Nosferatu Zodd
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Posted - 2010.12.28 20:37:00 -
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After reading a few of the local chat threads I conclude that most people want a little uncertainty what's going on. Miners and PVE-ers want to know who's going to gank them and want to hide as long as possible them, gankers on the other side don't want their victims to know they're going to gank them. As it stands local shows up every threat or every opportunity immediately and all the time. In fleet battles, gatecamps, etc both sides know what they're up against (except for capital warfare with cyno's/jump portals). There is no tactical opportunity for either sides. We should think about a solution that gives both sides a tactical opportunity. The one with better intel skills (I don't mean a skill book but you're very own skills) wins. Also, I have a problem with many of the new features and idea proposals that are not logical/coherent. Taking in all these requirement Ive been thinking and came to a few solutions :
1: Local chat still exists. You will show in local chat to everyone if you talk. Other pilots will show if they are within a certain range, the range should be a fixed value for everyone and is not modifiable by skills or whatever.
2: Local chat still exists like any other channel but you will only appear if you talk. Detection of other pilots is detached from local chat and can be done through a new (compact) window or in another panel in the scanner, also with a fixed range.
I leave the detection range open to debate. This has to be calculated depending on average system span and other conditions.
One problem that can make this solution unworkable is that it might overload the server but I'm not sure about this.
Since it could rely on the detection that is already done by the overview. The overview updates the distance between your and other ships in real time and even other values like velocity, radial velocity, transversal velocity and angular velocity. I don't know if the game manages solar systems differently from viewable distance spheres. Also, is it possible to detect a player who is in deadspace doing a mission and calculate if he is within range?
This solution could open a lot of strategic possibilities, both defensive and offensive. Examples :
- You could put a bait covetor to lure an attacking group away and give a big mining operation more time to evacuate.
- Place a few pilots as detectors to cover several gates, for mining operations, fleet battles, ...
- A ganker can enter a system without being noticed immediately, he has an advantage over his prey but he doesn't know what he's up against, how many people in space/station that could come to help, a trap ...
- It will be harder for an enemy to attack your homebase, but if they prepare the attack with enough intel the advantage can turn to the their side.
This would also reduce the lag created in trade hubs since there are far less people that show up in local chat.
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