Factorio Forums

TL;DR

On the map view, chunks which are currently visible are clearly differentiated from ones that have been previously explored but cannot currently be seen, but the minimap doesn't do this. It should.

What?

There are various ways the minimap could make this distinction. The simplest would be the same way the ma view does it: non-visible chunks are darker than visible ones.

Why?

How often have you been driving along, glancing between the minimap to navigate and the main screen to avoid trees, only to run smack dab into a biter base in what the minimap had indicated just a moment ago was empty space - because the biters had expanded there since you originally mapped the area? I know it happens to me all the bloody time during a certain phase of my playthroughs. It's not a problem during initial exploration, since unexplored chunks are obvious from being pitch black, but revisiting an area that's previously explored but isn't under radar surveillance is always a crapshoot.

If the minimap showed your current view radius then at least you could tell the difference between what's actually safe and what's 'well, it was empty the last time we looked but...'.