Ships sensors and exploration - my thoughts

from Sins Forums
Something that has kind of been nagging at me during my 6+ hours of playing this game (shaping up to be an *awesome* game ) is the fact that whenever you enter a system you immediately know the location of every building/ship/resource in that sector.

It just seems to ruin any sense that you're actually "exploring" that system. Obviously exploration is there on a galactic level: going from system to system and finding new phase lines...but it's not there on a sector level. The routine: You show up in a new system, you colonize (or "aggressively" colonize if someone is already there ), maybe build it up a little, and then leave. (Rinse, wash, and repeat).

Now, I'm not saying that the devs should implement a fog of war here. However, I think that it would make the game much more interesting if the ships had *directional* sensors, rather than omni-sensors.

An example: If an enemy fleet comes in from the "north" side of a planet, they would see that on that side of the planet there is a research station and a couple of cannons. No problem right? They begin to attack, but unfortunately on the *south* side of the planet (which they couldn't see because the large planet was blocking their sensors) you have a gigantic fleet capable of sending them back to whatever lame-butt system they originated from.

I believe that would add a lot more surprise and excitement to the game.

But hey, tell me if you think I'm wrong!

Thanks, and keep up the good work devs!
7,738 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
I agree - there should a research component to this - i would think by mid-to-late game that detecting everything inside a gravity upon arrival could be researched though...
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Sensor shadows from planets or maybe asteroids would rock, but sound complicated to implement.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
Another interesting idea could be a sensor array as an orbital structure (late game) that can perform sweeps of adjacent planets (using antimatter) to give you a strategic heads up on enemy build up, perhaps for planning defenses/raids. I would think this would be most useful on contested areas of the map.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
i would like to see a starbase i can think of two

1 a logistics 6 building has frigate hanger, research, trade port, refinery, about the same fire power of 10 cannons with AAA and 2 hangers. cost 150,000 credits, 700 metals, 700 crystal.

2 a logistics 4 building same as above no hanger or research. cost 100,000 credits 500 metals, 500 crystal.

or something like that
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
What on earth does that have to do with the topic Danielost?
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
Good question.

It's a decent idea, though, giving an extremely expensive option to let you cram a whole lot more stuff into a system than you could otherwise.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
I personally think a structure like that is too much, its better to spread out different functions to different structures, that way planets can truly be specialized in some form or fashion, as opposed to every planet having the ultimate orbital structure that provides research, hanger defense, defense emplacements and trade modules. We shouldn't be overpowering orbital structures, but we should be provided with a variety of structures that serve varying purposes...
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Since seeing the new trade port, i always thought it should have a command point. All those hangars...
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
niether of those will fit in an astroid

both are way expensive much more expensive than all of the single components
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
I also agree on the directional sensors and the tactical merits they provide; not to mention the additional research options such a change enables for fleshing out the tree a little more.