I wanted to say how much improved I think Exploration is. I appreciate it will never be everybody's cup of tea (it's not meant to feel like combat, chaps!) but I think it provides a proper, "immersive" addition to the experience that is Elite. I was in Colonia, building relationships with the new Engineers, now I'm heading back (the pretty way) to the home systems, building up my Codex of discoveries and enjoying the gentle "discovery vibe" of it all. It's not something that I'll want to do to the exclusion of everything else, but it's another strong element that really broadens the game out and lifts the experience - as well as being the basis for, I suspect, many things to come. Nice one F.D. 