Questions about Sensors?

Sprayber · April 8, 2001, 20:54

Two questions?

1) Has anyone ever had a problem with formers building solar collectors instead of sensors? This is a reoccurring problem. At firt I just thought that I had missed clicking the sensor and hit the solar collector fuction instead. But it seems to happen in clusters. It doesn't happen all the time, just every so often. But if it happens once, it will usually happen a few more time in that session of the game. It's not a big deal, but it is a little annoying.

2) I saw somewhere in a mod pack where someone made sea sensors. I think these would be great. At least you should be able to build them in the sea that immediately surrounds your seabase, increasing you sight just a little bit. It wouldn't be fair if you could just plant a sea sensor just anywhere.

Does anyone know what modpack this is in. Or can you just change this in the alpha text file?

gwillybj · April 8, 2001, 23:56

quote:

Originally posted by Sprayber on 04-08-2001 08:54 PM
2) I saw somewhere in a mod pack where someone made sea sensors. I think these would be great. At least you should be able to build them in the sea that immediately surrounds your seabase, increasing you sight just a little bit. It wouldn't be fair if you could just plant a sea sensor just anywhere.

Does anyone know what modpack this is in. Or can you just change this in the alpha text file?

In alpha.txt, under #TERRAIN, change the Sensor Array line:

Sensor Array, None, Offshore Sensor, None, 4, Construct $STR0, O, O

This will give you sensors at sea as soon as you have Sea Formers.
There really is no need to require any special Tech.
[This message has been edited by gwillybj (edited April 09, 2001).]

Earwicker · April 9, 2001, 10:45

Having made no changes to alpha.txt, I occasionally see sea formers building water sensors. Nice, except it means I can only farm that square. It happens when I have them on "autoimprove home base" -- which I do for sea but never for land.

Along those lines, is there a fix for the bug that doesn't expend credits when an autoformer raises the seabed. I thought I was imagining it, but have watched the energy line when one's in action and there was no change. Thing is, I don't feel bad about it, since it's one of the few areas where the AI takes full advantage of the bug, too.

Garth Vader · April 9, 2001, 11:20

The talk of sea sensors brings up a question. If you build a sensor that is not in your territory do you still get to use it?

Sprayber · April 9, 2001, 19:11

quote:

Originally posted by Garth Vader on 04-09-2001 11:20 AM
The talk of sea sensors brings up a question. If you build a sensor that is not in your territory do you still get to use it?

I think if you build it and it turns into their territory you loose it and they get the benifits. IIRC.

Sindai · April 9, 2001, 21:37

quote:

Originally posted by Sprayber on 04-09-2001 07:11 PM
I think if you build it and it turns into their territory you loose it and they get the benifits. IIRC.

Correct, a sensor is only "used" by the faction in whose territory is currently lies.

Garth Vader · April 10, 2001, 15:34

So if I build a sensor on a little one square island in the middle of the ocean which is in nobodys territory, nobody gets to use it?

Sindai · April 10, 2001, 16:03

quote:

Originally posted by Garth Vader on 04-10-2001 03:34 PM
So if I build a sensor on a little one square island in the middle of the ocean which is in nobodys territory, nobody gets to use it?

Almost certainly.

Iskandar Reza · April 10, 2001, 16:24

quote:

Originally posted by Garth Vader on 04-10-2001 03:34 PM
So if I build a sensor on a little one square island in the middle of the ocean which is in nobodys territory, nobody gets to use it?

Unless you build a base on it, getting that "unsnipable" sensor arrar bonus. plus i've never seen the AI use marines.

Chowlett · April 11, 2001, 15:24

It makes sense in a way - if it's outwith your borders, then presumably you haven't connected it to your central intelligence grid, or whatever.

gwillybj · April 11, 2001, 17:23

quote:

Originally posted by Garth Vader on 04-10-2001 03:34 PM
So if I build a sensor on a little one square island in the middle of the ocean which is in nobodys territory, nobody gets to use it?

quote:

Originally posted by Iskandar Reza on 04-10-2001 04:24 PM
Unless you build a base on it, getting that "unsnipable" sensor arrar bonus. plus i've never seen the AI use marines.

You can park any old unit out there and it will report all passersby. Use something cheap and expendable, but with a Clean Reactor if possible; a basic "1-1-1 Clean" Clean Scout Infantry should suffice (cost=22), or you can drop off a "0-6+-1 ECM, Clean" ECM Probe Team (cost=88) with his little suitcase and plastic raincoat

(the D6 Probability Sheath is semi-transparent).
If attacked, the unit will get the sensor defense bonus. Most of the time, though, even your enemies will ignore it.

Kuciwalker · April 13, 2001, 10:16

The solar instead of sensors bug? Yep, happened to me too.

Iskandar Reza · April 13, 2001, 15:04

quote:

Originally posted by gwillybj on 04-11-2001 05:23 PM
You can park any old unit out there and it will report all passersby. Use something cheap and expendable, but with a Clean Reactor if possible; a basic "1-1-1 Clean" Clean Scout Infantry should suffice (cost=22), or you can drop off a "0-6+-1 ECM, Clean" ECM Probe Team (cost=88) with his little suitcase and plastic raincoat

(the D6 Probability Sheath is semi-transparent).
If attacked, the unit will get the sensor defense bonus. Most of the time, though, even your enemies will ignore it.

Are you saying an unmanned sensor owned by no one becomes manned by your unit sitting on it's square? It becomes part of your empire?

What if you build a seabase next to a little island (say five squares, x-shaped) and place a sensor on it, it's not technically your territory, but it's in your city radius. Do you get the sensor bonus? Or do you have to put someone (infantry probe, best armor) on it?

Sprayber · April 14, 2001, 01:29

quote:

Originally posted by skywalker on 04-13-2001 10:16 AM
The solar instead of sensors bug? Yep, happened to me too.

I'm glad I'm not alone. Beginning to think I was going crazy.

Sikander · April 14, 2001, 04:24

quote:

Originally posted by gwillybj on 04-11-2001 05:23 PM
You can park any old unit out there and it will report all passersby. Use something cheap and expendable, but with a Clean Reactor if possible; a basic "1-1-1 Clean" Clean Scout Infantry should suffice (cost=22), or you can drop off a "0-6+-1 ECM, Clean" ECM Probe Team (cost=88) with his little suitcase and plastic raincoat

(the D6 Probability Sheath is semi-transparent).
If attacked, the unit will get the sensor defense bonus. Most of the time, though, even your enemies will ignore it.

I wouldn't bother using an expensive clean reactor, especially on a probe team which is already inherently clean. Just a regular infantry armored probe team would be fine. The best bet economically is a supply crawler. It's cheap, clean, and it can even pay for deep radar with the resources it crawls. You don't even need to build a sensor then.

gwillybj · April 15, 2001, 21:34

quote:

Originally posted by Iskandar Reza on 04-13-2001 03:04 PM
Are you saying an unmanned sensor owned by no one becomes manned by your unit sitting on it's square? It becomes part of your empire?

To this part of your question, the answer is yes, sort of. I tested it to be sure. I built a Sensor Array ten spaces outside my faction boundary and at least that far from any other faction. When no unit was sitting on it, it was all dark (I always have fog of war "on"). When I moved one of my units onto it, everything two squares out lit up. I high-tailed it out of there, too, because there were four Mind Worm boils heading for me

. They must get particularly annoyed when the intruders mess around far outside their claimed boundaries.

quote:

Originally posted by Iskandar Reza on 04-13-2001 03:04 PM
What if you build a seabase next to a little island (say five squares, x-shaped) and place a sensor on it, it's not technically your territory, but it's in your city radius. Do you get the sensor bonus? Or do you have to put someone (infantry probe, best armor) on it?

I haven't been able to check this yet. Does anyone else already know?

Sprayber · April 16, 2001, 03:34

From what I remember, it doesn't work to build a sensor on an island that isn't your territory cause of a land base.