The 3d map should have a better vieuw of the game : see orbits of planets => http://kepler.nasa.gov/images/KeplerOrbit-full.jpg like this non cloacked ships not far of you should be detected, you click an place on the 3dmap and than the ship autopilot you there ... ...
if you guys have some suggestions for it post it here
Be able to select astral bodies/static targets as current nav destination.
Be able to pull up some tiny bits of information about astral bodies by mouse over. Ownership if any, mass, and distance in kilometers. Mass would let us know if a planet/station has been butchered already so we can skip checking on it. Ownership would keep us from walking into hostile bases unintentionally, or help us find friendly ones when we are in trouble.
Orbits as I understand it were more or less done away with in favor of local rotation only.
A Map Block...and a Few new "Map Block" Related Features and Systems :D
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(Sorry this is so long, I didn't anticipate having this much to say)
(BTW the ideas I'm presenting here are somewhat a mash-up of original ideas and combinations of really good ideas I've heard for the map in other posts (on the old site). So if it sounds like I might have "borrowed" someone else's idea, it might be because I did :D)
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I think it would be really cool if the game had a "map block" of sorts.
This "map block" could maybe act as a central database or something for your ship's knowledge about where stuff is in the universe (which would be used to display things when using the map function on/in you're ship).
As the map does now, the "map block" would collect information as you traveled along in your space ship (unless perhaps you turned data collection off (maybe you could do that)) and store it in its internal database.
Perhaps you could "upload" and "download" information you've collected on your ships map block onto like a faction map block (same block, just one kept in a safe place by your faction for storing important whereabouts and locations of fleets, ships, and (perhaps) cool natural phenomena). This could make it important for a faction to have a homebase as it would be able to best protect their map block from being destroyed (which would be bad). After all, whats the fun in exploring the universe if you can't ever find anything again?
Perhaps also (to make it more customizable), this "map block" could function as a computer for attaching "sensor blocks" or (something like that) to. A ship with no map block or no sensor blocks attached to its "map block" would not collect data of nearby entities. Depending on how you set up your "sensor array" you could have certain benefits in one of the 2 main areas of sensory detection. These (areas) being:
Long-Range Sensors (L.R.S.): This would be like what you see on Star Trek when they say "We've picked up an M-class planet on long-range sensors." You would be able to detect things like stations, planets, and ships. Ships, however, would be detected depending on the size and make-up of the (target) ship (i.e. if it's cloaked/jammed, or if it's moving). I'm thinking certain things would send up stronger or fainter "red flags" to your ship's Long-Range Sensors). The strength of your L.R.S. array and the (target-) ship's proximity to the edge of your sensor range would/could determine whether or not it is picked up, and if it is picked up, how accurate the information received is.
Short-Range Sensors (S.R.S.): This would be like that little box we have up in the corner of our screens now (that I at least always forget is there), but now, depending on how well you set up your "sensor array" it would detect/see a larger (or smaller) area around your ship. Perhaps it could also possibly detect missiles and display them in green, red, or stale-blue, depending on who fired them. Perhaps (if your S.R.S. is strong enough), it could even display what kind of missile they are by using an inside color indicating the type of missile, and an outlining color indicating the "team" of the missile (the Radar thing in the corner may need to be made a wee bit bigger). These "Short-Range Sensors" would be available to all crewmembers currently manning a station on the ship (i.e. the guy in the weapons comp, the guy in the missile comp, the guys in the turrets, not the guy(s) takin' a nap in his(/their) quarters). Also, these new "Short-Range Sensors" would not pick up cloaked or jammed ships anymore (because that's rather dumb that they do that currently).
However, I was also thinking that there could be multiple types of "sensor blocks" that could be attached to your "map block." Different types of "sensor blocks" would be better at some aspects of detecting stuff than others. For example a "radar block" might be really good at getting results quickly, but then it might be more difficult to set up an accurate array the larger the range (of the sensor array) is. Whereas a "Subspace Scanner Block" might take a few seconds (I'm thinkin like 3-30 (seconds) depending on the range) to get results but setting up accurate arrays for longer ranges would be both easier and take up less space. With this system you would also be able to have multiple types of sensor blocks/arrays connected to one map block.
I'm thinkin' when you hook up "sensor blocks" to the "map block," you would pick whether you want each array (group) to go to the Long-Range Sensor Array or the Short-Range Sensor Array. Attaching things to the SRS will allow you to see it in your HUD (where the radar is now), but if you attach your arrays to the LRS then they will get an increased range (because now they're solely focused on far away things and aren't worrying about closer-up stuff).
This could bring about more specialized ships... Example I thought up:
Perhaps you want to know what the enemy has got over there at his base, but its protected by sectors upon sectors of his "airspace." (With this system) You could set up a "fly-by" scout ship that is both fast and has an extensive radar-based (that means it detects stuff much faster) long-range sensor array (one that was accurate but at the cost of a lot of space on the ship), and use it to fly (quickly) through their "airspace" (hopefully avoiding fire), to get just close enough for the Long-Range Sensors to pick up everything guarding their base, then fly back out (as fast as you can) back to safety. So long as your ship's "map block" survives you will have crucially valuable information on their base and its defenses that you can upload to your faction's map block. But only if the "map block" survives.
Long-Range, Space-Cruise Missiles: With this new "master-slave" weapons system coming out, I had the thought that maybe this "map block" could be part of the new system (just maybe), and you could attach things to it (like missiles for example), and they would become "Long-Range, Space-Cruise Missiles" and you could use your map block to select a far away target to shoot (like really far away). If your long-range, space-cruise missile array (let's call it an LRSCM from now on) has the range then your enemies (or friends (if your that kinda guy)) are gunna have a fun surprise :D. Perhaps LRSCM's could be shot down. hmmm...
-Perhaps there could also be certain "station-blocks" (as in you're manning that "station") that could be connected to the "map block" and could be manned by crew members to monitor these specific functions of the "map block" (i.e. You attach an "LRS Station Block" to your "map block", place it somewhere on the bridge, and then Crewman Daniels over there can stand next to it and tell you if he sees any blips). It would consist of a GUI that would show you what the ship's LRS is picking up, perhaps only taking up half the screen, while allowing the crewmember to look around while he's at the station. But he would have to stay put (he couldn't roam the ship)))
Artist's impression of what a Dave at a "station block" might look like:
Concept "half-HUD" for the "station block." This one in particular would be for a "Long-Range Sensors Station Block." I personally think this would be really cool.Having this in the game would also make exploring fun, and useful (as of right now, it's not much of either). You could also potentially "sell" information.
......yes......all of that..
.....Wow, that was really really long.... sorry if my wall of text frightened you. :D I didn't plan on making this detailed of a "comment". Perhaps I should post this as its own article... hmmmm..... (Do you think I should?)
Anyway,
that's what I think the map could do with...
Hoping maybe someday we have something as awesome as this in the game,
-Prep :O
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