Since I did a lot of exploration during DW2 and am still out there, here's my list of improvements I'd love to see for exploration gameplay:
Quality of life:
- While I like the FSS and the mechanics around it, I'd love to have an option to see a spectral analysis for a short time in the cockpit after honking and not only in the FSS screen. That way I wouldn't have to go into FSS mode after every jump to check for Earth-likes and other valuable bodies, since that's really the only thing I do when jumping for a long time. Being able to activate the FSS without throttling down would be helpful as well.
- Displaying the type and number of geological and biological POIs on planets in the system map or even a heads up that there are POIs on surfaces after honking the system.
- The FSS mode should tell us if the bodies we discover have been discovered before by another Commander.
Content:
- More natural phenomenons and sites. At the moment there are a lot of repetitive volcanic POIs, rare biological POIs and very, very rare stranger things containing aliens and glowballs in space, which is quite nice, but I am missing more common natural phenomenons like meteor impact sites, acretion discs and the like. Things that are actually proven to be out there and should be a bit more common peppering the stretches between those rare phenomenons.
- New mechanics for actual scientific exploration, like taking samples, readings and so on. FSS and probes might include all the readings we need, but anyway, a few more specialized routines would be nice for some types of stars or planets. I can imagine a drill used via SRV or something like that.
- Ship launched vessels for said scientific exploration... There has to be gameplay around these of course, but I find kind of sad that there is such a great variety of war machines to choose from, but not single type of non-combat vessel that can be launched from our ships.
- Visual and optic changes for jumps that have been boosted by neutron star overcharging or synthesis infusion. To hear the overstressed FSD scream when making those jumps and perhaps see some sparks in the cockpit or weird artifacts in the Witchspace tunnel during the transition would be quite cool.
Quality of life:
- While I like the FSS and the mechanics around it, I'd love to have an option to see a spectral analysis for a short time in the cockpit after honking and not only in the FSS screen. That way I wouldn't have to go into FSS mode after every jump to check for Earth-likes and other valuable bodies, since that's really the only thing I do when jumping for a long time. Being able to activate the FSS without throttling down would be helpful as well.
- Displaying the type and number of geological and biological POIs on planets in the system map or even a heads up that there are POIs on surfaces after honking the system.
- The FSS mode should tell us if the bodies we discover have been discovered before by another Commander.
Content:
- More natural phenomenons and sites. At the moment there are a lot of repetitive volcanic POIs, rare biological POIs and very, very rare stranger things containing aliens and glowballs in space, which is quite nice, but I am missing more common natural phenomenons like meteor impact sites, acretion discs and the like. Things that are actually proven to be out there and should be a bit more common peppering the stretches between those rare phenomenons.
- New mechanics for actual scientific exploration, like taking samples, readings and so on. FSS and probes might include all the readings we need, but anyway, a few more specialized routines would be nice for some types of stars or planets. I can imagine a drill used via SRV or something like that.
- Ship launched vessels for said scientific exploration... There has to be gameplay around these of course, but I find kind of sad that there is such a great variety of war machines to choose from, but not single type of non-combat vessel that can be launched from our ships.
- Visual and optic changes for jumps that have been boosted by neutron star overcharging or synthesis infusion. To hear the overstressed FSD scream when making those jumps and perhaps see some sparks in the cockpit or weird artifacts in the Witchspace tunnel during the transition would be quite cool.