First and foremost, I love the direction the game is going. It's improved in such a way that it has made it more fun than ever before in my opinion. Even exploration is exciting with the life forms, etc.
But I've had this particular suggestion/gripe my entire time, since I started playing back in beta.
The targeting reticles are often confusing and in general, in my view, the cockpit information is cluttered, for some things too large and tend to get in the way or are distracting.
I suggest being able to move the information around. Like the wing commander information, I want to be able to see it for sure but I want it smaller and off to the side instead of right in front of me. The same thing for the heatsink and weapons information. I want it there but I want it much smaller, off to the side and out of the way. Small and out of the way like the cargo scoop, landing gear and other indicators are. Make it look professional! These are high tech ships and should look and feel more high tech than they are.
Similarly, make the targeting pippers themselves smaller and change the symbology to indicate whether it's a turret, gimbled or fixed weapon. I use primarily fixed weapons and depending on the size of the ship supplemental turreted weapons. Currently the fixed lead indicator is the same circle as the turret indicator, making things confusing and showing absolutely no difference between them. The turrets' pipper should be very small and transparent, a very small X to show which target it is tracking and nothing more, there is no need to have the turret or gimbled guns show a lead indicator, at least offer options to turn them off
The gimbled weapons should not show at all in my view, in my view just a small X, maybe a larger X than a turret to show which target it is tracking or a separate weapons indicator should illuminate or some other indicator should alert the pilot that the weapon is aligned and ready to fire.
The fixed weapons should have the most prominent, obvious and clear indicator of it's firing solution. With more than one fixed weapon, make the lead indicator's size or shape indicator for which weapon it is tracking for. If they are similar in velocity, overlap the various sizes and shapes. But at least offer options to change the sizes, shapes and transparency individually. There's no reason for a pilot using mostly fixed weapons to have the turret weapon's lead tracker confuse him because they are identical in appearance
Similarly, overall, allow options to make the text size smaller for the various information. Including current target information, i.e. the triangular vector indicator that is fixed on your current target and the text associated with it. Provide options to make these indicators and text smaller as currently they are too large for me, the text in particular is simply distracting and if I could would be 1/5th the size. This also helps make the cockpit look more professional and less like warthunder or something stupid like it. I understand why some players may need them to be larger, this is fine, but provide options to change the sizes and to change the transparency of different items individually.
The only time, in my view, that text should flash big right in front of a pilots face is when there is an emergency. Module malfunctions warrant this, mission updates do not warrant flashing big blue text in the direct center of a pilots view. Mission updates and other things should be kept in the information top right bar, access to this information would be nice while also being able to move it, make it smaller and more out of the way. Fuel reserves also warrant flashing a warning, other actual emergency information. Separate the important emergency information from common updates or other things. A limpet is not as important as your FSD not working, in other words. Or, better yet, provide options to let a player decide what is emergency worthy.
Thanks for reading
But I've had this particular suggestion/gripe my entire time, since I started playing back in beta.
The targeting reticles are often confusing and in general, in my view, the cockpit information is cluttered, for some things too large and tend to get in the way or are distracting.
I suggest being able to move the information around. Like the wing commander information, I want to be able to see it for sure but I want it smaller and off to the side instead of right in front of me. The same thing for the heatsink and weapons information. I want it there but I want it much smaller, off to the side and out of the way. Small and out of the way like the cargo scoop, landing gear and other indicators are. Make it look professional! These are high tech ships and should look and feel more high tech than they are.
Similarly, make the targeting pippers themselves smaller and change the symbology to indicate whether it's a turret, gimbled or fixed weapon. I use primarily fixed weapons and depending on the size of the ship supplemental turreted weapons. Currently the fixed lead indicator is the same circle as the turret indicator, making things confusing and showing absolutely no difference between them. The turrets' pipper should be very small and transparent, a very small X to show which target it is tracking and nothing more, there is no need to have the turret or gimbled guns show a lead indicator, at least offer options to turn them off
The gimbled weapons should not show at all in my view, in my view just a small X, maybe a larger X than a turret to show which target it is tracking or a separate weapons indicator should illuminate or some other indicator should alert the pilot that the weapon is aligned and ready to fire.
The fixed weapons should have the most prominent, obvious and clear indicator of it's firing solution. With more than one fixed weapon, make the lead indicator's size or shape indicator for which weapon it is tracking for. If they are similar in velocity, overlap the various sizes and shapes. But at least offer options to change the sizes, shapes and transparency individually. There's no reason for a pilot using mostly fixed weapons to have the turret weapon's lead tracker confuse him because they are identical in appearance
Similarly, overall, allow options to make the text size smaller for the various information. Including current target information, i.e. the triangular vector indicator that is fixed on your current target and the text associated with it. Provide options to make these indicators and text smaller as currently they are too large for me, the text in particular is simply distracting and if I could would be 1/5th the size. This also helps make the cockpit look more professional and less like warthunder or something stupid like it. I understand why some players may need them to be larger, this is fine, but provide options to change the sizes and to change the transparency of different items individually.
The only time, in my view, that text should flash big right in front of a pilots face is when there is an emergency. Module malfunctions warrant this, mission updates do not warrant flashing big blue text in the direct center of a pilots view. Mission updates and other things should be kept in the information top right bar, access to this information would be nice while also being able to move it, make it smaller and more out of the way. Fuel reserves also warrant flashing a warning, other actual emergency information. Separate the important emergency information from common updates or other things. A limpet is not as important as your FSD not working, in other words. Or, better yet, provide options to let a player decide what is emergency worthy.
Thanks for reading
