[DONE] [Suggestion] Motion Scanner without pencil and paper

[Unknown Hero]

4) Motion Scanner.

The Motion Scanner is an underrated equipment. It's powerful, but a real pain to use.
The player need to draw a diagram on a piece of paper and count the tiles on the combat zone. If only...



After using the Motion Scanner, all the spotted aliens are indicated by a 3D red box at there locations on the combat area for the whole turn duration.
Spotted XCom soldiers are also indicated if they do not move meantime.

Also, allow the soldiers to use the Mind Probe on the indicated 3D red boxes.



But look at all these buttons and displays unused... ....clearly the developpers have not had enough time to fully develop the Motion Scanner.



First, to maintain consistency with the minimap color code (Aliens indicated with blue dots, Xcom soldiers indicated with yellow dots), the Motion Scanner flashing spots should be changed to flashing blue dots for the Aliens, and flashing yellow dots for XCom soldiers (current default color).
Also, during Terror missions, the Civilians flashing dots must adopt a different color to differenciate them (they are also indicated at there locations with 3D boxes the same color on the combat area).

The player can left click on a flashing dots directly on the display to have information about the alien. A red circle is displayed around the flashing blue dot selected.
The top screen to the right displays the alien name (Muton), and the bottom screen displays the Muton sprite. The player can click on the Muton sprite to have advanced information: "The Muton takes 0.6x damage from armour-piercing weaponry.", etc.

**

The top left blue button allows to change the flashing dots displayed. By default all the Battlescape levels are shown, the text "ALL" is displayed over the button.

By left clicking one time the button, only the Level 0 dots are displayed (the text "0" is displayed over the button);
another left click, only the Level 1 dots are displayed (the text "1" is displayed over the button);
another left click, only the Level 2 dots are displayed (the text "2" is displayed over the button);
another left click, only the Level 3 dots are displayed (the text "3" is displayed over the button);
another left click, all the dots on all levels are displayed (the text "ALL" is displayed over the button).

At any time, right clicking one time on the button displays all the dots on all levels (the text "ALL" is displayed over the button).

**

A new device can be researched after the Motion Scanner: the Remote Scanner Probe.

Remote Scanner Probe:

Size: 1 high x 1 wide
Weight: 3
Activating: 50%
Throwing: 25%
Explosions Resistance: 8
Manufacturing: $24,000 for parts, 310 Engineer Hours
Sell Price: $32,100

The Remote Scanner Probe works just like the Motion Scanner, except it only have a detection system, and a data transmission system has been added.
The soldier need to activate it before to throw it to be usable. The Remote Scanner Probe is fragile, so beware when the soldiers throw their grenades (or aliens grenades, and the alien AI can also be educated to destroy them ;-) ).

Once activated, the Remote Scanner Probe automatically sends data to all the Motion Scanners used by soldiers.

**

The top right green button allows to change the data displayed on the Motion Scanner screen. By default the local Motion Scanner data are shown (the one used by the soldier), the text "00" is displayed over the button.

If Remote Scanner Probes were launched, the Motion Scanner can display the transferred data.
Each Remote Scanner Probe gets automatically a number to be recognized.
The first launched Remote Scanner Probe gets the "01" number, the second launched Remote Scanner Probe gets the "02" number, etc.

By left clicking one time the button, the data from the Remote Scanner Probe 01 are displayed (the text "01" is displayed over the button);
another left click, the data from the Remote Scanner Probe 02 are displayed (the text "02" is displayed over the button);
another left click, the local Motion Scanner data are shown (the one used by the soldier), (the text "00" is displayed over the button).

At any time, right clicking one time on the button displays the local Motion Scanner data, (the text "00" is displayed over the button).

**

Left clicking on the bottom left green button allows to access directly the Minimap to have a better evaluation of the situation. All aliens detected by the Motion Scanner and the Remote Scanner Probes are shown on the Minimap. Close the Minimap screen comes back to the Motion Scanner screen.

Once the Motion Scanner is closed, all the spotted aliens by the Motion Scanner and all the Remote Scanner Probes are indicated by a 3D red box at there locations on the combat area for the whole turn duration.
Spotted XCom soldiers are also indicated if they do not move meantime.

**

Clicking on the bottom right red button launches the 1978 Arcade game "Space Invaders" ...just kidding ;-) ...or perhaps as an easter egg by right clicking on the button...

So, left clicking on the bottom right red button selects the first blue flashing dot (just like to directly select a dot on the screen, and a red circle is displayed around the flashing blue dot, the top screen to the right displays the alien name (ex: Muton), and the bottom screen displays the Alien sprite), another left click selects the second blue flashing dot, etc.

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***** Added 06/23/2014 - Start
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Add an option that allow the Motion Scanner to display non moving units.

"Motion Scanner also detects and displays non moving units" - "YES" - "NO" - (default "NO")

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***** Added 06/23/2014 - End
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*****
Cut from this thread on demand for better convenience:
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=2279.0

[davide]

+1

some improvements to motion scanner are welcome


The best was the research tree allows new version of this item with more info

[Solarius Scorch]

I never any problems with positioning aliens, but some people complained about it, so why not.

And I really, really like the thrown scanner. It's a great tactical advantage and looks fun to use!

I also like race recognition, but I'm afraid it may take away some suspense, especially in terror missions (is it a civilian or an alien?). I think it can be remedied by adding a hearing aspect (like UNIMOD did for UFO:ET) with no scanner required, but it's too broad to explain here; I'll make a new thread.

[Aldorn]

Like all of these ideas and especially probe system.

Available improvement : "Mind Probe Scanner" = Scanner + Mind Probe => switch on a button displays Mind Probe analysis (with a TU cost)

Sight of aliens will certainly have to be raised accordingly, because all of this could provide a big advantage to XCOM units.

[moriarty]

I like the idea of a combined mind-probe-motion-scanner-device

so, first of all, +1 for "3d red boxes on battlescape after having used motion scanner"

perhaps the "advanced motion scanner" (research available after mind probe is researched, scanner item is 2x2 and looks like motion scanner mounted on top of mind probe, with some additional wiring and stuff) could then differentiate between "alien" and "human" blips, or even indicate the race of the alien...

the "remote scanning probe" sounds like an interesting tactical option, true. the alien AI would definitely need to include "throw grenade at remote scanner", though

[SenniTrebor]

like a lot

[Sturm]

The Motion Scanner is an underrated equipment. It's powerful, but a real pain to use.
The player need to draw a diagram on a piece of paper and count the tiles on the combat zone.

No, not really. Never had to draw anything or count anything to get lots of value from the scanner.

[Qpoter]

I prefer the scanner as it is, but I also think this is a good idea for those who don't. I wouldn't say you need pencil and paper to use the scanner, though.

[MKSheppard]

I once suggested an upgraded motion scanner with race recognition -- but you would have to do autopsies and interrogations first to build up a database of how humans move vs aliens before you could use that.

[grant_lee]

While very interesting, most of your ideas fall into the "mod" section to me.

A slight improvement, still in the spirit of the vanilla game, could be to replace the motion scanner background with another grid :


Also, an icon could be added somewhere on the screen allowing fast access to a scan result.

[Unknown Hero]

@ MKSheppard

I once suggested an upgraded motion scanner with race recognition -- but you would have to do autopsies and interrogations first to build up a database of how humans move vs aliens before you could use that.

I also thought about something like that, but with the Hyperwave Decoder, the player already know the alien life form before the combat begin, and otherwise as soon as he see an alien during combat.


@ Qpoter

I prefer the scanner as it is, but I also think this is a good idea for those who don't. I wouldn't say you need pencil and paper to use the scanner, though.

Quoting myself:

"Divide your team in different squads; one squad with soldiers equipped with Flying Suits to enter the UFO on the top, by the hole made with a Blaster Launcher, to kill Alien Commanders and make panicking Alien Soldiers; one squad on the floor to enter by a door/hole; one squad on the floor to enter by another door/hole; one or two others squads to check the farms around; all squads equipped with Motion Scanners making use of them before moving then after moving, all in the same turn, and all of this in smoke from Smoke Grenades."

[darkestaxe]

I prefer the scanner as it is, but I also think this is a good idea for those who don't. I wouldn't say you need pencil and paper to use the scanner, though.

I understand how the scanner works, but I need pen and paper to make actual sense of what I'm looking at.

[Sturm]

One thing about the pencil and paper scanner - replicating the exact precision of aliens using pencil and paper to do planning would be unrealistic. Turns are pretty short and there's no time to make precise notes of where which aliens is and consulting it with terrain layout, especially from the first person perspective of the soldiers.
A general impression offered by the scanned display is probably the best that can be done in a such a short period of time. Especially that the aliens move around.

[Muukalainen]

I haven't used it since when.

But ain't the idea only to roughly show if there is nearby movement detected? I don't think it is supposed to be precise information that it gives you.

[Unknown Hero]

@ Sturm

One thing about the pencil and paper scanner - replicating the exact precision of aliens using pencil and paper to do planning would be unrealistic.

It's a game, not reality. Chryssalid?!? Really!?!

Turns are pretty short and there's no time to make precise notes of where which aliens is and consulting it with terrain layout,

It's turn based, turn can be "infinite".

especially from the first person perspective of the soldiers.

It's a game. And not a FPS game.


@ Sturm, @ Muukalainen

You can use the Motion Scanner in different ways (assuming the Aliens have moved during their turn).

Examples :

1) You want to enter a UFO, check before moving inside. "Yes - No".
Are there Aliens inside the UFO?
--> Yes.
--> No.

2) You want to enter a UFO, check before moving inside. "Yes - No - How many".
--> Yes, 3 Aliens.
--> No.

3) There is smoke from Smoke Grenade, your Soldiers can only see 6 tiles away.
The Motion scanner detect 3 Aliens. You (as player) can not see the spotted Aliens on the screen. None of your Soldiers can see one of these Aliens (no red squares on the right side of the screen; no yellow 3D box ("there is someone here!") when you move the 3D box mouse cursor on the screen at the location detected by the scanner; no yellow cursor ("Fire" mouse cursor) when you move the "Fire" mouse cursor on the screen.

You want to fire at one Alien with an "one tile area" weapon (Laser Pistol, Heavy Plasma, whatever). So, you have no other choice that to count the tiles in this case, to fire precisely at the Alien location. Even worse if using multiple Motions Scanners at different locations on the map (the different location can even be close enough and the scanners readings overlap), before firing.

If the player want to use the Motion Scanner with all its possibilities, the way it has been implemented in original XCom is not sufficient.