Cloaking Planets. Here!!!

[Lupusman]

That's right!!!

Still in testing though. A few flukes since I'm limited to using what's in the data files but here it is:


Name := Sector Cloaking Device
Description := Cloaks all in Sector.
Pic Num := 1
Tonnage Space Taken := 100
Tonnage Structure := 100
Cost Minerals := 10000
Cost Organics := 2000
Cost Radioactives := 10000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base
Supply Amount Used := 10
Restrictions := None
General Group := Stellar Manipulation
Family := 9999
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Stellar Manipulation
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Number of Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Type := Sector - Sight Obscuration
Ability 1 Descr := Hides things.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 2 <----Can increase hiding level
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Weapon Type := None


This was only my test, so the picture, size, etc need to be changed.

A few problems though.

First, it does hide whatever is in the sector, but doesn't change the picture
on screen. What I mean is that if a ship containing this component is over a planet,
the planet picture is still visible. But if a human enemy player clicks on the planet, no information
can be seen. It shows up as normal space. I am not sure how a computer player will
interpret this.

Secondly, an enemy ship coming into the sector passes right through like there is nothing there
which is good. However, when I put hyper optics level 2, it can see the ship (which is menat to happen)
and upon enetering the sector will produce the screen asking if you are sure you want to enter because an enemy
ship is there, and when you say yes, no combat ensues. So basically what I'm saying is that you can't attack whatever has it. It works right the other way round though. If the ship containing the component enters a sector
with an enemy ship, regular combat happens, or mines get triggeds, etc.

Thirdly, not a big deal, is that it even hides an enemy ship, or planet, etc from itself when in the same sector. Unless you also put some kind of detectors on the ship also.

I'm thinking making the thing alot bigger and put it only on a base. I've not tried making
a facility with it, though that's a possibilty too.

I worked on this for a couple hours. I tried just making a facilty with cloak, but that doesn't amount to anything. I tried making another type of storm with cloak to hide planets but that didn't work either. This is the best I can come up with.

The only thing I can think of to get rid of the second problem is to make a component thatfits on a ship that negates this effect. Not sure if it's possible though. Without that then what I have here is just too powerful. That's what I'll work on next.

Maybe if there are some negative effects, another abilty that lowers production of whatever to counterbalance, that way after a certain amount of time, the thing would have to be scrapped. Example:

Abilty 2 type := Planet - Change Population Happiness
Value 1 := (negative whatever %)


Anyway, I'm just shooting ideas right now to see what else you people can come up with.