supply/demand weight map modes + permanent trade routes - any plans yet?

[Hector0x]

1) Map Modes

Current trade filter entries can only show you data from 1 station. That's already useful, but this tool requires too many steps from the user. You hover your mouse over the three blue balls to see total demanded volume. Then you need to read the displayed number and your brain needs to process how much that is actually worth in relation the bulkiness and worth of 1 unit of chosen ware.

We need better graphical information at first glance. You should be able to pick "FIeld Coils" and get a graphical weight map overlay which puts a translucent red noise over areas based on total demanded volume. Green noise for total offered volume.
Similar map mode overlays for currently known resource depletion in probed mining areas vs. demanded volume.

2) Permanent Trade Routes + Replacement Quotas

Entirely automated fire and forget autotrading early game is bad, i fully agree with Egosoft here. The player should really think and get familiar with the economy until automation comes later.

Problem is that trade routes are currently set on a per ship basis (repeat order). This is tedious. You should be able to
- define global trade routes (Ware X from Sector A to Sector B)
- have an overlay with arrows and lines floating in front of the main map to visualize all your custom routes at once
- dynamic colors for each line indicating commodity with a legend at the side like in logical view
- thicker start of the line indicates that more goods are physically still in sector A and haven't been moved yet (Trade route still prosperous)
- thicker end of the line indicates that most goods have already been moved to sector B (Trade route starting to dry up)

Then you'd need to set a pool of ships where
- idle ships are able to go on one of your pre-defined global trade routes on their own based on current distance to sector A
- this should work with 1 Star Pilots

Finally you should be able to set a quota to order or replace lost ships for the ship pool automatically. Same for military fleets to maintain a certain fleet composition.