Cartographic satellite

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Atlas
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Cartographic satellite

Post by Atlas »

Abstract:
A satellite that would work as a next level of radar, i.e. would scan and reveal sectors of map.
Description:
This would be a separate satellite, that has to be built and launched separately. It would reveal new sectors of map, just like radar, but without an outer limit. In addition it could be sent to a location for detailed scan (live video feed) for a short period of time, after which it has to cool down for a few minutes.
Purpose:
There aren't many ways to reveal distant areas. You can either go deep into the biter territory and put a radar there, or blindly shoot artillery shells. This satellite would reveal these areas slowly, but persistently. If you launch more of them, they would work together and scan faster.

Koub
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Re: Cartographic satellite

Post by Koub »

Adding other uses to satellites, is a recurring suggestion, and among these suggestions, satellite upgrade is one of the most present :
search.php?keywords=satellite+radar&ter ... mit=Search
Koub - Please consider English is not my native language.

WrathOfGex
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Satellite Scanning

Post by WrathOfGex »

TL;DR
After launching a Satellite the player can use a 'Satellite Targeting Device' to instruct the charting of a large area.
What?
1. When the player unlocks the Space Science Pack technology, they unlock the Satellite as well as the 'Satellite Targeting Device'.
2. Each time the player launches a Satellite into space, they gain a single use of the 'Satellite Targeting Device'.
3. The player can then use the 'Satellite Targeting Device' via the Map, in the same way the Artillery Targeting Remote is used to fire Artillery Shells.
4. Once used, the Satellite adjusts it's orbit to pass over the targeted area.
5. Every 20 minutes the Satellite orbits the planet and the targeted area is 'charted', revealing the entire area for a few seconds before fading out and becoming 'Fog of War'.
Why?
When launching a satellite the player is instantly given 1000 Space Science, this means that immediately after launch Satellites don't serve any purpose, this makes the feat of launching a Satellite very 'Fire and Forget'. If the Satellites are orbiting the planet, which I'd assume they are, they should be doing something, otherwise they are simply space debris.

This idea would make both the launching of a Satellite, and having a Satellite in orbit, greatly benefit the player and would solve the 'Fire and Forget' feeling. I think this idea is a realistic function for an orbiting Satellite, it both provides a useful, and well earned aid to late-game exploration, and would make a very nice reminder to the player that they have launched Satellites which are currently orbiting the planet and serving a purpose.
Notes
This is just an extra optional read for anyone who likes the idea and would like some more specific details.
  • When targeting the 'Satellite Targeting Device' on the Map, the range is limited to a 30 chunk area around the player, this will prevent players from simply scanning a random area thousands of kilometres away resulting in any stressful chunk/map generation.
  • The reason this idea uses a 'Satellite Targeting Device' to targeted an area via the Map and doesn't use a physically placed 'Satellite Alignment Beacon' building is that players may want to scan an area infested with Biters, fighting through the Biters and setting up a base to power and protect a beacon would be a hassle and defeat the ease of having a Satellite in orbit, the player can still choose to set up a base and set up a Radar array, see below.
  • The size of the scanned area would be quite large without making Radars obsolete, if a Radar shows a live-feed of 7x7 chunks and 'charts' an area of 29x29 chunks, then 24x24 chunks would be a good, balanced size for a Satellite as they are much harder to craft and put into orbit as well as the fact that they would only provide a live-feed once every 20 minutes. Note that this means a large Radar Array would provide more coverage than a Satellite, but is much harder to set up in the middle of a Biter infested area.
  • I mention that the Satellite orbits every 20 minutes but this could greatly vary, the purpose of the Satellite is simply to chart an area and update this chart every now and then, it could even be every 90 minutes, which is the frequency that the ISS orbits the Earth.

mudcrabempire
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Re: Satellite Scanning

Post by mudcrabempire »

I could imagine that the satellite is currently not sent into an orbit, but off and away on an eternal journey into space and it probably has a limited amount of energy to work with. From it's heightened position it can receive signals from the characters homeworld (or an outpost), and send down some advanced information to help the character get around (science packs), until it stops working (1000 packs/satellite).

Fluff aside, your suggestion is nice, but only practical for small-scale games. Megafactories can easily send thousands of satellites into space. On that scale you want to fire-and-forget them. Also, saving all the started satellites and using them for large-scale map-scanning will most likely have a serious impact on FPS, which already is a major concern for big games.

That being said, I love the idea of some advanced form of scouting and satellite-based map-scan sounds awesome. I suggest to tie the satellite-based scan to a different item. Keep the science-satellite as it is and introduce an imaging satellite. For the sake of not clogging up your game with lots of large map-scanners that you can't get rid of, I suggest to put some limit on the imaging satellites, e.g. one satellite grants you X scans to be used at your discretion.

WrathOfGex
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Re: Satellite Scanning

Post by WrathOfGex »

Thank you for the feedback.
I could imagine that the satellite is currently not sent into an orbit, but off and away on an eternal journey into space and it probably has a limited amount of energy to work with.
I thought the same thing but after doing some research for this idea I found that Satellites are defined as orbiting something, if something is sent off in a specific direction it's called a Probe, so I figured that the intention of the Factorio Satellite was to orbit the planet to collect its science and then just hang about as debris, but with all those Solar Panels and Accumulators it could be doing something.
Fluff aside, your suggestion is nice, but only practical for small-scale games. Megafactories can easily send thousands of satellites into space. On that scale you want to fire-and-forget them. Also, saving all the started satellites and using them for large-scale map-scanning will most likely have a serious impact on FPS, which already is a major concern for big games.
That's very true, it might be better to not have any live-feed and have the Satellite do a one time charting scan, like you suggest with an Imaging Satellite, or even have a beacon placed that is simply just a better Radar. My main concern was, the 'Fire and Forget'-ness of Satellites, for fluff reasons, it would be nice to know your Satellites are up there doing something, even if it's only something small.

If they are indeed sent off into the void of space, I shall petition for their name to be changed to 'Probe' :)

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darkfrei
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Re: Satellite Scanning

Post by darkfrei »

WrathOfGex wrote:
Sun Aug 04, 2019 12:16 pm
TL;DR
After launching a Satellite the player can use a 'Satellite Targeting Device' to instruct the charting of a large area.
It was done in the Fog of war Remover

Yandersen
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Re: Satellite Scanning

Post by Yandersen »

WrathOfGex wrote:
Sun Aug 04, 2019 12:16 pm
4. Once used, the Satellite adjusts it's orbit to pass over the targeted area.
5. Every 20 minutes the Satellite orbits the planet and the targeted area is 'charted', revealing the entire area for a few seconds before fading out and becoming 'Fog of War'.
It would be more useful to request the satellite to constantly monitor the specified area just like radar does. Just assume we are located somewhere near equator and the satellite is at the geostationary orbit - then it will be quite believable.

However, the idea of neverending satellite launches is quite ridiculous by nature, but that is another issue. Hope the 1.0 will flesh out the endgame with something more entertaining and senseful. Following the concept of multiple launches, IMHO, it would make more sense if the things we launch into space would be a smg like space scanners/telescopes. The devices that will help us to chart the starmap to find the route to get home. And after a certain number of launches made and the final researches finished (white-science based "Galaxy mapping", then "Homeworld location" and finally "Route to Earth"), then we can finally launch the character to get off Nauvis.
But that is a different story... ;)

WrathOfGex
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Re: Satellite Scanning

Post by WrathOfGex »

Yandersen wrote:
Sun Aug 04, 2019 6:45 pm
It would be more useful to request the satellite to constantly monitor the specified area just like radar does. Just assume we are located somewhere near equator and the satellite is at the geostationary orbit - then it will be quite believable.
I agree that that would be more useful, I opted for an option with occasional scanning as it would be a bit easier on FPS and a little less powerful but realistically, if the option is there, a geostationary orbit would be more useful.

I really like your end game idea, that sounds like a great way to give Satellites a more meaningful purpose.

Koub
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Re: Cartographic satellite

Post by Koub »

[Koub] Merged into older topic with same suggestion.
Koub - Please consider English is not my native language.

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