Well, let's see, the radar doesn't differentiate ships by size. It would also be nice if unclassified contacts were distinct from other contacts.
I guess. Only takes a couple of seconds to look through your contacts tab on the left menu though, which I find works just fine for me.
If system authority ships were green unless hostile, rather than green only when allied. If ships classified as wanted showed up as say a lighter red or something. It would be nice if the currently targeted contact was more distinct. It's fine if there are like three ships, but anytime you're at an active site it's easy to lose track of them. The navigation thing to the side could be used for that purpose. Add a red dot that follows the same conventions, hollow if behind, solid if in front.
If it only showed wanted ships that you'd already quick scanned I'd be fine with that, but it shouldn't automagically show any wanted targets whether you've quick scanned them or not. I've never had issues with tracking current targets via the current bracket around target, even in busy CZ's with 30 or more ships.
Regarding not knowing whether a target is in front of or behind you, the map shows that perfectly already. Bar below the middle of the radar? it's behind you. Tall stalk with the horizontal bit at the top? Target is behind and above you. Short stalk with the horizontal bit at the bottom? Target is behind and just below you. Longer stalk = more distance up or down.
As for other stuff... I mean... are you serious? You play this game and aren't constantly baffled by the interface?
Nope, not at all.
Ok, let's look at the map. You can't lay in a course for a station.
In 1.3 you will be able to plot a course to a station from the system map. Not galaxy map, but it's something.
The little popups in the galaxy map have really poor descriptions and are cut off, so half the time I can't tell what I'm supposed to do in that system from the map screen.
Can't say I've ever come across that. Could you post a screenie with an example? Why not just look in your mission log for what you're supposed to do?
And of course I can't just click the mission in the map screen to bring up the full detail screen because... why?
Again, why not use the mission screen? Being able to track the mission via clicking on the map icon would be a nice QoL improvement sure, but it's not like it's impossible to track without it.
Or for that matter why can't you plot a course from the transactions screen when you click on a mission?
Agreed, would be handy. Lets hope it's part of the improvements in 1.3.
Also the transactions screen could provide MUCH more useful info at a glance. System(s), mission type, cargo type including if you are carrying it or still have to find it. Maybe some color coding would help with that.
It does provide info on system, mission type and cargo type. Not sure what you mean there. Missions also state when you pick them up whether they will give you the cargo to deliver or if you need to obtain it yourself. Of course you can always check your cargo slot too...
When you dock at a station for the love of god, why can't it just highlight "contacts" if you have bonds or bounties to redeem? Or if you have illegal cargo and there's a black market.
Meh, has never bothered me. I'm always aware via my transactions menu if I have bounties, combat bonds etc that I can cash in. I also tend to know if I'm carrying illicit cargo. Sure, it'd be nice to know if the station had a black market ahead of time, but I tend to think that is the type of thing that the black market operators wouldn't advertise
The commodities screen should probably just put everything you can sell at the top, instead of forcing you to scroll through the screen checking the cargo column. It's not so bad when you're just carrying one thing, but if you're going for a little variety it's such a pain. Or just highlight the rows.
Can you sort by that column? I'd check but am a little too far away from civilization to check right now.
I mean seriously, the whole interface is so monotone it's painful.
Easy enough to modify your GUI colour. FD has also stated that they want to implement different colour screens as an option from in game in the future.
I mean, c'mon, when doing missions it's easier to just alt+tab to notepad to keep track of what you're doing.
How many missions are you taking on at once? I guess if you're doing 10+, but again, they're all listed in your transactions tab. Why would you need to go with pen & paper?
And it's not a good sign that instead of using the game to find trade routes you go to a freaking website to figure out routes. I mean, even if the interface was good a lot of people would go that route I'm sure, but right now it feels pointless to try to find trade routes in game.
Eh, all the best trade routes I've found have been using the in game tools. Sure, I've used Thrudds etc, but if a trade route is findable on there then anyone can stumble across it and run it dry.
There are only maybe 10 commodities with the big profit margins. Go into commodities market and check the imported from / sell to systems listed for those items. Head to the systems listed and check if they have a sell to commodity from the system you were at. Find two systems with compatible buy/sell products and there's your route.
I've found several routes that give profits in the range of 1400 one way, 1300 return from doing just that. Yes, it takes some time to find a good one, but it's so insanely profitable that if it were too easy then everyone would be flying anacondas after a week.
I do like some of your ideas. Why not head to the FD website and post them? Who knows, maybe they're already working on some of the things you mention. It does sound like 1.3 will be a big update.
