Long Range Radar
Ever since the removal of the handy GFD system, the game has been left with no viable way to detect enemy ships at long range. The Raycast system is entirely unusable and unsuitable for long range scanning without making a giant wall of thousands of cameras.
As a result it is very hard to find other players on PVP servers to engage in combat. What was once a vibrant PVP community has been effectively reduced to a dull PVE environment. Now I know there are mods but it is ridiculous that for basic PVP functionality players and servers should have to be forced into using mods to overcome very obvious deficiencies in the core game.
We need a block that allows players to search long range, in a timely and efficient fashion that should be reasonably expensive to offset its benefits. I would suggest having multiple classes of block small-giant with each different size class giving extended range but at the price of materials and form factor.
I like this feedback
There must indeed be a way to find other players however there must also be a way to protect starting players as well.
No one want's a game in wich you spend 4 hours building your initial base and then a mega destroyers destroys everything at once.
Perhaps a longe range radar is cool but perhaps some sort of stealth generator as well wich increases power cost greatly above a certain mass in both blocks and stored resources or something.
This way new player can have for a very low poer cost build up there base but once you get a bit decent you really have to switch to good defences and no longer use the stealth generator.
p.s. this was just as suggestion. anything is good as long as we can find other players but protect the starting ones as well.
There must indeed be a way to find other players however there must also be a way to protect starting players as well.
No one want's a game in wich you spend 4 hours building your initial base and then a mega destroyers destroys everything at once.
Perhaps a longe range radar is cool but perhaps some sort of stealth generator as well wich increases power cost greatly above a certain mass in both blocks and stored resources or something.
This way new player can have for a very low poer cost build up there base but once you get a bit decent you really have to switch to good defences and no longer use the stealth generator.
p.s. this was just as suggestion. anything is good as long as we can find other players but protect the starting ones as well.
Could simply add new functionality to the antenna. For example, with large block antennas, the scan range can be adjusted up to a 15 kilometer bubble. It will scan for player made blocks and record GPS locations for any found grids. The bigger the bubble you set, the longer it takes for the scan to complete. The antenna must be turned on and broadcasting the whole time this process is occurring. There should be a functionality similar to how extending actions can be set in remote control blocks after autopilot completes it course. That way if a player wishes, he/she can make stop-and-scan automated probes and send them out in packs.
Could simply add new functionality to the antenna. For example, with large block antennas, the scan range can be adjusted up to a 15 kilometer bubble. It will scan for player made blocks and record GPS locations for any found grids. The bigger the bubble you set, the longer it takes for the scan to complete. The antenna must be turned on and broadcasting the whole time this process is occurring. There should be a functionality similar to how extending actions can be set in remote control blocks after autopilot completes it course. That way if a player wishes, he/she can make stop-and-scan automated probes and send them out in packs.
well maybe 15 kilometers is too small, but you get my idea
well maybe 15 kilometers is too small, but you get my idea
i think 15 km is good. It must not be to easy either.
The problem also with deciding what range would be good is on planets everyone will be much less away from each other compared to space where indeed 15 km is nothing.
i think 15 km is good. It must not be to easy either.
The problem also with deciding what range would be good is on planets everyone will be much less away from each other compared to space where indeed 15 km is nothing.
In that regard Steve, you could say that the Earth and alien planet's magnetic field interfere with the scan, diminishing its range. Then that leaves Mars and moonlets open to full scan range, thereby making them more of a risk to colonize.
Also,
I think a new block could be added to this idea as well. In the same way we have manufacturing upgrades like the speed mod, how about a amplifier block that connects to new port connections on the bottom of antennas. When connected the amplifier boost scan range significantly. Just an idea.
In that regard Steve, you could say that the Earth and alien planet's magnetic field interfere with the scan, diminishing its range. Then that leaves Mars and moonlets open to full scan range, thereby making them more of a risk to colonize.
Also,
I think a new block could be added to this idea as well. In the same way we have manufacturing upgrades like the speed mod, how about a amplifier block that connects to new port connections on the bottom of antennas. When connected the amplifier boost scan range significantly. Just an idea.
Instead of using raycasting, perhaps adding a sort of beacon function to thrusters? Then a new block 'Scanner' or similar.
How would it work?
Thruster emmisions calculation:
Thrust output x Thruster type modifier (visibility of atmos < ions < hydro thrusters) x Atmosphere modifier (to reduce efficacy in atmo) x Variable RNG to randomize contacts x Constant to balance adjust / distance to Scanner^2
Scanner Detection:
A terminal slider similar to laser antennas where the power demand increases logarithmically with range. Note that the slider effects whether it CAN detect up to a certain distance, not HOW WELL it will detect within the range.
How it would work?
Scanner would check any controlled grids within it's range and see if it detects the emissions based on above formula (threshold value TBD). The rate of this check would be a balance/performance issue but shouldn't be rapid even if it could be. The scan should be an active one which grants a 100% detection chance to all other scanners within its radius.
This way rovers, static grids, rotors, and power (which I believe in this environment would be insulated from detection) would be undetectable. Detect-ability would be a choice based on how many and what thrusters you put on a ship, or how close the tracker got. Small grid ship would be less detectable (but not necessarily so). Also, being in atmosphere would help to hide you, so now only the voxels would make you glaringly obvious. Hunters would be detected if savvy players place a Scanner with little/no radius.
Instead of using raycasting, perhaps adding a sort of beacon function to thrusters? Then a new block 'Scanner' or similar.
How would it work?
Thruster emmisions calculation:
Thrust output x Thruster type modifier (visibility of atmos < ions < hydro thrusters) x Atmosphere modifier (to reduce efficacy in atmo) x Variable RNG to randomize contacts x Constant to balance adjust / distance to Scanner^2
Scanner Detection:
A terminal slider similar to laser antennas where the power demand increases logarithmically with range. Note that the slider effects whether it CAN detect up to a certain distance, not HOW WELL it will detect within the range.
How it would work?
Scanner would check any controlled grids within it's range and see if it detects the emissions based on above formula (threshold value TBD). The rate of this check would be a balance/performance issue but shouldn't be rapid even if it could be. The scan should be an active one which grants a 100% detection chance to all other scanners within its radius.
This way rovers, static grids, rotors, and power (which I believe in this environment would be insulated from detection) would be undetectable. Detect-ability would be a choice based on how many and what thrusters you put on a ship, or how close the tracker got. Small grid ship would be less detectable (but not necessarily so). Also, being in atmosphere would help to hide you, so now only the voxels would make you glaringly obvious. Hunters would be detected if savvy players place a Scanner with little/no radius.
depending on how it works it will either be abused, rubbish or quite good but it should give a general location only like you are in a general direction and when ur with in 50-100km the radar will not work depending on your defences
depending on how it works it will either be abused, rubbish or quite good but it should give a general location only like you are in a general direction and when ur with in 50-100km the radar will not work depending on your defences
I agree the radar should not be too accurate so things like camouflaging your base or building underground or into mountains would help.
I agree the radar should not be too accurate so things like camouflaging your base or building underground or into mountains would help.
I would love too see a function to detect Enemy Ships, but this thing would need a proper balance.
There are mods on the workshop for Radar for example , which work like the Antenna just with detection.
This feature could also give benefits for server perfomance, cause people would "clean" unused stations
I would love too see a function to detect Enemy Ships, but this thing would need a proper balance.
There are mods on the workshop for Radar for example , which work like the Antenna just with detection.
This feature could also give benefits for server perfomance, cause people would "clean" unused stations
This. I really wish we had something like this in vanilla. Please Keen, please consider this. Please try.
One way I imagine this could be done is to base the detection on grid size. (not weight). The bigger the size of the grid, the higher the chances of detection. This would come in the form of a radar block.
There's already a feature in the Admin tools that lets you find the biggest grids right? So why not base it on that.
I have no coding or game development experience and I won't pretend to have any.
It's ok if this doesn't get implemented though. Much love and respect for the developers at KSH.
But please, please, try.. lol cheers!
This. I really wish we had something like this in vanilla. Please Keen, please consider this. Please try.
One way I imagine this could be done is to base the detection on grid size. (not weight). The bigger the size of the grid, the higher the chances of detection. This would come in the form of a radar block.
There's already a feature in the Admin tools that lets you find the biggest grids right? So why not base it on that.
I have no coding or game development experience and I won't pretend to have any.
It's ok if this doesn't get implemented though. Much love and respect for the developers at KSH.
But please, please, try.. lol cheers!
Currently on our server atm (Lawless PVP) we are using a radar mod off the workshop which has a holographic table, and allows the radar to work in the cockpit. It's work very well and doesn't seem to affect server performance too much. It's set to 10km and our world size is 125km which seems to be a good balance.
If some modder can make a mod like this then I don't see why Keen can't implement something official that is similar.
Currently on our server atm (Lawless PVP) we are using a radar mod off the workshop which has a holographic table, and allows the radar to work in the cockpit. It's work very well and doesn't seem to affect server performance too much. It's set to 10km and our world size is 125km which seems to be a good balance.
If some modder can make a mod like this then I don't see why Keen can't implement something official that is similar.
Hi guys, we are sorry but we dont plan this feature for SE1.
Hi guys, we are sorry but we dont plan this feature for SE1.
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