Display ship in flight mode, scan suggestions, recording enemy ship data

[Hugoba]

Everybody knows that "Heya, wanna see my ship?"

It could be nice to have flight mode display which allows us zoom in, observe and rotate actually targeted ship. Looking for actual damage, building philosophy and actual orientation of guns/turrets...

A lot of ships (enemy ships) are very beautiful, but we can't admire them in starmade except very close (deadly) range. Having display of targeted ship could be nice addition.

If we can observe ship, we should also record it as well. Now it's 21st century and every stupid military drone, attack helicopter has advanced optics, FLIR, night vision, radar signature recognision device, etc. Why we haven't it in Starmade?

Imagine secret star mission with stealth shuttle, sneaking throught defence and taking records of enemy ship. It could be exterior only, but with advanced sensors we could record also reactor placement, energy regen, stabilisation placement, type of arms, thruster location, etc. And more, we should be able observe this any time in our safe harbour...we could sell these datas :D

Let's electronic warfare begins!

 

[JinM]

A drone control modues for ai or fleet ships would be nice. Then you can have some small scout drones to fly around big ships easily.

 

[JumpSuit]

A Awesome Suggestion, a good implementation of this could come from the Star Trek Voyager's Astrometrics Lab:

Which in star made could become a Multi-Block structure in which customizability for different appearances of Astrometrics Lab. If you are not familiar with Star Trek Voyager? Do ya homework :P

 

[kikaha]

Mmmm taking a picture (like with F5 or F6) with the details being dependant of your recon strengh. Then being able to send it via ingame mail...

I'd love that.

 

[Hugoba]

I think ship once targeted could be zoomed in on some kind of in flight display and observated. This record could save ship exterior.

With some advanced scan systems you can also scan crucial parts of ship beneath the hull.

And yes, astrometric lab could be awesome place where we can observe our records of ships.

 

[Dire Venom]

Too much rendering, especialy more "view ports" is the main danger here.

 

[JumpSuit]

Too much rendering, especialy more "view ports" is the main danger here.

Then it falls on the user to have a decent pc for a java based game. View Ports can only be seen from one P.O.V.: you. Which means you don't have millions of eyes seeing the 'rendering' of an enemy ship cause you can physically ONLY see through one at a time.

 

[Dire Venom]

Then it falls on the user to have a decent pc for a java based game. View Ports can only be seen from one P.O.V.: you. Which means you don't have millions of eyes seeing the 'rendering' of an enemy ship cause you can physically ONLY see through one at a time.

Just saying what the devs said lol. Not disagreeing. Devs have just said there are performance issues with having cameras/multiple views per player. That was when cameras were suggested last year, performance might have improved since then.

 

[djthekiller]

why not make it one block, but that one block only works when you interact with it, you enter the block, and you can pull up different ship in your database, thus making it just like another weapons block, but instead of showing where your camera is looking, it will make it so you can see the database and interact with any entries

 

[Hugoba]

Just saying what the devs said lol. Not disagreeing. Devs have just said there are performance issues with having cameras/multiple views per player. That was when cameras were suggested last year, performance might have improved since then.

Only one more display window, which could be turned on/off in (and size set) in settings depending on PC performance. Without any other datas like missiles, projectiles, damage particles. Just to observe enemy ship on your own display in flight mode.

why not make it one block, but that one block only works when you interact with it, you enter the block, and you can pull up different ship in your database, thus making it just like another weapons block, but instead of showing where your camera is looking, it will make it so you can see the database and interact with any entries

That's great idea for observing actual records of ships

 

[Ixalite]

I second this idea:
I suggest it be implemented via a scan menu, successful scans presenting an increasingly detailed view of the target entity until maximum success with high powered scanners results in full interior and exterior views. Stealth systems might also hide details of ships from low-level scans such as shield strength, armor remaining, and even the name and faction of the ship, as well as the driver.

Tier 0 scan means the target is not actually detected. They cannot be locked on to, or selected for further detailed scanning.
Tier 1 scan would detect that there is a ship present, but provide no more details.
Tier 2 scan success should be required for solid location of the ship, and is also necessary for weapons lock. The distance to target is known.
Tier 3 scan success would reveal mass and bounding box dimensions of the target
Tier 4 scans should grant a viewable 2d image of the ship from current angle when the scan is triggered. Power figures are displayed.
Tier 5 scans should have the option of opening a panable 3d image of the target ship as though it were in build mode at a space station. Only the outside of the ship would be rendered.
Tier 6 scans would be like tier 5, except that they would enable viewing of internal details, and enable overlays such as locations of key systems.
Tier 7, the most successful scans, would reveal the location of all players within the ship, as well as the contents of cargo bays.

I imagine any result by a dedicated scanning system (not just core basic) with a result below 4 to be because of active stealth on behalf of the target, either stealth powered systems, or the use of special materials which make the ship harder to detect.

Any result of 5-7 must be because of a ship or station system using large amounts of power dedicated to scanning. Detecting the location of players and contents of cargo should require the power equivalent of a large ship's primary weapons.

Special stealth blocks/functions could include the creation of:
Stealth Hull (which would lower detection threshold if placed on the outside of the ship. Provides very low HP and no armor)
ECM Emitter System and Blocks (which would further lower detection threshold and operate like the old jammer did, except with both computer and system blocks)
Existing Reactor Stealth Settings ( Pretty self explanatory: setting up your reactor for stealth is the primary method for preventing detection)
Stealth Storage (basically smuggling compartments, these special storage modules and cargo areas are much harder to create / more expensive but cannot be scanned through

and on the other side:
Reactor Scanning Settings (optimizes the ship for detecting other ships.)
Visual scanning System (increases Scanning success, cannot help get a result above tier 4)
Radar Scanning System (Increases Scanning success, cannot help get a result above tier 6, prevents stealth while in use)
Gravitational Scanning system (Increases scanning success. High power use. )

 

[Hugoba]

Well, I don't know how scans will be set in future patch. But I think the most demasking signature should be weapon and radar systems. The next should be reactor power regen.

The small unarmed vessels should be almost undetectable. The bigger vessels benefits from reactor power and could run some minor weapon systems while still capable hide their signature.

Cloaked ships should be warned when touched by running scans, something like passive radar ray detection used in jets.

The question is if the station should or shouldn't be able detect or lock on cloaked unarmed ship or not. The station radars could be really big with enought power supply

 

[jayman38]

I wonder if Starmade could be made to record video, as it can currently display video. If so, recon flights could be recorded to video and replayed like an ordinary/tutorial video in-game.

Based on what I remember of that sort of thing in the Freespace cinematics, that would be very immersive.

 

[Hugoba]

I wonder if Starmade could be made to record video, as it can currently display video. If so, recon flights could be recorded to video and replayed like an ordinary/tutorial video in-game.

Based on what I remember of that sort of thing in the Freespace cinematics, that would be very immersive.

Well, I meant records the ship's data. Practicaly actual blueprint, which could be observed with some restrictions in game. The informations in the record will depend on how well we could scan the ship. So if U want so oberve ship in your safe harbour U should take the record with some specialized vessel