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Probes

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I would like to propose the addition of launchable probes from your ship that fly towards anomalies you found via scanning and allow you to gather the data without flying your ship there yourself.

Feel free to comment, in fact, encouraged to. Thanks !
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Interesting idea, and you certainly see it done often enough in the series, especially Voyager :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    How would this work? A skill or something to put in a device slot? They could be one use only wo you don't loose a science console slot or something. I like the idea would be nice to see thorn in game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I like this idea.
    You could turn into another mini game, like the scanning game.

    Warp into a sector, there's some anomalous reading, you launch a probe. Pilot it in the right direction to gather data, reward with the rare anamalous data, or something along those lines.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    paddoxx wrote: »
    I like this idea.
    You could turn into another mini game, like the scanning game.

    Warp into a sector, there's some anomalous reading, you launch a probe. Pilot it in the right direction to gather data, reward with the rare anamalous data, or something along those lines.

    having to pilot it would defeat the purpose of having probes. no, the idea would be to enter a system, have either probes as an item or probes as a power, use the item/power, at which point your ship will launch the amount of probes equal to the amount of anomalies you found with your scan, then when they arrive you'll have a clickable tab on the right side of the screen (like when your in combat and get a message you have to click on it on the right side of your screen) you would then proceed to click Each probe in turn, do the scan waveform minigame, meanwhile flying straight towards the goal of the mission your on, be it ship/planet or asteroid base. This would prob make the gather process go faster because you dont waste yer time pilotting yer ship sometimes at impossible angles straight up for an anomaly there which in turn would bring greater appeal to R&D in Sto. Its 100% cannon, and would add depth. IMO nothing but good. thx for reading!

    Edit: Ship device slot item: Common (white) would be the reward for doing general R&D to 500. Uncommon probes: Physical, Technology, Energy. Equip lets say the uncommon technology prob on your ship would increase yields from technology anomalies by 50%. Obviously there COULD be rare and epic Probes around.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Make it a consumable, for a trading class or crafting class.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    CedricO wrote:
    having to pilot it would defeat the purpose of having probes. no, the idea would be to enter a system, have either probes as an item or probes as a power, use the item/power, at which point your ship will launch the amount of probes equal to the amount of anomalies you found with your scan, then when they arrive you'll have a clickable tab on the right side of the screen (like when your in combat and get a message you have to click on it on the right side of your screen) you would then proceed to click Each probe in turn, do the scan waveform minigame, meanwhile flying straight towards the goal of the mission your on, be it ship/planet or asteroid base. This would prob make the gather process go faster because you dont waste yer time pilotting yer ship sometimes at impossible angles straight up for an anomaly there which in turn would bring greater appeal to R&D in Sto. Its 100% cannon, and would add depth. IMO nothing but good. thx for reading!

    Edit: Ship device slot item: Common (white) would be the reward for doing general R&D to 500. Uncommon probes: Physical, Technology, Energy. Equip lets say the uncommon technology prob on your ship would increase yields from technology anomalies by 50%. Obviously there COULD be rare and epic Probes around.

    There were episodes in Trek where they had to alter a probes trajectory along a certain path to get the scans that they needed, or to avoid an enemy ship. It didn't happen often but it did happen a couple of times. My thoughts were of this, perhaps you have to alter the probes course through a system to gather certain data.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    There's your minigame then...Take your captain down to astrometrics, long range scan of the system to pinpoint the anomalies, then you have to plot your probe's course, maybe trying to get all samples back within a certain time limit of collecting the frist before they start to disappear - radioactive decay and all that. Have asteroids, debris fields, etc, in the system and have to plot your course around them else you could possibly lose your probe and all colelcted samples so far.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I have stated this before you can’t have a space game like this without the use of launchable probes. We need better system for anomalies. Like they were in the showns. Anomalies clouds that can damage your ship if you fly through, modifier different probes for launch to give date that one need.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    They should also be able to detect cloaked ships. Maybe by detecting their plasma emissions from their impulse engines.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    i agree, i have thought about posting this a few times , but yea launchable probes should be in game in some form, as stated above for anomilies/detecting ships and so on, there as much as trek as the uniforms everyone wants.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    SOme time back in another thread we proposed probes. At the time I was torn on whether to ask for say a generic 'launcher' that you equip with expendable ammunition. (as a side note I rather do think that starships should have a limited amount of torpedoes available to them. The simplest 'fix' that I can think of would be to make an ammunition 'slot' that you can load your torpedoes into so it doesn't take up an equipment slot/) Probes should be expendable and I do think that we should have different classes that have differing functions. The harder point would be making probes follow non linear trajectories. There isn't a real waypoint system in the game at present. The closest we can get right now is being able to sent BOff's to a specific location. IT might be possible to modify this code to at least allow you to direct your probe to a specific spot on the map. This is of course speculation on my part as I have never looked at the code for this and don't understand the complexities of what I am proposing. Still it would be a nice thing.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Well, the space maps we access now are 3d. Why not give astrometrics the ability to scale it into a 3d grid, then give our probes X, Y, and Z coordinates?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Bort1980 wrote: »
    Well, the space maps we access now are 3d. Why not give astrometrics the ability to scale it into a 3d grid, then give our probes X, Y, and Z coordinates?

    At present though there isn't a navigation interface that plots in 3 dimensions. This would be something that would need to be implemented... I think I smell an application of an interface accessible through a bridge station....

    The only down side to a bridge station access is that it makes it harder to access on the fly, like say in a mission area, but maybe there can be a way to access it from either location.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    This is why I suggested adding Astrometrics labs to our ships. They would be ideal for this kind of minigame.

    This would only work in space though. I think on the ground, you are left scanning for them yourself.

    Edit: What I was thinking was basically, you fly into a system, do a patrol/mission/whatever, then instead of telling your BO 'yes, leave the system', you tell them 'no. full stop. i'll be in astrometrics if you need me', then head down there (actually using the interior of your ship) and start the minigame there where you program your probes flight path on the astrometrics 3d system map (well, 2x 2d maps - one with x/z coordinates, one with y/z coordinates), and the minigame starts there.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    In which case, at least for the space portion, we could 'hide' the anomalies. Have it so in order to find them you have to scan the system for them perhaps? I can say that might stop people joining a instance and hijacking the anomalies as they go, plus it would give you a reason to not divert and gather them as you progress through a missions objectives. Granted I do that all the time, but I often have thought that from a playing standpoint its not a 'great' idea to let pirates attack a ship with impunity while I run over to grab the nearest anomaly before saving them :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Lol...

    "Captain, the Romulans are hailing us."
    "Make them wait, I have an anomaly to collect."

    Or better...

    "Captain, the USS OMG is requesting assistance. They are under attack by Hirogen."
    "Hmmm, but that anomaly is so close. Helm, plot a course to the fight that takes us close enough to collect the anomaly."
    "But Captain, thae anomaly is behind us, and the fight is in front of us."
    "So..? I gave you an order. Make it so."

    I think maybe removing them from the system maps unless they are scanned for is a good idea :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010

    Exactly :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010

    I have nothing but good things to say, this is a very good start towards an idea.

    Now do probes get a limited lifespan? (I think they should)

    A cooldown for launch? ( another thing I think needed to keep someone for instance in PvP spamming a constant stream of cloak detecting probes all over a map)

    My thought would be that they require components in order to construct them. This can consist of something as simple as a 'master' probe housing and maybe specialized components depending on what class of probe you wish to make. All of this material should be easily gained, though....perhaps an idea would be for specific 'parts' to only be available through certain vendors. I want to make this class 4 probe, but I need an astrometrics package from Vulcan in order to make it, welp, off to Vulcan then.

    Just a thought mind you
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    yea that nailed it right on head lol
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    i like the probe idea. There should be multiple probe classes. I agree they should be consumable. but the probes should also be stackable. I'd like to carry several dozen of them so that i don't have to restock every few minutes without taking up too much inventory space. I would dislike having it take up one of my two device slots ( i fly an escort), but that would make the most sense for them.

    Additionally, I don't think the probes should grab the anomoly for you, keeping you from flying to them, unless the anomoly is in some kind of hazard that prevents you from getting to it. In that case, a better or high level probe would be required. But for most probes, they should just fly around the system, posting a navigational beacon on the anomolies making them easier to find without having to initiate the sensor scan every few minutes.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    soriedem wrote: »
    i like the probe idea. There should be multiple probe classes. I agree they should be consumable. but the probes should also be stackable. I'd like to carry several dozen of them so that i don't have to restock every few minutes without taking up too much inventory space. I would dislike having it take up one of my two device slots ( i fly an escort), but that would make the most sense for them.

    Additionally, I don't think the probes should grab the anomoly for you, keeping you from flying to them, unless the anomoly is in some kind of hazard that prevents you from getting to it. In that case, a better or high level probe would be required. But for most probes, they should just fly around the system, posting a navigational beacon on the anomolies making them easier to find without having to initiate the sensor scan every few minutes.

    Again I come back the the idea of 'ammunition' or we can call it 'cargo bay' if you will. My thought would either expand the number of slots that each ship class has or just make dedicated slots that these can go into. I also totally agree they should be stackable as well, though I would also consider that if its possible that they be stackable in a smaller quantity, like say 10 perhaps.

    As far as a probe 'grabbing' an anomoly, I am torn on this. Technically a probe is scanning just like your ships sensors would, in fact they should work better because they are a dedicated science platform. ON the same token it takes some of the 'exploring' out of a map to not have to run around to each location an anomaly spawns.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    My reasoning behind having the probe collect the anomaly is to aid the more serious crafters and collectors. Since the probes as I thought of them would be 1-time use, a mission area with 3 anomalies would require 3 probes, and given that a player needs to expend currency to obtain them, someone who only collects anomalies as they are available in the normal course or play would likely find it a waste of money to buy these probes. However, someone who is actively looking to collect as many as possible would find them to be very beneficial since they would greatly cut down the amount of time spent collecting.

    This shouldn't have any effect on the prices of data samples on the exchange, since even though someone who collected with expensive probes would want to charge more, there will still be people who collect manually that can afford to keep their prices low.

    They would also provide an EC sink to help counteract inflation be removing currency from the game. Though we may not feel the effects of this aspect until the crafting system is more fleshed out, such that more people are out seriously trying to collect anomalies.
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