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

[El Yahpo]

How does the motion scanner detect different levels? (I haven't used it much)

I feel like using the improved scanner with the red boxes would make the combo with smoke grenades OP. Maybe improving the interface of the scanner somehow would be better? Definitely, adding an IFF for X-Com soldiers (not civvies!) would be a good idea.

[Unknown Hero]

@ El Yahpo

How does the motion scanner detect different levels? (I haven't used it much)

All levels are displayed at the same time.

Quite strange, I admit, but looking at all these unused buttons, the developpers certainly haven't had enough time/money to fully implement the Motion Scanner. 

I feel like using the improved scanner with the red boxes would make the combo with smoke grenades OP.

It just displays directly the info from the Motion Scanner on the screen.

I you want to go the OP way, don't waste your time with all these different equipments; just use the Blaster Launcher as soon as you can.
Quite boring, yes, but hey, "I use it because I can" style gameplay. 

Definitely, adding an IFF for X-Com soldiers (not civvies!) would be a good idea.

If done intelligently, all of this can be optional, so no worries.

[El Yahpo]

I see what you mean about the blaster launcher xD

However, this setup is useful from the get-go of the game. Also, it doesn't destroy all of your enemies loot!

Last night I also had some more ideas to increase the scanner's functionality.

1. It could be a portable ufopedia - This would allow you to look things up while in combat, like a researched alien's armor values and different weapon stats. IDK if that would actually be useful, but I thought I'd mention it. A problem though would be accessing all of that data with a low TU cost. Maybe adding a cost to open pages?

2. The scanner can give info on armors after research - sort of like the above idea, but it looks like it could fit nicely into the scanner's interface

These ideas aim to make the motion scanner something like the tricorder from star trek. Maybe the mind probe could be the upgraded version of this, and that could put red boxes on the screen.

[Solarius Scorch]

1. It could be a portable ufopedia - This would allow you to look things up while in combat, like a researched alien's armor values and different weapon stats. IDK if that would actually be useful, but I thought I'd mention it.

Oh yes, certainly. I've always wanted to be able to access Ufopaedia in battlescape, and this is a step in the right direction.

A problem though would be accessing all of that data with a low TU cost. Maybe adding a cost to open pages?

I think we can ignore this, I think actual in-game soldiers should know all that already anyway. This is more for the player's convenience.

2. The scanner can give info on armors after research - sort of like the above idea, but it looks like it could fit nicely into the scanner's interface

Sure.

These ideas aim to make the motion scanner something like the tricorder from star trek. Maybe the mind probe could be the upgraded version of this, and that could put red boxes on the screen.

I can't see how this would be harmful.

[DMB]

These ideas aim to make the motion scanner something like the tricorder from star trek. Maybe the mind probe could be the upgraded version of this, and that could put red boxes on the screen.

Wait, giving the Mind Probe actual use aside from more money to hire scientists with?

Count me in!

[Xtendo-com]

Feature with saving locations after motion scanner is already implemented in experimental forks, but never posted here for unknown reasons.
Just compiled that fork

[7Saturn]

Well, if the boxes are used, I'd recommend using another color, than the red cursor-box. Helps to avoid confusing found aliens with the cursor-box. Is there a way for the engine, to give kind of »spotted alien«-status, but without making it visible, what race? Like, it's targetable (by psi, mind probe, normal weapon, etc.), but you can't see what alien type it is, right away, before using a mind probe/getting a visual? A combined version would then be an upgrade and give both items a real advantage. I rarely use mind probe or motion scanner, as they are just to expensive/rarely really useful, especially caused by the reasons mentiones in the first posting. When using the mind probe/advanced motion scanner, it's discovered entirely, but not the map tiles surrounding them (so not as if you were psi controlling it). This way you'd see an alien inside an ufo/house/whatever, where you haven't looked into. So everything surrounding it still is black, except for the alien. In this fashion, I can also imagine a kind of generic »blob«-like shape placed onto the map, instead of the boxes, when using the motion scanner. Maybe some sort of ellipsoid with a question mark on it, until using the mind probe? But I'd recommend not distinguishing aliens from civies, until using a mind probe or getting visual confirmation. Units already seen this round could be distinguished on the motion scanner, especially X-COM's units, which should always be known.

[Solarius Scorch]

Or can we keep the current Motion Scanner? You know, because using it is actually fun?

[7Saturn]

Or can we keep the current Motion Scanner? You know, because using it is actually fun?

Speak for yourself. :-P I always found it as annoying as the OP does, that you more or less need to do a small drawing, in order to really use the positioning abilities of it. A little more useful game play on that behalf won't hurt, especially, when making it optional. =)

[Countdown]

I really do like the red-box idea for the motion scanner (as show in the original post) as that is just taking what the motion scanner is already doing and making it easier to read/use. But that's as far as I'd want to take it. The mind probe use/race detection is taking it a little far I think as Solarius Scorch said on the first page of this thread, it might take away some of the suspense of not knowing what is moving.

[Bloax]

The whole identification thing would be a very neat set of features to have, but for the baseline "motion"-"scanner" we definitely need those "motionscanned" identifier cubes.
Why? Because I can already fucking do it by using the motion scanner and pressing Prntscrn and then pasting the output somewhere so that I can look at it after pulling down the display without spending another 20 TU to take another look.

[yrizoud]

Note, this change spoils completely the surprise of which level is the threat, and this is a huge advantage. It also filters out your own units, which means you don't have to care about who moves first. If there's no disadvantage to balance these, you're basically playing with x-ray vision.

[Xtendo-com]

How I see the implementation.
1) You don't need a TU to see the display result, but you need spend a TU to rescan. May be technically complicated since we need to store a result for every motion scanner. Another solution - you don't need to spend a TU twice if you don't perform another action.
2) If you want a red boxes displayed on the map, spend TU to rescan and after that more TU for red boxes.
3) Mind probe that used blindly allows you to see the enemy movement in his turn, but don't reveals the map and don't reveals the race.

[Solarius Scorch]

I'd rather see an improvement of the existing display than a complete change of visualization.
I'm starting to feel irrelevant here, but I really like how the Motion Scanner works right now. People keep saying it's hard to read, but in my opinion the only trouble is that the scanner is oriented at 45 degrees compared to the battle view. That's the only problem, you need to learn to "tilt" your readout to match the battlescape. So maybe we could actually change the graphics by rotating it, then you'll know that stuff "two tiles up" will actually be two tiles up.

[Xtendo-com]

In vanilla I never used them because initially for me is was hard to read. Laser rifle + smoke grenades works very well. I found motion scanner useful in hellrazor's hardmod expansion since that tool dramatically decreases my soldier losses before I lose a battle completely.

People keep saying it's hard to read, but in my opinion the only trouble is that the scanner is oriented at 45 degrees compared to the battle view

I read from scanner directly by titles using circles without imagination of 45 degree rotate. Just in battlescape you should find where the game count down, right, left and up from the scanner and that's all.