Mission Distance From Star In Mission Details?

[Wrecked]

Would anyone else like to know the distance of the mission target from the jump in point within the details of the the mission? While browsing the mission board, on more than one occasion, I've accepted a delivery missions only to find out that the station in the destination system is 40K - 150K+ LS away.

I'm not the kind of player who likes just staring at my screen making micro course adjustments every 30 seconds for 10 minutes or more. I have literally fallen asleep on more than one occasion while doing missions like these. I don't want to just dump my cargo and abandon the mission, so I typically try to complete the mission.

I know the missions have a link to pull the map and locate the destination manually, but that mechanic gets old when you are spending the evening running delivery missions and are trying to avoid long, boring stints.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Would anyone else like to know the distance of the mission target from the jump in point within the details of the the mission? While browsing the mission board, on more than one occasion, I've accepted a delivery missions only to find out that the station in the destination system is 40K - 150K+ LS away.

I'm not the kind of player who likes just staring at my screen making micro course adjustments every 30 seconds for 10 minutes or more. I have literally fallen asleep on more than one occasion while doing missions like these. I don't want to just dump my cargo and abandon the mission, so I typically try to complete the mission.

I know the missions have a link to pull the map and locate the destination manually, but that mechanic gets old when you are spending the evening running delivery missions and are trying to avoid long, boring stints.

You're going to LOVE Alpha Centauri

 

[Villainous Ruffian]

The missions screen is already cluttered with tons of tutorial text no one ever reads. Makes no difference to me, if I want to know I look, if I don't, I don't. And if I didn't want to do a mission, I wouldn't do it.

I'm not sure how the game or most players would benefit long term from making it easier to grind mindlessly.

 

[FrankMurphy]

Would anyone else like to know the distance of the mission target from the jump in point within the details of the the mission? While browsing the mission board, on more than one occasion, I've accepted a delivery missions only to find out that the station in the destination system is 40K - 150K+ LS away.

I'm not the kind of player who likes just staring at my screen making micro course adjustments every 30 seconds for 10 minutes or more. I have literally fallen asleep on more than one occasion while doing missions like these. I don't want to just dump my cargo and abandon the mission, so I typically try to complete the mission.

I know the missions have a link to pull the map and locate the destination manually, but that mechanic gets old when you are spending the evening running delivery missions and are trying to avoid long, boring stints.

Just like real life flight planning you should consider all the options available, also the reward vs the mission should give you a hint. I.e. Large reward for two units of biowaste etc.

Regards

 

[bnrgator]

The missions screen is already cluttered with tons of tutorial text no one ever reads. Makes no difference to me, if I want to know I look, if I don't, I don't. And if I didn't want to do a mission, I wouldn't do it.

I'm not sure how the game or most players would benefit long term from making it easier to grind mindlessly.

This would be one piece of data everyone would read. It is also easily known data since I can exit out of the program and look up the distance on a 3rd party ap like eddb.io. I shouldn't have to do this though.

 

[Grisnir]

This would be one piece of data everyone would read. It is also easily known data since I can exit out of the program and look up the distance on a 3rd party ap like eddb.io. I shouldn't have to do this though.

jub, i would be happy if they implement this little piece of info

 

[Bariel]

There is an option on the mission accept screen to open the galaxy map. This will open targeted on the mission system. You can then look at the system map for the target system. I routinely do this to ensure I don't end up with a 200k+Ls trip at the other end.

No need to use a 3rd party app.

 

[Wrecked]

The missions screen is already cluttered with tons of tutorial text no one ever reads. Makes no difference to me, if I want to know I look, if I don't, I don't. And if I didn't want to do a mission, I wouldn't do it.

I'm not sure how the game or most players would benefit long term from making it easier to grind mindlessly.

You last sentence is confusing. Are you saying you cannot determine how simplifying a task makes the task easier to perform?

 

[Andovar]

You last sentence is confusing. Are you saying you cannot determine how simplifying a task makes the task easier to perform?

I think he's saying taking an easy task and making it even easier is just another step towards mindless grinding.

 

[Wrecked]

There is an option on the mission accept screen to open the galaxy map. This will open targeted on the mission system. You can look at the system map for the target system. I routinely do this to ensure I don't end up with a 200+Ls trip at the other end.

No need to use a 3rd party app.

yes, the last sentence of my post acknowledges that. What I'm asking about is if everyone that wants to know the time investment in a mission before accepting it enjoys having to spend 30 to 45 seconds loading the system map and finding the destination for each mission before accepting it.

 

[Villainous Ruffian]

yes, the last sentence of my post acknowledges that. What I'm asking about is if everyone that wants to know the time investment in a mission before accepting it enjoys having to spend 30 to 45 seconds loading the system map and finding the destination for each mission before accepting it.

If everyone wants to know the time investment in a mission before accepting it enjoys opening the map? I'm not totally sure what that means, but I'll guess and say, yes, I enjoy navigating my way through space. Space travel is interesting, and Elite is the only game that makes it relevant and useful in any way. This thread reminds me of one yesterday, where people want microjumps to get rid of the need for supercruise at all. I hope Fdev preserve it and anything else related to navigation, because everything else from X to Freelancer to Star Citizen or EvE have little to meaning to space, they're just rooms. It's set a course, put on time boost mode or whatever, and hands off while the ship even steers itself. I like this game because it makes me pay attention and think about stuff.

 

[the100thmonkey]

Would anyone else like to know the distance of the mission target from the jump in point within the details of the the mission? While browsing the mission board, on more than one occasion, I've accepted a delivery missions only to find out that the station in the destination system is 40K - 150K+ LS away.

I'm not the kind of player who likes just staring at my screen making micro course adjustments every 30 seconds for 10 minutes or more. I have literally fallen asleep on more than one occasion while doing missions like these. I don't want to just dump my cargo and abandon the mission, so I typically try to complete the mission.

I know the missions have a link to pull the map and locate the destination manually, but that mechanic gets old when you are spending the evening running delivery missions and are trying to avoid long, boring stints.

Given the way that the Stellar Forge and the game client interact, I'm not sure it's possible without server-side overhead.

The game client handles the "realisation" of systems through a seed file dished out by the server. Faction influences and states (which are used to generate missions) are handled by the server, and are distributed on an a per-request basis by the server.

Thie means that in order for the server to be able to display the distance from entry point to destination, it would need to generate the system on every mission request. This, while possible, is probably not desirable. The alternative is to let the client process the information and add it to the mission details. This is quite possible, but I suspect that it would add a significant delay to the mission board. Long enough that more people will complain about it than like it.

You can always click the "open galaxy map" option on the mission and look before you click "accept". Think of that delay for every mission on the board.

 

[Ben Sevil]

Autopilot. It existed 50 years ago, but has been forgotten since.

 

[Wrecked]

If everyone wants to know the time investment in a mission before accepting it enjoys opening the map? I'm not totally sure what that means, but I'll guess and say, yes, I enjoy navigating my way through space. Space travel is interesting, and Elite is the only game that makes it relevant and useful in any way. This thread reminds me of one yesterday, where people want microjumps to get rid of the need for supercruise at all. I hope Fdev preserve it and anything else related to navigation, because everything else from X to Freelancer to Star Citizen or EvE have little to meaning to space, they're just rooms. It's set a course, put on time boost mode or whatever, and hands off while the ship even steers itself. I like this game because it makes me pay attention and think about stuff.

Flying in a straight line for 30 minutes makes you think huh?

There is no thought process involved in making small adjustments to your heading while you fly in a straight line for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or even the hour and a half it takes to get to hutton. But, that's not the point of the post.

No one is trying to take away your ability to fly in a straight line until you run out of fuel.

If you just absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE staring at your screen watching the little counter count down for 45 minutes, more power to you. What I'm simply asking about is a QUALITY OF LIFE improvement. However you like to play, either taking missions where you fly in a straight line for 45 minutes or missions where you jump out 45ls from the destination, both types of players would benefit from this little, tiny, bitty piece of information about the mission.

 

[Wrecked]

Given the way that the Stellar Forge and the game client interact, I'm not sure it's possible without server-side overhead.

The game client handles the "realisation" of systems through a seed file dished out by the server. Faction influences and states (which are used to generate missions) are handled by the server, and are distributed on an a per-request basis by the server.

Thie means that in order for the server to be able to display the distance from entry point to destination, it would need to generate the system on every mission request. This, while possible, is probably not desirable. The alternative is to let the client process the information and add it to the mission details. This is quite possible, but I suspect that it would add a significant delay to the mission board. Long enough that more people will complain about it than like it.

You can always click the "open galaxy map" option on the mission and look before you click "accept". Think of that delay for every mission on the board.

A valid argument. Thank you for the thoughtful contribution. I did mention in the original post that I typically try to remember to open the galaxy map before accepting.

So to me, the question to ask is why does the Open Galaxy Map button exist on the mission details?

I believe it's primary purpose is to allow you to determine the time investment needed to complete the mission. It obviously has other uses, such as seeing other mission destinations near the proposed mission destination, allowing you to intelligently accept missions. Whatever your use of that button typically is, its primary purpose is clear.

So, in order to facilitate its primary purpose more efficiently, the button could simply generate a system summary. The system summary could include, among other things, the distance to the destination system and the distance from star to the destination in system and perhaps another button to view the galaxy map. This would leave generating system data behind a player action rather than generating for each mission up front and would give quicker access to the information that was intended to be provided by the galaxy map button.

 

[Villainous Ruffian]

Flying in a straight line for 30 minutes makes you think huh?

There is no thought process involved in making small adjustments to your heading while you fly in a straight line for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or even the hour and a half it takes to get to hutton. But, that's not the point of the post.

No one is trying to take away your ability to fly in a straight line until you run out of fuel.

If you just absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE staring at your screen watching the little counter count down for 45 minutes, more power to you. What I'm simply asking about is a QUALITY OF LIFE improvement. However you like to play, either taking missions where you fly in a straight line for 45 minutes or missions where you jump out 45ls from the destination, both types of players would benefit from this little, tiny, bitty piece of information about the mission.

Um, if all you're doing in supercruise is staring, you're doing it wrong...

 

[Ddraig]

I wouldnt mind a distance stat on the mission. But at the same time I am ok with whatever distance I have to travel in supercruise.

 

[Jack Schitt]

I know the missions have a link to pull the map and locate the destination manually, but that mechanic gets old when you are spending the evening running delivery missions and are trying to avoid long, boring stints.

It's in my muscle memory now, so I barely think about it. Once you're in the system map you can even tab onto the list of settlements and find your target there using the keyboard or HOTAS without even having to use the mouse.

And at least when you use the EXIT option (or the Map toggle keybinding) it now takes you back to the mission you were looking at. If memory serves there was a time when exiting any map took you back to the main station menu and you had to manually find the mission again.

I treat it as a "played too long" test. If I find myself accidentally taking a mission with a distant supercruise destination I take it as a sign that I'm losing concentration and it's time to call it a night before I do something even more stupid like flying face first into a 2G planet because I forgot to look at the G meter.

 

[Wrecked]

Um, if all you're doing in supercruise is staring, you're doing it wrong...

Yea, in order to keep "playing" the game while in super, I'll sometimes look around the cockpit for a few seconds and then go to external cam to look at my ship. Mostly, however, I just watch TV and stop "playing". If not paying attention to the game while playing the game is suggested, then autopilot would make sense. Just point, click, wait for proximity alarm, stop watching TV and go back to playing the game.

 

[Villainous Ruffian]

Yea, in order to keep "playing" the game while in super, I'll sometimes look around the cockpit for a few seconds and then go to external cam to look at my ship. Mostly, however, I just watch TV and stop "playing". If not paying attention to the game while playing the game is suggested, then autopilot would make sense. Just point, click, wait for proximity alarm, stop watching TV and go back to playing the game.

It wasn't suggested. Personally, I find too much to investigate and plan for to get bored in super. I think it could be made much more interesting with some kind of sensor sweep mechanics to replace the random USS spawns, or a supercruise minigame where you can force higher acceleration for a risk of a blowout, or being able to select stars from the skybox and zoom to their maps would be great (or other, better ideas). Even just making missions to distant stars more lucrative. I'm just not on board with the various ideas for taking away or demotivating use of the gameplay that creates the sense of scale and that stuff.