Local as it is feels very artificial.

The manual clickfest D-scan as it is now is hopeless though, why can't it be automated like a radar?
Perhaps a 10-25AU range radar would be a lot better and realistic.

In fact, in the long list of CCP promises, this is one of the ones that has been lacking the most. In a QnA session with the games public 2 years ago CCP actually stated flatly that a change to local was in the works, but here we sit, still waiting.

I suggested elsewhere that DScan could be set to an automated pulse the frequency based on the range and angle of the Scan, the further and wider you go the less frequent. Although I don't think it should have a maximum range much beyond what it already has.

Andski, when you say 'active vigilant players' do you mean non afk players with their Local Chat window open?

I suggested elsewhere that DScan could be set to an automated pulse the frequency based on the range and angle of the Scan, the further and wider you go the less frequent. Although I don't think it should have a maximum range much beyond what it already has.

Andski, when you say 'active vigilant players' do you mean non afk players with their Local Chat window open?

I would prefer a more advanced intel tool / directional scanner / radar og some sort..

and make local behave more realistically.. A pilot only shows up if they check in with traffic control -- jump through a stargate or undock from a starbase.. If they cyno in or jump in via wormhole, they are not passing by the port authority, and shouldn't be in local

in nullsec I don't believe there should be a local channel (ie set to delayed / chat only), since concord and the faction navy's have no presence there, thus there is no specific 'traffic control / port authority'

IMO anyways. take it or leave it.

Edit: could be a net sov mechanic to have a 'traffic control' unit you could erect in a system that would make local work in a nullsec system.. hmmmm

Interesting... I would support this. The traffic control unit needs to be vulnerable to things that are not giant fleets of doom. Something similar to the POCO maybe.

I think any kind of automated intel-gathering infrastructure is a bad idea that would undermine the whole purpose of delayed local. There is nothing that would stop sov holders from installing such a 'traffic control' unit in every farming system and we're back to the current situation of semi-afk intel networks and instantly safing ratting/mining ops.

Delaying intel? Either pve ships will still have time to get away or they wont.

Not if cynos/blops cynos don't trigger the traffic control system, and you can take it down with a fleet of bombers. Now doesn't that sound like "black ops"? Drop a bunch of bombers on the traffic control, disable it, then silently move a conventional fleet in.

Still, that gives too much to large entities. What about small gangs or solo? They would always be at a disadvantage, having to either disable structures or put up with the other side's instant and effortless intel.

Andski, when you say 'active vigilant players' do you mean non afk players with their Local Chat window open?

'Active Vigilant Players' sounds like a euphemism for BOT to me... but I don't think Andski meant it in such a manner. I took it to mean active players using ships in space.

No, it's not. "Active vigilant players" refers to a person sitting at the keyboard playing the game and actively reporting hostiles in intel chat - I do not believe bots ever report hostiles.

How about this.

Start by changing the local to the following based on the same arguments above about "port authorities etc"

0.0 gets changed to be the same as WH space local
01. - 0.4 = Local shows you how many people are in the system but no names unless they talk
0.5 - 1.0 = same as now.

THEN

you add in anchorable structure, like a warp bubble but with a limited life span, that you can place near a gate. This will then feed you (the anchorer) with information on what goes though the gate. This would be skill based so:-

lvl1 - "Hey dude I think x ships possible did something around this gate...not sure though"
lvl2 - "Yep somehing deffo jumped in, didn't see what"
lvl3 - ...
lvl4 - ....
lvl5 - "Yep, I saw 3 HAC's jump in flying the {insert random foe here} flag" << (eg where we are now with local + dscan


As an ' invader' you are going to see the anchored structure and can choose to pass on though, go a hunting or shoot the 'EWS Probe' down just to underscore your intentions.


This could also lend it's self to having an iHub upgrade for sov holders that offers some level of this functionality to their people in that particular system.

Anyway, just and idea..... flame away :-)

-CJ

And an intel tool, rather than an omniscient instant local, would force those players to actively ascertain information on unidentified new locals. Many pilots would find doing this tedious and couldn't be bothered, especially if there was a lot of friendly traffic. Then region-wide intel networks could lose much of their effectiveness, and identifying squatters to purge, hostiles to blob, and infiltrated areas of an empire would require more than flying a scout into system.

I definitely see why many people would find this unappealing. I can also see why a lot of people would find this very appealing. I hope it can it be created in a balanced manner, so intel gathering isn't an enormous and tedious task, while still creating an atmosphere with more mystery and ambiguity. Implementing this is a fair amount of work, with disastrous consequences if it is botched. Is it worth the effort and risk, when we have an easy-mode omniscient chat window that "works" now? I think so, but I certainly understand why people don't!

Interesting.... I don't think this, by itself, would be anywhere near enough to qualify as a balanced intel system. I typically prefer pilots to actively seek their intel, rather than have it completely fed to them by static modules. At the same time, it gave me some things to ponder about how pilot skills could play into an intel system. Thank you for the idea.

I'm curious as to what level of automation is acceptable to you?

It is not fine as it is.

There you go... fixed if for you :-)

Local.

I like to chat with people.

Get rid of local everywhere and replace with a new intel tool

If you're aligned you always have time to get away.

Delayed local would necessitate some balancing of the cloaking ships to keep that true.

What are you trying to accomplish?

Make it easier to bait and blob? Delayed local will work and no other changes needed.

Kill pvers? Then it will work if they change recons.

Really all these nerf local threads never really say what exactly they are trying to accomplish. In the meantime they will **** up the game.

Some claim they get upset because its free intel and think you should have to hit a button or something. If the problem is that it is free then make us pay concord a fee to see local.

I believe by removing the instant omniscient knowledge provided by local, and replacing it with an intel tool that lets you know there is a pilot there, but leaves some ambiguity as to whether that pilot is friendly or not, you can change many aspects of this game for the better.

The primary thing I want to accomplish is to add some mystery and subterfuge to the game.

This isn't to up the number of ratter km's, this is about NOT instantly knowing whether the 6 ships that just flew through local are a hostile gang up to no good or a bunch of allies running a plex. Will this make it easier to setup baits and/or traps... probably. But that's not a bad thing...

It means loading grid in a crowded system isn't enough to tell you how many good guys and bad guys are out and about. It's about adding VALUE to intel. When people whine about free intel, they don't me free in terms of isk... they mean free in terms of EFFORT.

Currently, intel gathering primarily involves sticking a ship into system and counting people in the local chat channel.

I fully acknowledge such a system is not easy to implement, and it needs to be carefully balanced. It should not make killing ratters and miners easy. If implemented poorly, it would be very disasterous for the game.