Sensors, their usage and game performance influence
1- Map overview
On map are red dots which always tell you who is where, thus nor surprising manoeuvres, no brilliant tactics moves, everything you do, your enemy see and prepare for it in advance.
Even now, (from Cosmoteer point of view dark age) we have advanced stealth technologies to avoid detecting, so I would expect, that even many years in future everyone realize that being unseen until attack is one of most important factor of successful fight.
And of course, you have counters to that- very strong and effective sensors, but big, so not all ships can carry it.
I see it this way: ship which has no sensors cannot generate any marks on map where the opponent ships are. So until you get close enough, you cannot see them.
Sensors will create wave which reveal enemy ships, every 20-60 (frequency need to be determined) as dots on map for 1-2 sec, then dots disappear, second sensors on the same ship provide another wave which reveal them = halving time, third sensors can create another one- so I you want to have constant overview you have to stack 10-30 sensors on ship.
Ship with sensor will become visible for any other ship, for 2-4 sec with each wave, so 5-15 sensors on ships make that ship constantly visible. It is completely same way like radar, if you actively use it, enemy know about you and your position. That circle way going from centre across map revealing ships, can be very nice.
In case we have circle of death there cannot be problem to find each other in reasonable time even without sensors.
Off course dots on map always on, must be an option in settings.
New settings can be: place fleets randomly, face to face, circle,...
New fancy game tactics possibilities, will I kill enemy sensor ship first and then I made nice unseen attack from back, will I sent small ship with sensor as bait and while enemy is getting to it I will attack him from back....etc.
And for BH it can be huge experience buff if factions will be implemented, you jump into enemy system, will you check how many ships are there, for cost they spot you and may start to hunt you? Or you stay quiet and try to hunt one by one without using sensors, and what to do if enemy has sensors ship and spot you and.......
2- Missiles guidance, jamming and range
Even now we have nice jammers to effectively distract missiles guidance systems, small enough to mount them on fighters. So, in case you fire missiles and let them rely on their own limited sensors, they should have been easily jammed more or less successfully.
Option for new 1x1 part jammer with low range (20-40) which make from guided missile unguided flying straight forward till max range or random hit to something, and combination of a some jammers connected to sensors for jammer range increase (like each jammer need entrance, so max connected are 3 making jamming range 60-120 ?)
And there is second way of missiles guidance, they are guided by sensors on ship, this sensors cannot be jammed (but of course this sensors make that ship visible on map), possible option for sensors to be on missile guidance mode- constant
And of course if you have sensors on your ship, you can shoot missile from distance equal to missile range, while shooting of missile on sensorsless ship, allow shoot missiles when you get to view of sight ( but missiles than can of course persuade target, to their maximal range once locked(and not jammed or killed by pd).
New game tactics options due to this will I send fighter to kill enemy sensor first and then I shoot his fleet by missiles protected by out of sight of view.
Jammers will make missiles performance more flat independently on ship size and indirect attack.
Sensors to missiles make buff expected for bigger ships.
