Scanning

[Havear (OP)]

I'd like to know what "scanning" is precisely and how to use it. I know that sometimes when salvaging wrecks I "scan" it somehow to learn more about it, but I'm unsure how to purposely do so. Some of the older patch-notes and fiction makes reference to active sensors scanning things to learn more about them. The issue came up when I realized that I must be doing something wrong, since salvaged components aren't added to the tactical intelligence for that class.

[Erik L]

Scanning usually refers to active scanners/sensors.

[Havear (OP)]

I'm referring to the event that's worded something along the lines of "<Ship> has scanned the wreck and has discovered evidence of <tech>!"

[Erik L]

I'm referring to the event that's worded something along the lines of "<Ship> has scanned the wreck and has discovered evidence of <tech>!"

That requires the scanning ship to have active sensors. It is also leads to a deterioration of relations.

[Havear (OP)]

What kind of sensors? What resolution is required to scan wrecks? What kind of timetable does it take for a scan? Is it possible to continue scanning a ship and\or a wreck until you have complete data on the class?

[Erik L]

What kind of sensors? What resolution is required to scan wrecks? What kind of timetable does it take for a scan? Is it possible to continue scanning a ship and\or a wreck until you have complete data on the class?

Any active sensors.

Each time increment there is a chance to discover information. Should be someplace in the Mechanics forum.

[Bgreman]

Any active sensors.

Each time increment there is a chance to discover information. Should be someplace in the Mechanics forum.

As far as I knew, active scanners yielding tech data on ships was taken out a long time ago.

To get tech information, you can interrogate crew rescued from life pods, run espionage teams, or disassemble salvaged wreck components.

[Havear (OP)]

Wreck scanning apparently does not require active sensors at all. So... is it completely random? Or is there a way I can semi-manually have data input?

[Bgreman]

I don't think I understand your question.  The wreck is "scanned" when you begin to salvage it (or finish salvaging, I forget).  The tech data is carried on the ship and delivered to your research establishment when that ship goes to a colony.

You can get more research data when you disassemble any parts you find inside the wrecks.

[Havear (OP)]

Yes, I understand that. I want to know why sometimes on finishing a salvage job a wreck is not scanned. I'm hoping there's a way I can continually scan a ship to fill out the tactical intelligence for that tab, since I find using the small notes window for everything difficult.

[Haji]

Please note I'm not writing so much about mechanics, about what I have observed in game. Ergo, what I write may be very wrong.

Having played several campaigns with several factions starting on the same planet with active sensors being deployed rutinously (although not constantly) I have never seen active scanning providing information about technology. As such I believe the person who said it was taken out is correct.

The only few times I have seen technology being scanned was when I was salvaging wrecks of other factions - but never the random ones that appear during exploration.

All in all I think that the curent 'scanning for tech' is random event occuring during salvaging of wrecks of other factions in game. But that is only my guess.

[Marthnn]

He seems to mean scanning to know more about a specific ship design, like painting a target or potential target with active scanners to randomly have a chance to know about its speed, sensor abilities, weapons, fire control range, whatever. I myself know absolutely nothing about it, but that's what he meant by "tech".

[Havear (OP)]

In general, you have the gist of it Marthnn. I know that a lot of basic observed data, such as speed, cross section, thermal and em readings (including active grav emissions), and weaponry if used is filled in, most of the following by active sensors. While I'd like to know if there's a means of continually scanning for a long period to learn non-obvious details, I had figured that indeed it had been removed, and so, more specifically, I wanted information on scanning related to wrecks. My own experiences are similar to Haji's, and it appears to be entirely random and not based on sensors scanning it, yet I wanted confirmation that this was indeed the case and it wasn't possible to scan wrecks thoroughly to better understand internal systems.

[Steve Walmsley]

You can't get research information from enemy ships by scanning them with active sensors. That used to be the case but it was removed several versions ago.

You can't get research information from wrecks by scanning them with active sensors. However, when you salvage a wreck you may get research information from it, either directly at the point of salvage or by disassembling any components you recover. If you gain research information directly from a wreck, your salvage ship will download it to any population with a research facility. If there is no such population in the current system, the salvage ship will retain the data until it enters a system with a research facility. When you disassemble components, that research information will be allocated to the population at which the component is disassembled. Therefore it is a good idea to disassemble components at a population with research facilities.

Steve