With the new NAV mode, the way it has been described, will we be able to stay in it and travel everywhere avoiding combat? What are the planned limitations of NAV mode?
TL;DRYou can always stay in NAV mode, but it disables operator modes like guns, missiles, mining and salvaging, shields are ineffective, and you are not invulnerable to attack.
So you will be able to always stay in NAV mode. Whether it's suitable for you to do that is a different question. You will just not be able to access certain operator modes from NAV mode. So things like scanning, for example, you can. But the guns operator mode, the missile operator mode, mining and salvaging will not be available in NAV mode. So you can just go around. But this also means your shields are not effective. Which means, unless you're currently quantum traveling, you're still vulnerable to attacks. But when you're spooled and you are under attack, you still have the option to, I mean, not for now, but later when the new quantum travel experience comes online and you have quantum boost, you can actually get out of this thing very fast. But still, there's a clear no to the question whether or not you're invulnerable to combat. You're not. If you're flying around in normal space, you can be attacked one way or another.