Sensors
 

In BM (and some stock) clouds and asteroid fields can hide ships. How do you determine what sensor power level you need to detect said ships?

Re: Sensors
 

If the mod doesn't have the abilities tell you, all you can do is look in the data files, and hope that the modder wasn't a bastard and used a ton of different levels. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif For reference, stock uses 10, and FQM/BM use 16.

Re: Sensors
 

So what does 16 mean? The sensors need a str of 16 to detect ships in there?

Re: Sensors
 

If so, it seems a bit much. Stealth Armor and Cloaking Devices start out at 1 and 6 (if I read the formulas right), respectively.

Re: Sensors
 

Imperator Fyron : Any answer for this? PBW strategy counts on it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Sensors
 

I think he means that there are 16 different types of storm with varying levels of cloakiness.

Re: Sensors
 

10 or 16 for cloak value... I did tell ya how to find the info if you didn't like my answer. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

In the stock game, sensors go up to level 26, so the value from FQM isn't unreasonable. SE4 storms had cloak level halfway through the ability range..

Re: Sensors
 

In a BM game I noticed an opponent's ship head for an asteroid field to hide in. I assume, mostly because I already did it, so he can secretly stay there and spy on the area. So it appears we both have ships hiding in the field but there is no combat because we can't see each other. Of course I always replay movement in each system, so I can see him go there.

Re: Sensors
 

I did check, and it says 16. Does that mean it takes sensors/scanners with a power of 16 to detect a ship? For example, I would need level 16 sensors to see inside the field?

Re: Sensors
 

Yeah, I even attacked te Hex I saw the ships move into (withing the asteroid field) and no combat occured. Regrettably, you have to see them in order to fight them, so I have the little bastards hiding in there watching my moves. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif

Re: Sensors
 

ah I see. I didn't feel it necessary to destroy them seeing as how we aren't at war or anything and they're only borders I share with others but I did think about ordering to attack that sector. Useful to know it doesn't work.

Re: Sensors
 

Its my war with the Los Mohicans. (Jodan)

Re: Sensors
 

It means it provides the same cloaking as level 16 cloaking device, so you need a level 16 tachyon scanner.

Re: Sensors
 

Ah, thanks!

Re: Sensors
 

In my case it's their allies the Banana republic.

Edit: and now they slip a ship through into my core systems and I know exactly where it will go first. The nearby storm. I may cease being nuetral and join the anti-spanish alliance.

Re: Sensors
 

I have just found out something useful, actually a few things but one of them has to do with storms/asteroids.

The storm/asteroid field itself blocks detecting ships in that sector, but if you already have a ship there you can use the sector view to see what's there. Useful for organising defences in a sector and now it also lets you search the sector. I discovered an enemy surveillance satellite in an asteroid field . Pity you can't move your ship since there's an enemy there, and I suppose you still can't attack them.

Re: Sensors
 

What if you were to get creative with an treaty?

Organize with one of your friends to have a ship from both your races in the sensor-blocking sector.
Then sign a treaty which gives you full view of the other's ships but still lets you fight.
Once combat starts, the spies should be targettable.

The main problem would be if you only get the sensor readings from the ships, and not vision of the cloaked ships themselves (as it was in se4)