Additional Mission Markers for Item delivery missions (see picture inside)

[KatsPurr]

Greetings Commanders!

I just started playing Elite Dangerous a couple of weeks ago, and as a new player, let me share what has become my biggest gripe so far in the game: Mission markers!

As a new player, I really enjoy grabbing as many missions as I can, then flying from place to place getting them done.

The problem is, that mission markers show up on both the original station and the destination station. So before you know it, space is swimming with these markers and there is no way to tell them apart! I cannot count how many times I've plotted my course for a star with a mission marker, assuming I can turn in a mission, only to realize that it's the place where I started one of the other missions instead.

I would humbly like to suggest, that you guys add an additional mission marker to represent the station of origin. It could be a little pouch icon as below, or something similar.

If a station happens to be the station you started one item delivery at but also is a destination station, then one could simply stack the icons, just as any other icons are stacked.

As the game is currently, I'm forced to check and double check, and check again through the nav panel where I would much prefer to use the galaxy map.

Otherwise, having a blast in this amazing game. And kudos to whoever designed the beautiful UI!

- Commander KatsPurr

 

[Blerrg]

Definitely needs something different - maybe also de-saturate the orange icon for the mission source compared to the mission destination? This means less of a mass of solid orange if you're zoomed out a bit?

 

[Greasetrap42]

I keep track of my trade missions on paper. I got a simple little shorthand chart method, strocking off the missions as they are completed. I find it easy and quick especially when juggling multiple missions. And when looking at the list of available missions I can easily see if I should accept the smaller missions cause I'm going there anyway. Also handy for the missions that require supplying commodities. I find stacking those missions can easily get out of control if I don't keep track.

Obviously I don't play in VR.

 

[KatsPurr]

Definitely needs something different - maybe also de-saturate the orange icon for the mission source compared to the mission destination? This means less of a mass of solid orange if you're zoomed out a bit?

View attachment 170863

Good point!

 

[KatsPurr]

I keep track of my trade missions on paper. I got a simple little shorthand chart method, strocking off the missions as they are completed. I find it easy and quick especially when juggling multiple missions. And when looking at the list of available missions I can easily see if I should accept the smaller missions cause I'm going there anyway. Also handy for the missions that require supplying commodities. I find stacking those missions can easily get out of control if I don't keep track.

Obviously I don't play in VR.

Sounds like a solid idea until the usability is improved for figuring out which are mission destinations and which are not. Thanks for sharing your method!

 

[Chaparral]

This is a reasonable request OP. Even something as trivial as a number paired with the icon that is consistent with the mission order would help.

 

[FrogsFriend]

I keep track of my trade missions on paper. I got a simple little shorthand chart method, strocking off the missions as they are completed. I find it easy and quick especially when juggling multiple missions. And when looking at the list of available missions I can easily see if I should accept the smaller missions cause I'm going there anyway. Also handy for the missions that require supplying commodities. I find stacking those missions can easily get out of control if I don't keep track.

Obviously I don't play in VR.

Frontier should definitely sell Elite-themed notepads and pencils in the store

 

[CMDR X]

I keep track of my trade missions on paper.

At least it's not cave drawings.

 

[Stabby_Dave]

If you're on pc, ED Discovery will keep track of what needs to be taken from where to where. If you're not........

 

[Andy_Pipkin]

To find your mission target system, go to the mission in question on your Transactions tab (left menu).
Click on the mission, and click on Open Galaxy map, bottom right.
This will take you to the target system.

 

[Khoros Thar]

yes

 

[KatsPurr]

To find your mission target system, go to the mission in question on your Transactions tab (left menu).
Click on the mission, and click on Open Galaxy map, bottom right.
This will take you to the target system.

The problem is not figuring out the target location of missions. I do realize you can simply do that from each specific mission.

The issue we're tackling here is a scenario where you have say 20 missions that you have taken. Then you're sitting there looking at the galaxy map, trying to decide which one to turn in first. Naturally, you try to see which missions are closest to you and happily plot a course to the nearest mission marker. Only to arrive to that place and realize that oh crap, this was not a turn-in station. Instead, it was one of the stations I had already fetched stuff from for another mission. If you have many missions going at the same time, it's hard keeping track of which mission markers on the galaxy map are departures and which are destinations.

 

[CMDR James]

The problem is not figuring out the target location of missions. I do realize you can simply do that from each specific mission.

The issue we're tackling here is a scenario where you have say 20 missions that you have taken. Then you're sitting there looking at the galaxy map, trying to decide which one to turn in first. Naturally, you try to see which missions are closest to you and happily plot a course to the nearest mission marker. Only to arrive to that place and realize that oh crap, this was not a turn-in station. Instead, it was one of the stations I had already fetched stuff from for another mission. If you have many missions going at the same time, it's hard keeping track of which mission markers on the galaxy map are departures and which are destinations.

Totally. I enjoy running missions. And the scenario you describe is very relatable. BTW, you are a very talented artist. o7 CMDR

 

[Andy_Pipkin]

trying to decide which one to turn in first

Best place to decide, is the transactions tab, not the galmap.
Galmap just shows an orgy of orange icons (in your case lol)...the transactions tab shows the details for each mission, like for example the time-to-complete.

But in general, it's better not to take so many missions at once, which you might have guessed by now.
What you can do, is to check if the mission board offers more missions to the same location, like Data-delivery missions.

 

[Subcat]

Best place to decide, is the transactions tab, not the galmap.
Galmap just shows an orgy of orange icons (in your case lol)...the transactions tab shows the details for each mission, like for example the time-to-complete.

That's kind of the OP's point.

It shouldn't require much work to change the hue of the icons. I would also go further and ask for the ability to prioritise and track missions.

 

[Andy_Pipkin]

yeah sure, why not.
I agree it can be very confusing for starting commanders.

 

[KatsPurr]

Best place to decide, is the transactions tab, not the galmap.
Galmap just shows an orgy of orange icons (in your case lol)...the transactions tab shows the details for each mission, like for example the time-to-complete.

But in general, it's better not to take so many missions at once, which you might have guessed by now.
What you can do, is to check if the mission board offers more missions to the same location, like Data-delivery missions.

I do understand that for you - as a more experienced player - it's easy to become accustomed to how the game is. If there are UX shortcomings, you learn to accept them and simply find work-arounds.

In this case, you have already learned that since the Galaxy Map is just "an orgy of orange icons", it's better to:
a) Never use the Galaxy map to plot your course to the closest mission location (even though one of the prime functions of the gal map is to plot a course)
b) Never accept tons of missions (even though the game technically allows you to accept up to 20 at a time)

So basically, due to this UX flaw, you've had to restrict how many missions you take and are forced to use a subpar method to plot your next hand-in mission destination.

As a new player, this UX issue really stands out to me, and since there's this nifty suggestion forum, well I came-a-suggestin'!

I know this must feel like such a minor thing to veteran players who can hop and skip around with their nice ships and their long FSD range, but remember that new players who still have crappy ships with short jump range and are still very concerned about looking for the closest place to hand in a mission.

It's also probably easy to forget just how important missions are to a new player. Elite being not only a sandbox, but a complex one at that, means that there is nothing to lead you by the hand. The first days and even weeks can be very overwhelming!

The one glimmer of light however, the one thing that does give at least some direction is missions. Beautiful, glorious, wonderful missions! Even though a newbie might not know how to do anything else yet, at least they can do missions to get started in Elite and gradually learn the game. The more missions, the better!

I love a challenge. I love hard, grindy games that are complex and take time to figure out. But UX flaws should NOT be part of the challenge of playing a game.

 

[Viajero]

Greetings Commanders!

I just started playing Elite Dangerous a couple of weeks ago, and as a new player, let me share what has become my biggest gripe so far in the game: Mission markers!

As a new player, I really enjoy grabbing as many missions as I can, then flying from place to place getting them done.

The problem is, that mission markers show up on both the original station and the destination station. So before you know it, space is swimming with these markers and there is no way to tell them apart! I cannot count how many times I've plotted my course for a star with a mission marker, assuming I can turn in a mission, only to realize that it's the place where I started one of the other missions instead.

I would humbly like to suggest, that you guys add an additional mission marker to represent the station of origin. It could be a little pouch icon as below, or something similar.

If a station happens to be the station you started one item delivery at but also is a destination station, then one could simply stack the icons, just as any other icons are stacked.

View attachment 170269

As the game is currently, I'm forced to check and double check, and check again through the nav panel where I would much prefer to use the galaxy map.

Otherwise, having a blast in this amazing game. And kudos to whoever designed the beautiful UI!

- Commander KatsPurr

Hello KatsPurr, welcome to the forums and... Sisu for the mission markers! Good suggestion by the way.

 

[2plex]

While I see your point and would welcome the UI change, I don't think this is going to happen ever because:
a) Frontier have bigger fish to fry
b) nobody except newbies does mission running in ED these days, because they are mainly dull, repetitive and comparingly unrewarding.

 

[FrogsFriend]

b) nobody except newbies does mission running in ED these days, because they are mainly dull, repetitive and comparingly unrewarding.

And don't forget all the players who do missions all the time. They probably do missions too. Mustn't forget them.