Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I don't know how many times we've seen the same boring, overused threads about who "CCP should nerf Cloaking", but let's face it. Cloaking works the way it needs to, there just also needs to be a way to counter it

The current problems with AFK Cloaking seem to be that

1: AFK Cloakers can (apparently) lock down entire Alliance-scale Mining/Ratting Operations
2: People keep asking for a nerf to Cloaking, such as making it fuel-based, or cap-intensive

I personally don't AFK Cloak, nor do I have a problem with it. But I do have a problem with people trying to make it impossible for me to use the Cloak for what it's designed for (i.e. allowing me to sneak through low-sec without being killed at a gate)

So I propose: Cloak Scanner Probes. Simply add a modified version of the Combat Scanner Probe, that only detects Cloaked ships. It involves no nerf to Cloaks, it makes AFK-cloakers less of a problem (if they're AFK, they'll get ganked. If not, they move to another safe-spot), and it shouldn't be too hard to implement. They're just the opposite of Combat Scanners. Cloak Scanners don't have the ability to scan down non-cloaked ships, just like Combat Scanners can't scan down cloaked ones

The way I see it, there is no backdraw to this. Sure, it will mean CCP would have to also create a new BPO, one used to build the Cloak Scanner Probes, but how hard can it be to copy-paste the data for the Combat Scanner Probe Blueprint and just change what they produce? And once you have then scanned down a ship, the probes will just send out a signal to negate the cloak, so it's possible to kill the AFK Cloaker

The advantages, on the other hand, are tremendous. It would be easy to implement, meaning CCP would only need to spend a small amount of time on it. It would bring an end to the complaints about not being able to mine or rat with an AFK Cloaker in the system, by giving them a tool

If anything bad happens by doing this, it will be AFK Cloakers start crying on the forums to have the Cloak Scanner Probes removed again because they start losing ships, or we'll have thousands of null-bears crying over not knowing how to scan down ships. And in both of these cases, it is their own fault, for either being AFK or not bothering with actually learning to scan down their enemies, even though they're in null-sec

Either way, I can't see why this hasn't been implemented any sooner. It would've saved so much space on the forums..

And before you say anything stupid, I don't even live near null-sec, but I still have a pretty good feeling that this will solve the problem. If anyone has any constructive feedback, I'm open to it

TL;DR: Add Probe to scan down cloaked ships.

Also that local makes it too easy for nullbears to start safeing up the moment any neut/hostile enters system, so players AFK cloak to give themselves a chance of catching someone. Whats needed is an alternative way to have a shot at catching nullbears so that people wont be forced to AFK cloak, which is a pretty stupid, but currently necessary mechanic.

anti-cloaking probes would ruin cloaking. No.

there is nothing to fix at all,
afk cloak is fine.
why should one not cloak whenever he wants and go afk? Seems making no sense.

why cloak? if i want to go afk, at any given time, at any given place i use an inty with rigs and full speed towards something, or towards nothing. your argumentation is leaking.

Little reguard to the WH community: Check

Complete lack of knowledge on the association of Local intel and Cloaking techniques: Check

Proposing a 'band-aid' fix to a problem that doesn't really exhist accept in his head: Check

Completely ingoring threads already set up to discuss Intel and Local association: Check

Yep it is the standard nerf cloaking thread. Please lock this as it serves no constructive purpose due to over discussion and hyperwhining.

So with two simple button clicks you have broken WH's...

1. Launch probe
2. Scan

After 5sec you have a complete list of how many cloaked people are in the WH you are in.

You really need to think things through before posting.

of course there is a requirement.
while logged out you cant seek for targets.
logged in and semi-afk enemy might thing you are afk and gets acive, allowing to kill him.
Local isnt working only one way for you, it should work the other way also, thats all legit.

lol cloaks are pretty much easy mode gameplay I can see why a lot of people want to keep them
But if I want to actively defend my space by killing everyone inside, why should I not be able to? Because people need their cloak crutch? Not a good enough reason.

Really what should happen is that local, d-scan and probes become useless while cloak, rather then make cloaking detectable.

Kills cloaked ships as a tactical asset. What about ships on grid and cloaked such as reckons or SB's? Drop probes around location, boom, insta-warp to ship.

Makes cloaks only ever useful for 'hiding' rather than 'hunting'.

Not to mention the effect on WH explorers...