The object properties panel was heavily optimized to open and switch between objects much faster, making it easier to tweak multiple planets quickly. Material Swapping:

Why focus on specifically? Software archives and changelogs show that v3411 was released during a period of aggressive optimization. Versions immediately prior to this (v3400 series) were notorious for introducing "Heat Simulation 2.0"—a feature that calculated planetary temperature on a per-pixel basis. While beautiful, it melted CPUs.

The game offers a range of features, including: