino]

I think they will obviously have to do something like this.

But most likely it will just be if you don't have system data the planet will not show up at all, just like today. So in the bubble players will still get empty system maps until they scan the nav beacon, scan the sytem, buy the data or if it is a default system already in their nav computer.

 

[Lestat]

What I thinking is just take Image we have now of a system and impose it on the surface until we get a more detail scan. Which will give more detail of the surface.

 

[Arubeto]

I think they will obviously have to do something like this.

But most likely it will just be if you don't have system data the planet will not show up at all, just like today. So in the bubble players will still get empty system maps until they scan the nav beacon, scan the sytem, buy the data or if it is a default system already in their nav computer.

Yes, that's why I would propose a slight change in what a system map shows when a player scans a system:

- when he first enters a new system where he hasn't been before, the system map shows nothing, just like it does now

- after he blows the mighty horn (A.K.A the discovery scanner), the planets appear in the system map with an "undiscovered" tag on them, like before

- here the change would come in: in contrast to how things work right now, the player could "zoom into" planets he hasn't surface scanned, yet, and would get the "grid" view, possibly with installations, that currently is used for already scanned systems

- after the player actually surface scanned the planet with the DSS, the "zoom in" would now show the new planet preview image instead of the wireframe globe

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What I thinking is just take Image we have now of a system and impose it on the surface until we get a more detail scan. Which will give more detail of the surface.

Well, the two main reasons for my proposal are that

1. the current wireframe globe would still be put to some use (as a zoom-in preview for unscanned planets)

2. the process of actually scanning a planet with the surface scanner would - indeed - reveal the surface of the planet.

That would feel very natural and would give a player some nice little visual reward in addition to the monetary reward for scanning a planet.

 

[Lestat]

I rather have a blurred image something we see from a telescope from earth. It give a general idea what the object is. But not the full picture. As you get closer it get more detail and until the user scans it.

 

[Arubeto]

I rather have a blurred image something we see from a telescope from earth. It give a general idea what the object is. But not the full picture. As you get closer it get more detail and until the user scans it.

http://astronomer.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Mars_Peach.jpg

While that's a nice idea, it would mean additional development efforts to generate the blurred images for arbitrary planet surfaces (I know that a blurring filter is no magic, but it still needs to be developed incorporated into the game).

The wire-frame globe has the advantage that it is an in-game asset that's already available and will most likely be retired when 2.2 hits (which, IMO, would be a shame, since it would make such a good placeholder for un-scanned planets)

 

[Lestat]

The wire-frame globe has the advantage that it is an in-game asset that's already available and will most likely be retired when 2.2 hits (which, IMO, would be a shame, since it would make such a good placeholder for un-scanned planets)

Thing is it not that much programming to make planet go from Blurred to detail. If we look at the system map you can see the planet and stars go more detail after a few seconds. So I believe there they already have something running that can do it. It could be 3 or 5 different shots of a planet going from blurred to detail. It would also be cooler then Wire frame that we get today.

 

[Arubeto]

Thing is it not that much programming to make planet go from Blurred to detail. If we look at the system map you can see the planet and stars go more detail after a few seconds. So I believe there they already have something running that can do it. It could be 3 or 5 different shots of a planet going from blurred to detail. It would also be cooler then Wire frame that we get today.

So you don't like my idea?

That's ok. I still stand to my suggestion and would love to hear what others think about it. I really think it is a nice way to still put the current wire-frame globe to use. Something like that is the perfect "unexplored" placeholder for me.

 

[Lestat]

So you don't like my idea?

Thought it was a very nice way to still put the current wire-frame globe to use. Something like that is the perfect "unexplored" placeholder for me.

I been in astronomy for most of my life. That partly due to playing Elite 30 years ago. Then having family members that work for NASA Shuttle Program. Combine with using Telescopes and going into the mountains to see stars, Planets and Moon. Using better telescopes you get better detail of a object. I would rather see planets slowly go into higher detail as we get closer. Then Wire Frame then high Detail. Because to me it seems unrealistic.

I think wire frame would help players with slower computer or connections.

A alternative would be have wireframe at a very distance star planet. At a certen range it slowly start going into higher detail.

I also think it would depend on how Dirty that part of the galaxy is on how long it take to get into focus or out of wire frame mode.

 

[John Guevara]

i love the idea with wired-frames and images after detailed scan. i think a normal basic/adv.scanner is working just like a sonar-ping on Submarines or maybe little bit more, but this scan give just basic informations like number of objetcs, positions, size, gravity, rotation and so on. but if you enable detailed-scan, the ship open a high-sensitive telescope and make photos and more analyses e.g. Wide Field Camera, Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, like in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope .
the idea about "go into higher detail as we get closer" is in my opinion also nice.