How do the filters work on the map?

[redbaron07]

Hello
For the life of me I cannot understand how the filters work on the map. I have seen images from other players that show various bits of information - for example conflict level, lifeform and figures for trading - but I have none of that. I have the economy add-on, not the conflict one, but I still can't seem to work it out. I know clicking the keyboard arrows changes the star colour, but how do you get the more detailed information? That is what I am struggling with.
Keith

[Musashi]

are you sure that you have this http://prntscr.com/tfwt20
installed in your starship ?

[Rexxer]

Economy filter refers to what the dominant industry type is in the system, NOT the wealth of the system.

The filter colors are:
Trading (Green), Advanced Materials (Purple), Scientific (Dark Blue), Mining (Orange), Manufacturing (Yellow), Technology (Light Blue), Power (Red)

Each industry type produces a specific range of stuff, and another type requires it. The producer sells low, the consumer buys high. You are the in-between.

For example: A High Tech system produces quantum accelerators, and a power generation planet requires it. Buy quantum acclerators at the trade terminal of a high tech system, fly to a power generation system and sell it. You make a profit. How much of a profit will depend on buy and sell stats of each system.

[Rexxer]

I think the conflict and lifeform filters of the galaxy map are more self-explanatory. Is trading an efficient way of accumulating wealth in NMS, yes. Is trading the easiest way of accumulating wealth in NMS, no. (A qualified no, though. If you have the right planets lined up and have good buy and sell prices, you can run through the route pretty easily, but each warp takes 20 or 30 seconds, so it is tedious. Industrial mining is more fun to set up IMO and you don't really have to warp anywhere. Plus it makes money while you don't even play the game. Log back in and collect the minerals to sell. One trade, hundreds of millions of credits.)

[Musashi]

Maybe the filter set to Conflict .. than there would not any Info , because OP said that scanner is not installed

[redbaron07]

Thanks folks.
I have worked it out now....you have to click R, then you can see the information.
Just a shame there is not a simple guide, but hey ho, makes it more varied.
Thanks again.

[japp_02]

The map filters show waypoints or different system data. Waypoints are obvious but you don't need to follow that path; chose in Free Explore mode where you want to warp.
For systems, the filters only make sense if you have the Economy Scanner and the Confilct Scanner installed, otherwise you won't get an exact overall picture.
If both are installed, the star colors will change once a filter is applied, for example a specific color for a specific race etc. You can use the R command to expand the info.
System filters are useful to make more complex searches. Here 3 examples:

Trading routes
You are looking for a wealthy system with high supply, and interesting price margins. An economy which has a B value from 60-75 is very good to buy at. One with a S value of 25-29 is very good to sell at.

Abandoned systems with a space station
You can find such systems if the filter contains race data, but no conflict data.

Chosing the right system for you:
Say you are looking to get a good multitool and you are also looking to buy a combat frigate, so you want to look for a Vykeen system, preferably a wealthy one and with a lot of planets to spawn a lot of AI freighters. You filter the map for Races, expand the info with R, determine the color for Vykeen systems, look at the economy data on such colored stars, then select the system to see how many planets there are.

[redbaron07]

Very helpful.
Thanks

[GIJoe597]

So much information here. I have been playing the game for 355 hours and not once used any of these functions. I should perhaps spend some time looking at the map.