Author Topic: [Suggestion] Long Range Motion Scanner  (Read 2805 times)

Offline Kyr

  • Squaddie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
    • View Profile
[Suggestion] Long Range Motion Scanner
« on: February 21, 2023, 03:45:08 pm »
I think it would be nice to have something to find that damn last alien hiding somewhere at the edge of a map.

So first idea is just to have scaled up version of the motion scanner so instead of scanning in area of radius 9 with pin-point precision it has something like radius of 90 so the detected alien is anywhere in the 10 by 10 square. This way you know where enemies are without knowing their number or exact location.

The second idea is to have it show only direction of movement. This way you would know that someone somewhere to the north, so you don't need run around the map to find them, but also cant just shell them without ever seeing them.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2023, 01:55:14 pm by Meridian »

Online Meridian

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 9076
    • View Profile
Re: Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2023, 04:21:32 pm »
That "damn last alien hiding somewhere" is usually not moving at all, so the motion scanner would unfortunately not help in most cases.

Offline Kyr

  • Squaddie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
    • View Profile
Re: Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2023, 03:21:18 pm »
Ok, so how about a scanner that doesn't require motion to detect then? Like XPiratez has dogs that can use smell as motion scanner which is a bit weird.

Offline Zeta Reticulan

  • Captain
  • ***
  • Posts: 65
    • View Profile
Re: Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2023, 04:26:29 pm »
Instead of a dog, how about a heartbeat sensor?

Online Meridian

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 9076
    • View Profile
Re: Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2023, 04:39:50 pm »
Ok, so how about a scanner that doesn't require motion to detect then?

That's basically just a cheat, isn't it.

For that, I'd recommend just using the "bug hunt" mode: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,4997.msg73330.html#msg73330

Offline Yankes

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 3346
    • View Profile
Re: Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2023, 01:42:07 pm »
In some far future I have plans to add to OXCE options to custom "Motion Scanner", it will call custom script and based on value will return strength of "beep".

Offline TBeholder

  • Sergeant
  • **
  • Posts: 41
    • View Profile
Re: Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2023, 06:51:06 am »
Ok, so how about a scanner that doesn't require motion to detect then? Like XPiratez has dogs that can use smell as motion scanner which is a bit weird.
That's basically just a cheat, isn't it.
That’s basically an extension for the model of senses and environment.
Currently there are what — vision, nightvision, psiVision, plus quirky magic sense of motion detector and proximity mine? Okay, let’s add hearing and smell — it makes sense, after all. But then, there are water and hybrid rulesets, maybe electrolocation for sharks and shark accessories specialized devices that would sense things through some walls, but not others?
But that’s direct unit-to-unit. Not how the dogs work most of the time. Perhaps moving units could leave tracks for subsets of senses — some human-visible, some dog-“visible” (aura imprints?), as extra decals much like fire and smoke, some in the air and some tied to floor and walkable objects (and destroyed with them)?
If that’s where development goes — cool, but at some point this model will need better unification than more fields like psiVision / psiCamouflage (e.g. arrays of senses/signatures with different properties, much like damage types/resistances, and motion detector “seeing” a more volatile type of tracks), if only to avoid excessive growth and spaghetti-fication of code. The sooner, the better, obviously.

Online Meridian

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 9076
    • View Profile
Re: [Suggestion] Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2023, 07:52:31 am »
None of this is in scope for OXCE.

Offline Ethereal

  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 684
    • View Profile
Re: [Suggestion] Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2023, 06:16:16 pm »
An interesting topic, but would just like to increase the radius of the motion detector. At least up to 12-14. But in any case, this will be a separate mldification, since the author will have to completely redraw the plugin and the entire code of the scanner from beginning to end. As an option to OXCE this is doubtful, but OXCE could have made available features for such a modification.

Online Meridian

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 9076
    • View Profile
Re: [Suggestion] Long Range Motion Scanner
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2023, 10:42:06 am »
Yes, this is roughly what Yankes mentioned above.

I will keep the suggestion open for him.