Since we had the Crime and Punishment update mentioned Criminals got super excited and had a lot of cool suggestions to making Crime more interesting and making it pay the bills, namely stalking/hunting/planing, dodgy places, npc interactions, dynamic black markets.....oooh the list was juicy and dissapointingly ignored as
it turned out C&P was a way to stop Players bullying Players.
So let us start with Theft, and remaining hidden - Stealth.
There are two factors to ED
As with many things in ED, we got some good ideas tucked away in a black box.
It's only when the player is informed in an interesting way to do things get entertaining.
Stealth mechanics lead to a nail-biting (they are going to see me) panic and in most stealth games we have
Heat = Radius
Currently, the ship heat mechanic affects the scan time. Scan time is normal if your heat production is over 20%, less than 20% increased the length of time for a scan.
Ship Visibility in ED should work as they sold it originally
So the idea that having a hot or cold ship, doesn't matter as long as you are not in silent running, as you are actively emitting EM signals.
To go "stealth" you MUST hit silent running leaving your ships visibility by its heat.
The better your sensors the "better" the control of EM emissions.
Ship heat is measured as a radius from your ship and is visible on your sensor display as a circle.
The more heat, the larger the circle around your ship.
The cooler your ship, the smaller the circle.
Another vessel or the vessel scanning cone, that "breach" your heat circle, can detect you.
The player needs to be informed:
it turned out C&P was a way to stop Players bullying Players.
So let us start with Theft, and remaining hidden - Stealth.
There are two factors to ED
- Ship Thermal Signature - Length of time for a successful scan,
- Conspicious
- ship silhouette (small ships draw less attention for a scan)
- local faction rep (friendly ships draw less attention)
- local security (low security draws less attention)
As with many things in ED, we got some good ideas tucked away in a black box.
It's only when the player is informed in an interesting way to do things get entertaining.
Stealth mechanics lead to a nail-biting (they are going to see me) panic and in most stealth games we have
- Patrol search cones
- Security zoning in on your last hiding spot
- Wall hugging/melting into the shadows
Heat = Radius
Currently, the ship heat mechanic affects the scan time. Scan time is normal if your heat production is over 20%, less than 20% increased the length of time for a scan.
Ship Visibility in ED should work as they sold it originally
- [silent running] turns off the Active Electromagnetic Emissions from your ship. (light, heat, active sensor sweeps, comms, shields).
- [going cold] Passive Heat production - Radiating out from your ship.
So the idea that having a hot or cold ship, doesn't matter as long as you are not in silent running, as you are actively emitting EM signals.
To go "stealth" you MUST hit silent running leaving your ships visibility by its heat.
The better your sensors the "better" the control of EM emissions.
Ship heat is measured as a radius from your ship and is visible on your sensor display as a circle.
The more heat, the larger the circle around your ship.
The cooler your ship, the smaller the circle.
Another vessel or the vessel scanning cone, that "breach" your heat circle, can detect you.
The player needs to be informed:
- Which ship has a target lock?
- Orientation of the ship is scan
- Tiered scanning progress-time
- EM - ship name, pilot name and active ship modules.
- Hull - hot ship wanted status is detected
- Inactive ship modules are detected - this includes hidden bounty from elsewhere, illegal cargo and passengers
but we have one more trick.
Ship heat is measured as a radius from your ship and is visible on your sensor display as a circle.
And the same goes for ALL ships and surfaces.
if your ships Heat output (circle) is small enough to not stick out from a neighbouring heat-sources heat circle, say a station or being close to another vessel.
You ship is masked by the other vessels heat signature.
So you could glide cold until you slipped into the stations' heat signature, and then you could warm up and get moving, ask for docking etc.
And that's not getting into Faking another ship EM signature (at a cost) of a hardpoint (emitter) and internal module (computer and power source).
EM signatures can be bought (black market) and may be required of missions.
Shielded Cargo racks and
passengers cabins
which only work with EM signature in place as they require power and pump out interfering and emissive EM signature (at a cost of power and heat management).
