Fog of War and already colonized planets...

[raynor]

You have a scout ship that explores a system and discovers three enemy planets that have colonies on them. Then, your scout leaves the system. Now, when you look at that system, you just see planets without any colonies at all. I think it would make more sense if the game showed you the LAST thing you saw there. In other words, the game should continue to show the empire flag above the colony.

Don't you agree?

Is there any way to alter a setting to make this happen? Or, is this hard coded?

Thanks, much.

[Baal]

This not a feature (yet). You never can see things out of your site, even colonies you know were there.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Baal said:
This not a feature (yet).



Come on Aaron, 1.14 <crosses fingers>

[raynor]

Has anyone emailed Malfador about this one already? As in, if you haven't, would you please. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Slick]

Agree 100%. A semi-related issue is that I believe that all your colonies should automatically get the highest sight (range and level) as the techs become available. It's kinda funny that a ship/satellite can have much better sensors than the planet that constructed it.

[dmm]

Slick said: Agree 100%. A semi-related issue is that I believe that all your colonies should automatically get the highest sight (range and level) as the techs become available. It's kinda funny that a ship/satellite can have much better sensors than the planet that constructed it.


Agree. Meanwhile, I make a small satellite with nothing on it but the computer and a sensor. Takes one turn, and you don't need a shipyard. Alternatively, make a bunch and distribute them around systems as you explore with a sat launcher ship. You might also be able to put a sensor on a weapon platform. (Haven't tried that, but it's almost certainly do-able or moddable.)

[Suicide Junkie]

Heck, it dosen't even take one turn, since you can keep building your other stuff, and one satellite won't make a dent in your construction rate.

[raynor]

I have to constantly remind myself to keep stuff in my building queues so I don't waste the production. I think I would probably tell a planet to build just one satellite and lament the loss of that turn's production. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Artaud]

Baal said:
This not a feature (yet). You never can see things out of your site, even colonies you know were there.



If you place a satellite in the system, and then leave the system, will those colonies remain visible, as in SEIV?

[Phoenix-D]

Not unless your satellite has a sensor that reaches to the colonies, or you've turned on the "doesn't need sensors" option in game setup.

[Slick]

To me, it's the principle of it. Yes, launching a small satellite with a sensor on it will do the trick. It does have to be replaced/assisted each time new techs are obtained. Is it "realistic" in-game? I don't think so. blah, blah, atmospheric interference, blah blah, Hubble, blah blah...

I'd just rather that planets automatically be upgraded to the latest sensors.

[Suicide Junkie]

It is easy enough to put the sensor ability on all facilities...
Use Get_Empire_Tech_level("sensors").

Then, as long as your planet isn't a completely barren backwater mudball, you'll get the sensors.

[PDF]

I totally agree. Is "fixing" the problem of the "disappearing enemy colonies" planned for an update ?
I find it totally bothersome ...and stupid, what a weird idea to have the game "lose" all sightings when you leave !

[President_Elect_Shang]

Suicide Junkie said:
It is easy enough to put the sensor ability on all facilities...
Use Get_Empire_Tech_level("sensors").



SJ unless I’m mistaking that will only return the current level in “Sensors” for that empire, not give the planet the same sight ability as say Basic Sensors or Long Range Scanners. And unless I am totally reading the thread wrong I thought that is what we were talking about; giving a planet the same sight range of the highest tech component of the empire without building a satellite. Also note that this will not work if a mod does not use “Sensors”, say for instance if it uses “Scanners” in place of.

[Baron Munchausen]

Yeah, you'd need to give the facilities the "Sight Level" and "Sight Range" abilities. He's just pointing out how you'd get the default level of sensors for your empire instead of the level of the facility.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Oh right, I kind of thought that was a given but then again the best way to solve a problem is to state all elements that need to go into it. I’m on track now.

[President_Elect_Shang]

I just thought of something while answering a question about adjusting the research. I wonder if you can’t adjust the “Number Of Population Modifiers” in the Settings.txt to affect the range and sight level of a planet. It wouldn’t reflect the highest level of the empires abilities but if it can be done it would mean planets would have the ability. It would also mean that planets that have been sterilized would no longer give you the ability to see what is going on; realistic as no one is there to observe and report back. If a facility has the ability it would still allow you to see into the surrounding space even though no one is left alive on the planet.

Ok very tired now; can’t think; must sleep; tomorrow all!

[eddieballgame]

Baal said:
This not a feature (yet). You never can see things out of your site, even colonies you know were there.



I, for one, like this feature. Any "in game" feature that reflects realism without "hurting" game play is a big plus.(opinion):)

[Phoenix-D]

Its not realism. We don't forget where Germany is just because we can't see it at the moment. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

A sensor ghost would be ideal. You get exactly the same info as the last time you saw it, with the colony being greyed out or something to indicate it isn't current data.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Phoenix-D said:
...We don't forget where Germany is just because we can't see it at the moment...



Ha-ha-ha; You must not have kids in the U.S. school system! Some of them can’t even name 25 of the 50 States; and that’s assuming they KNOW there’s 50 States!

[Phoenix-D]

President_Elect_Shang said:
Ha-ha-ha; You must not have kids in the U.S. school system! Some of them can’t even name 25 of the 50 States; and that’s assuming they KNOW there’s 50 States!



Those are the guys that get to pilot the 20-turn out of date fighters. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[eddieballgame]

So you can "see" Germany from where you are at? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif just kidding, & I see your point, I, for one, just don't mind the way it is.

[Raapys]

A sensor ghost would be ideal. You get exactly the same info as the last time you saw it, with the colony being greyed out or something to indicate it isn't current data.



I've already emailed Aaron about this. I'd like it to work with ships as well, though, and work for the AI too. It would massively improve the AI, and would remove some odditities in the pathfinding calculations, etc. Fog of war really crippled the AI this time around, because unlike us the computer has *no memory* about what was in a hex the last time he explored it, even if he explored it that very same turn, so he will make decisions based on incomplete data; data that he would have had he been a human player.

[Rathar]

While having planets instantly use max tech would be keen the realist in me likes the fact that to see far one must use satellites.

Think of the obscuring effect of atmospheres and the enormously larger distance we humans can now see with sats that look outward.

Rathar

[Suicide Junkie]

eddieballgame said:
So you can "see" Germany from where you are at? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif just kidding, & I see your point, I, for one, just don't mind the way it is.

When I was travelling a while back, I didn't even know I was in Germany at first.

Just puzzling over the map until *Vooom* we get passed by somebody doing 200.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Ya the Autobahn was prime! Me and a friend would rent a car once every month, go to Frankfurt, and go nuts. Then I had this friend in the German Army who wanted me to go with him to help tear down a section of the wall. He said it would make great souvenirs and what did I say? Nay I’ll pass I can’t see why anyone would want a piece of that thing! Amazing how short sighted we can be when youth is our main fuel. And then there was Annette Bhomar, man what a painful memory. How does the song go? “Some things that time just can’t erase”. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[StarShadow]

Phoenix-D said:
A sensor ghost would be ideal. You get exactly the same info as the last time you saw it, with the colony being greyed out or something to indicate it isn't current data.



Stars! does this, it even tells you how old the data is.

[raynor]

Just started a game up under 1.25 with the 1.03 BM. I played for a dozen turns before realizing I'd forgotten to get out pen and paper to record the locations of enemy colonies I encountered. (I realized this as one of my colony ships tried to colonize an enemy homeworld.)

Has anyone heard if Malfador might address this issue sometime down the road?