Advanced/Customiseable Radar System
Posted: 19 Jul 2006, 12:11
I think it is important that Spring's radar system be abstracted to the level which weapons, and shields, and other things are. I think this would be simple to do and would allow a lot of versatility. Currently I feel it is quite limited, and doesn't allow players any leighweigh to have radar systems that vary from the standard OTA one.
Basically, what I am suggesting is an armor.txt style parser, for radars.
So, you would have a sensors.tdf file containing sensor[1], sensor[2], etc. You would then specify either the individual units (ie: unit1=corcom; unit2=armcom;), or designate entire unit classes (ie, for SWS: class1=infantry;). It is important to have both, so that you can have the ease of designating an entire class, and the precision to specify exact units.
For example (framework done by Gnome):
(ignore would override any armourclass stuff, so that you could include "infantry" but ignore "stormtrooper". This would allow players to even allow everything, and remove certain units, etc)
(It might also be nice to tie this in with the new custom radar dots, so that you can specify which radars can detect only generic dots, and require LOS before the custom dot is presented, and you can have advanced radars which give you specific readings, that is, showing the custom dot without direct LOS. Useful for the 'representative LOS' system I talk about later)
Thus, we have the ability to set far more advanced radars, which can only detect certain types of units, etc. You can have large-air only radars, which don't detect ground units, and thus don't imbalance ground radars, etc
- This would be particularly helpful for Spring 1944, where they have had to make every unit stealth except aircraft, because they wanted to have aircraft specific radar. They can't have any other form of radar at all, because their long range radar would detect it, which would be extremely unbalanced, given the long ranges of artillery etc.
- It was also considered that small radars could be given to individual units to represent the distance at which they can "see" a unit (a radar dot appears), but can't quite make out what that unit is. Which means they know a unit is there, but can't quite make it out, can't fire on it accurately and can't accurately identify it. You couldn't do this with the current system, for example in 1944, because the air-radar would detect all the units at a long distance, which it isn't intended for. (this is the 'representative LOS system I mentioned earlier')
- For a mod Secure and a few of us are dabbling on privately, we considered having a 'predator' type side with an LOS system for units using the previous point's line of thought, where they have little to no actual LOS, but all have individual radars. This would only really be feasible with the more advanced radar systems, because of the limitations of the current system.
Thoughts?
Basically, what I am suggesting is an armor.txt style parser, for radars.
So, you would have a sensors.tdf file containing sensor[1], sensor[2], etc. You would then specify either the individual units (ie: unit1=corcom; unit2=armcom;), or designate entire unit classes (ie, for SWS: class1=infantry;). It is important to have both, so that you can have the ease of designating an entire class, and the precision to specify exact units.
For example (framework done by Gnome):
Code: Select all
[sensors]
{
[sensor0] //by default, radar. if a mod doesn't define this, have it behave as normal
{
[classes] //as defined by armor.txt
{
infantry=99; //number is irrelevant, like armor.txt
droids=99;
}
[units] //specific unitnames
{
impatst=99;
rebxwing=99;
}
[ignore]
{
imptief=99;
rebywing=99;
}
[deftags]
{
distance=Radardistance;
jam=Radardistancejam;
stealth=stealth;
}
}
[sensor1] //by default, sonar. Again, if mod lacks it, treat it as normal
{
[units]
{
armsubk=99;
}
[ignore]
{
armfib=99;
}
[deftags]
{
distance=Sonardistance;
jam=Sonardistancejam;
stealth=stealth;
}
}
[sensor2] //my own arbitrary sensor system. let's call it thermal detection, it doesn't matter
{
[classes]
{
droids=99;
}
[ignore]
{
infantry=99;
}
[deftags]
{
distance=Thermaldistance; //tags arbitrarily defined by this. The tags would be skipped if they aren't defined here
jam=Thermaldistancejam;
stealth=Thermalstealth;
}
}
}
(It might also be nice to tie this in with the new custom radar dots, so that you can specify which radars can detect only generic dots, and require LOS before the custom dot is presented, and you can have advanced radars which give you specific readings, that is, showing the custom dot without direct LOS. Useful for the 'representative LOS' system I talk about later)
Thus, we have the ability to set far more advanced radars, which can only detect certain types of units, etc. You can have large-air only radars, which don't detect ground units, and thus don't imbalance ground radars, etc
- This would be particularly helpful for Spring 1944, where they have had to make every unit stealth except aircraft, because they wanted to have aircraft specific radar. They can't have any other form of radar at all, because their long range radar would detect it, which would be extremely unbalanced, given the long ranges of artillery etc.
- It was also considered that small radars could be given to individual units to represent the distance at which they can "see" a unit (a radar dot appears), but can't quite make out what that unit is. Which means they know a unit is there, but can't quite make it out, can't fire on it accurately and can't accurately identify it. You couldn't do this with the current system, for example in 1944, because the air-radar would detect all the units at a long distance, which it isn't intended for. (this is the 'representative LOS system I mentioned earlier')
- For a mod Secure and a few of us are dabbling on privately, we considered having a 'predator' type side with an LOS system for units using the previous point's line of thought, where they have little to no actual LOS, but all have individual radars. This would only really be feasible with the more advanced radar systems, because of the limitations of the current system.
Thoughts?
