I would like to see the current map as a 3D map, kind spherical like an orange. On the surface of the orange we can have the current system connections mapped. Under the orange skin, we could have interconnections with highly radioactive unclaimed systems where only vicious bots would have developed the ability to survive.
The more you approach the center of the orange the higher the radioactivity damage rate per second increase.

To go from serco to itani you need to get near the center.
To go from uit to serco or uit to itani you don"t need to go so deep.
Large combat fleets would nontheless try to go through the radioactive sphere to attack the enemy in any nation space system.
Only capships with shields could go through though they should arrive badly damage and would have to deploy fighters, bombers and support ships for repairing hulls. Then they would have to stop somewhere to repair before invading.
They would attack each other on sight it they encounter each other in the subsphere.
The success of the operation being secrecy, they would launch high velocity interceptor to kill anyone not belonging the nation military (need to sign up and maintain a military activity). So no one (only skilled pilots) would survive the encounter and tell the tale.

Only sector chat will work on these systems (no spoilling).
Radar will be limited at 2k range for small ships, 5k to 10k for capships.

We could have also temporary stations at the periphery of the radioactive subsphere. But those stations will get destroyed through time (long decay), and will be re spawn to random different places.
Wormholes would be unstable and their locations will change over time. So this would be impossible to maintain static routes between systems.
A new object "map" could be exchanged between players who wish to spend time to explore, chart the system configuration and then share the information with other for a price.

You're talking about the universe map, right? I think it's supposed to be more of a logical representation of the interconnecting wormholes and not so much a spatial map of systems...

I always thought the individual systems should be a 3D map instead of the 2D map we have now. Perhaps an 8x8x8 cube of 512 sectors instead of the 16x16 grid.

Radar will be limited at 2k range for small ships, 5k to 10k for capships.
Why so short?

2k to make interception easier

I like the idea of decreased sensors, so +1 to that. I like the idea of 3d maps, also. +1

-1 to decreasing radar range. What our ships have is already pathetic compared to what 20th century fighter jets have.

I just add a couple of zeros to every stat in Vendetta. It makes everything better.

I always thought the individual systems should be a 3D map instead of the 2D map we have now. Perhaps an 8x8x8 cube of 512 sectors instead of the 16x16 grid.

In reality, the contents of a star system align themselves in a band around the rotational axis of the star present. There wouldn't be much to populate the extra vertical space with.

you can look at a globe, or you can look at a map. a map is flat, that does not make the world flat. that is why we have globes.

We could, and perhaps should, have a 3d map. it should not really add anything, it would just show a different perspective of what we already have. we have a map, we need a globe. make one.

I have rarely been to all 64 sectors of any given system. we don't need more empty sectors.

The wormholes are the wormholes. it looks like you are trying to add additional wormholes or something. get to the freaking point. if you want more wormholes, say that.

Roda's almost right here, the main idea is to have random unstable wormholes leading to a more dangerous subspace and allowing to access any system in the current universe at a price with random and dynamic changing routes.
I do not really care about the shape of the universe but the sphere image is easier to visualize the mechanism.

All the "in between systems" are radioactive, the deeper you fly to the "center" the higher the radioactivity level is, and the more your ship hull is taken damage per second.
Danger is increased by the presence of vicious and highly aggressive hive not affected by those radioactivity levels.

As it is radioactive your radar is affected hence the lower detection range.

If you fly through a collapsing unstable wormhole you die.

A small ship cannot fly through the center without repairing, you have to plan your course and use the random outposts to repair or have some buddies with repair guns waiting for you at a rendez-vous point.

Connections between the radioactive systems should have also a bit of randomness, when an unstable wormhole collapses, a new one will emerge but will not be connected necessarily to the same system.
You will have some random station outpost at the periphery of those radioactive systems.
But they will be destroyed through time and will be rebuilt in another location.
You cannot home in those outposts.
You are docked in one of them and the station is destroyed you die.

Itani and Serco would offer patrol missions on those outpost to scout enemy fleets (or maybe kill everyone non serco/itani).
UIT could offer some smuggling/recovering missions.

Rare items, ore could be available only in those systems. Hive killing would reward you with more rare drops and higher xp.

New activity will be to discover and chart the routes through those systems and sell this object to other.

Communication are limited on those systems: you cannot access to chat general channels including help, or nation specific channel or guild channel. You are limited to sector chat, system chat.
Group chat is limited to members who are in the same system.

The idea is if you enter these places then you are on your own.
One way to explore those systems would be a player capship with an escort equipped with repair guns.
The escort team has to constantly repair the capship, and they can repair themselves and reload inside it. Question remains should escort take damage when docked in the capship.

+1 for the 3D maps ....and also many good ideas here....

There wouldn't be much to populate the extra vertical space with.

That's kind of the idea. Everything except for wormholes will be contained within the planetary disc or so, but there's no reason to say that has to be aligned with any of the 3 axes of the cube.

Things could be more complex for binary star systems as well.

I like the 3D maps idea but i believe is a "tool" for devs mostly to find new ways /ideas to expand the game /galaxy ......also the game needs some expanding with new sectors for exploring and freshening the concept .....