I think everyone can pretty much agree that one of the current major issues of the game is finding other players.

Why not have a deployable scanner, fired like a mine, that transmits info regarding players in the system where the scanner is located and their locations back to the pilot.

Only one scanner may be active at a time, deploying a second will cause the first to cease functioning and eventually self destruct.

The scanners are of course, destroyable as well.

If this proves to be too useful a tool, it could cease functioning after a certain time limit due to a loss of energy or something of the like. Maybe a half hour or so. It might also need a balance check in order to prevent coordinated players from "mapping" too many systems, creating an overpowered sensor net so-to-speak.

Thoughts?

I like it. A lot.

I don't think sectors should be revealed, just a list of people in the system. I could maybe see it revealing whether people are in a station sector or not, but just knowing who is in/entering/leaving the system would make hunting - whether for traders, miners, border-jumping Serco/Itani, or bounty carrying pirates - a lot more interesting than it is now.

i like this idea a lot I think it would work well with my idea for an on-board scanner that to then help narrow down which sectors people are. (shameless self-promotion http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/22944)

Oldy, but a goody. With the removal of the active player list, I would think now would be a perfect time to reconsider it.

Personally I like the aforementioned concept a bit better. The system wide concept seems a little too... far reaching. There would be no way of evading it's ability to transmit your location. If you must know when people exit/enter a system, place your mines in wh sectors. Would add a nice bit of guess work to those seeking to use these for nefarious reasons, while still serving the purpose of letting people find players.

As far as reporting goes, I suggest combining the sector enter/exit reporting, as well as a query command, although the latter might be a bitch to implement. Dunno. Not a hardcore programmer like Admiral Douchebag here.

/sensormine (prints a list of currently deployed mines and their identifiers, or maybe their locations)
/sensormine report "identifier/location" (reports on anybody currently present in the sector)

http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/23020#286370

Admiral Douchebag... I like it! From hence forth, that shall be PaladinofLancelot's VO name. Nice job, Gav.

Hmm, you sure you want to share your office with a newb? Fine, he can be Vice Admiral Douchebag. You can be Rear Admiral Douchebag.

Combining the two ideas: We could have two different items. One deployable scanner that lists only those passing through the current sector, like the one Gav linked to. The other would report all players in a given system BUT does not constantly relay information. Maybe it scans once every two minutes or something like that.

I'm not gonna lie, I really don't like the system wide concept. I think it would be too easy for a very small group of players to remove any risk of moving through grey. You would only need 6 mines active to completely monitor all of greyspace, and remove any ability for pirates to keep their location unknown.

Doesnt that also hold true for traders not being able to sneak past rats as well though? That said i do agree that system wide is a bit much.

If anything the sensor should only report ships passing closer then 3000m.... 500 in a storm.

What about a 5x5 or 4x4 grid of sectors?

/sensormine "Sector ID"

Above gives you a list of the players in that sector, and the "Sector ID" can be any sector within the grid of the mine.

Whatever you say, Gav. Next time, try to keep up with the day's meme before running your mouth.

Sure thing Rear Admiral.

Can a pirate be an admiral? Maybe I could be Commodore Douchebag. Assuming I get the hat.

I completely agree with PaKettle, but for me a little shorter.

For me, if such thing ever gets deployed, it should have a limit smaller than a stingray reach, 1900m.

And must be radar-active, i.e., it shows up in radar, preferably blinking, from 4km.

But great near WHs... as an early warning system...

Make it a large port "weapon" with 3 rounds of ammo.

I think the scanner should show who is in the system, with no location. I think that is fair enough and not over powered. Having something that covers a certain grid is completely useless, who the hell sits around in empty sectors? Maybe you could find people who are botting with it, or people in ion storms...yay... The majority of people are at WH's and at stations... Whole system, no location gets my vote. And it should only update itself every 2-3 minutes or so like Ghost said.

+1

-Niut

Also, any players in ion storms should be undetectable.

-1 to op because Im ghost

+1 to Niuts idea, except the update timing. Given the size of VO's player base, two to three minutes seems unreasonable in that most ships can traverse an entire system from worm hole to worm hole in under three minutes. Travel in VO can be pretty quick in the right ships... so, given that and the limited number of players it would be more useful if it registered a ships presence immediately upon detection.

Alright, how about this then. I don't think a stationary sensory array in Deneb for Itani and Serco is out of the question. It could broadcast to the respective nations when their border is "under attack" or when enemy players are spotted doing skirmish missions. That way we don't half to fly halfway across the universe looking for combat only to find an empty system.

Maaaaaybe, instead of two there would be only one. That one could be associated with a conquerable station. The side that controls the station gets the updates. Or two stations, one for each side, that give updates. Taking the enemy's station knocks out his ability to receive updates.