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Author Topic: Sensors, stealth and recon missions.  (Read 4033 times)

Qloos

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Sensors, stealth and recon missions.
« on: May 31, 2011, 08:16:14 PM »

So far, I feel that ships can detect other ships too easily.  From half way across the map, I am able to detect the enemy fleet and engage.  Furthermore, all mission types currently follow the assumption that both sides have detected each other. 

Sensors should take up ship slots, have a radius and range effect and either be on all the time, or toggled; generating flux.  Stealth should work by reducing the effective scanning range of enemy ships, have an area denial - or blind spot that the enemy cant scan through or simply be a chance based electronic interference.  Terrain should also play an important part in sensory interference, where nebula's should interfere slightly and asteroids and other solid mass should block sensors entirely. 

Imagine this mission: you have a single scout with a narrow beam long range sensor, a passive electronics sensor (to detect the enemy ships sensor and relay their effective scan range and radius) and a number of sensor tags to mark enemy ships with so that they can be detected from afar: both in campaign and in skirmish mode.
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Alex

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Re: Sensors, stealth and recon missions.
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2011, 07:46:58 PM »

Hmm... I think what you're suggesting here is covered by a combination of phase ships and outside-of-the-battle mechanics. Once you're actually in battle, it's understood that both fleets are generally aware of each others presence.


There have been some ideas about adding extra engagement types.

One example is "Raid", where the defending side starts with very few fleet points, but gets a big bonus after a certain time, to reflect noticing and reacting to the incoming threat. The defending side would have to be protecting some static installations, with the goal of the raiding side being to destroy some. This isn't set in stone, though - just to give you an idea for the types of things being tossed around.
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Avan

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Re: Sensors, stealth and recon missions.
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2011, 09:01:35 PM »

So we will have destructible space stations (POSSIBLY)?

Alex

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Re: Sensors, stealth and recon missions.
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2011, 07:44:05 AM »

 :-X
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Archduke Astro

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Re: Sensors, stealth and recon missions.
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2011, 02:10:53 AM »

:-X
[-chuckle-] I love what that implies.

Backtracking to the issue of sensors & detection, some kind of range-based tactical intelligence system would be nice for certain situations. The longer you have an unknown unit, or the closer you get to it, or both -- the more you learn about it. That could be useful for some kind of future stellar map-updating / resource prospecting / artifact-hunting missions where combat is not the first priority.
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