[Suicide Junkie]

Why are you surprised about a flat map?
SE has used 2-D maps since the beginning!

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From here, the status panel takes up 20% of the screen...
If you really wanted to, you could mod it bigger, but there are already mods out to make it smaller so you can see more of the actual view.

If you're stuck with a 14" monitor or something, then yeah, you may need it bigger I suppose. Can be done, no prob.

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The "minimap" radar screen is not intended for what you're trying to use it for. Use the full screen, zoomable scrollable, fully rendered map for gritty details, searching for stuff and planning routes.
Press R to get into a full radar mode around your ship, and you'll see the important things like the pirate ship behind you and the missiles heading towards your aft hull.

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What is so wrong with the effects and sound?
Seems quite reasonable, to me...
You got your whine and PSORCH of beams, POomf of torpedoes and Boomf, crack-blam of hits.

For a REAL space sounds realism mod?
- Unplug your speakers.
For pop culture space sounds?
- Record some and replace the existing sound files.

Someone with a digital camera can take some pictures of fireballs and smoke with a lighter and some miscellaneous chemicals if you want superrealistic images...

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Basically, it sounds to me like you're in this for the wrong reasons.
If you want a pretty, poofy game that looks like a babylon 5 movie, there are games for you elsewhere that cost a couple million dollars to make.
If you want Space Empires: Up Close and Personal, then you've come to the right place.

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Take some deep breaths, play a round of SE 3, and then sell your copy on Ebay for a profit if you still want to.