I've been on ED during 790 hours and i remember how it felt at the beginning when looking at the Infos textbox.. It felt empty, not displaying much informations, and i still feel the same.
I suggest a revamp of that chatbox, with an ability to switch between two different displays.
* One would be "Navigation" display.
Explorers and people who are traveling a bit always have to look at the left HUD to check informations about the system they are in, spectral type of star(s), how many and what kind of planets, how many jumps left....
We need these informations to be displayed on the HUD.
Currently, when jumping to a new system, we see how many objects we detect, why not showing more datas ?
* The second would be "Tacical" display.
Our 3D radar is nice and needed, but it lacks details, making it difficult to read and get crucial informations. How far is the closest ennemy ? How many are they ? What kind of ships ? Speed ? Estimated time before they get in fire range ?
This display replaces the Navigation when an ennemy is in range, when we deploy our hardpoints, or when we trigger it with a shortcut.
Navigation display example
These datas would appear after a few seconds, once the sensors did the passive detection, and be updated when we use the discovery scanner or at each new object detected.
This won't replace the System tab on the left HUD, but a HUD is done to give us informations without the need to look elsewhere.
==== ==== ==== ====
You've entered in [an undiscovered system] / [a known system], controled by [minor faction name], allegiance pledged to [superpower name]
3 ships detected.
1 orbitale station detected.
List : Farpoint (392ls)
2 astral objects detected, including :
- G star (distance : 7 SL)
- Unknown object (distance : 12 SL)
6 planetoids and satelites detected.
Scan for more datas.
12 jumps left to reach destination [Sterope II].
3 more jumps before the fuel tank is empty.
Next system datas :
Distance 41.27 LY. Fuel needed 4.27 T.
Spectral type : DAB. [Known/Undiscovered system]
==== ==== ==== ====
Tactical display example
This could be updated every 5 seconds and more or less details given according to the grade of our sensors. Having a A grade would make more sense than currently.
Ships sorted by range, with a color code.
==== ==== ==== ====
5 ships detected in a range of 7.5km.
[WHITE COLOR (Your Hunter)] - [Name of the pilot]. Distance : 450m. Current Orders : [Defend]
[RED COLOR (Hostile)] - [wing name] Cobra MKIII. Distance : 2.9km. In Range. <Engaging You>.
[RED COLOR (Hostile)] - [wing name] Viper MkIV. Distance 3,5km. In Range <5 seconds. <Engaging Your Hunter>.
[GREEN COLOR (Ally)] - [wing name] Vulture. Distance 5km. In Range 10 seconds. <Engaging Cobra MKIII>.
[YELLOW COLOR (Neutral)] - [wing] Type 7. Distance 7km. In Range 20 seconds.
Focus on target :
[Pilot Name] [Ship Name] [Wing] Cobra MkIII. Hull 100%. Shield 82%.
2 Turreted Pulse Laser
1 Chaff Launcher - 1 Heat Sink Launcher
==== ==== ==== ====
We could even use a third textbox for scientific analysis if we could have a new feature with life signs search.
We can pick different kinds of shields (normal, pristine, bi-weave), so i guess we could pick different sensors.
One would be scientific sensors. Or this could be a new optionnal module same as Detailled Surface Scanner, but for anomalias and life signs detection.
Instead of "Unknown Signal Source" which is a technologic radio signal, we could sometimes detect "Unknown Spatial Anomalia", and this could be less and less rare the further we go in the galaxy.
Once we entered in the anomalia, we could encounter a small nebula, a comet, a traveling asteroid.. or anything you can imagine.
Those could randomly affect our ship (corrosive gaz attacking the hull, slow down our ship, overcharge our FSD as neutron stars....ect).
And it could also be the residence of some kind of life form... defending their place, or trying to communicate....
With a module that gives us some different options, we could find a way to escape if in danger, or try to communicate by emitting some radio frequences but i guess it wouldn't be easy to create...
Imagine a life form or an anomalia that can consume TeraWatts without creating any heat... Scan it, bring these datas to an engineer, and get an extra diminution of heat on your generator, added to your current modification !
Or just sell these datas at the universal cartographic
This could also open the gate to life forms on atmospheric planets once we can land on them, and a new SRV made for scientific researches..
I suggest a revamp of that chatbox, with an ability to switch between two different displays.
* One would be "Navigation" display.
Explorers and people who are traveling a bit always have to look at the left HUD to check informations about the system they are in, spectral type of star(s), how many and what kind of planets, how many jumps left....
We need these informations to be displayed on the HUD.
Currently, when jumping to a new system, we see how many objects we detect, why not showing more datas ?
* The second would be "Tacical" display.
Our 3D radar is nice and needed, but it lacks details, making it difficult to read and get crucial informations. How far is the closest ennemy ? How many are they ? What kind of ships ? Speed ? Estimated time before they get in fire range ?
This display replaces the Navigation when an ennemy is in range, when we deploy our hardpoints, or when we trigger it with a shortcut.
Navigation display example
These datas would appear after a few seconds, once the sensors did the passive detection, and be updated when we use the discovery scanner or at each new object detected.
This won't replace the System tab on the left HUD, but a HUD is done to give us informations without the need to look elsewhere.
==== ==== ==== ====
You've entered in [an undiscovered system] / [a known system], controled by [minor faction name], allegiance pledged to [superpower name]
3 ships detected.
1 orbitale station detected.
List : Farpoint (392ls)
2 astral objects detected, including :
- G star (distance : 7 SL)
- Unknown object (distance : 12 SL)
6 planetoids and satelites detected.
Scan for more datas.
12 jumps left to reach destination [Sterope II].
3 more jumps before the fuel tank is empty.
Next system datas :
Distance 41.27 LY. Fuel needed 4.27 T.
Spectral type : DAB. [Known/Undiscovered system]
==== ==== ==== ====
Tactical display example
This could be updated every 5 seconds and more or less details given according to the grade of our sensors. Having a A grade would make more sense than currently.
Ships sorted by range, with a color code.
==== ==== ==== ====
5 ships detected in a range of 7.5km.
[WHITE COLOR (Your Hunter)] - [Name of the pilot]. Distance : 450m. Current Orders : [Defend]
[RED COLOR (Hostile)] - [wing name] Cobra MKIII. Distance : 2.9km. In Range. <Engaging You>.
[RED COLOR (Hostile)] - [wing name] Viper MkIV. Distance 3,5km. In Range <5 seconds. <Engaging Your Hunter>.
[GREEN COLOR (Ally)] - [wing name] Vulture. Distance 5km. In Range 10 seconds. <Engaging Cobra MKIII>.
[YELLOW COLOR (Neutral)] - [wing] Type 7. Distance 7km. In Range 20 seconds.
Focus on target :
[Pilot Name] [Ship Name] [Wing] Cobra MkIII. Hull 100%. Shield 82%.
2 Turreted Pulse Laser
1 Chaff Launcher - 1 Heat Sink Launcher
==== ==== ==== ====
We could even use a third textbox for scientific analysis if we could have a new feature with life signs search.
We can pick different kinds of shields (normal, pristine, bi-weave), so i guess we could pick different sensors.
One would be scientific sensors. Or this could be a new optionnal module same as Detailled Surface Scanner, but for anomalias and life signs detection.
Instead of "Unknown Signal Source" which is a technologic radio signal, we could sometimes detect "Unknown Spatial Anomalia", and this could be less and less rare the further we go in the galaxy.
Once we entered in the anomalia, we could encounter a small nebula, a comet, a traveling asteroid.. or anything you can imagine.
Those could randomly affect our ship (corrosive gaz attacking the hull, slow down our ship, overcharge our FSD as neutron stars....ect).
And it could also be the residence of some kind of life form... defending their place, or trying to communicate....
With a module that gives us some different options, we could find a way to escape if in danger, or try to communicate by emitting some radio frequences but i guess it wouldn't be easy to create...
Imagine a life form or an anomalia that can consume TeraWatts without creating any heat... Scan it, bring these datas to an engineer, and get an extra diminution of heat on your generator, added to your current modification !
Or just sell these datas at the universal cartographic
This could also open the gate to life forms on atmospheric planets once we can land on them, and a new SRV made for scientific researches..
