4)On Ship design there isn't any text explaining what each module is.... this is one of the worst. On Sots 1 you have an explication for each module (Front, middle (role of the ship), engine)
Actually, there is a explanation:
The sections have a tooltip, just hover over the "Armor/Fusion/Standart Command" text when not having the list of selections expanded. But sometimes the text is cut off. And of coruse having the tooltip whiel having it expanded would be even better.
Also modules to have an explanation, when you enter the "select Module" menu.
5) When a fleet finished a survey, automatically returns to the star the mission was assigned (there should be an optional option to turn off this, and do the return manually)
I think the forced return is due to lack of Fuel/endurance. I reported it as a bug as some mission could refuelt the fleet easier/no refullign is nessesary (colonizing, for example).
However, you can circumvent it in most cases by enabling "Auto-patrol" in the Auto-options. But now you have to keep track of those fleets yourself. (i.e., no "Fleet idle" warning).
6) I can't find a easily way to know if the ship will have enough fuel for the mission when it comes back. (If there is, then the interface is not very well made if i couldn't find it easily)
I think the game doesn't allow mission when the fleet has not enough enduracne for both trips and makes a "Forced return" mission if the fleet lands in a system with just enough fuel to return.
My list of proposed improvements:
Event log: Please allow us to disable the "autoforward" for events that have a pupup (Colonizing, Station Build, Battle). I usually have to do work after something is build - ordering the follow up, canceling the unneeded/buggy mission step. Repairing ships after comabt. And changing configuration of fleet (putting ships back to upkeep savign config/in reserve/disolving single purpose fleets).
Refulign mission: Please add a "Refuel at" mission. There is no point going all the way back to your home system, when there is a tank stop 1 turn away.
Fastest/Direct route: Change the Direct/fastest route selection to a ComboBox/radio button group on the "select misison" screen. Disable it only if both routes are the same (not just same lenght/time, but acutall path). Sometimes even Neutrino Pulse gate-Deploy mission want to take the fastest route (if all the players wants is to place is a gate in the final system, regardless of actuall distance). Or want to deploy the gate chain from the closest planet, not the current one (in that case measure the deployment step from the last system of the route, not the current). Also a player may want to know how much endurance a direct route would take, even if the fleet cannot support it.
Admirals: Please make Admiral overview accesible without using "new fleet" (sometimes there migth simply be no place for a new fleet, but I want to know what this admiral that I just got can do).
Admirals: Please make Admirals sortable by Characteristis (reaction, Loyility, Evasion)
Admirals: Please allow player defiend groupign of Admirals (1 group per admiral is enough). Green thumbs/Good Sheppards could go into a palyer defiend "Colonizer" group. For Loa this group may also include pathfinders (as the same fleet can build the gate, survey & colonize).
Budget overview: A button that auto-set Security to the "no corruption" level and keeps it there (currently if income changes between turns the slider get's just a nudge moved and thus becomes unbound to the 0 Corrption marker). Having to go there every turn just to hit a marker is annoying.
Combat - It is a bit annoying that we can't make selection, give order and have the UI update accordingly while paused. If it is unfeasible to put the selection/UI changes out of the game time tick (so it works regardless of pasued state), how about advancing the game one tick (or however many is needed to update the UI) everytime the selection is changed, an order is issued, or anythign else tha requires updating the UI even when paused? I know at least one game that does the same (earth 2150) - orders that concern pathfinding or targetting always advance the gametime one tick even when the game is paused.
PeudoCode Example:
If(!gamePaused || pendingUIchanges)
//execute gameTick
pendingUIchanges = false;
Cosntruction of ships: Please add a "pause after X items" option to build orders. Sometimes a planet can produce massive amounts of ships/platforms per turn. But we can only afford 1-2 per turn. Basically the Queue should contain a "stop" and during construction phase of turn, when the queue hits a "stop" marker it should not invest any left production power into cosntruction this turn but remvoe the stop (so next turn, it can continue normally. Ideally this should be on Invoice level. Even a single piece Invcoie migth benefit from it ("don't start anyting else this turn, after this"). Actually all turnbased production games should have this, I keep wondering why i seem to be the only one that misses that option.
Hiver & Loa Gate system: Any chance that gates in a system allow refulling, the same way planets do (asumign the player has at least one planet)? Somehow these gates get support and getting fuel/energy through them should not be a logistics issue for a star empire. This is more true for hiver then Loa, of course.
Loa, nr. of Cubes selection for new fleets: Please add a Min, Max and "Gatesize" button. Also Cancel would be nice to keep in the Admiral menu if not enough Cubes are there.
Loa fleet movement: Please add a cancel button to the "reduce fleet or slowboat?" Dialog. It sometimes hits you when you used "Continue & Exit" and then canceling the mission might be better (because suddenly the fleet became unsuiteable for the mission.
