Neth'Rae
Gallente
Decorum Inc
Tygris Alliance
   |
Posted - 2008.07.26 18:49:00 -
[2]
Edited by: Neth''Rae on 26/07/2008 18:50:28
 Originally by: Astria Tiphareth
Overall, the way I see local at the moment is vastly over-powered, but also very simple to implement and to use. On the other hand, it's pretty trivial to write a radar system or something similar for every ship so you get an idea of what's out there, and sensor specifics and warp spikes and all that jazz can be incorporated pretty easily. I even have visions of a solar system map with compiled data for fleet commanders, the way real naval battles are conducted... The question is does it benefit the game?
Not knowing what is out there enables more tactics, more ways to confuse and defeat your foe. Feints, lures, jamming, all become possible. As already mentioned cloaks need some suitable proximity warning (I would suggest only if moving, otherwise ambushes go out the window) otherwise they become far far too powerful. Do players have time and coordination enough to pull these sorts of things off?
One issue that does come to mind: how much of an intel tool can scanning be given the use of gates? Ultimately everyone has to come through one. If scanning replaced local by some means, would this just lead to gatecamps galore? Lets assume for a moment it wouldn't, perhaps simply due to time-zones...
Conversely, not knowing what is out there reduces the ability to actually engage the enemy. For comparison, a typical submarine engagement can last days if not weeks trying to hunt the other without giving away your own position. PvP has to happen reasonably quickly otherwise it's just a time-sink with no satisfaction at all.
In short, you need a balance. Whatever scanning system is implemented needs to be easy to use, just powerful enough that it doesn't take hours to find an enemy, and just underpowered enough that it doesn't immediately replace local, in which case you've achieved nothing.
I could mention how real carrier battles are theorised (since we've not really had one in any modern military) and all about the choice to radiate or not, scouting, passive sensors, active sensors, (a lot of the same applies in different ways to submarine combat) but it's really all fluff as far as EVE is concerned. Nice to have, not the core of the concept.
I'm all for a scanning system, and seen some great ideas like spotting concentrations of ships, but it must be easy to use, still enable PvP, and not protect attackers so much that people daren't set foot outside a station. Heck, put it in empire and low-sec, I don't see why they need any special treatment.
Actually the comparison to naval and submarine combat is pretty spot on as to what similar mechanics I'd like to see :)
I got stuck a few hours in a game called 'silent hunter 4' after watching the movie Das Boot, and I got to say submarine combat is awesome, though the game has a fast-forward function that lets you roam the pacific in 8000 times faster than normal, because otherwise traveling would take weeks.
I also just learned to use the hydrophone, it's so exciting listening and hearing the enemy destroyers engines, and at which bearing they are located.
And it's really scary when you're in the command room in silent running mode and you suddenly hear the sound of the enemy ships active sonar and shortly after depth charges explode all around you shaking the boat like crazy..
But my point is, the most awesome thing about it is the hunt, you don't know what is out there and you have to use all sensors and means necessary to find out, some methods make yourself valunerable by for example, surfacing the boat to use the radar.
I'd really love for the scanner to be more powerful and dynamic, and not favor either the hunter or the hunted.
Like in reallife you could have passive and active modes, active could have longer range but those using passive would get a warning that someone is using it and thus they would be able to warp out.
Also detecting someone warping would be awesome..
Request signatures at EVE-GFX |