Err probes, scanning... again.

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:35 pm

I was playing earlier and a thought occured to me. We have disposable probes that provide a "large" sort of ping based scan radius... and I got to thinking. Why isn't there a ship-based reusable item that does the same thing? Just that instead of taking up a "weapon" slot it'd take up an equipment slot. And instead of the scan radius being a specific dropped point why not make it where ever your ship was when you "pinged" last. And the signal could last for say 15-30 seconds and use your entire energy pool each "ping" so you couldn't spam it.

That would give people a cheap but effective ship based scanning.

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:56 am

I like that idea. It would be like what was done with stealth generators.

The only change I would make is to say each ping only uses 25% or 50% of total (not remaining) energy. Using all of the energy for a ping seems a little extreme. And the energy would stay at that level until the ping was over (e.g. the energy would not recharge while the ping was in progress.)

-Accountant

[Edited on 10-10-2009 by Accountant]

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:17 am

Yeah that would be cool. I just see difficulties in terms of balancing it and even allowing it to work in that respect. Which is why I suggested using all of your energy. Cause if it uses all of your energy per ping... your energy will regenerate.

But if you "ping" and it uses 25% or 50% and stays that way... you are effectively crippled til it expires.

Or it could even have a tiered system where there was like 3-5 "classes" of the device similar to the other equipment

Level 1 - 25km 15% energy consumption 5 second "ping time"
Level 2 - 35km 20% energy consumption 10 second "ping time"
Level 3 - 50km 25% energy consumption 15 second "ping time"
Level 4 - 75km 50% energy consumption 20 second "ping time"
Level 5 - 100km 75% energy consumption 30 second "ping time"

The energy use would be a one off and it wouldn't overlap so if you decided to "spam" the ping it would simply replace the previous and be a waste of energy.

Originally posted by Accountant
I like that idea. It would be like what was done with stealth generators.

The only change I would make is to say each ping only uses 25% or 50% of total (not remaining) energy. Using all of the energy for a ping seems a little extreme. And the energy would stay at that level until the ping was over (e.g. the energy would not recharge while the ping was in progress.)

-Accountant

[Edited on 10-10-2009 by Accountant]

[Edited on 10-10-2009 by TGS]

BraveHart · Post by **BraveHart** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:49 am

How about the pinger device act like the equipped stealth generator....the longer you use it the more energy it uses until you turn it off? then it regenerates....

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:21 am

Originally posted by BraveHart
How about the pinger device act like the equipped stealth generator....the longer you use it the more energy it uses until you turn it off? then it regenerates....

I like it a lot. but darn it I wish we had just one extra equipment slot in the most advanced class military ships ! LOL

:P:P

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:33 am

Well the thinking behind not having it as a active energy drain is because the sensor concept employed by probes are "snap shots" taken each time you press the ping button. So I figured this device could simply piggy back on the same code/concept as the probe in permanent device form. That way it didn't require any additional keybind's. You simply had equipped... and could use the "ping" option anytime you wanted to get a long range snapshot and it would expire after a short period of time... unlike the probe that stayed for a long period of time and allowed for repeat "pings".

The "ping" option would use the equipment device unless there was a probe active. If there was a probe active it would utilize both your device and the probe giving you potentially expansive coverage. IE if you had the highest level of device you could effectively get 150km of coverage. Heck could even go a step further and add an experimental sensor similar to the mantis drive that would allow you to cover an entire sector

Level Exp - 200km 100% energy consumption 60 second "ping time"

Mmmm *drool*

This all being said... the one issue that this might cause. From the perspective of an avid stealth generator user is it would practically trivialize the stealth generator. So it might be a thought to remove stealth detection from the equipment device or buff stealth in some way to offset the fact that everyone can potentially foil your ambush

Though I haven't actually seen what probe's do to stealth other than what I've told. And as far as I've been told all it does is puts a stealth person's blip on your radar. Doesn't allow you to target them or see them ? Which if that's the case... it might not be an issue since all it would do it tell a person that there's someone around they can't see. Which might prompt them to jump away.

Originally posted by Maarschalk
Originally posted by BraveHart
How about the pinger device act like the equipped stealth generator....the longer you use it the more energy it uses until you turn it off? then it regenerates....
I like it a lot. but darn it I wish we had just one extra equipment slot in the most advanced class military ships ! LOL :P:P

Honestly... I'd like to have more equipment to choose from without increasing the amount of slots we have. It provides more impact on the choices you make.

[Edited on 10-10-2009 by TGS]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:05 am

If you have more equipment to choose from with one extra equipment slot in the most advanced military ships only then you would still have enough impact on the choices you make! That is just my opinion. I know it already has been discussed to death and voted down.

LOL

:P:P:P:P

PingBosun · Post by **PingBosun** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:42 pm

I'm not going into anybodys Equipment Slot, no matter how much they pay me!!!

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:33 pm

There are no words to this... other than maybe.........

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Originally posted by PingBosun
I'm not going into anybodys Equipment Slot, no matter how much they pay me!!!

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:00 pm

ROFL.

:P:P:P:P

BraveHart · Post by **BraveHart** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:46 pm

Hahahahahaha

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:45 am

Originally posted by TGS
There are no words to this... other than maybe.........

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Originally posted by PingBosun
I'm not going into anybodys Equipment Slot, no matter how much they pay me!!!

Some people just have a dirty mind. On the other hand the family jewels can have a lot of value. LOL

:P:P:P:P

Chicki · Post by **Chicki** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 3:46 am

Hi guys. Hey, how exactly do u use a probe? I'm just starting and I got one built and it's in one of my cargo bays. What do I do with it? Thanks.

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:30 am

You have to equip it in a free weapon slot. Once it is in your weapon slot you set it to the active secondary weapon and fire it as you would a missile.

It "drops" the invisible probe which you can then use with the ping function in your navigation window. You can only have one active at a time so try not to drop more than one

.

Hope that helps.

Originally posted by Chicki
Hi guys. Hey, how exactly do u use a probe? I'm just starting and I got one built and it's in one of my cargo bays. What do I do with it? Thanks.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 2:04 pm

Hi Chicki, Looks like TGS beat me to answering your question. Oh well. Probes can come in handy also to detect cloaked ships!;)

Chicki · Post by **Chicki** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 2:59 pm

Thanks guys. Geeez, tried some combat last night...got smoked man. Boy, it was in Olympus where it's supposed to be easy. I'm just in my little Talon with a few upgrades but man. Where do those badguys get all those missiles man! Lol! Thanks again guys. Looking forward to some MP someday.

Ravenfeeder · Post by **Ravenfeeder** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 3:36 pm

One thing I'd like to see with regards to probes is the amount of time that they stay active, and, the amount of probes you can deploy. Hell, even today we have nuclear batteries that last centuries http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10372233-1.html - we may, in real life, be seeing the end to our dependence on oil!

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:44 pm

Lol nice find on the nuclear battery thing. I've been wondering when they were gonna try to bring nuclear tech down to the consumer level.

As far as allowing multiple probes and a longer lasting probe... the only issues I see that this could cause is some of the more established players... especially the player killing type's creating entire sensor "nets" to catch their victim's. And while that would be a somewhat cool concept... I'd rather a good experimental device that is reusable and simply provides the same concept as the probe however has a much farther range. IE the highest level (experimental?) having an entire sector's range 200km. Same concept... less setup/mucking that way if someone did wanna monitor the area they're in to jump players they could. Without having to setup multiple probes over a long distance.

Originally posted by Ravenfeeder
One thing I'd like to see with regards to probes is the amount of time that they stay active, and, the amount of probes you can deploy. Hell, even today we have nuclear batteries that last centuries http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10372233-1.html - we may, in real life, be seeing the end to our dependence on oil!