Allow Scanners slaves that affect detection of other objects

[PartyAlarm]

Scanners are pretty limited. It would be neat if you could link a scanner computer with:



Shop module - searches for and reveals shops on the P-map

Build block - searches for stations and structures, revealing names on the P-map

Salvage Computer - searches for asteroids, gives additional information like belt density and asteroid type % perhaps

 

[Ixalite]

More Suggestions along these lines...

Tie in the scanner module into weapon linking, yielding low power consumption, always on passive system effects.

Scanner + Cannon : Gives Status effect style ping when weapons fire is detected, and the ship doing the firing gets a flashing icon on HUD / ship icon.

Scanner + Missile : Detect when someone is locking onto YOU with missiles! Appropriate status indications and warning icons flash!

Scanner + Beam : More information about target ship displayed: ship speed, ship power status, *SHIP ARMOR RATING / HULL HEALTH*?

Scanner + Salvage beam : Contents / yield readout on selected asteroid

Scanner + Damage Pulse : (maybe an exception to the passive system pattern?) increase anti-stealth detection at the expense of long range Detection? Increase detection range at the expense of Stealth detection?

Additionally, I feel that the Scanner computer could be linked to existing systems to give them some sort of "intelligence" type bonus. This should absolutely come at the expense of other secondary or backup systems, so you cant have "cannon + scanner + cannon" but the scanner counts as the second weapon system in the linked group.

Cannon + Scanner : Projected lead target indicator.

Missile + Scanner : Lock-on system with an "after launch" lock on. You fire the missile FIRST, then maintain lock to guide it to target. This way you can fire many missiles off target, then have them come back around to try to dodge AMS.

Beam + Scanner : (maybe not?) Lock on beam: Low power beam that first locks on like a missile, then continues firing. Short ranged.

Damage Pulse + Scanner : A pulse weapon that serves only to knock ships out of stealth in a small radius.

Scanner + Scanner : A high powered scanning pulse that detects the names and faction of stations in the detection radius.

 

[Kaamio]

More Suggestions along these lines...

Tie in the scanner module into weapon linking, yielding low power consumption, always on passive system effects.

Scanner + Cannon : Gives Status effect style ping when weapons fire is detected, and the ship doing the firing gets a flashing icon on HUD / ship icon.

Scanner + Missile : Detect when someone is locking onto YOU with missiles! Appropriate status indications and warning icons flash!

Scanner + Beam : More information about target ship displayed: ship speed, ship power status, *SHIP ARMOR RATING / HULL HEALTH*?

Scanner + Salvage beam : Contents / yield readout on selected asteroid

Scanner + Damage Pulse : (maybe an exception to the passive system pattern?) increase anti-stealth detection at the expense of long range Detection? Increase detection range at the expense of Stealth detection?

Additionally, I feel that the Scanner computer could be linked to existing systems to give them some sort of "intelligence" type bonus. This should absolutely come at the expense of other secondary or backup systems, so you cant have "cannon + scanner + cannon" but the scanner counts as the second weapon system in the linked group.

Cannon + Scanner : Projected lead target indicator.

Missile + Scanner : Lock-on system with an "after launch" lock on. You fire the missile FIRST, then maintain lock to guide it to target. This way you can fire many missiles off target, then have them come back around to try to dodge AMS.

Beam + Scanner : (maybe not?) Lock on beam: Low power beam that first locks on like a missile, then continues firing. Short ranged.

Damage Pulse + Scanner : A pulse weapon that serves only to knock ships out of stealth in a small radius.

Scanner + Scanner : A high powered scanning pulse that detects the names and faction of stations in the detection radius.

Those seem actually really nice, except the cannon aim assist that takes away secondary weapon slot. Personally I think it should be effect at most and maybe built in feature of the cannon, since it can't be all that accurate when targets don't move in straight lines. Could try and add zoom perhaps? Or maybe add some autoaim when you click near the lead indicator, to hit those targets that aren't really visible anymore.

Damage pulse with scanner could IMO be quite large radius, having a sufficiently large array could scan the entire sector and jam all cloakers for 5 seconds or maybe disable power generation of any cloaked ships for that time.

As for the more informative system wide scanner modes, I think shops should be detectable in any non-hostile systems and more spesific scans only in friendly systems where you have the... well, "established data networks" that help with scanning and detecting entities entering your dominion. This should function with allied factions territory as well, though maybe it should be optional to share scanning assistance to prevent easy scouting by less trusted "allies".

 

[toasts]

I really like this idea.

~Toast

 

[Ixalite]

I stand by making scanners count as weapons for linking purposes. Scanner + rapid cannons or scanner + Seige missiles or even scanner + sniper cannons would be too overpowered I think.

 

[willvette]

I like this idea but I think these to need some modifications:

• Missile + Scanner: simler to your idea but missiles will auto lock-on targets it gets within a certain short range OR fire off a decoy flare to draw off lock on missiles.
• Beam + Scanner: setup should be a target painter beam that buffs weapons firing at the same target instead of damaging ships, beams and cannons gain better accuracy and missiles take less time to get a lock.

 

[Ixalite]

I like this idea but I think these to need some modifications:

• Missile + Scanner: simler to your idea but missiles will auto lock-on targets it gets within a certain short range OR fire off a decoy flare to draw off lock on missiles.
• Beam + Scanner: setup should be a target painter beam that buffs weapons firing at the same target instead of damaging ships, beams and cannons gain better accuracy and missiles take less time to get a lock.

A key apsect of these ideas should be ease of implementation. Any big changes to the way the game works require a lot of work from schema, while simple tweaks require far less. Some ideas out there seem simple, but would require completely
I like your idea for the beam + scanner giving an offense boost against the target, but I find that it might be difficult to balance, and I don't think lock-on time is coded to be variable. (correct me if I'm wrong)

The idea for missile + scanner is just a copy of the guidance system from Dragon anti-tank missiles (since replaced with the fire-and-forget javelin type). You have to keep lock on the target the entire time, the missiles themselves only go toward the designated target. While I could be wrong, I think there is code to turn off/on the guidance of a missile.
What I DON'T think there is code for are:
Constantly judging range to a target to decide when to auto-lock
Anything related to missile decoys or flares. (just use a jammer)
Weapon damage/accuracy/lock on time variation.

Your ideas would be cool, if potentially overpowered. I just think they would be more trouble than they are worth.

 

[hunterRAE]

I do enjoy the idea of additional things to do with a scanner block, but they seem a bit OP in the respect that it would allow many to avoid pirates entirely and find key points much quicker, allowing for quicker resource drain of a system. Overall, nice ideas, but balancing is needed. Maybe the balancing could be through power consumption, ship dimensions or HP. Again, just some ideas that I would like to throw out for those to discuss.

 

[Valck]

I do enjoy the idea of additional things to do with a scanner block, but they seem a bit OP in the respect that it would allow many to avoid pirates entirely and find key points much quicker, allowing for quicker resource drain of a system. Overall, nice ideas, but balancing is needed. Maybe the balancing could be through power consumption, ship dimensions or HP. Again, just some ideas that I would like to throw out for those to discuss.

Agreed, the current scanner mechanics are not very satisfying.

For one, tie scanner range to the size of the scanner array, and possibly make larger scanner antennae take more time to recharge, not less. And/or have partially charged scanners scan a shorter range. Have multiple scanner systems on your ship if you need shorter scan intervals.

Also I fully support the previous posts about specializing scanners by slaving various support systems to them. Again, have multiple scanner systems if you need more information.

Third, scanners need to tie into logic circuits, if this is currently deemed overpowered, then the nerf needs to happen via different mechanics, not by gimping the logic system.