New Ability: Survey

posted on July 9th, 2010, 4:26 pm

The Federation has a great tradition of exploration and often sends lone vessels on far off missions to provide reconnaissance.

Hence, I propose an ability themed on this idea of remote surveillance 

"Short-Term Survey" : Dispatches a Runabout to the target location to provide information about local phenomena to the nearest Federation outpost. Runabouts are autonomous as they are headed by independent research teams and will warp in, perform a slow sweep of the area, and warp out after the allotted time. Costs X amount of supplies as you must equip the crew with basic provisions. Lasts X seconds, reveals X size of location.

Perhaps from Starfleet Command as an 'independent' feature that is not part of the Warp-In limit

posted on July 9th, 2010, 5:20 pm

Sounds cool

posted on July 9th, 2010, 5:27 pm

sounds possible (well kindda can get it warp in reveal a section of the map and then disappear again but dunno bout warping out) all for x seconds and x resources

posted on July 9th, 2010, 6:07 pm

If the "sweep" is anything like setting a ship to the Search or Search & Destroy commands, I'm not sure it would be worth it, except on some of the larger 6-8 player maps. 

Also, would this ship be susceptible to enemy fire?  If so, I'd hate to spend supply only to warp into the middle of an enemy fleet, and be destroyed upon arrival (but I guess that's part of the risk of using it).

I'd be more interested in a "Long-Range" Sector Scan ability, which would produce nearly the same results at reduced risk.

posted on July 9th, 2010, 6:11 pm

Also, would this ship be susceptible to enemy fire?  If so, I'd hate to spend supply only to warp into the middle of an enemy fleet, and be destroyed upon arrival (but I guess that's part of the risk of using it).

are you kidding thats even better, u now know what their fleet is (number, type etc) and where it is. and if its moving u know where it is heading

I'd be more interested in a "Long-Range" Sector Scan ability, which would produce nearly the same results at reduced risk.

you mean like the hyperspace sensor system? nah i dont want a duplication of another thing. unless u want the romulans to get warpin lol

posted on July 9th, 2010, 6:15 pm

Dude I LOVE this.


  I've been pushing for the Runabouts to be included in some cool new way .  I had realized that the most likely way would be as intelligence gatherers and I think this is a great way .


  I'd LOVE to see this done as a sub-function of the SFC or even as a "special" upgrade at the Starbase.  It would be so neat to see a little Runabout take off and "warp" to the destination.



  Great idea, buddy! 

[Anonymous]

posted on July 9th, 2010, 6:25 pm

Last edited by Anonymous on July 9th, 2010, 6:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

unless u want the romulans to get warpin lol

Fed Warp-in is quite enough.    That ability doesn't really seem to to fit with the Romulans anyway, unless you're talking about bringing the Narada through a Black Hole.

-EDIT-

you mean like the hyperspace sensor system? nah i dont want a duplication of another thing.

I did not realize that the Dominion had that....my bad.  Tells you how much I have played as them. 

posted on July 9th, 2010, 7:03 pm

are you kidding thats even better, u now know what their fleet is (number, type etc) and where it is. and if its moving u know where it is heading

Number?  How in the hell are you supposed to know that?  'Click button - sensor spot opens on minimap with a brief instant of enemy ships before sensor spot vanishes due to focus-fire.  Learned very very little.'

In my personal experience, most of the time once ships are engaged, there are explosions at an astounding rate, so I really don't see there being any real intel if the thing just pops.

posted on July 9th, 2010, 9:54 pm

Yes, I think it would be best if the Runabout could be destroyed It is a ship afterall 

posted on July 9th, 2010, 10:05 pm

I think Boggz's romulan "warpin" would have the same effect as warpin, but the ships decloak instead of warping there.

posted on July 9th, 2010, 10:06 pm

Boggz's "warpin" ? ? ?

  Oh .... that was an idea back a ways for new and cool ways of spicing up the Rommie's with cool abilities.


  For this though, I think that a station or special ship launching a runabout that warps to the location would be VERY cool and a great way to incorporate it in to the game .

posted on July 9th, 2010, 10:08 pm

I like this idea, and approve it heartily.

posted on July 10th, 2010, 12:14 am

Number?  How in the hell are you supposed to know that?  'Click button - sensor spot opens on minimap with a brief instant of enemy ships before sensor spot vanishes due to focus-fire.  Learned very very little.'

you of course wont have time to count them, but you will at a glance know whether they have a whole fleet of akiras, or just 3 or 4 etc.

you should be watching your runabout, you ordered it there to have a look, so actually look. ^^

posted on July 10th, 2010, 2:06 am

Well, if it worked like warp-in, you have a variable time window before it comes under your control and grants you sensors.  During that time period, odds are that something requires your active attention, be it an attack on your stuff, one of your fleets, or even just keeping your research or build queue going.

Fair odds that you won't be able to just sit there waiting.  (bigger the map, longer it can take to get your warpins.  Nothing like being in the bottom right corner of a map, and having your warpins come from the upper left, when the map is huge.)

posted on July 10th, 2010, 4:36 am

hm.. sounds like dominion scout special, and hyper sensor station special...  maybe if you could get this special in SFC after you research alien analyze in your dominion captured/ally yard??  that way it keeps the 2 races separate, because ATM federation have both nebula and scouts with special to gain artillary range sensors... ^^;