Remote Scanners

[Khantron]

This could be a new block, or an alternate use for the scanner block. It would be a bock you place that scans intermittently and sends the player and or faction that placed it a scan report if it detects a ship.

This probably can't work because of sector unloading, or it would slow down servers too much.

This idea inspired by Minecraft server civcraft's snitch block.

 

[rariisan]

This probably can't work because of sector unloading, or it would slow down servers too much.

Maybe if it only scans when its owner manually tells it to.

 

[SkaireKrough]

If the range of this remote scanner is limited to just the sector it is placed in and the adjacent sectors, there should be no problems when the sector unloads.

Now were you planning on this being an active or passive type of scanner, or possibly remotely switchable between the two modes?

How would it send reports? Through faction chat or in-game mail system?

Here are some ideas that might be workable.

This could be how an improved Bobby A.I. uses current scanner computer/modules, mode switchable between active and passive via remote command received through faction chat.

Only sends message when it detects a ship then again when that ship leaves detection range for each ship it spots.

Active would actually be sending out a pulse just like current scanner that detects radar jammed and cloaked ships.

Passive would only act as a receiver, (this mode would really be nice if the improved Bobby A.I. could also use radar jammer and cloaker)
1) Not detect cloaked ships at all
2) Only know when a radar jammed ship enters and leaves detection range but not anything else about it
3) Only detect energy and shield levels of all other ships

 

[Khantron]

If the range of this remote scanner is limited to just the sector it is placed in and the adjacent sectors, there should be no problems when the sector unloads.

...

Passive would only act as a receiver, (this mode would really be nice if the improved Bobby A.I. could also use radar jammer and cloaker)
1) Not detect cloaked ships at all
2) Only know when a radar jammed ship enters and leaves detection range but not anything else about it
3) Only detect energy and shield levels of all other ships

Yeah something like this could work, and balance wise I think it would be better if the ai couldn't jam and cloak. I worry that this would encourage sending out tons of drones that might bog down the server. But maybe since it's only 1 per sector it would be okay.

I was also thinking that putting them on asteroids would be the sneaky way to do it.

 

[SkaireKrough]

I was also thinking that putting them on asteroids would be the sneaky way to do it.

If they can't at least radar jam then they would show up on radar even if placed on an asteroid and there would be no need for the passive mode.

There are times when you don't want someone to know that you know where they are.