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Request for Tricorder functionality
captaind3
Member Posts: 2,449 Arc User
I'm sure that I'm not the first person to ask this, but I'll broach the subject anyway since I couldn't find a thread on it.
I would like to see more functionality with tricorders. Nothing exotic, just mode selection.
During the course of a mission tricorders variably point to R&D nodes or mission objectives. Back in the old genesis exploration missions, that could leave you running all over the place trying to find the whatever you needed to continue the mission. This of course also goes to the sensor scan on your starships as well since they're basically the same gameplay thing.
I would like a simple mode select. Set my tricorder/scan for mission objectives, materials nodes, or enemies. Or in canon tricorder labeling met(eorology), geo(logy), or bio(logic).
Even though with the more linear maps this is less of a concern nowadays, it is still something that has great use in a crunch and will save time when someone is lost and wants to go to the next mission objective instead of scanning for mats.
I would like to see more functionality with tricorders. Nothing exotic, just mode selection.
During the course of a mission tricorders variably point to R&D nodes or mission objectives. Back in the old genesis exploration missions, that could leave you running all over the place trying to find the whatever you needed to continue the mission. This of course also goes to the sensor scan on your starships as well since they're basically the same gameplay thing.
I would like a simple mode select. Set my tricorder/scan for mission objectives, materials nodes, or enemies. Or in canon tricorder labeling met(eorology), geo(logy), or bio(logic).
Even though with the more linear maps this is less of a concern nowadays, it is still something that has great use in a crunch and will save time when someone is lost and wants to go to the next mission objective instead of scanning for mats.
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l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
Captain i dont know what it is but the readings say it is old.
It's pretty much this hard to keep just one timeline intact. ♪
My character Tsin'xing
No kidding.
It's pretty much this hard to keep just one timeline intact. ♪
This. While I'd love more uses for the tricorder (scanning NPCs, giving more info about surroundings, medical role etc...) and a slot for it to improve these abilities and maybe give a minigame bonus - it only becomes worth it if they bring in exploration with a wider role for non-combat gameplay.
Past that, I just assume the tricorder is in play for in-game information, mini-games, and some kit functionality already even if you're not actively doing the tricorder animation. Not much else I can think of that they could add that wouldn't have to be retrofitted through a lot of past content, redundant, or just unnecessary.
But yes, enhanced functionality for specific new exploration content... that would be good too, I guess. Like what?
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date: Sep 2008
"It appears we have lost our sex appeal, captain."- Tuvok
Probably correct. In fact, now that I think about it seems to me that at one point a Dev explained something like that. Can't remember who and it would have been on the old defunct forums anyway. Good luck finding a quote.
I suspect that with a little thinking out of the box it should be possible to tell the difference between a mission objective and something else that's not. There IS a gameplay distinction between something you MUST interact with to advance the mission to the next objective and something else that's just extra bits. Wouldn't be as granular as some folks are no doubt thinking (without the tagging exercise that will never happen). But even a little filtering would be better than none, as long as it doesn't hurt normal gameplay.
If you'll indulge me in a little pseudocode here...
if event_scan
- get_nearest_interact
-- if $filter_scan = "mission_objective_only"
--- check_interact_mission (nearest_interact) #comment, this would be a new function which might not be feasible
--- return_scan if $mission_objective = "yes"
-- elseif $filter_scan = "not_mission_interact"
--- check_interact_mission (nearest_interact)
--- return_scan if $mission_objective = "no"
-- else
--- return_scan
- next_interact
I agree 100%
I am sure. Never hurts to remind them though.
Besides you get yelled at for necro'ing threads. But not ideas.
Really? Never played it, is it that serious over there?
Non linear campaign maps as well, or at least multiple routes.
At this point, with the content we have, the filtering alone would be worth it.
OR at least tell me what I'm scanning. Is it pointing me to a duranium deposit or the aforementioned hydrazine gas.
I don't know. If you assume that the map is actually the tricorder screen, then they would just basically have to have the map show what is actually on the map, the name of the objects. If we're trying to make it as simple as possible.
The fact of the matter is there are a lot of things in this game that would benefit from going back through stage by stage and implementing a feature.
That looks about right to me.
The system already knows the difference, as we know, if there is a mission objective and a material are present and you do a scan, it locks on to the mat. Then when you get all the mats it only points to the mission objective (this occasionally varies depending on how old the map is). I think later maps have less crafting nodes in more open areas to avoid this problem.
My character Tsin'xing
Good idea, but I don't think it's necessarily that simple.
Map objects in STO are only properly named if they're intentionally named. Otherwise you're liable to get something like spawn_point1 and actor1, etc. Which aren't necessarily informative and definitely immersion breaking.
Things like material traces and drops like lockboxes aren't even normal map objects. Only the Devs know what designations those would appear as by default.
Most likely, the functionality would have to be able to read what kind of object it is in order to know the best way to access the in-game name of the object. Some objects have specific names ("Worf") and some appear to have generic names ("Targ Handler") and they're not the same field judging from what we see in the Foundry.
If Cryptic's map display worked like it does in other games that are able to display "points of interest" more dynamically, it would probably be a no-brainer. But no, AFAIK they have to deliberately place all of those special icons that tell you the vendor's over here, the bank's over there, etc. Not that they don't have some dynamic elements, but not everything on the map display is dynamically generated.
This is all semi-informed conjecture, mind you. A Dev would have to weigh in to really explain the under-the-hood stuff. Which is why I wish I could recall more details about that old Dev post I mentioned earlier.
And they're often tiny and well hidden.
It's pretty much this hard to keep just one timeline intact. ♪
Well...that's just prime.
Although it's very funny that in order to improve tricorder scan functionality we'd have to make it able to read what kind of object it's scanning...or make it work like a tricorder.
I understand how without Cryptic's ready made engine we wouldn't have this game at all after Perpetual's TRIBBLE up, but man it feels like, from the outside at least, that this engine is about as smooth and well fitted together as a Borg Cube.
Sounds rather stressful.
I'm sure that if the devs wanted to they could set the scans to add map markers for each object detected. It'd probably be time consuming but doable.
My character Tsin'xing
Great original content thread by Thomas the Cryptic Cat (before he was hired by Cryptic) showing some concept images and minigame outlines for Tricorder games. In 6 years, we've received 3 or so such games, but I still hold out hope.
http://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline#/discussion/928592/revival-minigames-for-non-combat-missions-with-pictures
start blairing out justin bieber tracks and i will bring in neelix to sing instead, he should sufficiently drown out justin bieber for good.
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
Well considering plenty of powers actually deploy from the tricorder it still holds true.
But the tricorder should be a centerpiece of exploration.
Were you singing "LIfe Forms. You darling little life forms. Precious little life forms. Where.are.you?"
The new stats could vary from boosting class specific skills and perception... well hell, they could assign any stats to them they like, I don't see how adding new stat boosts to ground could be a bad thing, and if you are thinking about too much power creep, know that power creep is inevitable and unavoidable, without it the game would become stale and stagnate. If they avoided any and all power creep all new content would always reward the same equipment giving us no reason or drive to play any new content.
Thanks. Power creep is a weird beast. Arms races are very real. At the same time, there's something to be said for something being different. Like why don't we have Isomagnetic Disintegrators? Primary fire mode just blows stuff up like in Insurrection, but the fire rate is TRIBBLE. A weapon with a different feel.
Anyway, variety is the spice of life, tricorders have a lot of potential. They've been used for everything from scanning device, computer interface and hacking tool, to a sonic attack weapon. Remember... what was it? Final Mission. Wesley, Picard, and the idiot crash landed on the desert moon and Wesley used a tricorder to get through the crystal force field to get water for an injured Picard. Then the Boy was off to the Academy.
But all I'm asking is for tricorders to function like tricorders. Even their scanning in this game is subpar. Marhawkman gives me some hope that they could be improved without sucking up game assets for the next year.
Don't get me wrong, I like the minigames most of the time. Used correctly, they're a great change of pace and take some of the pew-pew out of the game. But they can also disrupt the flow of a mission and cause it to bog down. The isolinear chip puzzle in particular tends to inject an unnecessary level of frustration at times.
Now imagine stringing together a series of minigames to complete a single objective like TtCC originally proposed. Some of us would enjoy it, and some of us would rage. I think I'd fall somewhere in between.
The beauty of the minigames Cryptic has decided to include is that they are relatively simple and quick, skill and/or practice gets better results, and they use them sparingly where they're not optional. That said, I feel like a minesweeper grid style minigame might be a nice addition for certain things like code-breaking, searching for information, or performing a sensor sweep of an area to find something.
You shouldn't have hired Neelix as ship's chef
My character Tsin'xing
Actually that's another good idea. Have the console on our ship's computers in the Ready Room retain copies of all the minigames we encounter so we can practice them. Imagine all the people who would've spent the last couple of weeks training Omega Particle destroyers.