Player Features and Ideas Discussion

That's a good tip, considering we are unlikely to see change any time soon.

As long as the system pop is low enough, it should be obvious when someone new shows up.

The POS module I described would have a constant list of ships in system by type and count, updated each time a ship is present longer than a minute. With the absence of cloaked vessels, it keeps this current.
It would list the friendly vs hostile like this:
Battleship 6/2
(this would mean 8 battleships total, 6 friendly and 2 neutral or worse)

The hostile flag is also persistent, although it only acknowledges the presence that any hostile pilot is in system, regardless of number.

Like any POS module, it is dependent on the SOV holders if they want to share the info. Allies would make sense to a point, certainly not with neuts or enemies. The SOV may also choose to just share the hostile flag with allies, not wanting others to know their strength in system.

Oh, really?

Seems like a pretty pointless change to me... Basically, you're asking local to be made like WH space.

Nobody is going to announce themselves really. You have to rely on D-scan or dedicate a pilot to watching a gate. Some people will just leave ships in POS to clutter up D-scan.

And why wouldn't a sov holder have the ability to make their systems have the same type of local as high sec?

Maybe i'm just having a problem understanding the problem without the OP providing any context... Can someone explain in a sentence or two?

As a WH dweller, i wouldn't like unpiloted ships not showing on D-scan... But i don't suppose it matter when i think about it.

This has absolutely no effect on D-Scan, and that would remain as is. (At least as far as my idea goes on this thread)

The POS module is using a modified version that also compares active pilot clone links. (For the purpose of friend or foe estimates)

It is possible for the module to have the option to also list a separate count for unpowered vessels, such as those found often floating around POS's.

The hostile flag serves this purpose: it is a general at a glance that hostiles are present, cloaked, or already listed in ship types described above.

Thank you for reading my idea, I hope it gave you something to consider that becomes useful to your own ideas.

There are many possibilities to how local can change.

The main principles I am trying to stick to are these:

You must not make cloaking a trivial ship function. These ships already paid for this offensively.

You must not make gankers able to have an 'at a glance' source for all they need to know about prospective targets in a system not their own. Skilled pilots right now in frigates can use local as a tool to gank ratters and miners a lot easier than many realize.

Miners and ratters, in their own space, deserve a level of security on par with the efforts of their corp and alliance. They should know immediately if any hostile is present that may want to hunt them. The hostile, not being in friendly space, should need to work for the intel by scanning or probing.

System defenders deserve to know what is in their space, and whether they constitute a threat. A running list of ship types present for longer than a minute will be theirs, broken down between friendly and hostile. They should know if something hostile comes into system immediately, regardless if any other information about the threat is available.

This system will mean less server load. Instead of a custom local list for every pilot, showing icons specific to that pilot of each and every other pilot's standing relative to them, a list of ship types. The ship list will assign friendly or non friendly status to it's list based purely on the SOV holders standings. Let the buyer beware if the SOV holder is blue to both you, and someone you are not blue with. Same goes for the hostile flag.

Like access to other SOV items, this intel will default to just the SOV holder, but they can choose to share the ship list or the hostile flag with their allies.

Just make local delayed, maybe have people in smaller ships take longer to appear in local?

You've updated the proposal since the last time I read it:
I shall answer you as you asked.

1.) I really dislike the idea of a flag that shows hostiles... How are hostiles determined? Are neutrals hostile, only reds, blues?
This is limited to the same POS module, or perhaps a seperate one. The settings are up to the owner, whether you treat neutrals as hostile, friendly, or neither. The same configuration should be used with the ship scanning mod for consistency.
How the information is shared is also configured here, same theory as to who would pass through forcefields at the POS.

2.) With this system, the only reliable method to get intel on a hostile gang, is to have someone in the system they travel to (via gates). Outside of that, gang numbers and composition are a little too easy to hide in my opinions, unless of course, your the locals with an all-seeing POS probe.
If you don't own the system, intel requires effort. Ambushes are real ambushes. If you are able to plant a POS in a system with the scanning module, it becomes a strategic advantage others will want to eliminate as a priority.

3.) I still didn't read any information about ships docking/undocking from stations. Information on pilots entering space by undocking is extremely important, especially in Low sec and NPC nullsec. Intel on pilots in station is also very important!
Station information is being given out for free, to the point it is automatically expected. It is also flawed logic, since pilots can both login and clone jump to stations who had not been previously present. One option is to display these pilots as all being in pods until they actually undock, if balance dictates these need to be seen.

4.) A pos mod to scan ships in local.... Please No... Setting up a POS doesn't require sov, and this is too easy-mode. Anything powerful enough to provide complete intel on ships in space needs to be vulnerable. I would place it at the IHUB, require a certain index level to install, and give it stats so a roaming gang could disable it! Also, limiting such intel to the sov holders is extremely unbalancing to new-coming ships...
You just argued in both directions on access to this information. I am thinking to extend the means of intel gathering as well.
POS modules are more durable, but not indestructible.

I am also now considering the possibility of a scanning ship, designed purely to get counts of active ships in the same manner as the POS.
Both this ship and the POS are suggested items if needed for balance.

Command Ship, AWACS: Astronautic Warning And Control System. Able to generate the same type of list. possibly uses probes. And you thought a logi ship was a high priority target. One of these active in a system is all you need for intel. It can park in a POS, try to hide in a safe spot, whatever makes sense. (As it shares it's telemetry with the fleet, it cannot cloak, warp, or move without dropping the list feed, it has to remain stationary)

Yes, and I like that. :)