What about cloaking?

Discussion in 'Planetary Annihilation General Discussion' started by sigmud2, January 12, 2015.

?

Cloaking? Yes, no, maybe so?

  1. Yes, I love the idea

    35.9%
  2. No, I don't really like this idea, stop

    20.5%
  3. Maybe so, once they have balanced out, optimized and worked on the core game a bit more.

    43.6%
  1. sigmud2

    sigmud2 Member

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    So a friend of mine and I were thinking about the best ways to lay siege to a planet and the only things that we could think of that didn't end with a destruction of the siege (unless it was direct) was if there was a unit that could "cloak" radar wise, or if there was a building that you could build to cloak units against radar. What does everyone else think about this idea, is it good or bad? and if you think that it is(either of those), what is good or bad about it? I would love some input on the idea, and there is a slight chance my friend might try his own at coding a mod for this, but probably not.

    Edit: I envision this unit as a satellite, sort of like an advanced radar satellite, although it would be the complete opposite of it, giving a small range of sight, and obviously the opposit effect of the advanced radar. Th only way to get around the cloak would be to have some mix of radar that can see orbital units, i.e. Advanced radar and orbital radar

    Even more edit: Keep in mind I don't mean sight cloaking (invisibility) I mean counter intelligence cloaking
    Last edited: January 14, 2015
  2. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

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    Cloaking is in the game. It's often referred to as "destroying enemy intelligence installations" :D.
  3. theseeker2

    theseeker2 Well-Known Member

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    the idea is to move unseen, not reveal yourself by shooting his intelligence installations.
    sigmud2 likes this.
  4. genouious

    genouious Member

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    The intelligence options that supreme commander provided players with (stealth, jamming, cloak, etc) is something I sorely miss when playing PA. However I would hope that they would do a better means of balancing it than supcoms all knowing omni sensor.
  5. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

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    Well don't do it with your main attack force silly! I built an Anchor over a player's base in a recent match. Next thing you know there's 400 dox storming through his weak side. He had a big wall of turrets on one side so I just attacked another and made sure he couldn't see it coming.

    Ok in that instance there was enough time between me taking out the radar and storming the base that he could've built another (not sure if he did). But you get the idea.

    PS: Some people don't like it when you do that. "noob spamming stuff". Hehe, that was cute.
  6. theseeker2

    theseeker2 Well-Known Member

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    why dox? why not bolos on the weak side and infernos on the turret side?
  7. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

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    I'd take a screenshot but I'm not currently in a position to do so. See for yourself:

    http://pastats.com/chart?gameId=267490
  8. MrTBSC

    MrTBSC Post Master General

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    stealth maybe ... but optical cloack ? no thx .. have no interest in playing hide and seek mid to late game ...
    bastianforge and Bsport like this.
  9. Diaboy

    Diaboy Active Member

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    I agree with this. Perhaps portable radar jammers..? Not to leech off TA or anything. The counter to this is satellites, of course, with their large sight radius. I'm sure there are other interactions that I can't think of. How does orbital stealth work in that instance?
  10. sigmud2

    sigmud2 Member

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    I would think that so long as the cloaking satellite can't be seen and none of the units it is cloaking can be seen the cloak wouldn't be broken.
  11. MrTBSC

    MrTBSC Post Master General

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    why a omnisatalite again? ... just scout ... when your opponent uses jammers or stealth scout more ... visual >>>>>> any other input ... i disliked that so much bout supcom ..


    go with stealth and jammers first ... because on multiplanet i can see that be already incredibly powerfull ... cloak would be way too op with the scaleability ...
    and i rather would like to not have it at all than to have to turn it off ...
  12. Diaboy

    Diaboy Active Member

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    Sorry, just to be clear - I just meant satellites in their current configuration :) It's by no means an omni solution - although I suppose the range of the advanced radar sat is somewhat gratuitous. I do like the idea of including some kind of stealth though, as it allows an extra bit of leverage if you notice your opponent is relying on radar too heavily.

    I suppose my own argument against it is that once you get a strong unit presence, you have pretty good visual coverage anyway.

    And yeah, I feel like there isn't any room for a perfect cloak/invisibility - too open for abuse. You could maybe have some kind of system where radar has reduced range vs. invisible units, but eh, just seems a bit clunky. Unless the invisible unit is so insignificant that it wouldn't matter if you couldn't find it, but then why build it?

    ...am I just going meta on myself? >->
  13. Swordsith

    Swordsith New Member

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    I also believe this or make a mobile unit that reduces the group of units it traveling with look much smaller than it actually is. So instead of seeing a solid block of radar contacts coming towards you instead only see a 1/5 of the units on radar or so.
  14. zweistein000

    zweistein000 Post Master General

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    The funny thing is that the game has every means to have both visual and radar invisibility. Some of the mods have even used this when designing their units.
    squishypon3 likes this.
  15. sigmud2

    sigmud2 Member

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    Could you elaborate?
  16. philoscience

    philoscience Post Master General

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    Jammer and intel bots plzzzz
    nateious and sigmud2 like this.
  17. Diaboy

    Diaboy Active Member

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    It would be interesting if intel units/radar towers within a jammer's range also stopped working, so you can't make an all seeing, stealthed blob. Could lead to some interesting notions of stopping someones radar completely if you get close enough.
    websterx01 and sigmud2 like this.
  18. MrTBSC

    MrTBSC Post Master General

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    why intelbots we have a skitter and firefly already even if in other factories .. yes to a jammerbot ...
  19. bastianforge

    bastianforge New Member

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    I like the idea of having both stealth and jamming added to the game, not so much a fan for cloaking though (makes games boring really fast for me)

    -Bastian Forge
  20. sigmud2

    sigmud2 Member

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    When I say cloaking, keep in mind I mean stealth, not invisibility, but otherwise thanks :)
    ArchieBuld likes this.

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