Forums » Suggestions
Mine IFF and groups.
This has been suggested so many times it's not even funny. Is there any technical reason why mines can't be changed to not detonate/zap on group members?
The way they're implemented right now they're tactically impractical to use in group combat outside of causing havoc in free-for-all furballs.
I can think of a number of scenarios where mines should be useful but aren't because they will attack any group members that might trigger them as well.
- Capital ship defense when used as a base of operations.
- Protecting mining ships with a minefield in group mining ops.
- Conquerable Station dock defense.
- Protecting large dropped cargo from being stolen while waiting for a group member with a larger transport ship.
PS: They're targetable, but only via Lua/plugins. Why doesn't /RadarNextFront pick up mines?
The way they're implemented right now they're tactically impractical to use in group combat outside of causing havoc in free-for-all furballs.
I can think of a number of scenarios where mines should be useful but aren't because they will attack any group members that might trigger them as well.
- Capital ship defense when used as a base of operations.
- Protecting mining ships with a minefield in group mining ops.
- Conquerable Station dock defense.
- Protecting large dropped cargo from being stolen while waiting for a group member with a larger transport ship.
PS: They're targetable, but only via Lua/plugins. Why doesn't /RadarNextFront pick up mines?
They would also be more useful if they only appeared on radar for the one who deployed them, and his group.
If they can only be targeted via Lua, that should be changed. That gives too much advantage to people who might have a mine-finding plugin - it would be far easier to shoot them down while you're moving if you could target and take advantage of AA. Either add a /command that people can bind or run directly, or remove the ability to target them from Lua. Otherwise I would say this falls into "Plugins are HAX!" territory.
If they can only be targeted via Lua, that should be changed. That gives too much advantage to people who might have a mine-finding plugin - it would be far easier to shoot them down while you're moving if you could target and take advantage of AA. Either add a /command that people can bind or run directly, or remove the ability to target them from Lua. Otherwise I would say this falls into "Plugins are HAX!" territory.
Why would they not appear on radar? They reflect radio waves just like ships, roids, missiles, stations, etc.
Both missiles and mines should be targetable if you ask me. The shield turret would be much more useful if you could get a lead indicator for incoming missiles. But yeah, the way it's currently 'plugin-required' is bullshit.
Both missiles and mines should be targetable if you ask me. The shield turret would be much more useful if you could get a lead indicator for incoming missiles. But yeah, the way it's currently 'plugin-required' is bullshit.
Of course they "should" appear, from a realism perspective. But for the sake of fun I think they should be stealthed, because mines work better when they are difficult to notice. To me it would just seem better if you could neither target them nor see them in the radar. That way you are forced to use your eyes as you fly, on the off chance there are mines. As opposed to just glancing at the radar and saying, "oh, there's a swarm of dots on here, must be a minefield".
Actually, I think there's a larger question that needs to be answered first. That of IFF itself. Given the current engine, IFF is not fine grained enough for any "tech" dependent of identification of such to work. Solve the IFF problem in the engine, and the rest should naturally follow.
As to whether mines should show on "enemy" radar or not, they should show immediately on the radar of the person who dropped them, as well as any group that individual belongs to. (assume that a "group" is really just a shared data net between ships) For all other players (even those on the same side), their on board computers would need to identify whether a given chunk in space is actually in fact a mine. Given enough time, the shape and possible emissions of the mine would give it away, allowing it to be shown on anyone's radar, but it would be required to be phased in.
As to whether mines should show on "enemy" radar or not, they should show immediately on the radar of the person who dropped them, as well as any group that individual belongs to. (assume that a "group" is really just a shared data net between ships) For all other players (even those on the same side), their on board computers would need to identify whether a given chunk in space is actually in fact a mine. Given enough time, the shape and possible emissions of the mine would give it away, allowing it to be shown on anyone's radar, but it would be required to be phased in.
OK look, this is about mines attacking people, not about how they appear on radar.
There's plugins you can use to "fix" the radar IFF so your guild members show friendly and your aunt Edna is bright orange. There's no such fix for mines killing group members, and there can't be since the mines are handled by the game itself.
There's plugins you can use to "fix" the radar IFF so your guild members show friendly and your aunt Edna is bright orange. There's no such fix for mines killing group members, and there can't be since the mines are handled by the game itself.
Traditionally mines are used to block passage and to act as a weapon of terror. They do not discriminate and are in fact fairly simple devices. You also do not normally mine an area that you want to use yourself.
A cloaked version of an Lmine might be a lot of fun
Making mines persistant for an hour would go a long way to making them much more useful
A cloaked version of an Lmine might be a lot of fun
Making mines persistant for an hour would go a long way to making them much more useful
-1 to Smart Mines (IFF). If you want something "smart", use an auto-turret instead. Mines are dumb.
+1 to MUCH longer persistance for mines. 1h at least. Preferably with limited deployment per player, like 8 or 12 per player.
-mines expire (disappear) 1min after player logoff
-After X mines deployed, every time player deploys another, the oldest mine expires or explodes.
> What about some remote detonation option? Allows us to explode ALL mines (own) remotely...
+1 to MUCH longer persistance for mines. 1h at least. Preferably with limited deployment per player, like 8 or 12 per player.
-mines expire (disappear) 1min after player logoff
-After X mines deployed, every time player deploys another, the oldest mine expires or explodes.
> What about some remote detonation option? Allows us to explode ALL mines (own) remotely...
"Traditional" mines will blow up if they're stepped on by the mine layer as well. Same goes for sea mines. They dont discriminate. If a ship pushes their buttons,they go boom.
This is the year 4439, and we have self-aware robots, advanced cybernetics, infinite space magix powercells, and psionics. The mines are already "smart" and dont kill the person who launched them.
This is the year 4439, and we have self-aware robots, advanced cybernetics, infinite space magix powercells, and psionics. The mines are already "smart" and dont kill the person who launched them.