I've played some of Distant worlds and found a couple of things I like.
The first thing that I like is that I can point my mouse over a planet and change my build que, and that my build que also tells me how much it costs.
The second thing I like is that the solar has lines on the small map. I think this could be improved it is hard to tell the difference from a planet and a ship this way. I like the way the galaxy contracts and expands when you zoom.
With option number two I don't see a graphic problem because of this.
This post might change in the future as I play the game, so you may occasionally want to check this site out.
The reason why I'm posting it hear is because I think these concepts might want to be considered as a start for an idea for reverse engineering.