scanner thoughts

[Ursus]

I would like to see scanners split into long-range (radar) and short-range (cargo). Warships and cargo ships need radar but do not need cargo scanners, while pirates and police need longer-range cargo scanners. So this kind of separation would facilitate different sorts of development based on motive. I dont know if its possible to define two scanner hard-points (should be) or if the scanners can be split by type (questionable).

Also, I said already somewhere else that I would like to see power drain so that the most powerful scanners interefered with shields and weapon power. One thing I remember from when I was actively poking at the freelancer config files is that you could redefine some types of equipment to use different types of mounting hard-points to apply cross-effects. As I remember, only the shield generators have constant power drain, but it was alos possible to define other types of devices to inherit shield generator effects by changing the hard-point definition, but I dont remember exactly how it worked. I would have to investigate more but I wanted to put the idea out there.

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Discovery 24/7 Negotiating Tactics:

[Binski]

I would like to see scanners split into long-range (radar) and short-range (cargo). Warships and cargo ships need radar but do not need cargo scanners, while pirates and police need longer-range cargo scanners. So this kind of separation would facilitate different sorts of development based on motive. I dont know if its possible to define two scanner hard-points (should be) or if the scanners can be split by type (questionable).

Well its already set up so that the longer range you have the shorter cargo range. Cargo scanner has 10k max range, but 6k cargo scanning. BS scanner has 25k max range, only 3k cargo range.

Also, I said already somewhere else that I would like to see power drain so that the most powerful scanners interefered with shields and weapon power. One thing I remember from when I was actively poking at the freelancer config files is that you could redefine some types of equipment to use different types of mounting hard-points to apply cross-effects. As I remember, only the shield generators have constant power drain, but it was alos possible to define other types of devices to inherit shield generator effects by changing the hard-point definition, but I dont remember exactly how it worked. I would have to investigate more but I wanted to put the idea out there.

This I have to disagree with. There's already enough to worry about when pursuing someone, cruise engines on and off, weapons power up then down, cloaks draining shields... so taking an additional power hit for using a longer range scanner would basically make it more of a problem than useful tool. The scanners are just a 'plot accelerator' anyways. There's nothing to do if you can't scan other ships, putting a nerf on them is yet another obstacle for people to jump over when there's enough already. It might be manageable for experienced players, but not so enjoyable. New players would find themselves working even harder at surviving, which I think would be discouraging.

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The Further Exploits of Captain Antares (August 2015) │ (alt) JonasHudson
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[Ursus]

I would like to see scanners split into long-range (radar) and short-range (cargo). Warships and cargo ships need radar but do not need cargo scanners, while pirates and police need longer-range cargo scanners. So this kind of separation would facilitate different sorts of development based on motive. I dont know if its possible to define two scanner hard-points (should be) or if the scanners can be split by type (questionable).

Well its already set up so that the longer range you have the shorter cargo range. Cargo scanner has 10k max range, but 6k cargo scanning. BS scanner has 25k max range, only 3k cargo range.

My suggestion was to separate them so that people could equip both types with maximum range if they were willing to pay the power price. If you weren't willing, you would continue to use the shorter-range versions, or mix them as you prefer.

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Discovery 24/7 Negotiating Tactics:

[Flash™]

Add that BS Scanner/Spyglass Scanner take cargo, that way only ships who don't mind sacrificing armor for more distance scan. Plus, if you make it like 120, no more QQ about snubs. Obviously, keep the Lower scanners so they don't take cargo. But BS Scanners/Spyglass are bigger then VHFs, so if you want the QQ to stop about VHFs with them, make them take cargo, problem solved.

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