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- Jul 12, 2013
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Cloak and jam are likely getting modules added to them when they get their rework and i had a couple of ideas that utilize that mechanic. If not then consider this another thread advocating for modules.
First off, Is there any reason to run a cloak without also running a radar jam? No? Then the logical thing to do is combine them into a singular module based system that will allow you to jam without cloaking, but not the other way around. I know block id count isn't an issue anymore these days because of an update that expanded them, so I wont use that shtick, but this suggestion would take stealth (cloaking and jamming) and concentrate it into an easier to pick-up aspect of gameplay, without deviating from the core mechanic to much.
Now that that's out of the way, on to the main point. Ship signature strength should be based off mass, momentum and distance. When you add some of these new stealth modules to your ship, your signature strength will be reduced, and as a result you become a little bit harder to detect. Instead of your pip showing up on someone's nav at 5km it might be 3km. Add enough and you could be nose to nose without showing up. Also, a 10k mass ship will show up further out than a 7k mass ship, all things being equal. As far as momentum goes, it's pretty straight forward, the faster you go the stronger your signal becomes. Think of it like this, your ship will have a set signature strength, determining how "visible" it is in nav and the game world, with multiple things capable of changing it.
Cloaking will work in much the same way, with mass, momentum and speed playing their part. Place enough of the stealth modules on your ship and eventually you will cloak when activated. You can still loose your cloak if your momentum is too high, or you could become visible if you get to close to an enemy, if you don't account for those scenarios. You may be cloaked to them at 500m but not 400m, or you could be cloaked only if you remain stationary.
Scanners vs stealth modules: I like the idea of scanners having a passive "always on" mode and a player activated "more powerful" scan, like what we have now. Both will increase the sig strength of an enemy ship as well as the ship using the scanner, with the latter increasing it drastically. A stacking effect will be applied to the enemy ship if multiple ships in a fleet are running scanners. However the effect won't stack on the fleet itself.
This creates what some may call a problem where a ship that is completely dedicated to cloaking may not be revealed if someone in a dinky shuttle with a one block scanner activates their scan. The scan wont have the power to increase the sig of the cloaked ship enough to expose it. I know alot of people will say that a scan should always drop a cloak, and maybe they're right, but i feel the more advanced stealth ship should win out here and stay cloaked (it gives you an incentive for running in fleets with scanners at least). It is quite difficult building a decent cloaker and I think your hard work should be awarded through a little bit of resistance to being scanned down.
First off, Is there any reason to run a cloak without also running a radar jam? No? Then the logical thing to do is combine them into a singular module based system that will allow you to jam without cloaking, but not the other way around. I know block id count isn't an issue anymore these days because of an update that expanded them, so I wont use that shtick, but this suggestion would take stealth (cloaking and jamming) and concentrate it into an easier to pick-up aspect of gameplay, without deviating from the core mechanic to much.
Now that that's out of the way, on to the main point. Ship signature strength should be based off mass, momentum and distance. When you add some of these new stealth modules to your ship, your signature strength will be reduced, and as a result you become a little bit harder to detect. Instead of your pip showing up on someone's nav at 5km it might be 3km. Add enough and you could be nose to nose without showing up. Also, a 10k mass ship will show up further out than a 7k mass ship, all things being equal. As far as momentum goes, it's pretty straight forward, the faster you go the stronger your signal becomes. Think of it like this, your ship will have a set signature strength, determining how "visible" it is in nav and the game world, with multiple things capable of changing it.
Cloaking will work in much the same way, with mass, momentum and speed playing their part. Place enough of the stealth modules on your ship and eventually you will cloak when activated. You can still loose your cloak if your momentum is too high, or you could become visible if you get to close to an enemy, if you don't account for those scenarios. You may be cloaked to them at 500m but not 400m, or you could be cloaked only if you remain stationary.
Scanners vs stealth modules: I like the idea of scanners having a passive "always on" mode and a player activated "more powerful" scan, like what we have now. Both will increase the sig strength of an enemy ship as well as the ship using the scanner, with the latter increasing it drastically. A stacking effect will be applied to the enemy ship if multiple ships in a fleet are running scanners. However the effect won't stack on the fleet itself.
This creates what some may call a problem where a ship that is completely dedicated to cloaking may not be revealed if someone in a dinky shuttle with a one block scanner activates their scan. The scan wont have the power to increase the sig of the cloaked ship enough to expose it. I know alot of people will say that a scan should always drop a cloak, and maybe they're right, but i feel the more advanced stealth ship should win out here and stay cloaked (it gives you an incentive for running in fleets with scanners at least). It is quite difficult building a decent cloaker and I think your hard work should be awarded through a little bit of resistance to being scanned down.
