Sadly the 2.3 update will not bring much to an average player who just wants to play some Elite in the evening. I was very disappointed to hear that I can't hire an NPC player to sit in other cockpit seats even though you will be able to invite other players. My opinion, but without at least some scripting to personalize Elite it will stay... without soul. Void. Perhaps this is as it should be, as space mostly seems to be that way, but still the gamer in me cries for something more than just another mission. Chained missions (missions remain just the same, but several are linked into a mini story) are coming and that is good, I thought something like that could relatively easily be done with assets already available.
But what I am really looking forward to is the increase for exploration returns. Right now those are far from lucrative. You'd think travelling for two weeks, discovering systems that nobody has been to, finding new habitable worlds etc.. would be a beneficial business but basically it brought me as much as two passenger missions, easily finished in an hour or two.
Still, disappearing into the black is an incredibly calming experience and believe it or not, it actually helped me chill after a few stressful happenings at work. It doesn't get any more peaceful than that. I'd already be back out but I'm waiting for 2.3. Meanwhile I'm mining some money and testing out some engineering.
Some pics, as you've been warned.
See, algorithms are math and math sometimes shows its mathematical side, which looks weird out there.
Alien life.
Some sights.
Wear and tear, solar winds, micrometeorites and so forth will decay your paint job. Took these when returing from that two weeks trip I wrote about.
Landing on a high G planet will be stressful for you and your retro thrusters.