(snipped description of new sensor model). From a gameplay point of view I think this has the following advantages:
What you are describing is similar to the method I used before the current one
. The sensor designer faces a choice between detecting large objects at long range and having a high GPS or smaller objects at medium range and having a lower GPS. A sensor with a resolution of 200 isn't much good for detecting ships smaller than 10,000 tons but it is superb at giving your position away to anyone within a billion kilometers.
Eliminates the "all or nothing" effect in active sensor design - currently if I guess wrong about minimum hull size (say 50 HS when the target is actually 45 HS) then I can't see target ships that are too small at all, even if they're 100x closer.
I agree that this element is unrealistic but I wanted some way to give players a decision between range and sensitivity (as in the real world). I am trying to model in a very simple way the complexities of radar systems. Perhaps one option is to add technology to give a sensor multiple modes (which has a real world equivalence) so that it alternates between 2 or more different resolutions but with some disadvantage associated with the ability (more below)
Puts the target size/detection range back in. A particular active sensor should be able to see a bigger target from further away. Unless I misunderstand, the present system doesn't have that effect - to detect a bigger target farther away, you have to have a longer ranged sensor installed. Now that I think of it, I think this is the fundamental issue with the present system - all targets are treated the same (visible or invisible) for a given active sensor design.
PS - I realize you were tyring to model things like pulse repetition rates and emitter frequency with the current system - I just think the abstraction for them isn't working. If you're concerned about wanting to simulate the fact that there are a lot of specialized radars on a naval warship, I would say that that's already in the game with the speed/tracking range tradeoffs in fire control.
Simulating the fact that there are a lot of specialized radars on a naval warship is a major part of the sensor changes. The fire control radar partly helps with that but not completely. Take the Kirov in the nineties for example
She has Top Pair and Top Steer 3D radars, which are used to provide bearing, range and height data on a number of targets, two Top Dome radars, which provide specific fire control for the SA-N-6 SAM, two Pop Group radars for the SA-N-9 SAMs, two Eye Bowl radars for the SS-N-14 anti-sub weapons, one Kite Screech radars for the 130mm guns, four Bass Tilt radars for the point defence (AK-630s) and three Palm Frond navigation radars. The only thing that doesn't have a specific radar system is the Shipwreck anti-ship missiles. There are also 20+ EW systems as well. I obviously don't want to get into that level of detail, but I want to reflect specialization rather than simply applying more strength to a radar and getting better at everything.
Going back to the idea of multiple modes. How about an active sensor that has one or more alternative modes which are less effective. For example, a sensor with a strength of 50 and a resolution of 40 would have a secondary antenna with a strength of 25 and a resolution of 20 (although that might be over-generous). This would automatically function when the system was activated. This provides a shorter range ability against smaller targets. In fact, this secondary (and perhaps even tertiary) ability could be another tech line and form part of active sensor design. For example, the baseline might be a secondary function with 10% strength and 80% resolution. The next step would be a secondary function with 15% strength and 75% resolution, etc.
I really want to avoid a straightforward more strength = more range vs all sizes of target (which is the case even if we use active focusing as a second type of "strength"). In the real world, radars are specialised for different tasks and I want to reflect that within Aurora.
Steve
