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TX/RX modules


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So going through the scenario I wrote up I started looking at what game features would be required for it to happen. AI and mechanical interaction components are needed, but both have a few discussions going. The one see lacking is a transmit receive function.

 

What I mean by this is a system to send out commands that can be received by a module and used to execute a LUA script. It could be one combined unit or 2 seperate ones that would allow trabsfer of commands between ships. I have seen one post mention access codes on ships, but it didn't discuss how those codes would be sent/received. For red/blue statuses we could imminent a way to set friend of foe of players and corps in game, but what's the fun in that. After all DU is about letting the player have the freedom to implement what they want.

 

What I propose is a 2 module system that can tie into a ships DAU system, and through it LUA scripting. A transmit module and a receive module. What is would transmit could be simple bytes, maybe 8 or 16 bytes per execution. The players can then build their own communication system around that.

 

Example 1: I have a TX module on every ship of mine. They are set to send out a command ever 60 seconds (or when pinged but that's more complicated) I warp into an allied controlled region and it broadcast "AA BB 1A 2B 01 02 03 04" a 8 byte hex string. My Allies pick it up on their receivers. Now to some people it looks like junk, but we have a predefined code so to them they see "AA BB": FOF signature tag. That tells them how to interpret the rest of the message. "1A" indicates Sylph alliance "2B" is Redstone Masons. The final sequence code "01 02 03 04" I my unique identifier, either Corp or player specific. It checks out, weapons stand down and let me enter.

 

Now if the code was wrong they could have their own scripts to act on it. Maybe it's an expired code or someone who was discovered to be a spy. Instead of blowing them up you could send alerts and track their movement.

 

 

 

Example 2, the fun stuff: We know AI will be a thing, however the level likely limited to the programmer. Imagine I have some decent AI drones, eneough to identify individual targets and attack when it's flagged as an enemy. So I have a few drones orvitig above my base. When an enemy comes in they attack it, but if I had ally defenses present and visible, not only would an enemy know my full force, but they could also drop in and attack them without warning. So I have a few dozen drones that are powered down and hidden in various locations.

 

The scanners pick up eny ships, they see that there are 4 ships and a total mass of 20k tons. I have them programed to activate the sleepers if over 5 enemies or a total mass greater than 5 tons. Failing the second check it sends the command activating dozen more drones who begin engaging the enemies.

 

Now maybe I give my drones a priority list to target ships by mass or range, or maybe it's fire at will. These tactics may not be the best to engage with. Down below I enter the command center when the enemy alert went out. I issue another command that tells the drones they are under my control now and begin tagging targets by priority. The drones begin converging and instead of scattered fire they all target a destroyer, high damage low armor I want it's DPS eliminated quickly. Once it is down I then send a command to frigate drones only, switch to eliminating their fighters while the rest move onto the carrier itself.

 

All of these commands would be predefined commands I encoded for targeting priority while they follow their normal attack routines. All handled by a few simple bytes transmitted. All sent from my command chair where I could have a combination of buttons for message tag types where I just enter the ship ID that is displayed on screen from a satellite in orbit as it streams data packets of what it sees.

 

Having this function would allow a new level if interaction with every system you have, and the basic TX/RX system I described is the core of every water currently communicate digitally right now.

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Very cool concept. I didnt see anything about channels.

 

However, I like the idea so long as I can spoof the sender address. :evil grin:

 

Or maybe be able to triangulate the broadcaster location.

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Well you could impliment frequencies if the devs want, or just channels. This would help players seperate traffic their systems will handle. But the point of me utilizing an identifier tag is to know what it means.

 

And sure you can attempt to spoof it, but you have to know what it means to utilize it right, maybe I throw in a time code in there. If you copy my passcode later in from one you read it will flag it as outdated and invalid. But yes it would allow attempts for having and espionage. But players could Impliment their own countermeasures and codes.

 

Triangulating is a different mechNic they would have to code for specifically, but it would be interesting. I'm something similar to scanning in Eve. Except you broadcast a signal. I see a strength amdaybe basic direction. I'd then need at least 2 more detector points to determine your broadcast location. Or maybe my ships movement tied in with a scan log can allow for pinpointing the location as I get more signals.

 

It could then he an interesting strategy to locate and take out my command centers TX antenna to hibder the fleet. Oraybe in a fleet battle, determine which is the flagship.

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Oraybe in a fleet battle, determine which is the flagship.

Whelp, guess I'll have to have multiple tx/rx on board different ships in the fleet all sending out differing codes just to screw with people.

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I like that. Pick up enemy broadcast and begin rubbing them through slight modifications and re-broadcSt them in hopes of screwing something up. You could also go the route of jamming them by sending out loads of junk messages.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I really like this idea, it almost seems like a required feature for any useful short of base or ship defense. Ie. One radar device, transmitting enemy locations to multiple turrets controllers.

 

But yeah, hijacking and jamming the signals would be a problem if generic/common communication channels are used. The solution would be to use command codes (secret key) signatures to each message. Simplest and fastest method for devs to provide would be to append a keyed MD5 HMAC hash for each message. Then anyone with the commands code can verify authenticity to prevent hijacking. This could be part of a "security" construct DPU.

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I really like this idea, it almost seems like a required feature for any useful short of base or ship defense. Ie. One radar device, transmitting enemy locations to multiple turrets controllers.

 

But yeah, hijacking and jamming the signals would be a problem if generic/common communication channels are used. The solution would be to use command codes (secret key) signatures to each message. Simplest and fastest method for devs to provide would be to append a keyed MD5 HMAC hash for each message. Then anyone with the commands code can verify authenticity to prevent hijacking. This could be part of a "security" construct DPU.

 

Well it is assume that anything on the same construct would automatically communicate, but for radar sites signaling isolated turrets, yet. 

 

And the hijacking and jamming is part of the fun. If the devs provide us with a basic TX/RX function that ties into the LUA script you can implement your own security codes and even command codes. Only you would know how your own codes are structured. 

 

And while this is a basic feature, it would open the door to so much more that you can do. 

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