I love the galaxy map it's a great asset in the game, but I feel that it is slightly detached and could be developed into a great resource about the Elite universe.
In my experience I only really use it as a navigation tool, but it could be so much more. The functionality it already has, such as trade routes and filters for various categorizations only scratch the surface of what I think could be possible. Also the powerplay tab is great, even though I don't powerplay, it hints at a living civilization.
The addition of custom map markers was great as well, but unfortunately I've already used up my limit, I'd really love more.
I think putting more things on the map with their own types of markers would add a lot of depth and allow a player to use the map to interact with the game in a much more meaningful way that would give a sense of connection to their surroundings.
Here are my suggestions:
Galnet
Galnet news stories should be integrated into the galaxy map. Every system that is mentioned in a Galnet update should be marked on the map with a link to the article. The default setting could be all stories from the last seven days, with options to display more. Ideally a date slider or two to set a range so you can view what was happening and where over the course of x days, weeks or months etc. Maybe you could also view a particular system and retrieve all of the historic news for that location, again with sliders to limit your search to the period you're interested in and also enable you to not have to download everything that was published about it.
I think that to be able to look at the map and see where you are and what stories are being reported would give a much greater feeling of events occurring around you rather than just a list of news articles. To be honest I very rarely read Galnet, I think I would read more if I was in the galaxy map and saw a Galnet marker a couple of jumps away, my interest would be piqued and I may or may not end up making a diversion to that system. Either way I would have used Galnet when otherwise I wouldn't.
Tourist Beacons
The tourist beacons you have visited should be marked on the map along with the flavor text that goes with them. I've checked out a few and I'm now disappointed that the information has been purged from my log over time due to it filling up beyond the max No. of entries and it getting rid of the oldest ones.
This would be another way of charting where you have been and add to the richness of the lore that Elite offers. I quite like collecting stuff in games, I've gone out of my way to earn quite a few permits, a lot of which offer little more than an opportunity to make the permit list grow longer and that's a good enough reason for me to do this. I'd really like to see an ever growing collection of tourist beacons on my map not only for the sake of growing the collection but the lore you could acquire and read at leisure as well. Also it could add a sense of achievement to get the tourist beacon at Beagle Point or any other obscure or far flung POI marked on your map for posterity. It would also encourage me to take more passenger missions, something which I don't do much of right now.
Alien POI
Guardian ruins, alien crash sites, barnacles... These should be marked on the map, maybe some you need to find for yourself, perhaps they could be added to give players direction and motivation to visit these areas and make new discoveries for themselves. Maybe the map marker could credit the CMDR who discovered it offering fame and notoriety to the player.
Megaships and Capital ships
Some Megaships are going to be mobile some not. Maybe you need to visit them to get the marker, maybe some are marked by default. I'd really like to see the ones that move have their planned course marked. So, for example, if there is one heading out into the far reaches of the galaxy on a five year mission you could see where it is going to be in six weeks time and plan to rendezvous with it.
Captial ships would be interesting as well, as the story line in the game seems to be heading toward a conflict between the major powers. Seeing the movement and distribution of Capital ships would be interesting.
Fines and bounties
Seeing what systems you are wanted in and have a bounty would be useful.
Also maybe markers for systems where you are allied with any factions or have factions hostile to you. This information is available in the system map already but requires you remember these systems find them on the galaxy map and then open the system map. Galaxy map markers for this would give you a sense of where you have done good deeds and where you have been less well behaved.
That's about all I can think of for now, I may add more suggestions if any come to mind.
In my experience I only really use it as a navigation tool, but it could be so much more. The functionality it already has, such as trade routes and filters for various categorizations only scratch the surface of what I think could be possible. Also the powerplay tab is great, even though I don't powerplay, it hints at a living civilization.
The addition of custom map markers was great as well, but unfortunately I've already used up my limit, I'd really love more.
I think putting more things on the map with their own types of markers would add a lot of depth and allow a player to use the map to interact with the game in a much more meaningful way that would give a sense of connection to their surroundings.
Here are my suggestions:
Galnet
Galnet news stories should be integrated into the galaxy map. Every system that is mentioned in a Galnet update should be marked on the map with a link to the article. The default setting could be all stories from the last seven days, with options to display more. Ideally a date slider or two to set a range so you can view what was happening and where over the course of x days, weeks or months etc. Maybe you could also view a particular system and retrieve all of the historic news for that location, again with sliders to limit your search to the period you're interested in and also enable you to not have to download everything that was published about it.
I think that to be able to look at the map and see where you are and what stories are being reported would give a much greater feeling of events occurring around you rather than just a list of news articles. To be honest I very rarely read Galnet, I think I would read more if I was in the galaxy map and saw a Galnet marker a couple of jumps away, my interest would be piqued and I may or may not end up making a diversion to that system. Either way I would have used Galnet when otherwise I wouldn't.
Tourist Beacons
The tourist beacons you have visited should be marked on the map along with the flavor text that goes with them. I've checked out a few and I'm now disappointed that the information has been purged from my log over time due to it filling up beyond the max No. of entries and it getting rid of the oldest ones.
This would be another way of charting where you have been and add to the richness of the lore that Elite offers. I quite like collecting stuff in games, I've gone out of my way to earn quite a few permits, a lot of which offer little more than an opportunity to make the permit list grow longer and that's a good enough reason for me to do this. I'd really like to see an ever growing collection of tourist beacons on my map not only for the sake of growing the collection but the lore you could acquire and read at leisure as well. Also it could add a sense of achievement to get the tourist beacon at Beagle Point or any other obscure or far flung POI marked on your map for posterity. It would also encourage me to take more passenger missions, something which I don't do much of right now.
Alien POI
Guardian ruins, alien crash sites, barnacles... These should be marked on the map, maybe some you need to find for yourself, perhaps they could be added to give players direction and motivation to visit these areas and make new discoveries for themselves. Maybe the map marker could credit the CMDR who discovered it offering fame and notoriety to the player.
Megaships and Capital ships
Some Megaships are going to be mobile some not. Maybe you need to visit them to get the marker, maybe some are marked by default. I'd really like to see the ones that move have their planned course marked. So, for example, if there is one heading out into the far reaches of the galaxy on a five year mission you could see where it is going to be in six weeks time and plan to rendezvous with it.
Captial ships would be interesting as well, as the story line in the game seems to be heading toward a conflict between the major powers. Seeing the movement and distribution of Capital ships would be interesting.
Fines and bounties
Seeing what systems you are wanted in and have a bounty would be useful.
Also maybe markers for systems where you are allied with any factions or have factions hostile to you. This information is available in the system map already but requires you remember these systems find them on the galaxy map and then open the system map. Galaxy map markers for this would give you a sense of where you have done good deeds and where you have been less well behaved.
That's about all I can think of for now, I may add more suggestions if any come to mind.
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