[Bug Annoyance] Cyclops sonar module will turn it'sself off after 3 pulses

mikeloevenmikeloeven Join Date: 2017-04-14 Member: 229623Members
This might not be a true bug but because of how obnoxious the issue is I will report it as such.
Once the Sonar is installed the expected behavior or at least common sense behavior would be to toggle the active sonar on and off. To have it turn it's self off after 3 pings and require the user to press the button again is beyond counter intuitive especially if your navigating by external camera this results in a frantic series of clicks to maintain sonar every couple of seconds and it really REALLY pisses me off. Please fix the sonar to function like a sane person would expect with a simple toggle on and off and none of this stupid 3 ping crap

Comments

  • GawainGawain Join Date: 2016-11-13 Member: 223846Members
    edited April 2017
    I believe the sonar is working as intended, though I have to agree 3 pings is not enough when you use cameras to navigate Cyclops.
    Saying that nicely wouldn't hurt though ...
  • RandastRandast uk Join Date: 2016-06-12 Member: 218463Members
    Id rather have them ping constantly than having to switch back to camera and to reactivate it again. The downside to this it should consume power cells faster...
  • mikeloevenmikeloeven Join Date: 2017-04-14 Member: 229623Members
    edited April 2017
    no it doesn't take alot of energy to make a pinging noise the real risk is that active sonar will attract creatures sensitive to it and counteract the effects of silent running. The fact remains intended or not sonar is not useable in it's current state
  • scifiwriterguyscifiwriterguy Sector ZZ-9-Plural Z-α Join Date: 2017-02-14 Member: 227901Members
    The developers may have modeled its behavior on actual active sonar, which is never left "on." You fire a ping (typically one) only when you need it. The thing of a submarine or ship just banging away with active pings is all Hollywood. Three pings is three more than a sub generally ever uses, and definitely two more than it'll fire when it does go active.

    But, granted, this is a game, so we need to make some allowances for gameplay. A reasonable compromise would be a hotkey that triggers the sonar. That would solve the on-camera-no-sonar problem without it going off constantly.
  • SilveressaSilveressa USA Join Date: 2015-03-18 Member: 202279Members
    edited April 2017
    Like Scifi suggested, just giving us a hotkey we can press to trigger the sonar pulse so we don't need to exit the cameras every time we want to use it would solve the issue nicely.
  • mikeloevenmikeloeven Join Date: 2017-04-14 Member: 229623Members
    The developers may have modeled its behavior on actual active sonar, which is never left "on." You fire a ping (typically one) only when you need it. The thing of a submarine or ship just banging away with active pings is all Hollywood. Three pings is three more than a sub generally ever uses, and definitely two more than it'll fire when it does go active.

    But, granted, this is a game, so we need to make some allowances for gameplay. A reasonable compromise would be a hotkey that triggers the sonar. That would solve the on-camera-no-sonar problem without it going off constantly.

    Realistically a sub would retain a the terrain map generated by the ping and not have it vanish from the hud after the 3rd ping. constant pinging is needed to keep the terrain map displayed and up to date. also most real life subs do not generally go into tight spaces and caves where this is needed. so comparing the mechanics to real life doesn't make sense because the technology is being used in a completely different context
  • scifiwriterguyscifiwriterguy Sector ZZ-9-Plural Z-α Join Date: 2017-02-14 Member: 227901Members
    mikeloeven wrote: »
    Realistically a sub would retain a the terrain map generated by the ping and not have it vanish from the hud after the 3rd ping. constant pinging is needed to keep the terrain map displayed and up to date. also most real life subs do not generally go into tight spaces and caves where this is needed. so comparing the mechanics to real life doesn't make sense because the technology is being used in a completely different context

    Doesn't change the fact that it wouldn't work. If you keep hammering away with active, you'll have such a racket going on that your sonar gear won't be able to figure out which reflections are from which ping, making all of them useless. Acoustics are acoustics.

    But you may notice that I already said that accommodations need to be made for the sake of gameplay. My statement was that the developers probably took a cue from real-world sonar. I didn't say that the whole sonar-terrain-map concept as depicted is so far out of the realm of possibility that it can't even see reality anymore - even though it is - because accommodations to gameplay have to be made. They've already made huge allowances for the operation of a submarine for the sake of player approachability, but that doesn't mean they need to or should make things automatic. Hence the suggestion of a hotkey. The user still needs to do something to get the benefit. Fair trade.
  • 0x6A72320x6A7232 US Join Date: 2016-10-06 Member: 222906Members
    AFAIK, modern subs would be using underwater maps already on-board, much like a GPS, and use dead reckoning (probably corrected to pinpoint accuracy with GPS every time the send an antenna up for relaying messages) to navigate.

    Pinging would be reserved for finding things that aren't part of the terrain, and aren't making any noise on their own, like other subs in silent running mode - surface vessels and creatures aren't normally trying to mask their presence as they aren't stealthy enough to do so. Trade-off being, it would be like yelling "Marco!" when everyone is "it" in a game of "Marco Polo".

    To add to all of this, let's remember the Cyclops is AFAIK still classed as a civilian sub, even though it's equipped with a silent running mode, so it would make sense to have it kitted out to map alien underwater pathways if it was on an exploration mission in uncharted waters. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Food for thought.
  • uxlapogiuxlapogi Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165238Members
    edited May 2017
    We are far in the future, surely we do not require our subs to have advanced navigation technology installed by default which is essential for navigating. Who needs to know where to go anyway, duh. /s
    Have you heard about this new feature where your sub catches on fire when you hit stuff that you didn't know was there? Isn't that awesome?
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