Given that Frontier are looking into quality of life improvements from 2.4 onwards, thought I'd throw a few cents into the pot for thoughts on making some easy QOL improvements to exploration. This is related to the PS4 console, which has some minor differences in interfaces such as the Galaxy map.
Problem: Exploration is not regarded as particularly profitable, is very time consuming, and has little enticement to players. However, minor amendments can be made (I believe) that will improve and entice player involvement in exploration. Some ideas are jotted down below.
Galaxy Map
Waypoints Now that we have a 20,000 ly plot capacity being introduced, it would seem a sensible idea to allow players to set waypoints when plotting long-distance routes to take in systems they really want to see.
Locked area zones it seems easy to add coloured zones to the galaxy map (see power play factions) so it would make sense to show permit locked zones as a coloured bubble to allow players to easily plot routes around these locations.
Colour coded star names. To entice players to explore - star names on the galaxy map come in three colour codes: White: a star system that has not fully been explored or where at least one stellar body has not been scanned by a player character (PC), Blue: a star system that has not been visited by a PC, Orange: a star system where all stellar bodies have been discovered.
Selective route planner Set the preferences for route planner to include: systems I have already visited; systems I have not visited, systems that no-one has visited.
Remember my visits Set tags on the galaxy map to show systems that you have already visited. Star system tags to be displayed in green, and star system tags to be visible at all zoom levels of the galaxy map. (similar to bookmarks).
System Map
Solar distances include arrival point distances on solar bodies.
Show stellar body naming There is a standard nomenclature for stellar bodies (A1, A2, A2a etc.), and this should be included in the system map. Each body should have its stellar body name visible form this map as matter of course (once discovered)
Stellar body class There appear to be 34 stellar body classes when it comes to define the rewards paid out following a stellar body scan. Each stellar body should therefore have its stellar body class name appear in its title to advise players on the stellar bodies 'base' worth. The Aromanian alphabet has 34 letters and could be used as a base of this stellar body naming classification.
Stellar body legend To assist in understanding stellar body pay outs, the system map should include a legend that identifies each stellar class and the payout range for each class. (e.g Class II Gas Giant, Stellar Class Dh, Payout: 7,453 - 53,663). Note: Stellar body classifications should in decreasing payout scale so a stellar class body A (Aromanian) pays out the highest rewards, while class Lj pays out mid level and Z pays out least.
POI's Once available on the system map, each stellar body with at least one POI on the surface should have a symbol attached to it that identities the potential presence of at least one POI.
Planetary Surface Map
POI areasOnce scanned, the planetary surface map shows the general location of POI's on the planetary surface. This may be a generalised area of approximately several hundred kilometres in size (or variable in size depending on the POI), that provides an interim search area. One located, the POI remains detailed in location and explanation.
POI bookmarks The planetary surface map allows players to bookmark locations on planets, irrespective of whether they are stellar forge generated POI's or simply player decided locations, e.g. mountains, canyons, viewpoints etc.
HUD and UI's
HUD When a stellar body is selected in the general HUD from the pilots cockpit, the text provides information on the stellar body name (e.g. A1, A2a etc) and stellar body class, even if unexplored.
UI. The UI panel on the left hand side of the cockpit - NAVGIATION - shows the stellar body name and stellar body class, even if unexplored.
Transactions The transactions tab of the left hadn't panel UI shows a rolling sum of all projected payouts for stellar body scans. Potential stellar body discovery bonuses are included under a seperate bonus header.
Remember my discoveries The right hand panel UI has an additional tab entitle "Stellar Discoveries". This tab presents information on the stellar location, stellar body, stellar class, credit worth, distance from Sol and number of POI's for each stellar body that has been discovered by the player before any other PC's. Clicking on a stellar body name opens the system map.
Explorer payouts (some buffing required maybe!). (Note: at time of cashing in)
Top Right UI information When a stellar scan is recorded, the top right UI indicates the credits that the scan generated for the character in much the same way as credits for combat kills.
First discovery bonus credits display The top right UI and the Transaction tab show the potential bonus payouts for first discovery of stellar bodies. These are nominal and obviously depend on returning the exploration data ahead of anyone else.
POIDiscovery of a POI includes a bonus payout, approximately $50,000 per POI.
Completed system bonus payout Scanning every stellar body in the system using a DSS grants the PC a system completion bonus equivalent to a further 50% of all credits for each stellar body (e.g. 5 stellar bodies paid out at $100,000) gets a bonus of $50,000, 32 stellar bodies at $2.5 million gets a further $1.25 million).
Undiscovered system bonus Notwithstanding the completion bonus above, each system the player visits that has not been visited by another PC, awards the PC an undiscovered system bonus of $500,000.
Problem: Exploration is not regarded as particularly profitable, is very time consuming, and has little enticement to players. However, minor amendments can be made (I believe) that will improve and entice player involvement in exploration. Some ideas are jotted down below.
Galaxy Map
Waypoints Now that we have a 20,000 ly plot capacity being introduced, it would seem a sensible idea to allow players to set waypoints when plotting long-distance routes to take in systems they really want to see.
Locked area zones it seems easy to add coloured zones to the galaxy map (see power play factions) so it would make sense to show permit locked zones as a coloured bubble to allow players to easily plot routes around these locations.
Colour coded star names. To entice players to explore - star names on the galaxy map come in three colour codes: White: a star system that has not fully been explored or where at least one stellar body has not been scanned by a player character (PC), Blue: a star system that has not been visited by a PC, Orange: a star system where all stellar bodies have been discovered.
Selective route planner Set the preferences for route planner to include: systems I have already visited; systems I have not visited, systems that no-one has visited.
Remember my visits Set tags on the galaxy map to show systems that you have already visited. Star system tags to be displayed in green, and star system tags to be visible at all zoom levels of the galaxy map. (similar to bookmarks).
System Map
Solar distances include arrival point distances on solar bodies.
Show stellar body naming There is a standard nomenclature for stellar bodies (A1, A2, A2a etc.), and this should be included in the system map. Each body should have its stellar body name visible form this map as matter of course (once discovered)
Stellar body class There appear to be 34 stellar body classes when it comes to define the rewards paid out following a stellar body scan. Each stellar body should therefore have its stellar body class name appear in its title to advise players on the stellar bodies 'base' worth. The Aromanian alphabet has 34 letters and could be used as a base of this stellar body naming classification.
Stellar body legend To assist in understanding stellar body pay outs, the system map should include a legend that identifies each stellar class and the payout range for each class. (e.g Class II Gas Giant, Stellar Class Dh, Payout: 7,453 - 53,663). Note: Stellar body classifications should in decreasing payout scale so a stellar class body A (Aromanian) pays out the highest rewards, while class Lj pays out mid level and Z pays out least.
POI's Once available on the system map, each stellar body with at least one POI on the surface should have a symbol attached to it that identities the potential presence of at least one POI.
Planetary Surface Map
POI areasOnce scanned, the planetary surface map shows the general location of POI's on the planetary surface. This may be a generalised area of approximately several hundred kilometres in size (or variable in size depending on the POI), that provides an interim search area. One located, the POI remains detailed in location and explanation.
POI bookmarks The planetary surface map allows players to bookmark locations on planets, irrespective of whether they are stellar forge generated POI's or simply player decided locations, e.g. mountains, canyons, viewpoints etc.
HUD and UI's
HUD When a stellar body is selected in the general HUD from the pilots cockpit, the text provides information on the stellar body name (e.g. A1, A2a etc) and stellar body class, even if unexplored.
UI. The UI panel on the left hand side of the cockpit - NAVGIATION - shows the stellar body name and stellar body class, even if unexplored.
Transactions The transactions tab of the left hadn't panel UI shows a rolling sum of all projected payouts for stellar body scans. Potential stellar body discovery bonuses are included under a seperate bonus header.
Remember my discoveries The right hand panel UI has an additional tab entitle "Stellar Discoveries". This tab presents information on the stellar location, stellar body, stellar class, credit worth, distance from Sol and number of POI's for each stellar body that has been discovered by the player before any other PC's. Clicking on a stellar body name opens the system map.
Explorer payouts (some buffing required maybe!). (Note: at time of cashing in)
Top Right UI information When a stellar scan is recorded, the top right UI indicates the credits that the scan generated for the character in much the same way as credits for combat kills.
First discovery bonus credits display The top right UI and the Transaction tab show the potential bonus payouts for first discovery of stellar bodies. These are nominal and obviously depend on returning the exploration data ahead of anyone else.
POIDiscovery of a POI includes a bonus payout, approximately $50,000 per POI.
Completed system bonus payout Scanning every stellar body in the system using a DSS grants the PC a system completion bonus equivalent to a further 50% of all credits for each stellar body (e.g. 5 stellar bodies paid out at $100,000) gets a bonus of $50,000, 32 stellar bodies at $2.5 million gets a further $1.25 million).
Undiscovered system bonus Notwithstanding the completion bonus above, each system the player visits that has not been visited by another PC, awards the PC an undiscovered system bonus of $500,000.