New Galnet

[killminster]

I thought the Galnet audio was a tremendous feature and I'm really looking forwards using it eventually.

I've mentioned in other posts that Galnet articles should be linked to the Galaxy map.

When you see news broadcasts on TV about events in other counties they are often accompanied by a map showing you where in the world the events are occurring. Location and geographical context are pertinent information and sometimes have a bearing on the story itself.

So I think that all of the news articles should be represented by a Galnet icon on the map. This would link to the text and audio of the story (and also there should be a link in the article that takes you to the galaxy map).

Having Galnet markers dotted around the map would give a feeling of events happening around you and give more context and direction to them and for me would mean I would use Galnet much more than I do now. In fact it's something I almost never use at the moment but I can imagine if I were perusing the galaxy map deciding where to go in search of adventure or pay and saw a Galnet marker in a system a few jumps away my interest would be piqued and I would check out the story.

Seeing a cluster of markers suddenly appearing in another part of the galaxy would provide motivation to leave your favored stomping grounds to get to where the action is. Seeing that cluster slowly, or maybe quickly expand could give a sense of escalation of events from a local trouble spot to regional crisis to pan galactic inferno.

It would bring life to the lore and events in a way that just having a list of articles can't do.

I envision a new Galnet tab on the galaxy map interface that would toggle the news markers on. A set of selection sliders for the date could allow access to Galnet archives for a specified time period as well as current events. Being able to bring up all articles for a particular system would also be great. Filters on stories about the Empire, Federation, Alliance and powerplay factions. Maybe if the Galnet archive database is tagged you could even search for stories about people or places.

Having all of that lore read to you in audio book format will be amazing when on a long exploration trip into the black.

 

[DocLooshkin]

Hello, Killminster.

That's a top idea. I wish I'd thought of it.

Extending the idea further, we could potentially get some kind of simple history for bodies in the local map. Going further, potentially, if logistical lines in a system are suppressed by recent events, finding extra-profitable temporary internal trade routes or hunting grounds for pirates or bounty-hunters could become a thing. I'd certainly like that.

Reversing the idea, GalNet itself could definitely use more illustrations - a simple auto-generated screenie of a story's central location should work quite well, for those of us reading the articles.

 

[killminster]

Hi Doc.

Thank you, I think it's a top idea too, if I don't say so myself.

And yes there are lots of ways this idea could be extended. I'm hoping that the "Codex" that was mentioned during the Expo reveal will use the map to it's full potential. It's really good as it is but still somewhat of a missed opportunity.

Extending it further could include marking tourist beacons you have visited on the map, as currently once the log is filled up old entries just get deleted and the lore and flavour text is lost. Having those to hand and being read to you by, perhaps, a different text-to-speech voice from Galnet would be cool as well. The voice synthesiser they have is really good must have cost them a bit.

You could also have the lost generation ships marked and their audio logs that you have found available as well. There are lots of things that could go on the galaxy map that would allow the lore of Elite to be so much more accessible.

 

[Flimley]

Nice suggestion. Would be nice to see something like the top ten/five current GalNet stories pinned in the galaxy map. Unless Frontier have a better plan of course...., who knows.

Flimley

 

[Contradi]

In a recent Obsidian Ant video, he makes a request for notifications which I think many people have requested and agree with. I'd like to see a filter for the updates by system, power, superpower, subject, etc. so that I actually check my notifications instead of ignoring them because I am inundated with notifications about systems on the outer rim of the bubble going into lockdown that I have not interest it. Something as easy as a badge on the Galnet button or in the comms panel would be nice.


If I had my absolute dream come true, then the map animations could be played out in a screen in the comms panel as well (or maybe somewhere else, I'd just like to watch the nightly news without having to commit to a full stop). That would be phenomenal. But difficult.

 

[Cmdr Kurnek]

Solid idea.

Ideally Galnet needs to have a search function, or at the very least the ability to see old articles SOMEWHERE, given how key information about how to find vertain things in the game is ONLY in a few articles which have now disappeared.

A filter to get rid of the powerplay/war/system state updates would be nice too...

 

[killminster]

Solid idea.

Ideally Galnet needs to have a search function, or at the very least the ability to see old articles SOMEWHERE, given how key information about how to find vertain things in the game is ONLY in a few articles which have now disappeared.

A filter to get rid of the powerplay/war/system state updates would be nice too...

As Elite is a heavily server/network based game I would imagine that all of the Galnet stories are stored away somewhere.

Making all of that lore available, searchable and digestible in audio format offers a massive opportunity to make the Elite universe a more absorbing and believable virtual world to spend time in.

But yes, a filtering system with the same granularity as there is for star types, economies, trade data would be a fantastic thing.

How about:

Spoiler

• Superpowers
  • Federation
  • Empire
  • Alliance
• Powerplay
  • Aisling Duval
  • Arissa Lavingny-Duval
  • Denton Patreus
  • Li yong-Rui
  • Pranav Antal
  • Yuri Grom
  • Edmund Mahon
  • Felicia Winters
  • Zachary Hudson
  • Zemina Torval
  • Archon Delaine
• Engineers
  • Elvira Martuuk
  • The Dweller
  • Liz Ryder
  • Felicity Farseer
  • Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn
  • Zachariah Nemo
  • Lei Cheung
  • Hera Tani
  • Juri Ishmaak
  • Selene Jean
  • Broo Tarquin
  • Colonel Bris Dekker
  • Didi Vatermann
  • Professor Palin
  • Lori Jameson
  • Tiana Fortune
  • The Sarge
  • Bill Turner
• System States
  • All of the
  • System states
  • I'm getting tired
  • Of typing and this list
  • Is getting really long
• Xenos
  • Guardians
  • Thargoids
• Community goals
• [Search ]

I'm sure there are more possible categories I could add but my imagination is already getting away with me so I'll stop here for now.

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