TLDR - A new console on our ships with a much wider and deeper set of information on all things
Currently the UI in Elite is designed so that limited info is available from the Ship UI which is great and keeps things clean and simple while flying/fighting.
For more detailed info we currently have to visit a stations outfitting or use third party tools that extract data from the API/Journal. What I am proposing is to keep the Pilots Chair UI simple and limited as it is now, maybe even more basic and create a kind of Library/Database Console in each ship where we can get a much more detailed view of everything. Possibly even greater, more granular control of things.
In the absence of space legs it would need a key binding to switch seats/consoles (similar to system/galmap) but ultimately it could be a seat we can go sit in to get access to the data.
In order to avoid having to change the flight deck/cockpit layout it could be put in another room on the ship. They all have internal doors we cannot see past, just add a new room.
The feature set can be built up over time as required but here are some initial ideas for functions at this console:
It can easily be argued that all of this can be done from links on the pilot UI but I think that this would keep that UI cleaner and would give a nice sense of immersion, having all of this extra data accessible in our own ship away from the flight controls.
Our ships are huge and I'd personally like to see some interactions that don't directly involve the pilots seat.
Currently the UI in Elite is designed so that limited info is available from the Ship UI which is great and keeps things clean and simple while flying/fighting.
For more detailed info we currently have to visit a stations outfitting or use third party tools that extract data from the API/Journal. What I am proposing is to keep the Pilots Chair UI simple and limited as it is now, maybe even more basic and create a kind of Library/Database Console in each ship where we can get a much more detailed view of everything. Possibly even greater, more granular control of things.
In the absence of space legs it would need a key binding to switch seats/consoles (similar to system/galmap) but ultimately it could be a seat we can go sit in to get access to the data.
In order to avoid having to change the flight deck/cockpit layout it could be put in another room on the ship. They all have internal doors we cannot see past, just add a new room.
The feature set can be built up over time as required but here are some initial ideas for functions at this console:
- Engineering Materials (sortable and filterable, in line with the new UI in Beta 3.0)
- Engineering upgrades - a list of known upgrades, where they can be found and what they require, what we are missing etc (similar to what Inara offers via the API/Journal now, but in game and based off player exploration/experience)
- Outfitting - fuller view of all stats on all modules including engineering stats/grades
- Detailed Player Journal - something that FDev are already planning to add
- Powerplay - the current link to powerplay can simply be moved/expanded
- Orrery - if this is put in a new room, then this room could also house an orrery which is asked for often
- Proximity Alert - something that I think we need anyway (pp, galmap etc). Our sensors can alert us to ships due to drop in to our location to give us time to get back to the controls or out of any UI we are in and not paying attention to our sensors.
It can easily be argued that all of this can be done from links on the pilot UI but I think that this would keep that UI cleaner and would give a nice sense of immersion, having all of this extra data accessible in our own ship away from the flight controls.
Our ships are huge and I'd personally like to see some interactions that don't directly involve the pilots seat.