Biosignal scanning improvements

[Glugite]

Planetary scanning:

1. Change the opacity or overlay patterns of each biosignal so that where there are overlapping signals there is a clearer indication of where a signal might be found.
   1. No need to change the colours but the patterns would provide better visibility, especially for players with visual impairments.

Biosignal scanning:

1. Change the scan progress indicator to 3 separate lights, instead of nine, if we only need three scans show three lights, or light each of the 3 sections as the scanner rotates, it does this three times when scanning which would provide additional feedback that the scan is in progress.
2. Provide a readout on the scanner that displays the name of the current sample being scanned, this could be in line with the progress bar and therefore would not take up much room.
3. Improve the Codex, it is not a very intuitive or supportive tool apart from identifying objectives to target.
4. Alternatively, store the collected data in the suit like other inventory items:
   • Provide a list of collected items grouped by geneus, <sample-variant><sample-target-status> <sample-variant-completed-count>.
   • Order by descending order, most recent first
   • Display the most recent partial sample as a highlighted entry <sample-species-name> - incomplete 1 of 3 (complete samples = 4).

I know there are third-party tools to help with these things but the developers should be trying to lower the barriers to entry and make the current gameplay loops more accessible.

It's not designed to change the difficulty of finding samples but to make the experience more user-friendly through the UI.

 

[DjVortex]

Change the scan progress indicator to 3 separate lights, instead of nine, if we only need three scans show three lights, or light each of the 3 sections as the scanner rotates, it does this three times when scanning which would provide additional feedback that the scan is in progress.

I get the impression that originally they intended that different species would need a different amount of samples (like some requiring only 2, others requiring more than 3...) but they ultimately decided on making all just require 3.

But who knows, maybe in the future they will introduce new species that will require a different number of samples.

 

[Galactic Fork]

Alternatively, store the collected data in the suit like other inventory items:

• Provide a list of collected items grouped by geneus, <sample-variant><sample-target-status> <sample-variant-completed-count>.
• Order by descending order, most recent first
• Display the most recent partial sample as a highlighted entry <sample-species-name> - incomplete 1 of 3 (complete samples = 4).

Only if it doesn't add to your inventory limit, and have no space limit at all. I don't want to be out exploring and get informed I can't take any more samples.

 

[Glugite]

Only if it doesn't add to your inventory limit, and have no space limit at all. I don't want to be out exploring and get informed I can't take any more samples.

That's a great point!

Perhaps, instead of inventory slots, there is a memory limit for stored info or your data is accessed via an additional console slot that acts more like a traditional interface where you can see the number of samples collected a breakdown of species and variants, their location, with estimated value and if they were associated with first footfall.

In any case, it would be great to have a genetics or bio panel to access this info.

 

[RetroPaladin]

Here's my old thread of the exobio discussion. Feel free to add things if they are not requested already.