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Dangit: While Spellcast's explanation of active and passive radar is true, he doesn't explain why.
The active portion of the radar is the radar transmitter. The passive portion of the radar is the radar receiver.
But to confuse the matter just a little, an "active radar" system has both a transmitter and a receiver, whereas a "passive radar" system has just a receiver (or the transmitter is turned off).
The radar transmitter sends out a pulse of radar energy, and if that pulse hits anything in its path, some amount of radar energy will be reflected back and picked up by the receiver.
The receiver doesn't just detect radar energy reflected by the transmitter, but it also can detect radar transmitted by other sources. It's just that software differentiates which frequencies were transmitted from the mothership's transmitter, and which were not. It can also differentiate between different types of radar beams, and when comparing the frequency and type of beam to a database, it can decide whether it's picking up a radar typically used on aircraft, radar typically used on a SAM launcher, or radar typically used on a missile.
Now because radar sent from the mothership must travel out and be reflected back, its detection range is far lower than if it's picking up radar transmitted from other sources. The target's radar cross section (RCS) dictates how much radar energy is reflected back, so a fighter with low rcs ("stealth fighters") can be detected at a small fraction of the range of a bomber with a high rcs, which is a fraction of the range that a foreign radar source could be detected.
The advantage to active radar systems is you can easily deduce heading and speed of the target because of multiple radar returns and using a computer to interpret the change in heading and time of the return). However, as I've said before, active radar systems can be detected by other fighter's radars long before they themselves are detected.
Passive systems have the advantage of not transmitting anything thus eliminating detection of YOUR radar, but because of this, you can only tell the heading that the radar is coming from and the power of the source. If you know how much radar is hitting you, you can guess whether that radar's receiver can detect your returns, but you have no idea whether the object is stationary or mobile.
What Temporalis wants is to emit a more powerful radar pulse that will increase the power of radar returns (and thus increasing detection range). Of course the stronger pulse means that you'll be detected at far greater range. The full ship's power is to give the double power pulse a disadvantage that would balance its usage.
True, modern radars have ranges that far exceed 3000m (for instance, modern fighter often have radars with effective ranges of over 100km for aircraft detection and 200km for ground targets like buildings), but in terms of game scale, that means you can detect absolutely EVERYTHING within a sector (Vendetta only renders objects up to 67km away, if I remember correctly). That's kind of pointless in terms of gameplay, and while 3000m is fine if you stick to the middle of sector (usually meaning the middle of a bot infested asteroid field), it's less useful if you like to stay at the fringes (which are consequently less infested with bots). So Temporalis presents the compromise of not increasing radar range ALL the time, but rather make it temporary so that you can boost your radar range to find friends or enemies if you're far away, but they'll also know where you are. The point is to get a bearing on them so that you can get them into your normal radar range.
The active portion of the radar is the radar transmitter. The passive portion of the radar is the radar receiver.
But to confuse the matter just a little, an "active radar" system has both a transmitter and a receiver, whereas a "passive radar" system has just a receiver (or the transmitter is turned off).
The radar transmitter sends out a pulse of radar energy, and if that pulse hits anything in its path, some amount of radar energy will be reflected back and picked up by the receiver.
The receiver doesn't just detect radar energy reflected by the transmitter, but it also can detect radar transmitted by other sources. It's just that software differentiates which frequencies were transmitted from the mothership's transmitter, and which were not. It can also differentiate between different types of radar beams, and when comparing the frequency and type of beam to a database, it can decide whether it's picking up a radar typically used on aircraft, radar typically used on a SAM launcher, or radar typically used on a missile.
Now because radar sent from the mothership must travel out and be reflected back, its detection range is far lower than if it's picking up radar transmitted from other sources. The target's radar cross section (RCS) dictates how much radar energy is reflected back, so a fighter with low rcs ("stealth fighters") can be detected at a small fraction of the range of a bomber with a high rcs, which is a fraction of the range that a foreign radar source could be detected.
The advantage to active radar systems is you can easily deduce heading and speed of the target because of multiple radar returns and using a computer to interpret the change in heading and time of the return). However, as I've said before, active radar systems can be detected by other fighter's radars long before they themselves are detected.
Passive systems have the advantage of not transmitting anything thus eliminating detection of YOUR radar, but because of this, you can only tell the heading that the radar is coming from and the power of the source. If you know how much radar is hitting you, you can guess whether that radar's receiver can detect your returns, but you have no idea whether the object is stationary or mobile.
What Temporalis wants is to emit a more powerful radar pulse that will increase the power of radar returns (and thus increasing detection range). Of course the stronger pulse means that you'll be detected at far greater range. The full ship's power is to give the double power pulse a disadvantage that would balance its usage.
True, modern radars have ranges that far exceed 3000m (for instance, modern fighter often have radars with effective ranges of over 100km for aircraft detection and 200km for ground targets like buildings), but in terms of game scale, that means you can detect absolutely EVERYTHING within a sector (Vendetta only renders objects up to 67km away, if I remember correctly). That's kind of pointless in terms of gameplay, and while 3000m is fine if you stick to the middle of sector (usually meaning the middle of a bot infested asteroid field), it's less useful if you like to stay at the fringes (which are consequently less infested with bots). So Temporalis presents the compromise of not increasing radar range ALL the time, but rather make it temporary so that you can boost your radar range to find friends or enemies if you're far away, but they'll also know where you are. The point is to get a bearing on them so that you can get them into your normal radar range.
I would like to see radar modes added to improve range:
In full scan mode (default - mode 1) the radar scans 360deg and can see a maximum of 3km.
In half scan mode (mode 2) the radar only scans the 180deg arc in front of you, but reaches 4km.
In narrow scan mode (mode 3) the radar only scans the 30deg arc in front of you, but can see 6km.
You could toggle between the different modes with one key, like R, and indicate which mode you are in by adding three white rings to the radar graphic. In full scan mode, both the radars are ringed in white. In half scan mode, only the front radar is ringed in white. In narrow scan mode, a small white ring is overlaid over the front radar taking up the middle 1/3 of the scope.
This is similar to how a modern fighters radar works. They have a number of scan modes with different update speeds, ranges and angles.
This way, you can scan further, but you pay price. The numbers may have to be tweaked, but I think this could work.
In full scan mode (default - mode 1) the radar scans 360deg and can see a maximum of 3km.
In half scan mode (mode 2) the radar only scans the 180deg arc in front of you, but reaches 4km.
In narrow scan mode (mode 3) the radar only scans the 30deg arc in front of you, but can see 6km.
You could toggle between the different modes with one key, like R, and indicate which mode you are in by adding three white rings to the radar graphic. In full scan mode, both the radars are ringed in white. In half scan mode, only the front radar is ringed in white. In narrow scan mode, a small white ring is overlaid over the front radar taking up the middle 1/3 of the scope.
This is similar to how a modern fighters radar works. They have a number of scan modes with different update speeds, ranges and angles.
This way, you can scan further, but you pay price. The numbers may have to be tweaked, but I think this could work.
simondearsley idea sounds good actually. seems like it would work. But damn if the radars become compatable for active and passive radars, sounds like were gunna be playing a submarine game :P .
The thing about passive radars is the fact that it takes longer to find a target unless it "fires up (ex. boost)" or more or less has a shorter range to it.
Active radars have a longer range to it. Even though both passive and active radars have the same "range" to them, the range of effectivness changes.
Take that into account and a radar change would be very nice :)
The thing about passive radars is the fact that it takes longer to find a target unless it "fires up (ex. boost)" or more or less has a shorter range to it.
Active radars have a longer range to it. Even though both passive and active radars have the same "range" to them, the range of effectivness changes.
Take that into account and a radar change would be very nice :)
I like this active/passive radar idea as well...since this really IS kinda submarine-ish...most of a sector is wasted space anyway, which will naturally focus most people into smaller volumes of space.
an active radar, however, should be visible for a further distance than it can receive. so, for gameplay balance purposes, the suggested 6k visibility should make YOU visible for maybe 9k, 12k, or even sector-wide for a short time. A 'blip' or something should appear...if the recipient isn't watching for it, he/she may miss it.
along the same lines, if in "passive" mode, maybe the blips you see from someone in active mode persist longer.
an active radar, however, should be visible for a further distance than it can receive. so, for gameplay balance purposes, the suggested 6k visibility should make YOU visible for maybe 9k, 12k, or even sector-wide for a short time. A 'blip' or something should appear...if the recipient isn't watching for it, he/she may miss it.
along the same lines, if in "passive" mode, maybe the blips you see from someone in active mode persist longer.
oh, and another thing...
'bots should like radar...and want more...so maybe home in on it more...start seeking its source....or increase your chances of picking up someone else's bots by going 'active'....hehehe!
'bots should like radar...and want more...so maybe home in on it more...start seeking its source....or increase your chances of picking up someone else's bots by going 'active'....hehehe!