Spring RTS Engine

This started out as an AI idea, but I figured it would be so useful to ordinary players...

I was thinking that having seen an enemy's base and spotted a radar or two, you could get an idea of where he had radar coverage. For an AI this would be easy - it can do the radar LOS calculation to work out whereabouts there is no radar coverage and use it to sneak up on the enemy base. However, I guess us humans aren't really up to that, so what I figured was, why not have a way of showing known enemy radar coverage in game?

I figured this could either be auto calculated for you as soon as you spot enemy radar towers (would only be as good as your recon on enemy radar towers though if you missed one you may think you're in a dead zone when really your covered by a radar you haven't seen), or it could be possible to have a mobile unit which would indicate in an area around it, whether there is enemy radar cover or not: could be a cheap alternative to sending a radar jammer with your attack force.

Personally I like the former idea best.

Just a thought

Munch

I disagree with this idea.

I think it dilutes TA's original gameplay, by making it much easier for an offensive player to avoid combat, and much harder for a defensive player to ambush attacks.

It needlessly gives off too much information.

It also dilutes much of the original strategy, as you will know immediately when you are under threat, and won't bother with an attack.
It also lets you know exactly where the enemy radar is, simply by triangulating the enemy radar range.

It could be usefull, but I don't really like it.
I like the way it is now because gamesafter games, our experience rise. And a veteran player should be better to "hide" his unit than a neeb.

On an other way, this idea is logical...

Warlord Zsinj wrote: It also lets you know exactly where the enemy radar is, simply by triangulating the enemy radar range.

I figured this could either be auto calculated for you as soon as you spot enemy radar towers

I think you didn't fully understand munch post. It draw only already spotted ennemi radar.

Knowing where your enemy can see you is a matter of human intuition or AI calculation. If you know where the enemies radar towers are you know where they can see through radar through approximation, there is no need for calculation unless you're an AI and that is why the AI uses it.

Sorry, you've lost me. You seem to be implying that with some calculations a human player could work out their opponents radar coverage... is that correct?

yeah easily. i do it all the time on big maps :D

Based on what you suggest, the following would happen:

I don't get to see the extent of my enemy's radar until I spy his radar first.
But if I'm attacking, 9 times out of 10, the priority target on my list is the enemy radar.
Which means that most of the time when I spot the enemy radar, it'll be killed within moments, defeating the purpose.

The other time when it is seen is if someone flies a peeper over, all of a sudden you can see the extent of my radar range. This doesn't seem very fair at all, for the same reason that the ghosted buildings weren't the best idea.

I must admit i do like ghosted buildings but you are right Zsinj