Silverware wrote:
I am to presume that sensors ranges would be increased to allow for long distance identification?
Well, effective identification range would be increased with active IFF on both sides.
as you can IFF ships as soon as they enter detection range and not sensor-ID-range
Silverware wrote:
Using an inverse square falloff on scanner strength, targets with higher stealth than your scanner could then be marked as a contact, but give no useful information as to what they are unless their AND your IFF is on.
the range attenuation function is to be chosen for whatever fits the balance
All that matters is that df(r)/dr <0
All stealth does is decrease effective scanner ranges.
A stealthed target and an unstealthed target dont behave differently, except the ranges change.
A ship outside effective identification range is either just a blip or an IFFed contact.
Silverware wrote:
If just one of you have IFF on, neither gain the information about the other right?
Jup
Silverware wrote:
If that is the case, then all my issues with the system are alleviated. Stealth doesn't effect IFF, it effects detection, but you need to be detected at all before IFF will ping off.
Jup.
although It can effectively decloak you when you are cloaked and have your IFF on.
Pinging someone on your scanners.
Silverware wrote:
This does remove some of the features my earlier system gives.
Namely that Bountyhunting, Smuggling, Piracy, Police Work. All rely on the same technologies. Stealth and Scanning. (in this version)
You want maximum stealth and maximum scanning. This allows you to find targets early, and not have them find you if your OR their IFF is off. Which in all of the mentioned cases is important.
Smugglers and Pirates would have IFF off to prevent early detection when they scan a target.
Police and Bountyhunters have it on, but aren't looking for people with the IFF on.
Whereas mine meant that Scanning and Stealth were opposed technologies, as Smugglers/Pirates it was all about stealth, where Bountyhunters/Police was all about scanning. Meaning Pirate factions are creating newer and better Stealth, while Police/Bountyhunter factions are creating newer and better scanning modules.
Instantly giving us a nice bit of Asymmetrical game-play and technology progression.
Not really.
Pirates want low sensor signatures either way.
Either to minimise their range at which they show up as a ping at all on anyones scanners.
they also want strong scanning either way because it increases at which they can detect IFF beacons (in the broadcast model) or detect signatures (in the challenge-response model)
And police/bountyhunters want long scanner ranges to counter pirate sneakiness and to ping/read iff beacons from the longest range possible.
With a secondary requirement for stealth to prevent the bad guys from evading them.
Although stealth and detection are pretty much diametral because active scanners are bright :V