Sorry, but the Reveal Coasts option at the beginning seems very goofy because logically, that would require a full scan of a planet to show you where all the coastlines are. The life forms sensor and tectonics also would require a full planet survey. We might as well be able to see the whole map.

Anyway, it's 2600 AD, and before planetfall, factions better have orbited the planet several times to find a good landing spot, and better have scanned/photographed the surface. Even without scanning before planetfall, shouldn't they have scanned the planet beforehand to know to pick to land on it in the first place? There are resource pods from Earth and derelict settlements. Someone has knowledge of the planet's surface, and factions should have obtained that information even before leaving Earth.

I realize that such a mod or spaceship type would ruin the thrill of exploration. BUT, show us just the basic geography (mountains, hills, craters, water, forest, desert, miasma, rivers, grassland, plain, ice, tundra, etc). BUT hide resources, excavation sites, and resource pods. When one of our units comes close enough, then reveal them. This way, we know not to send any unit to large areas of mountains, canyons, and craters because we know there are no resource pods or excavation sites there.