Forums » Suggestions
Hmm.
As Inc has observed most of the major guilds have tech for spotting and reporting the locations of other players. Why do they do it ? Simple, vo is full of techy folk who enjoy creating that sort of thing, it is all part of fun of a sandbox type game. Change it and they will treat it as a challenge and enjoy thinking up other ways of collecting that data.
Does it make a huge difference? Nope. Not a bit. Traders will observe the location of a rat, and try to outfly them for fun. Rats will observe the location of traders and try and chase them for fun. All these plugins just point folk in the right direction. Why fret about it all ?
Ok. point one. By habit and repute. Old scots legal phrase but valid. I don't need tech to tell me where folk are, I just know where there will be, since they always are. nerf the tech all you like, but I will still be able to guess who is where most of the time.
Point two. You know what the biggest giveaway to enemy positions is ? 100 chat and 201/202 . Really a vet can interpret those and glean more info than any amount of bots.
So my tuppence worth. Do whatever you like about static bot spotting, it isn't going to make a huge difference either way.
As Inc has observed most of the major guilds have tech for spotting and reporting the locations of other players. Why do they do it ? Simple, vo is full of techy folk who enjoy creating that sort of thing, it is all part of fun of a sandbox type game. Change it and they will treat it as a challenge and enjoy thinking up other ways of collecting that data.
Does it make a huge difference? Nope. Not a bit. Traders will observe the location of a rat, and try to outfly them for fun. Rats will observe the location of traders and try and chase them for fun. All these plugins just point folk in the right direction. Why fret about it all ?
Ok. point one. By habit and repute. Old scots legal phrase but valid. I don't need tech to tell me where folk are, I just know where there will be, since they always are. nerf the tech all you like, but I will still be able to guess who is where most of the time.
Point two. You know what the biggest giveaway to enemy positions is ? 100 chat and 201/202 . Really a vet can interpret those and glean more info than any amount of bots.
So my tuppence worth. Do whatever you like about static bot spotting, it isn't going to make a huge difference either way.
nerf the tech all you like, but I will still be able to guess who is where most of the time.
Perfect - then you/your ilk will be in the same boat as the rest of VO's players.
You know what the biggest giveaway to enemy positions is ? 100 chat and 201/202 .
Unlike bot networks, other players have complete control over what they say (or don't say, or lie about) on VO's channels.
Perfect - then you/your ilk will be in the same boat as the rest of VO's players.
You know what the biggest giveaway to enemy positions is ? 100 chat and 201/202 .
Unlike bot networks, other players have complete control over what they say (or don't say, or lie about) on VO's channels.
>Incarnate:
Yeah, it's special-case code, but it shouldn't be too involved, I think. The problem there becomes one of UX and training.. in the sense that you get people used to one behaviour, and then change it somewhere else.
It also begs the question of whether we're basically maintaining the "sector list" thing in Nation space, and then do away with it outside of nation space? (purely limited by radar range in gray).
>Dr. Lecter
I think of it as ships in guarded/monitored sectors benefiting from whatever data stream is providing the monitoring...somewhat like a fighter linked to an AWACS will have greater awareness than the same vessel flying solo.
This would also allow for a simple, universal mechanic that could be added to the very first tutorial: "The standard Radar Range of your Ship is 5km, but in sectors that are Monitored or Guarded you are able to 'see' ships on the sector list out to Xkm. In Unmonitored sectors -- including all non-station sectors in Greyspace -- you can only 'see' ships on the sector list if they're on your ship's radar. Some ships and addons are able to increase the standard Radar Range.
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On the topic of UX/Training, it seems better to go down this route. There's certainly the up-front notification cost that, "hey, unaligned space is different," and in return you get a constant feeling of.. I don't want to say dread, so maybe wary?
Either way, being able to see less in unaligned space gives it an ever-present and distinct flavor that would help to reduce the sameyness of space in general. I don't recall people ever hanging out in unaligned space (beyond by B8's wormhole) either, so reducing the information available doesn't seem like it'd exacerbate the ghost town feeling serenechaos was describing over in General-- or, ah.
When you get down to it, I'm worried enough that such a visible and positive gameplay change will get shelved due to the training requirement for new players-- less radar visibility in ostensibly dangerous locales will make those locales feel more dangerous. Even the UI/UX challenges for communicating this are a really good chance to drive home that kind of atmosphere (radar spheres blue-green tint in nation space/around stations, red tint in unaligned areas? Annoying alarm? Occasional wire grid pulse across asteroid meshes to indicate radar range?).
Granted, if I were allowed to be greedy I'd take this one step further-- stations and capital ships have radar ranges larger than fighter class vessels; the former share their radar data with all with proper faction standing, the latter share with all group/guild/faction members. Maybe give smaller craft the ability to perform as AWACS via a module.
But I've never had any love for the sector list, particularly when hunting; anything that helps provide more depth and atmosphere by limiting (or removing) it is a good push in the right direction.
Yeah, it's special-case code, but it shouldn't be too involved, I think. The problem there becomes one of UX and training.. in the sense that you get people used to one behaviour, and then change it somewhere else.
It also begs the question of whether we're basically maintaining the "sector list" thing in Nation space, and then do away with it outside of nation space? (purely limited by radar range in gray).
>Dr. Lecter
I think of it as ships in guarded/monitored sectors benefiting from whatever data stream is providing the monitoring...somewhat like a fighter linked to an AWACS will have greater awareness than the same vessel flying solo.
This would also allow for a simple, universal mechanic that could be added to the very first tutorial: "The standard Radar Range of your Ship is 5km, but in sectors that are Monitored or Guarded you are able to 'see' ships on the sector list out to Xkm. In Unmonitored sectors -- including all non-station sectors in Greyspace -- you can only 'see' ships on the sector list if they're on your ship's radar. Some ships and addons are able to increase the standard Radar Range.
--------------
On the topic of UX/Training, it seems better to go down this route. There's certainly the up-front notification cost that, "hey, unaligned space is different," and in return you get a constant feeling of.. I don't want to say dread, so maybe wary?
Either way, being able to see less in unaligned space gives it an ever-present and distinct flavor that would help to reduce the sameyness of space in general. I don't recall people ever hanging out in unaligned space (beyond by B8's wormhole) either, so reducing the information available doesn't seem like it'd exacerbate the ghost town feeling serenechaos was describing over in General-- or, ah.
When you get down to it, I'm worried enough that such a visible and positive gameplay change will get shelved due to the training requirement for new players-- less radar visibility in ostensibly dangerous locales will make those locales feel more dangerous. Even the UI/UX challenges for communicating this are a really good chance to drive home that kind of atmosphere (radar spheres blue-green tint in nation space/around stations, red tint in unaligned areas? Annoying alarm? Occasional wire grid pulse across asteroid meshes to indicate radar range?).
Granted, if I were allowed to be greedy I'd take this one step further-- stations and capital ships have radar ranges larger than fighter class vessels; the former share their radar data with all with proper faction standing, the latter share with all group/guild/faction members. Maybe give smaller craft the ability to perform as AWACS via a module.
But I've never had any love for the sector list, particularly when hunting; anything that helps provide more depth and atmosphere by limiting (or removing) it is a good push in the right direction.
Why the heck would someone want to play a game not knowing where anyone or anything around them is? We already have foggy sectors for that.
Just implement your nebula system/space reef things and leave clear sectors alone.
Maybe give smaller craft the ability to perform as AWACS via a module.
We've got that. It works now.
Just implement your nebula system/space reef things and leave clear sectors alone.
Maybe give smaller craft the ability to perform as AWACS via a module.
We've got that. It works now.
There are some good suggestions in this topic. I liked the idea of being removed from the sector list when you are behind an asteroid. That would be a fun dynamic.