CCP still have plans to add these and to make them interact with local i.e being the thing needed to provide local in sov null-sec. I think this is a good idea
I would like to see some interaction between them and a pilot however, may I propose that the hacking module can be used to disable them for 24 hours. To avoid it conflicting with using the hacking module to find the observatory’s timer, may I suggest another hitbox on them ala outposts that would need to hacked for them to be disabled. Disabling them would cut-off local for 24 hours and maybe anything else they can do.
People seem to think it might be good to use them to find cloakers, I am not so sure because guerilla warfare needs to be a thing and pandering to the lowest common denominator [AKA krabs] is not something I would like to see.
Maybe to detect a cloaker, it scans the system and can ‘ping’ the whereabouts of an area where the cloaker is, but never with 100% accuracy, so perhaps people would be able to see within say a 1000 [probably a little more] km sphere where a cloaker may be. The observatory would not be able to warp hunters to the location, the hunters would have to find the ways and means to do it themselves.
What could it also do? Maybe it could replace the cyno inhibitor from pos’s and hacking the module on the observatory could stop this functioning too.
These abilities would naturally need a service module to all function, so a Local Module, Covert Detection Module and Cyno Inhibition Module.
I think it would be fine if you could hack it to turn it off for 24 hours so long as the owners can come turn it back on anytime they want. If you want to ensure it stays off for a length of time, blow it up.
Feel free to ambush them when they show up to check out who is messing with the observatory.
The ability to detect cloaks should be a function of the structure that you have to interface your ship with it to get it to work, but otherwise function like scanning does now. They can watch the structure to know when someone is in a position to actually find them, and otherwise have to move around and stay active to maintain their safety in hostile space.
An active pilot would have the opportunity to avoid it, but it would not be certain. Nobody operates at 100% at all times.
Cloaks do need a counter, especially if they change local in this way. Regardless of what the cloaker is doing, if someone wishes to oppose it then the ability to do so should exist. Currently that isn’t the case, and the pathetic excuse for that is some convoluted anti-logic involving Local. So if we get that change, we should be getting the other as well.