You are not going to measure distance with a laser if the laser beam doesn't reflect back.
You are not going to target something with echolocation if the object absorbs the sound.
Similarly you are not going to track someone's exosuit simply by looking at it.

Idunno.
There's a weakness either way. I mean, I could just ballerina twirl in a zone hoping my crosshairs randomly pass over someone who's hiding behind something, sitting still, while only partially exposed. I might not have seen him, but my crosshairs sure will! Huh. Reminds me of old DUST scanner days :)

Except there are no Scouts in Nova.

We are called Infiltrators now so we don't have to put up with ridiculous role expectations based on some people's perception of what it means to "Scout."

As to the idea, I am not opposed to it being used for everyone provided it is not a major problem. We saw in Dust how tacnet and EWAR could sometimes be too powerful (stupid shared scans I loathed). Some people, rightly or wrongly, even considered them wall hacks.

As long as it can be done responsibily I am for it.

@Fox:
Are you speaking specifically to sniper roles? Or is this for general purpose, every-suit, tech?
I think we all may be talking from two different points of view here.

In Dust, you looking at someone didn't place them on tacnet.
If you see someone and consider it a valid information you speak out loud about it.
You swirling around revealing enemy location doesn't make much sense.

No, but "in Dust" really isn't a good argument... I mean, "In Dust" tanks could occasionally fly.

I think if you limit the range that this triggers at, it could be less easy to abuse it... Since if you run into an area of 5 enemies and start spinning around like a loony... You're gonna get shot, so just how useful that maneuver was is debatable.

Also, not everyone uses a mic, so sharing info with the person sat next to you trying to read a book isn't always that useful.

PS2 simply has a spot button that you can press when an enemy is center-screen. Your character does a voice line of what you spotted (heard by all nearby), and the enemy's position + orientation is tracked on the minimap and has a chevron over them for 10 seconds. Cloaking will break a spot.

Not a bad system.

I would've preferred this to be sniper specific. snipers really had nothing useful to offer unless you were on comms with them and they were calling/tracking targets verbally. But then language barriers often caused issues.

This is a quality of life improvement for a class/role.


everyone else is most likely going to be close enough for dropsuit scans or active scanner to pick up everything else in bulk.

Perhaps this could be something tied the the Sniper Rifle as opposed to anything else? Maybe even tied to a particular scope, or class of scopes so that it is an earned skill, and not simply something anyone picking up a civilian suit can wear.

That will make it less likely to be an abusive mechanic.

.
Different variables should go in to play....distance, reaction time, spotting time, dropsuit types, dampening, precision etc etc....
.

Idunno.
There's a weakness either way. I mean, I could just ballerina twirl in a zone hoping my crosshairs randomly pass over someone who's hiding behind something, sitting still, while only partially exposed. I might not have seen him, but my crosshairs sure will! Huh. Reminds me of old DUST scanner days :)

Just making a point here.

if I am fired upon though, I would be ok with a brief "ping" type locator pop up on my display. I can buy that my suit's tech could triangulate the source location of incoming fire. Just a 3-second dot illumination on the mini map. MAYBE if I maintain visual contact, then that dot stays illuminated, but that starts to slide into the issue above. Shared intel might be based on some skill level. Something like each skill level (or however it ends up working in NOVA) would increase the data share radius for your squad---just within squad. This could be a subtle encouragement to keep players in formation and close. Also, if other non-squad players are nearby, they will not get your shared data stream, but they should be able to use their senses of sight and sound to figure out that 5 people are shooting at some random crate stack, probably for good reason. Maybe they should then join in?

I would not want that intel automatically beaming to a sniping sitting on the other side of the map though as I think that would be too easy for the sniper and would lead to a very lazy method of situational awareness on their part. BUT... if I am taking fire, and a red dot pings on my mini map. I can then visually scan the area, hopefully determine that the shooter is behind a crate, and describe the scenario to my snipe via comms, "Shooter at my SIX, behind cover!" Ideally, the sniper (and all squad members) will always have directional chevrons of each squad member on the mini map. Sniper hears the callout, is already aware of you and your squad's location AND facing direction, does a quick mental click on what MY "six" is and now he's in action. If that sniper is any good and has been tracking my squad, then he should be able to find the crate as I describe and fire. Assuming they have line of site. This should be exciting for the sniper to both follow squad locations and be aware of their own surroundings. But I guess it all depends on how squads and individuals wish to use sniper roles, if they exist as we assume.

Or her. I don't mean to be sexist.

Now if you're talking only for sniper roles, then that may change things. Still, I think the above is necessary to draw a distinction between role mechanics. I like the idea of a sniper and/or a scout having a unique ability that general suits might not have however that distinction is played out. A mod unique to that suit type? Iderno. But I would not like it if any joe running around randomly could just randomly ping a hidden red because of ...cross hairs.

They already left vehicles behind. Leaving snipers behind would end their miserable existance

Scans are already there to do the job. Feel free to take one with you. Or use modules. That's the whole point of Ewar, isn't it?

@Fox,
If you can just tag someone who sacrifices most of his slots for dampening, isn't that broken?
Abusable? Someone tries to flank, and you can light him up like a christmas tree for everyone to see (w/o using any mods/eq).
Passing down the info via a mic takes a little bit of time so it's not an instant : there he is, kill him.

No. I mean in a very specific situation where the enemy is hiding, stationary, behind a crate, but for whatever reason maybe his foot or elbow is hanging around the edge. If I'm walking into an ambush, I might not see that subtle piece of suit, especially if he's not moving and blends in with the environment. I have the potential of seeing him, but most likely I would never be aware of him. My cross hairs, though, would spot him regardless.

My point was that in this type of random encounter, I still might be able to scope him by waving my cross hairs around. Of course I wouldn't see him if he is completely out of view. I did not mean for that to be implied. I see profile damps/scanners as a completely separate thing, I agree and was not talking about that either. :)


Thanks for the detailed response. Much appreciated.