Sensors
Sensors are the means by which fleets detect each other on the campaign map.
A whimsical psuedo-tutorial on sensors (written for version 0.7.2) can be found on the forum here.
Basic mechanics
- (Your sensor strength) + (Their sensor profile) = The range you can detect them
- Fleet sensor profile = 300 + (Top 5 ship sensor profiles)
- Fleet sensor strength = 300 + (Top 5 ship sensor strengths)
- Bigger ship = bigger sensor profile AND bigger sensor strength
- Sensor strength = Sensor profile*
- Sensor strength/profile = 30/ 60/ 90/ 150 depending on ship size
A sensor profile represents how far away you can be seen, and a sensor strength how far you can see. Two fleets will see each other at the same time regardless of their size and composition, unless special factors come into play like civilian/phase ships, special skills, abilities or terrain. Hover over the sensor strength/profile hud element to see details, including the top 5 ships and their sensor details. Hover the cursor over a fleet to see the range at which you will be detected (appearing as three curved lines). This indicator changes in real-time, based off of the sensor profile and range of the two fleets.
When another fleet is detected by the player but has its transponder off, it will initially only be shown as a "sensor contact": A set of triangles indicating the size of the fleet. As it gets closer, more information will be shown: The hull types in the fleet, current task, and maximum burn speed. Once it is very close, the fleet's faction and name, and the officers of the ships will be displayed. If the other fleet's transponder is on, the full information will be displayed from the beginning.[1]
The 'units' of this range are not specified, but 2000 units = 1 grid square on the sector map, which is also the width between the rings on your mini-map. If you lay a course on the sector map (right click) the autopilot will give you a number for the distance, which is the number of gridge square intervals. Your sensor range in hyperspace has a maximum of 2000.
Hullmods
Various hullmods alter the sensor strength and sensor profile of the ship they are installed on:
- Civilian-grade Hull reduces strength by 50% and increases profile by 100%
- Degraded Engines increases profile by 50%
- Faulty Power Grid increases profile by 50%
- Glitched Sensor Array reduces strength by 50%
- High Resolution Sensors increases strength by 50/75/100/150
- Insulated Engine Assembly reduces profile by 50%
Phase Ships
Phase ships have the unique hull mod Phase Field which halves their sensor profile and reduces the sensor profile of the entire fleet when the transponder is off.
The fleet reduction is a calculation of your 5 largest sensor profiles versus your 5 best phase ship's sensor strength:
Phase ship sensor strength can be improved using the Phase Coil Tuning skill.
Abilities
Various abilities can modify a fleet's sensor range and detected-at range:
- Transponder: +1000 detected-at range
- Go Dark: -50% detected-at range (-75% with level 2 Sensors skill)
- Active Sensor Burst: +3000 sensor range and +5000 detected-at range
- Emergency Burn: -50% sensor range and +50% detected-at range
- Sustained Burn: +100% detected-at range
- Neutrino Detector: +50% detected-at range
- Remote Survey: +5000 detected-at range
Skills
The Sensors technology skill provides bonuses to both the sensor range and the detected-at range reduction of a fleet, and makes it more mobile while moving slowly enough to :
- +25% sensor range
- -25% detected-at range
- +3 to burn level at which the fleet is considered "moving slowly" (see below)
Terrain
Fleets in different terrain types can have altered detected-at ranges:
- Asteroid Belt, Ring System, Accretion Disk, Debris Field: -75% detected-at range (when stationary or moving slowly)
- The Go Dark ability or using CTRL + Left Mouse button will cause the fleet to move slowly enough to trigger this bonus. Note that the move slowly key, default S, will cause the fleet to become stationary if held.
- Nebula: -50% detected-at range
- Magnetic Field: -50% detected-at range
- Magnetic Storm: -100% detected-at range
- Deep Hyperspace: -50% detected-at range
- Hyperspace Storm: +2000 detected-at range
Miscellaneous effects
- Fleets in combat have +1000 detected-at range.
- A sensor array is star system infrastructure that provides a boost to the sensor range of all same-faction fleets in the system:
- Makeshift Sensor Array: +400 sensor range
- Domain Sensor Array: +700 sensor range
References
- Potentially outdated
- Game concepts