I assume that for the majority of players out there, missions are the primary reasons for exploration and push players to a particular point of the map, in core worlds and in the outer regions. It's not immediately apparent for unexplored systems but some missions like the survey mission and derelict ship will inform you the precise location of the objective in an explored system.
Identifying a jump point closer to the objective will save both player's time (some system is just huge even when game is sped-up) and in game resources as hyperspace covers a lot more distance in the same time frame.
Issue #1: The intel page doesn't allow player to examine the system layouts.
This is more noticeable for core world missions. Examine the layout up close in hyperspace is slow. The planets rotates around the center of the system as time goes, it's likely that the layout will be different each time player visits, and mostly of the time where you want to go is not close to any jump point so hovering over stuff won't help. Layin course is able to select a jump point closest to where you want to go but doesn't do transverse jump so manual piloting it is.
Can you identify where Nova Maxios is without looking at the map?
That is fine right let's examine the system layout in the map page, which bring us to issue #2: The map and intel page have different states.
I might have the intel page zoomed all the way in core world but the map page in some random corner of the map. It takes quite some time to re orientate myself to find where I am and where I'm suppose to go, as missions are not visible on the map page. I, off the top of my head can't think of a reason why I'd want a map in one place, but the intel map in another. Personally I go to places with icons over them. The fact that some systems are very close together and difficult to select unless zoomed way in isn't helping either. Imaging having a colony sandwiched between two other systems and you have to zoom in every single time to travel there...but you can't lay a course clicking on the colony tab. Now you have a mission in the core world, you traveled there but the jump point is pretty far, you remember the place you want to go is next to a transverse jump point but aren't sure where it is so you open your map to examine the system layout to find where the place is only to see your fat ass size 6 colony in the center of the map so you zoom back out, pan to the core world and zoom in, takes a while to find where you are even when your fat ass fleet is the only thing shining bright white in the system surrounded by 30 colorful stars in yellow red clouds and big text boxes across the sky and six thousands different icons and 3 giant arrows that points from one point of the map to the other end with a giant yellow fuel range circle on top, but after having done this 30 thousand times you get quite quick at doing it so it doesn't brother you at allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. (A hotkey that resets map view to player's fleet would be quite useful.)
Google map has a quick tab on a button to go home, can I have one in the game too please?
Even after many playthroughs in the same core world layout I still don't think navigating without the map is feasible as systems in hyperspace lacks any distinctive features and
anything short of traveling in a straight line incurs additional cost to supply fuel and time necessitates the use of map. This game is so full of going from system X to system Y that map is the only way of navigation and I encounter the above two issues all the time and it's frustrating.
Let's not forget cases when there is a hostile faction in system and you need to take an alternative route.
Map page and intel page belong together as both serve as a tool for navigation but there is a strong disconnect on how they are currently used. I can think of a few suggestions but I am no developer and ideas are cheap anyway.
Of course those are just my personal anecdote. I am putting this out there to see if anyone shares such sentiment.
Searching around I found some posts about similar issues.
https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=19022.msg296780#msg296780 point #2
https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=993.msg9749#msg9749https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=8420.msg143540#msg143540https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=8445.msg143863#msg143863
