Sensors can work on a lot more then just firing a ping to get radar, but there is no way that weak human eyeballs could outshine futuristic sensors which can analyze images to identify friends and foes.Koln wrote:QUOTE (Koln @ Apr 21 2009, 11:14 PM) I think you all have gone the wrong way in this thing. I have already thought about visual contact and I'm sure it could fit alleg style pretty much, and also improve the game
First of all, it should possible to see a thing that your sensors don't see. I mean, i think sensors work something like radar. Radar "fires" a radio wave to the air and the reflected signal from the ship is what is detected. In alleg what you detect is the signal that the ship emmits (you spell it that way?) so if the signal it low enough, you could see if before your sensors do (they just get signals above a minimum). However, we can also see it the other way: your sensors send a radio wave to the other craft and detect the one coming back. A stealthier ship would "reflect" less of that signal and that signal could be increased with the one emmited by your own ship (with missiles, shields and that stuff), that returning wave (emmision+reflection) is your actual signal. So far, i've said nothing new, just described the way our sensors works now
Now let's think about the case that the enemy signal is low enough but it is near enough so you can see it. You see it (or his engine or other things) but your sensors don't, so you can't get missile lock, your ship can't tell others were the enemy is and other things (yes, you could actually say it, but typing or by TS...). This case is surely real, but only possible.
How would that affect cloacking? Well, let's say that cloacks make you invisible to light AND reduce your signal. This way stealth ships could work same way as they do now, you could only detect tem if they enter into sensor range or if they decloack and you actually see them
How would that affect F3? As you know, F3 displays enemy ships that YOUR SENSORS detect, not the things you see. Now you see what you're sensors detect, but sensors wouldn't detect everything you see
What about textures mods? You're saying people would make ships white......but i would make mine dark as hell so people don't see me. I'll have to set all other ships to black to, since i don't know what faction I would be playing... Also, we could do the other way, make texture files restricted. That wouldnt neccesarily take down all Artwork work, but it maybe possible to have installed ALL texture files and you just select those that you want, like many other games do.
But....wouldn't it make scouts unnecesary?? Actually, no. If this was done and texture files restricted, new textures would be dark, so things are not seen from far. The most visible thing is the engine, and....we're just used to a burning engine back there on our ships, but actual working engines should be ion engines, and so they wouldnt emmit any light at all (or barelly some). New textures may be done
So now, how can you do it?? Well....I've got no idea....hehehe xD. My coding abilities are limited (I've got to learn more) and this is far away from what i can do....I'm just giving ideas (got a lot of them, some coms i've flown to can tell
Textures do not work like that, you can make your texture as black as night but I can still have it on my computer that you shine brighter then a star going supernova because textures work on local artwork files not from the server, you don't download another persons texture when you see thier ship you just use your own texture.
Gameplay wise this is very negative, not only does it make it possible to eye transports and allow ints to camp alephs and kill anything that comes through it also means miners are visible regardless of being detected which means you can see which rock a miner is mining to kill it or if it is going to a rock etc....
And finally there seems to be no point for this, it's not really realistic and it doesn't add to gameplay which just makes it a silly idea.
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ACS grad since 2nd Feb. 2010
