[Help] Stealth

[PreciousRoy]

Is it possible to do different levels of Stealth?

As I look over race balance, I keep thinking that something's off. In numeric terms, I think the races should be set up something like this:



In the above chart, Stealth is both the value of a Stealth device and a reflection of how many ships benefit from it. (While Federation Stealth is non-existent, I am counting the Aerie class scout and it's Holo-Generator.) I want to balance out the different races a little better over the month of March and get things working right.

While you can see by the chart that I want to give the Federation the highest level of detection, I also want to make it require both Sensor upgrades to get to full power, and I want to make the Tachyon Detection Grid a later-than-sooner research, so that early in the game, Cloaking devices are a real problem.

Can Stealth and Stealth detection be given different values in the ODF's, or is it pass/fail? Can anyone suggest edits to make this work?

[StarBlade]

Originally Posted by PreciousRoy

Can Stealth and Stealth detection be given different values in the ODF's, or is it pass/fail? Can anyone suggest edits to make this work?

Not that I'm aware of. The "detectCloak" line of code in every one of the .ODF entries for "gdetect_.odf" are all set to 3. I've tried changing it to various numbers to see if it has any effect, and the answer's no. Numbers higher than 3 don't have any effect. Changing it to zero crashed the game (could've been something else, though-- that was when I gave up and stuck with 3).

You'll have to let us know if there's any success in getting this sort of detection to work. After all, we know that in Trek, enhanced neutrino detection and impulse engine trails (among other tricks) can be used to spot a cloaked vessel. Remember that scene in ST:III where the mere distortion of space seemed to suggest something was out there?

Still, I don't think "stealth" as a current military concept applies the same way either in canon Trek, nor can it really be brought to apply in A2, since most sensor values are yes/no.

Your chart, however, is quite well thought out and mostly accurate to stock as well-- good show.

[PreciousRoy]

Thanks for the direction and the compliment, TSK. Maybe I'll just add some range on-- a no Upgrade simple range Tachyon Detection, a better range version for one upgrade, and then a higher range version for when both Upgrades are done.

[StarBlade]

Let us know how it turns out. This is an area of A2 modding I've only poked at briefly, and I'm hopeful you'll get some good results.

[Chief_Chainsaw]

I've thought about eliminating cloak detection for all races except Federation and Dominion, and the SW races, and for all of them making it a more 3/4 through the techtree concept. Because lately in my game I've watched entire armadas of klingon and romulan vessels try to flash past my outer defense lines cloaked and just be slaughtered due to their lack of shields while cloaked. Removing the early detection once again brings the claoking device to the forefront making it the terrifying abality it is... the "they can strike anywhere at anytime" fear. In SW they have a few devices for the detection of cloaked vessels but they'll be a later on thing as well. Of course my understanding of the Enterprise B variant of the Excelsior was those versions with the engineering hull protrusions were for enhanced sensor suites to try to detect cloaked vessels. So maybe some idea of a detection array earlier on might be in order.

[rifraf]

I did like you suggest and eliminated the sensors in my game and only allow the scout ships to have tachyon detection. I think the cloaked races should be sneaky because within the limits of tha AI how like you said, they cloak a fleet and stop on your door step but all sensors in range nullify it and they get slaughtered. The research option for tachyon sounds good but since it's hard to detect a cloaked ship, make it expensive to do.