Proposal for stealth mechanic improvements
The current model for silent running leaves little incentive or opportunity for use outside of specific activities in specific situations like smuggling or PVP. Some of this may have to do with game balancing and some may have to do with very limited development resources, so I write this not expecting anything but debate. Regardless I think these changes will help to vastly improve the dynamic around silent running, making the silent running system more relevant and a wider array of situations.
First Change - Stealth Plating
This would act as a ships armor variant which emphasizes radar and thermal scattering technology at the cost of no boost to hull integrity and negative resistances to all weapon types with a much more significant vulnerability to explosive damage. Vulnerability to explosive damage means that commanders will need to trade off protection against missiles for heat sinks that increase effective silent running time. The negative resistances should be balanced so that they are difficult to overcome using engineering. Ships using this armor system would have detection profiles like the older silent running mechanics. Even when a stealth ship is running normally its detectability should be lower, although the absolute detection range would be much greater than when silent running.
Second Change – Stealth Profile Utility
This new utility module offers commanders direct feedback on their ship’s stealth profile when in normal space. It alerts them when they are detectable to other ships, and when a passive scan is initiated. Best method here would be a UI feedback, either on the radar, or on the targeting bracket. The stealth profile module would also provide audible warning if their ship is identified, a terminology that will play into proposed crime and punishment changes detailed below.
The stealth profile utility would make passive scanning take longer, visual feedback could make the scanning ship aware that the vessel they are scanning has a stealth profile utility by displaying interference patterns like when a Thargoid is scanned without a Xeno scanner equipped. Maintaining a passive scan will eventually yield ship information. The stealth ship will be made aware that a passive scan is in progress with a flashing indicator on the UI or radar which distinguishes any ship engaging in a scan.
While in analysis mode it may be possible to toggle on a view that shows absolute detection ranges for ships and stations in the instance. This would provide commanders using silent running a real time indicator on where they should not be, allowing them to adjust trajectory accordingly.
The stealth profile utility offers significant advantage while silent running over the current mechanic. However, pilots would be sacrificing a valuable heat sink module in order to gain this advantage. This trades out effective length of time that silent running can be continuously maintained, for the ability to utilize silent running time more efficiently.
Third Change – FSD Signature Scrambler
This mechanic could be instigated as an engineering blueprint, or as a dedicated optional module. The primary purpose of this module is to make a stealth ship in super cruse less noticeable. It would dim the brightness of the super cruse wake and reduce super curse trail length significantly. Ships can’t passive scan without being closer to the target than normal in super cruse. This module will offer no protection from FSD Interdictors, but it will reduce the lingering time of both high and low energy FSD wakes. It will still be possible to tailgate jumps like normal, and to scan FSD wakes as already implemented.
This additional module reduces the maximum hull integrity possible under the current outfitting system, players may choose not to apply it in exchange for the vulnerability it entails.
Third Change – Crime and Punishment
Smugglers pride themselves on anonymity, and that anonymity should act as a shield against bounties and fines. When a stealth ship first enters an instance, there is a cooldown period in which the ship must engage its silent running system or be automatically identified by ships or stations in the instance. Once identified, silent running will provide no protection against crimes, bounties, and fines. An indicator symbol in the info panel can provide this feedback.
If a stealth equipped vessel enables its silent running before the cooldown timer completes, then it will not be identified unless a ship approaches and directly completes a passive or warrant scan.
If a crime is committed while silent running the game should log that this has occurred and bank the crime, but not activate a criminal status until the criminal vessel is identified. If a stealth ship successfully jumps out of an instance without being identified, then all banked crimes are discarded. Upon identification, all banked crimes committed in the instance will become active and affiliated fines issued. This means that a stealth ship which can maintain its stealth profile in an instance, could feasibly kill an NPC or Player if they can maintain their stealth profile without being scanned and identified. This is deliberately difficult in a combat situation, even more so in PVP.
However, this comes with a caveat that a stealth ship is still detectable and can be identified when they initiate an interdiction. This can be overcome with an FSD signature scrambler; however, the vessel being interdicted will still trigger a system authority response as normal. The only difference here is that the player will not be fined or assessed a criminal penalty unless a police ship or the victimized vessel is able to complete a passive scan.
Fourth Change – Trespass Zones
Ships using stealth plating and silent running should be able to enter trespass zones in space and on planet surfaces without triggering a response, but station docking bays are exempted from this. In addition, it should be possible for a player to land on planetary surfaces without automatically disengaging silent running for the purposes of deploying an SRV. Ships dismissed from within a trespass zone should maintain silent running and auto deploy heat sinks during their ascent as necessary until they execute a jump out of instance.
Fifth Change – Counter Stealth Mechanics
The pulse wave scanner currently implemented as a mining tool should receive the following additional effects.
• It should increase the target signature of the ship deploying the pulse.
• It should cause any ship within 25% of the scanning ships sensor range to appear on radar for a few seconds without regard to silent running or heat level but will not identify the target.
• A stealth ship caught in the pulse wave can be passive scanned at the normal speed if the scanning ship is positioned for a target lock.
• Any ship with a stealth profile utility can see that a pulse wave was released, and an indicator should reveal the ship that deployed it. Along with a warning if the pulse was close enough to break silent running and allow detection.
• Any ship with a stealth profile utility should receive a warning if any vessel within minimum safe distance begins charging its pulse wave scanner.
• Missiles and torpedoes can acquire a target lock faster when targeting a ship under pulse wave effects. Gimbal and turret weapons are more accurate when targeting an affected ship.
The greatest weakness a stealth ship has is missiles and torpedoes. If a missile or torpedo successfully acquires a lock and fires, the missile will maintain that lock without regard to the ship’s stealth condition.
The current model for silent running leaves little incentive or opportunity for use outside of specific activities in specific situations like smuggling or PVP. Some of this may have to do with game balancing and some may have to do with very limited development resources, so I write this not expecting anything but debate. Regardless I think these changes will help to vastly improve the dynamic around silent running, making the silent running system more relevant and a wider array of situations.
First Change - Stealth Plating
This would act as a ships armor variant which emphasizes radar and thermal scattering technology at the cost of no boost to hull integrity and negative resistances to all weapon types with a much more significant vulnerability to explosive damage. Vulnerability to explosive damage means that commanders will need to trade off protection against missiles for heat sinks that increase effective silent running time. The negative resistances should be balanced so that they are difficult to overcome using engineering. Ships using this armor system would have detection profiles like the older silent running mechanics. Even when a stealth ship is running normally its detectability should be lower, although the absolute detection range would be much greater than when silent running.
Second Change – Stealth Profile Utility
This new utility module offers commanders direct feedback on their ship’s stealth profile when in normal space. It alerts them when they are detectable to other ships, and when a passive scan is initiated. Best method here would be a UI feedback, either on the radar, or on the targeting bracket. The stealth profile module would also provide audible warning if their ship is identified, a terminology that will play into proposed crime and punishment changes detailed below.
The stealth profile utility would make passive scanning take longer, visual feedback could make the scanning ship aware that the vessel they are scanning has a stealth profile utility by displaying interference patterns like when a Thargoid is scanned without a Xeno scanner equipped. Maintaining a passive scan will eventually yield ship information. The stealth ship will be made aware that a passive scan is in progress with a flashing indicator on the UI or radar which distinguishes any ship engaging in a scan.
While in analysis mode it may be possible to toggle on a view that shows absolute detection ranges for ships and stations in the instance. This would provide commanders using silent running a real time indicator on where they should not be, allowing them to adjust trajectory accordingly.
The stealth profile utility offers significant advantage while silent running over the current mechanic. However, pilots would be sacrificing a valuable heat sink module in order to gain this advantage. This trades out effective length of time that silent running can be continuously maintained, for the ability to utilize silent running time more efficiently.
Third Change – FSD Signature Scrambler
This mechanic could be instigated as an engineering blueprint, or as a dedicated optional module. The primary purpose of this module is to make a stealth ship in super cruse less noticeable. It would dim the brightness of the super cruse wake and reduce super curse trail length significantly. Ships can’t passive scan without being closer to the target than normal in super cruse. This module will offer no protection from FSD Interdictors, but it will reduce the lingering time of both high and low energy FSD wakes. It will still be possible to tailgate jumps like normal, and to scan FSD wakes as already implemented.
This additional module reduces the maximum hull integrity possible under the current outfitting system, players may choose not to apply it in exchange for the vulnerability it entails.
Third Change – Crime and Punishment
Smugglers pride themselves on anonymity, and that anonymity should act as a shield against bounties and fines. When a stealth ship first enters an instance, there is a cooldown period in which the ship must engage its silent running system or be automatically identified by ships or stations in the instance. Once identified, silent running will provide no protection against crimes, bounties, and fines. An indicator symbol in the info panel can provide this feedback.
If a stealth equipped vessel enables its silent running before the cooldown timer completes, then it will not be identified unless a ship approaches and directly completes a passive or warrant scan.
If a crime is committed while silent running the game should log that this has occurred and bank the crime, but not activate a criminal status until the criminal vessel is identified. If a stealth ship successfully jumps out of an instance without being identified, then all banked crimes are discarded. Upon identification, all banked crimes committed in the instance will become active and affiliated fines issued. This means that a stealth ship which can maintain its stealth profile in an instance, could feasibly kill an NPC or Player if they can maintain their stealth profile without being scanned and identified. This is deliberately difficult in a combat situation, even more so in PVP.
However, this comes with a caveat that a stealth ship is still detectable and can be identified when they initiate an interdiction. This can be overcome with an FSD signature scrambler; however, the vessel being interdicted will still trigger a system authority response as normal. The only difference here is that the player will not be fined or assessed a criminal penalty unless a police ship or the victimized vessel is able to complete a passive scan.
Fourth Change – Trespass Zones
Ships using stealth plating and silent running should be able to enter trespass zones in space and on planet surfaces without triggering a response, but station docking bays are exempted from this. In addition, it should be possible for a player to land on planetary surfaces without automatically disengaging silent running for the purposes of deploying an SRV. Ships dismissed from within a trespass zone should maintain silent running and auto deploy heat sinks during their ascent as necessary until they execute a jump out of instance.
Fifth Change – Counter Stealth Mechanics
The pulse wave scanner currently implemented as a mining tool should receive the following additional effects.
• It should increase the target signature of the ship deploying the pulse.
• It should cause any ship within 25% of the scanning ships sensor range to appear on radar for a few seconds without regard to silent running or heat level but will not identify the target.
• A stealth ship caught in the pulse wave can be passive scanned at the normal speed if the scanning ship is positioned for a target lock.
• Any ship with a stealth profile utility can see that a pulse wave was released, and an indicator should reveal the ship that deployed it. Along with a warning if the pulse was close enough to break silent running and allow detection.
• Any ship with a stealth profile utility should receive a warning if any vessel within minimum safe distance begins charging its pulse wave scanner.
• Missiles and torpedoes can acquire a target lock faster when targeting a ship under pulse wave effects. Gimbal and turret weapons are more accurate when targeting an affected ship.
The greatest weakness a stealth ship has is missiles and torpedoes. If a missile or torpedo successfully acquires a lock and fires, the missile will maintain that lock without regard to the ship’s stealth condition.
