Radar Rework: Transponder, Receiver, Lifesign Detector, Power Detector

[facemywrath]

So I will start this thread by admitting I haven't really played DU in over a year. Circumstances withheld, given the option I would like to go back eventually. So bear in mind with this post that I may be out of date or misunderstanding some current mechanics, though I think my ideas would be very prominent either way.

 

So first off, from what I understand, the function of a radar is, at base, to allow the user to target and locate constructs for the sake of PVP. I do like that, though I feel its... limited. It makes PVP just a find and shoot game with no stealth or anything. The bigger and better ships almost always win.

 

Now, I'm not dismissing that better ships should be the victors, but rather that there could very easily be more involved combat and better options included.

 

For example, the transponder. From what I've been told, transponders as they are now are built in signaling devices from the core that are used via a secret code, to identify allies from non. This also allows for LUA functionality through the radar that isn't normally available for unknown vessels. I do like this concept, but it feels like a barebones start to it. 

My thoughts are that the transponder, and receiver to receive said transponder codes, and the energy sensor described in the title, as well as the life sign Detector, should be the things that the radar uses to detect. Radars should be responsible for targeting, sure, but actually finding and identifying things should be for other systems, linked to the radar directly.

 

Let's start with the transponder and receiver. The transponder, in my scenario, is an element linked to the core, which has a list of settings. You can modify it to give a "default" broadcast, or create more specific ones for specific tags. So your transponder will listen to the tags of the nearby ships, if they have any, and respond with a list of given information as denoted by your setting. So you can create a setting for the tag "BOO" that sends everything from ship size to your trajectory to your pvp power, even a detailed list of elements and their hp, etc. Allow for a list of checkboxes bound to each tag, so if you find a ship with an enemies tag on it, it won't be getting all of your info, whilst a ship with a specific tag of an ally could get SOME info. Basically make it so you can determine what info each ship receives from you, which would then be sent to your receiver to be parsed.

 

Now some people might just choose to turn off their transponders, making them virtually invisible to the radars receiver. There should be some fallbacks to rely on. An energy sensor could find cores with active elements for the sake of the radar to target with a very wide range of scanning. This allows you to find ships in the vicinity that are currently "invisible" to your receiver, so long as they're active. From their your radar can allow targeting and voila, pvp. Now if you turn off all systems then you can still be invisible to your enemies. Allowing for an extra step to be taken to avoid combat if you're desperate enough.

 

My third Detector for the radar is a Lifesign Detector which, though self-explanatory, looks for nearby lifesigns. It has a much shorter range than the energy Detector but can allow you to find ships even if they shut everything off. You could forward the lifesign to your radar and allow a shot to be made. Now, I'm not quite sure how PVP is presently coded, so I don't know if this one would work as is, or if it would require a base recode. It's possible that shooting at an individual may not actually hit the ship unless the ship is targeted directly.

 

These options would make PVP more interesting. They would open up options and strategies whilst also giving players more of an option to avoid it altogether. 

 

My only final thought is that there should be a manual target mode that, if within a certain range (maybe 1km) allows you to manually target and lock on to a ship regardless of sensors. The only hole left from my previous ideas would be that if everyone logs off and the ship is turned off, you wouldn't be able to target it. This would fix that so long as you could find it. 

 

Leave your ideas below. I'd love to hear what you guys think!!

 

If you like these ideas blow this up and get their attention!!!

 

EDIT: I forgot I made an old post about transponders with the image below. This isn't quite the level I'm thinking of now but it might be a good reference for my idea. Picture this but where you have a drop down of tags, each with their own assigned set of checkboxes like this.