Thoughts on RADAR

Provide location estimates

Discussion about the game and its default mods.
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DvD
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Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:45 pm

Thoughts on RADAR

Post by DvD »

It seems weird that in the C&C series (up to RA2 at least) radar's only action is to enable the minimap. How are the two things related? I think the minimap should be enabled by default. Playing without one is really annoying and it hinders gameplay for no good reason. I mean, even Age of Empires had a minimap, and I don't think the Sumerians were brilliant engineers.

IMO, radars should provide an approximate location of vehicles, ships and airplanes over a certain area (but not infantry, giving one more tactical reason to use them) in a similar way the Allied spysat does; more radars (if sufficiently distant from one another) could provide better estimates over enemy units' locations.

This same mechanism was implemented in Total Annihilation and it was something that really added to the game depth, as it gave meaning to long-range defensive structures (without such a mechanism, they would either be useless or incredibly OP).

Radars working in such a fashion would also give meaning to the most underrated RA unit ever, the Radar jammer; their interference might distort enemy radars' signals and throw off their distance estimates, maybe causing your artillery to shoot more inaccurately or even at open land.

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-Jes-
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Post by -Jes- »

It doesn't help that the minimap is more or less pointless when pixel doubling is disabled.

So what does this mean for the three games' radar structures, besides being a tech building that soaks some power?
RA: It provides stealth detection.. in a game without land-based stealth units.
D2K: It does... Nothing.
C&C: Finally, something legitimately useful: an airstrike power.

Devastator
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Post by Devastator »

I think the rader could be used to scan an area for units and buildings. It should work like a gps satelite, but just for a few seconds and a small area. The spy plane still would be better and the allies would have an option to scout to in early game.

Matt
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Post by Matt »

In D2k it also provides stealth detection, too and RA now has a phase tank and snipers which are stealthed.

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-Jes-
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Post by -Jes- »

Cmd. Matt wrote: In D2k it also provides stealth detection, too and RA now has a phase tank and snipers which are stealthed.
You're right about the Phase Tank, forgot that one.

But base-sized anti stealth is hardly useful against long ranged infantry - the one type you don't exactly march into an enemy stronghold.

AoAGeneral
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Post by AoAGeneral »

This is a hard mechanic to discuss around since this has been around at 1995.

I personally think the radar mechanic right now is fine. Requiring one for a radar and such.

Of course, this is just me who has dealt with this kind of system and worked around it.

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