I like the principle and it would make things more realistic. My initial concern is over how to display the information. If your sensor data suggests a new contact could be one of three known classes or might be a previously unknown class, how do I convey that to the player on the map. At the moment, it is a simple existing ship or new ship and it used to be known ship or passive signature only. With multiple possibilities, including previously unknown, it becomes more complex not just in identification terms but in information display.
Steve
That's a Con I had not considered that I should have. How to communicate the data analysis to the user.
Some of the answer lies in how detailed the signatures are defined. Will drive signatures, weapon signatures, etc always have a racially identifiable component or will they be common? (ie thermal contact strength X...consistant with race Z) Or... do they require time or some other support level reference to identify the owning race?
As I look at this there are at a minimum of 2 new tables that would be needed, 1 to define signatures and 1 to store current contacts that are not hard identified.
Once the data storage is defined then it's how to report it to the user. That's always the tough part because no 2 users are going to find the same level of detail useful. (I know...preaching to the choir. Just thinking out loud so to speak)
It's probably simplier to start with drive signatures are always race specific vs generic and the additional scan detail refines the owner. (ie thermal scan sees a strength X signature and Race Z is know and that that stength is known to be used in 3 of their warship classes)
Sorry about the rambling. Just got back from a SciFi Convention and partyed quite a bit.