Alternative to Mobile Observatories

[Hoder_Daynari]

Alright, given a first glance at the current implementations on sisi, the mobile observatories are a joke.

They screw over bombers more than they do mess up AFK cloaking, and the current implementation is a bit of a joke to script around, so if we don’t really want to have even more bots we should take a look at this kind of implementation.

As such, I would suggest the following:

• First 30 minutes of entering a system by any means other than logging in you are immune to decloaking (current decloak mechanics apply), now referred to as purple timer for color’s sake
• Every time you recloak you gain 10 minute of purple timer
• To decloak you need IHUB with sov 3, then you can install a Mobile Observatory (destroyable structure like everything else, max 3 per system, normal anchoring rules apply, not nearby any other structures)
• You can open the mobile obs, you trade it ~15 mil worth of items (salvage equipment for example, small volume), in return the mobile obs will trade you 8 covert detection probes
• Probes have a lifespan of 10 minutes after being transferred to the cargo
• Probing works the same as ship probing, you load them in an expanded launcher, common buffs to the probes with skills & implants apply
• Upon successful probing down a ship (friendly or hostile) it will decloak the ship and apply a 5 minute debuff in which the ship cannot recloak. It will also apply a 15 minute logoff timer to both the scanned target and the scanner
• A successful probe will not give you a warpable location of the ship, for that you need to use combat probes

This method aims to increase the amount of cat & mouse without totally messing up bombing squads that are sitting at their computer but need to wait for the perfect time to strike. Active hunters can also go to a safe, momentarily cycle the cloak to regain the purple buff for 10 minutes and go back to hunting.

Also moving hunters gain a buff since the initial purple timer of entering a system would be 30 minutes.

Cost of the deployables towers could remain the same, these don’t need to cost much tbh.

Leave feedback in the comments!

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Edits:

• Readability improvements

[Jester_Heki]

Ooooh I kinda like this, just make sure purple timer can’t go over 30m, maybe to match changes it starts at 30m, but it can’t go over 15m by cloaking. Decloak and recloak sets timer to 15m if you are less than 15m.

[Hoder_Daynari]

Yeah, basically recloaking would just set it to 10 min if your purple timer is lower than 10 minutes. Otherwise it wouldn’t affect it.

[Jester_Heki]

Sounds like a much better change, I especially like the large penalty if you get caught, which gives the residents an incentive to scan you down, and scanning is active gameplay.