Cloaking and nebulae

Q · #1 March 30th, 2001, 12:14 PM

I don't know if anybody has noticed this before (don't remember to have read it in this forum at least) and for me it was new:
Cloaked ships (maximum cloaking level) in a nebula system can't be detected even with the highest level of tachyon sensors. In an isolated opaque sector storm however you still see the cloaked ships at least if the ship with the sensor is outside the storm.

Suicide Junkie · #2 March 30th, 2001, 06:48 PM

That's new to me, too.
You may want to email MM with that.

Nitram Draw · #3 March 30th, 2001, 06:55 PM

I think it on the level of sight obscuration of the nebulae. Some obscure to level 3 and some to level 4.

Suicide Junkie · #4 March 30th, 2001, 07:07 PM

I thought that natural storms were all level 1.

Nitram Draw · #5 March 30th, 2001, 07:15 PM

Maybe storms are but in the Systems Type files it lists nebulaes as having different obscuration levels, from 3-5 actually, so some would prevent any sort of sighting.
That is where you should build your Pirate base SJ. No one would ever find you!

Master Belisarius · #6 March 30th, 2001, 07:17 PM

I think that's not a bug.
I think that the nebula was designed to opaque all the scanners, then, if the ships have or not the cloak device, is not important: inside a nebula, all the ships are hidden.

Q · #7 March 30th, 2001, 07:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Nitram Draw:
Maybe storms are but in the Systems Type files it lists nebulaes as having different obscuration levels, from 3-5 actually, so some would prevent any sort of sighting.
That is where you should build your Pirate base SJ. No one would ever find you!

I think you are right. There is one nebula system with sight obscuration level 5, which means that no detectors will work. The description should however then be changed (and I did this now) from "this storm is opaque to most scanners" to "This storm is opaque to all scanners". It really good to know because as you say ships are absolutely safe in this system!

Suicide Junkie · #8 March 30th, 2001, 08:14 PM

All right! It sounds like there's no way to tell how good the nebula is unless you change the description.

Of course, it dosen't really matter once you get to mid-to-end game, since the pirates absolutely must prevent any stellar manip ships from entering the system & ruining the whole thing

in that case, there wouldn't ever be any ships going through to use sensors on you.

Admiral Grover · #9 March 31st, 2001, 12:29 AM

Actually, In the game I am currently playing, I had a scout in a nebula system and I saw an uncloaked colony ship go through the system. I had the highest scanner on the ship but i have no idea what the level of the nebula was.

Regards

------------------
Admiral Grover
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"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarrely inexeplicable.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened."
- Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Baron Munchausen · #10 March 31st, 2001, 02:33 AM

Speaking of nebulae, has anyone tested whether the 'shield canceling' effect works in nebulas? I've never seen it work in a Black Hole system, every combat I've had in a black hole has been with full shields. I think that's because the SECTOR level ability 'Sector - Shield Disruption' is still being used in the SystemTypes.txt -- there is no SYSTEM level ability yet. I tried changing it to "System - Shield Disruption" and the program gave an error message. I guess the shield draining would work on the central sector or something? This seems to be another one of those 'loose ends' like the combat to hit plus/minus oversight.

[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 31 March 2001).]