Author Topic: "free" sensors?  (Read 1611 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Deoxy (OP)

  • Warrant Officer, Class 2
  • ****
  • D
  • Posts: 50
"free" sensors?
« on: May 10, 2011, 04:32:25 PM »
So, I've noticed for a while (but never asked) that ships without sensors can still sense other ships by thermal signals (and colonies by EM signature as well, which are usually pretty large).

So... what good are adding passive sensors then?  Are the "free" ones just really weak?  What's the mechanic, here?
 

Offline welchbloke

  • Vice Admiral
  • **********
  • Posts: 1044
  • Thanked: 9 times
Re: "free" sensors?
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2011, 04:33:54 PM »
So, I've noticed for a while (but never asked) that ships without sensors can still sense other ships by thermal signals (and colonies by EM signature as well, which are usually pretty large).

So... what good are adding passive sensors then?  Are the "free" ones just really weak?  What's the mechanic, here?
IIRC every ship without any sensor has an inherent 0.5HS thermal sensor capability.
Welchbloke
 

Offline Ziusudra

  • Lt. Commander
  • ********
  • Z
  • Posts: 210
Re: "free" sensors?
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2011, 04:48:59 PM »
A ship without any components has "Sensors 1/1/0/0". The numbers refer to Thermal/EM/Grav/Geo; for Thermal and EM the number is the sensor strength, for Grav and Geo it is survey points per hour.

With a thermal sensor strength of only 1, an enemy ship with a thermal signature of 100 would be detected at 100,000 km. With a sensor strength of 10 that same ship would be detected at 1,000,000 km.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2011, 04:56:24 PM by Ziusudra »
 

Offline Thiosk

  • Commodore
  • **********
  • Posts: 784
  • Thanked: 1 times
Re: "free" sensors?
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2011, 04:52:48 PM »
I liken those ranges to looking out the window. 

Hey, whats that OH SHI--