[Progression Tweak] Make the Ore Detector directional but automatable.

Hi All,

A simple idea I've had over the last few weeks: make the Ore Detector directional. Ore Detectors are generally not a very sexy block. They are over powered and can be attached to any ship regardless of its specialization. Why not adjust their properties a bit to create a need for specialized detector ships or sections, and create a bit more diversity?

Nerf:

- Ore Detector will now offset it's range the same way as the Welder. A sphere will be projected from the tip of the block, only straight into space. This will also extend the range significantly.
- Make progression more challenging by forcing players to start off with one detector, and gradually build up to a full array pointing in all directions.
- Link range to power consumption and increase the power demand when scaling up to max range (hungrier at longer range). This will add an extra challenge while managing the ship, further increasing need to specialize ships.
- Further limit the use of Ore Detectors by allowing only one ore to be searched for at any one time. Call it in a sense 'tuning' the detector to only a single 'ore frequency'. ​

Buff:
- Adjust the now nerfed Ore Detectors by allowing them to trigger grid actions once an ore is detected, just like timer blocks or sensors.
- Allow a 'frequency' rotation option to be selected in the block UI. This will help with early game situation where the player would need to scan for multiple ore types using a single ore detector. Original functionality is not hampered too much, but room for ship growth/sophistication is added.
- Further expand the information which can be queried using the programming API. Allow for distance to a detected ore deposit to be shared and it's direction relative to the current facing of the ore detector. Allow for the modification of the searched ore to be changed by programming blocks and watch the creation of automated miner drones

- taterbits

 

I like much of this idea, mostly approve of implementing the programming api. I don't agree with forcing it to scan one ore at a time though. I'd also say to boost the range, even if you effectively double the range of the large group to 300m, it's still a bit short.

 

How do you make it balanced tho? Like think of a PvP/competitive space environment: two factions fighting for territory in space.
I'm worried you can use it to very easily find enemy bases. The best place to build a base is close to resources, so having an omni-directional ore detector is somewhat like an infinite radar. Same applies to space & asteroids.
My idea with limiting it to one ore was three fold: to make it easier to program, make end-game more difficult and most importantly limit how OP it is for PVP.

 

At 300m you don't need radar to detect an enemy base. Not that an ore detector will help much with that, it detects ore voxels not grids, knowing that an area contains ore doesn't really inform on whether a base is there, at best you can infer that a base is probably in an iron rich asteroid, or not, maybe being iron rich makes that less desirable to your target. It doesn't make end game more difficult either, just bothersome. Instead of building one I'll just build six on a rotor and scan for everything I want. And it doesn't make it easier to program either, if anything you'd be adding more code. Rather than simple reporting all ore found now you have to irritate and check if those ore are what's being searched for

Edit: I'm fine with uni-directional, just see no point in limiting things to a single ore at a time

 

Ok, agree. But how do you then build AI miner bots without programming blocks? It's probably not gonna work.

 

heh heh....what about making it function like a spotlight.....you know point it in a direction and it could detect the ore based on what it sees in front of it.

imagine having to point it and it'd have to scan an area for a moment before it can just pop out and say......ICE,URANIUM , IRON, GOLD!
imagine if for each ore it would make a different click or sound so you could get used to it by sound.
like it would detect it and begin to emit a type of pitch or humm...and the closer you aim to it the more clear the noise is until the detect can say for certain "iron detected."

 

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. I didn't say anything about the programable block. How would you make an automated miner without the PB regardless of how many ores are being detected

 

I like the spotlight idea.