Connecting radars to circuit and logistic networks

[Iranam]

tl;dr: Radars output a signal when there're enemies nearby.

Just finished reading Friday Facts 123, really like the way circuit network is going . However, the presented list of circuit-interactable objects lacks a few items I wanted. So here's a suggestion for one more

Network connector reader, attached to a radar, outputs a signal if there're enemies nearby.
How is that useful?
Here's a list of systems that would allow:

• A remote radar far from main base detects enemies, special lamps in the main factory light up, alerting the player of incoming attack
• As enemies approach, power switches disable manufacturing part of the factory to redirect power to laser turrets, boost repair packs production, or halt trains in stations.
• Comparison of signals from multiple radars allows to determine direction of an attack, allowing to redirect power to turrets in that area only.
• Elaborate electronics computes frequency of attacks, which automatically influences long-term production rates of ammo and repair packs.
• And many more in the same vein

Here're some possible developments on the idea:

• Radar detects enemies in a certain range, configurable by the player through some sort of GUI
• Strength of the signal is proportional to number of enemies, maybe weighed by enemy time, e.g. detection of large biters outputs a higher signal than detection of a small biter
• Detection of nearby players - would be fun in multiplayer - probably as a different radar mode
• Detection of trains - useful to track trains travelling long distances without stopping at stations
• Network write connectors enable-disable a radar, or set its detection range, or type of entities detected(enemies/only spitters/player etc)

Overall, this would add a completely new way of electronics interaction with such an important part of game environment as enemies without a single new item, while also giving the radar - a building that some players I know disdain to use - a new life.

[mattj256]

I like this idea. I would say just send a signal to the circuit network with the number of enemies in nearby radar range. No need to involve the logistic network, and no need to make this complicated. If the coverage of two radars overlap then enemies will be double-counted, and it's the player's responsibility to either build the radars far enough apart or accept the double-counting.

I think about a tower that has a slightly larger vision radius than combat towers [...]
This tower sends a signal if enemies are in sight of it(maybe count of enemies too) [...]

The tower could be used to activate laser turrets on demand

Or perhaps let radar output the distance of the closest enemy.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=29982

This is the use case: allow a megabase to have a huge number of laser turrets, and use radar + power switch to only turn on the laser turrets when there are enemies nearby.

[ssilk]

I add: For multiplayer PvP this is a base technology.

This has a sister thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=29982 Sight Tower

[mrvn]

TL;DR

One sentence to describe your idea with a bit different words than in the subject

What ?

A radar, if connected to a logistics network, should emit the following signals (configurable):

- X,Y: map coordinates of the sector scanned
- W, S, ...: number of worms, spawners, ... in the scanned sector or total

It should also have options:

- pules or hold (as long as the scanned sector is live)
- include always visible region

Why ?

There has been discussion about a new artillery train and many mods add defensive and offensive capabilities to vehicles. But so far those would have to be directed manually and can't be programmed to take out aliens automatically.

If radars report on what they see then the circuit network can be used to direct trains or control automatic vehicles to mount a defense or attack on aliens. It could even be used to only power up lasers in regions where aliens attack. It could also be used to sound alarms depending on the size of an attack and prior to turrets engaging or items being damaged.

[DrJohn]

TL;DR

The addition of the ability to wire up radars to the ciruit network, enabling better management of defences against biters and player factions.

What ?

Enable radars to output a circuit network signal when "something" enters its' range (the area permanently revealed, not random chunks as it scans):
Biters - "B" signal for each instance of biter, spitter, worm, or spawner within the radar's range.
Players - "E", "N", "A" signals for each Enemy, Neutral, or Ally detected

Why ?

Current interaction with enemies involves shooting at them and that's about it. This change will allow for smarter management of biters and player factions. This (seemingly simple but probably not so simple to implement) change could bring a lot to the game. Some quick ideas below.

Example 1:
When you receive an alert that your walls are being attacked and destroyed, it is often too late to do anything about it; Only rebuild.
Player wires radar to a programmable speaker creating an early warning system for biter/player attacks.

Example 2:
Have a huge base with turrets galore?
Player can leave laser turrets powered off until a wired radar detects an enemy, at which time a power switch can turn them online. Huge energy savings for BIG bases.

Example 3:
Player is building a new resource outpost. Set up a radar with a station wired to it. Enemies are detected, enabling the station to summon a shiny new artillery train to defend.

Example 4:
Player wants to allow neutral players to transit through a section of their base. Connect a radar to gates allowing passage as long as neutral players are in range of the radar, but if an enemy enter range the gates close (with some combinator fun)

Previously suggested/modded?

I found no reference to this or any similar idea over this forum
There is currently one mod that gives this functionality, however it is not being updated (https://mods.factorio.com/mods/folk/folk-radar)

How would you use this? I'm sure people could get super creative with this.

Thanks <3

[Schorty]

This is the kind of stuff "I never knew, I've wanted this"

Would love to see this in vanilla.

[Engimage]

This was proposed multiple times.
With an addition of artillery trains this feature is so much more needed.
With it you could AUTOMATE outpost defence by triggering incoming artillery train with a radar spotting spawners in the range.
You could turn laser defence grid on/off based on biters entering range.

[Lav]

This suggestion would go well with more refined radar coverage control (which was also suggested before), so the player would be able to detect biters/spawners/players in a smaller area than 7x7 chunks.

[DrJohn]

This was proposed multiple times.

Ah dang. I couldn't find any similar suggestion searching the forums but I'm new here, and to forums like this generally :p. Perhaps the idea might gain some traction given the new artillery wagon like you say

[olafthecat]

This is the kind of stuff "I never knew, I've wanted this"

Would love to see this in vanilla.

I would agree with Schorty, this would be great to see in vanilla!

[chris13524]

+1

As mentioned above, it would be good if you could adjust the range it scans in.

[janook]

So that I can use this information to enable/disable trainstops and automate artillery train schedules

[Koub]

[Koub] Merging spree on similar suggestions about adding the ability to radars to send info on circuit network
Also related topic : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19637

[Caine]

I actually would like it if the circuit network could also control where the radar should scan (but not the update frequency) instead of the automated pattern.

[gustaphe]

Agree!
Imagine a land bridge covered in rails, and a train being called whenever an enemy is close enough...
You could have
[x] read distance to spawner (select signal)
[ ] read distance to enemy (select signal)
[x] read number of spawners in range (select signal)

[loneredwolf]

Could you add the radar to the logic network such that it reports how many enemies it sees? Perhaps report both fixed and mobile enemies within the natural range of that particular radar?

Proposed use: Wire radar to train stop. Enable train stop when enemies > 0. Have fleet of artillery trains fueled & supplied waiting for these stops to be enabled. Boom. Automated defense / territory clearance.


Automate all the things!

Bonus: Have radar report how many of each resource are in range - Uranium, Coal, Stone, Iron, etc.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into older suggestions

[noobgandalf]

Well, if you just set up the artillery trains to patrol an area then you don't really need this. The smoothest solution I've found is having:

1. Artillery attack stations - I'm having 16 stations atm for a 2 GW factory
2. Artillery refill station - All I need is one, the artillery trains are OP.

The artillery attack stations are named "Artillery Attack (1-16)" and each train goes to one station, where it will stay until it has an empty cargo. Once empty cargo is reached, it will simply go refuel (go to refill station where it stays until it reaches full cargo - use inserters to fill the artillery wagons with ammo) and then return to the attack station. Not much different from a standard ore train.

Here's a list of top 3 pro's and cons I've found for my solution in relation to the topic of this thread.

This works better than using "Radars to circuit and logistic networks" because:
1. The artillery will change range when you upgrade it, so the radars would get desynced when the artillery reaches a certain range;
2. The artillery will react immediately when anything spawns so that your base is safe at all times;
3. The artillery can always be used manually in any direction from the base to destroy enemies when expanding.

"Connecting radars to circuit and logistic networks" wokrs better than my solution because:
1. It adds another possible solution to the problem of biters;
2. Fewer artillery trains can be used to cover the same area;
3. Radar connection to logistics/circuit networks could be used for many things other than artillery, where it could be very useful indeed! Like a wireless transmission of a circuit signal, rather than dragging green/red cable across the map.

Radar logistics/circuit connection could be a good addition to the game - but I don't believe the best application for it is to the artillery.

[mrvn]

But then you need 16 trains. I doubt many of them are shooting at the same time.

Would be better to have just 2 or 3 trains and enable any artillery station which has aliens near it. Then the train go to an artillery station (all named the same) as needed till they get the all clear signal from the radar or are empty and then return to the rearming station till needed again.

[Hive]

this is an old topic and was often reposted as i can see...

But i dont see an answer from the dev team if that is suitable for vanila or not.

I would love to have that option, getting some infos out of the radar. Right now it just keep things in sight of the map but dosent do anything beside that. The first time i see things go bad is than i see the first X symbol. The "some towers are in combate" sign isn't enough to get my attanchen after a while. I dont want to babysit every fight that is going on across the whole map, but want an info if there is real trouble aproching, befor i lost my outpost. This apllies especially if i mod the biters to be more frightening.