New Overwatch Support Option: Surface Scan

[Surrealistik]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary):

Per the subject. Mentioned and discussed previously in server during play. I think it's a great idea.


Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole):

Helps provide the information marines need to encourage aggression over turtling indefinitely, waiting for massed T3 death.


Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):

New Overwatch option.

Allow the bridge to scan the planet surface via console on the bridge. The scan will give an approximation of the number of aliens on the planet +/- 2 or 10% of the total number, whichever is larger. It will also display the # of aliens of each size: T3s/Queen: Large, T2s-T1s: Medium, Larvae: Small. 'Phantom' aliens would always display as Medium sized.

The scan would have a long cooldown shared between all Overwatch consoles and thus would have to be used judiciously; an XO or CO ID may be required to utilize it.

The results of the scan can either be set to be broadcast to all marines, or to be privately disclosed to the console operator, who can then determine what he wants to do with this information: whether that's releasing it to marines or lying about/concealing the results to bolster/maintain morale as the situation requires.

EDIT: The scan would initially start in cooldown, or it would require a powered facility in Tcomms to function.


Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it):

Add a function to the Overwatch consoles (potentially with the requirement of a CO ID) that counts the aliens on the colony map and adds minor variance to the count as described above.

[Derpislav]

Protip: MOTHER scans aren't a thing. It's just us checking the player list and counting xenos.

[Sargeantmuffinman]

► Show Spoiler

SCANNING

50 unidentified alien organisms remaining.

BO:Ugh shit,this ain't good!

SL:Hey did you get that scan?

BO:(Shit man,we don't have the numbers for this shit),we're fine,nothing too serious,just a, good few left?!

SL:What's the number?

BO:(Shit),4,5,a good few man.

SL:Oka-HOLY SHIT,SWARM!

Sure if there are no admins on but you know,shiz and giggles.

I'm neutral about this.

[Azmodan412]

SCANNING

50 unidentified alien organisms remaining.

BO:Ugh shit,this ain't good!

SL:Hey did you get that scan?

BO:(Shit man,we don't have the numbers for this shit),we're fine,nothing too serious,just a, good few left?!

SL:What's the number?

BO:(Shit),4,5,a good few man.

SL:Oka-HOLY SHIT,SWARM!

Kekworthy.

[Egorkor]

Kekworthy.

and then they won.

[Surrealistik]

Protip: MOTHER scans aren't a thing. It's just us checking the player list and counting xenos.

Surprising that this isn't automated; either way. Description updated.

[MauroVega]

Will it have a cool down?if not it could easely be abuse or too unbalanced,maybe like 20/30 mins cool down
If so +1

[Surrealistik]

Yes, had a fairly long cooldown in mind. Though I left its duration unspecified, ~20 minutes sounds about right.

[MauroVega]

and maybe even only for the XO/C0 to do it,just maybe,its all for aliens not to make about 10 topics to remove after a single round

[Faith]

IMO, it'd basically eliminate the in-character surprise of "oh shit there's native fauna, this shit wasn't in the briefing." Maybe if some sort of sensor array could be constructed planet-side, or there could be a sensor complex that could be repaired like the geothermal plant (equipment for monitoring terraforming?) near the river.

[Surrealistik]

Yeah I think tying the scan capability to an object in Tcomms that must be powered would work well; otherwise the scan could start on cooldown at round start.

My only concern with making it dependent on a static object planetside is that it could encourage marine turtling.


And yes, per the OP, only the CO and XO can use the scan option.

[forwardslashN]

We got auto mother scans now, so this is resolved.