Recharge rates and active scanning

[Theodidactus (OP)]

two totally unrelated questions pertaining to the same battle.

-If I have capacitor recharge rate 3, does that mean my weapons recharge 3 power points every 5 seconds? I ask because they are not charging at this rate. My ship's specs say that it needs 32 power, I have 33 supplied by a large reactor and several smaller ones. What are the rules behind weapon recharging


- I'm not sure how targeting of enemies works. I can't shoot missiles at enemies unless I have an active scanner that picks them up. Seems realistic right?
How are enemies shooting missiles at me? They don't seem to be using an active scanner (at least, I'm not seeing one), and the ship I have which is doing the scanning (a war cruiser) is WAAAAAAAAY behind the battle line, they're not shooting at it, they're shooting at gunships farther forward. How are they able to target my ships?

[metalax]

two totally unrelated questions pertaining to the same battle.

-If I have capacitor recharge rate 3, does that mean my weapons recharge 3 power points every 5 seconds? I ask because they are not charging at this rate. My ship's specs say that it needs 32 power, I have 33 supplied by a large reactor and several smaller ones. What are the rules behind weapon recharging

Weapon recharge rate is governed by the capacitor that is included in the weapon when it is designed.

Eg 10 cm laser has a power requirement of 3, the initial capacitor provides 1 point of power per 5 seconds so the weapon recharges in 15 seconds. If you increase the capacitor to 3 when designing the weapon to match the power required, then it will recharge in 5 seconds. You can also increase the capacitor beyond this point but this serves no purpose other than to increase the cost of the laser.

The power required shown in the left of the class design window is the total of the capacitors in the weapons on the ship. This must be matched or exceeded by power produced from the power plants, or the weapons will suffer a proportional slow down in recharge times.

- I'm not sure how targeting of enemies works. I can't shoot missiles at enemies unless I have an active scanner that picks them up. Seems realistic right?
How are enemies shooting missiles at me? They don't seem to be using an active scanner (at least, I'm not seeing one), and the ship I have which is doing the scanning (a war cruiser) is WAAAAAAAAY behind the battle line, they're not shooting at it, they're shooting at gunships farther forward. How are they able to target my ships?

Yes you can't directly target an enemy unless they are illuminated by active sensors. If you have sensor equipped missiles then is is possible to fire at targets outside of active sensor range but still inside firecontrol range by firing at a waypoint. When the missile reaches the point it will use it's on board sensors to try and pick up a target. THe NPR's have to follow the same rules so they should be using an active sensor to pick up the ships thay are firing at.

[Theokrat]

Weapon recharge rate is governed by the capacitor that is included in the weapon when it is designed.

Eg 10 cm laser has a power requirement of 3, the initial capacitor provides 1 point of power per 5 seconds so the weapon recharges in 15 seconds. If you increase the capacitor to 3 when designing the weapon to match the power required, then it will recharge in 5 seconds. You can also increase the capacitor beyond this point but this serves no purpose other than to increase the cost of the laser.

The power required shown in the left of the class design window is the total of the capacitors in the weapons on the ship. This must be matched or exceeded by power produced from the power plants, or the weapons will suffer a proportional slow down in recharge times.

Yes you can't directly target an enemy unless they are illuminated by active sensors. If you have sensor equipped missiles then is is possible to fire at targets outside of active sensor range but still inside firecontrol range by firing at a waypoint. When the missile reaches the point it will use it's on board sensors to try and pick up a target. THe NPR's have to follow the same rules so they should be using an active sensor to pick up the ships thay are firing at.

When firing at a waypoint, the firecontroll range is not import, i.e. you can shoot beyond their nominal range.

Another possibility is that the AI design features an active sensor with a very high tech EM-techline. That would be hard to detect if you do not have very large EM sensors.

[Theodidactus (OP)]

oh...that explains it. my lines ships don't have ANY em detection besides active scanners, which are myopic at conventional EM detection.

[Andrew]

Active sensors have NO capacity to detect enemy active sensors

[Theodidactus (OP)]

well, that makes very little sense, but whatever. They've got EM sensors on 'em now, so it should work.

[DopplerEffect]

I would think that active sensors not detecting other active sensors makes some amount of sense.   Active sensors are tuned to whatever their emitting, which may not be what enemy active's are using.   Passives on the other hand, should detect a much larger spectrum

[Person012345]

How would an active sensor detect an active sensor? They're designed to detect mass. A radar won't tell you if the enemy has their radar turned on after all.

[Theodidactus (OP)]

A radar won't tell you if the enemy has their radar turned on after all.

it is if it's wideband, right? I thought that radar consisted of an emission device and an emission detector. I know for sure that an enemy radar can screw with a friendly radar in real life.

How would an active sensor detect an active sensor? They're designed to detect mass.

this one seems to be a bit questionable. I realize this is largely due to a rules simplification, but If they're designed to detect mass, how come they emit stuff, and their emissions can be picked up by an EM sensor?

Please provide a suitable physicsbabble explanation, I think the game needs one.

[Elouda]

this one seems to be a bit questionable. I realize this is largely due to a rules simplification, but If they're designed to detect mass, how come they emit stuff, and their emissions can be picked up by an EM sensor?

Please provide a suitable physicsbabble explanation, I think the game needs one.

My guess would be that the device that acts as the active sensors 'mass detection' array produces broad-spectrum EM radiation (like shields) as a side effect when active.

It could work either like a radar in that it emits something to detect mass, and then reads reflections, but only its own (extremely fine detection and emission 'bandwidths' out of a large spectrum; no interference from other sensors of the same kind).

Or it might just 'pick up' gravitational disturbances (mass) in its area of effect somehow, though in that case its not 'truly' active except in regards to it needing to be powered/activated.

[Theodidactus (OP)]

Richard Feynman, in his physics lectures, proposes a novel theory involving space being filled by undetectable high energy particles that are absorbed by particles with mass. Things ordinarily don't move because they receive the same amount of exposure on all sides. The more massive something is, the more it blocks these particles, causing a deficit on the side facing the object...so the particles push all objects closer to it...gravity.


He uses this as an example of a bad system, but maybe this is incorporated somehow.

[Person012345]

it is if it's wideband, right? I thought that radar consisted of an emission device and an emission detector. I know for sure that an enemy radar can screw with a friendly radar in real life.

this one seems to be a bit questionable. I realize this is largely due to a rules simplification, but If they're designed to detect mass, how come they emit stuff, and their emissions can be picked up by an EM sensor?

Please provide a suitable physicsbabble explanation, I think the game needs one.

They maybe use a lot of electricity, therefore they have a significant EM signature? They do not use EM to detect (canonically they measure gravitational distortions IIRC) and therefore won't pick up an enemy one.

But here's the wonderful thing about aurora - you can make up your own technobabble. The things called "geological survey sensors" go through several forms in my mind in a typical game as my tech progresses. I personally see no need to limit ourselves to just one explanation.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Yeah. One faction in my latest game uses 'psi-sensors' and silver-age scifi weapons, while the other uses a more conventional Aurora setup. The gameplay differences are fixed, but the RP is totally negotiable.