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"Sensor sweep/focus!" Uhh, we don't have any sensors Captain...

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Unless of course you're a science officer...

And what does it do? AoE debuffs (very decently) and detects cloak. That's it. You can't scan for ships. You can't scan for anything. All we have is a silly little anomaly detector.

I for one am EXTREMELY disappointed that we have no options for sensors of any kind in this game. No chance to play hide in seek in nebulas, besides a few contrived PvE missions. No chance to extend your scanning range for ships out of view. No chance to sneak up on ships without a cloak (cept that silly MES that's seems broken). No strategy whatsoever. Just fly around till they come into your "tactical sensor view" range, and open fire. Dodge around an asteroid or two. Rinse and repeat.

No I'm not talking about jam targeting sensors, or scramble. Those are short range ECM powers. I'm talking bout when Kirk/Picard/whoever calls for a "sensor sweep" of the area. To make a game comparison, something sorta like Eve (only not as time consuming). But I don't want Eve scanning, I want Star Trek scanning.

The local map view would be a PERFECT place to add some options for sensors, like selecting a bearing to sensor focus, launching probes, or a general full power sensor sweep. No chance to detect subspace anomalies which could be cloaked ships, or random background noise. I never get to see anything beyond 30k, cept for the largest of ships. I never know what's in a system, cause I have nothing to tell me.

On the ground, you should have a lot more access to tricorder functions. It'd work somewhat similarly.

The options for PvE would be increased ten fold. Try to find lost ships in an asteroid belt interfering with scans. Flush out ships hiding in a nebula, waiting to ambush. Try to find a widespread radiation source by measuring levels. Establish a blockade against enemy incursions. The list goes on.

And PvP would become a little more strategic than tactical. Perhaps feds could surprise Klingons for a change. Sensor shadows could cause false leads. Probes could find enemy battlegroups while counter-probes could give false signals. In larger games, where you can't always group everyone, or if you join late, you could actually find where someone else is without wandering around aimlessly by throwing some power to a sensor scan..

Space combat is somewhat "one-dimensional" as it is. Sure, you gotta get your placing right, hit the enemies where they're weak, but beyond that and popping he correct BOff powers, it's pretty simplistic. A little too simplistic I believe. You make combat fun, you make it accessible, but if you limit it in scope, a lot of "slightly more than casual" and up players are gonna get bored. And they're your bread and butter. The consistent subscribers which you're gonna need.

Make it happen Cryptic. We need more options to keep us interested. More content to play with is great, and will keep me around for a little longer, but this should be one of the "medium term" goals (within 2-3 months). The sooner the better, cause I believe things are gonna get stale real quick.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I totally agree!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Agree, and indeed the first time I saw the area map in STO, I was honestly surprised (and disappointed) that this stuff was not there.

    One could even make it automatic based on the skill points put in on the current science officer at a console, with more points equating to range detection capabilities. At the very least we ought to be able to put out a 'ping' and get some sort of info back on that map.

    I'm sure Cryptic have plans for this sort of thing, after all, we know they were up against it in development time, so this is something I'm hoping is in the pipeline, and I'd guess that it probably is.

    Al
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