Sense of scanner?

[anton-korduan 10]

Hey there!

What't about that scanner - do you use it? When / for what reason?

I've tried it and yes, it's nice to see the stats of the enemy unit. What armor and weapon has it, which damage status. But it is "just nice". Not more. Could that be? The only reason to use it - which I see at the moment - is, to check if the unit is a potential danger for me or not. Will say, "can this turrent / walrus hit my manta or not" for example. If it's equipped with a genade launcher I don't have to worry much about.

BUT: Is that information worth loosing a slot which I could use much better for ammo, flares or hook? Instead of seeing / understanding and reacting on the information the scanner provides I can simply destoy the enemy unit. Footstep.

Additional I get some base-information by the map (symbol for Turrent-Type and Vehicle Armor) and by island-state (weak / normal / strong ...). So I know everything I need to decide whether to approach to or attack the unit(s) or not. I know simply by experience the difference between a "weak" and "strong" AA-Turrent...

I wonder if there is not more behind... which I expect, because "information" should be something worthfull for strategy(-games).

What's your opinion to the scanner?

Maybe I've overseen something?

Or there is a difference between using scanner on Manta or Walrus?

Tell me! I'm looking forward to.

[Tontow 1]

The scanner is the most useless thing ever and that is compounded by the fact that it takes up the thrid slot instead of the second.

[anton-korduan 10]

it takes up the thrid slot instead of the second.

Ah! Yes - I think you speak about Walrus. Correct and good idea: If the scanner would be on the unused second slot, that would be great!

[Tontow 1]

But really, you shoot the bad guys and they start to smoke.

Then you shoot them some more and they blow up.

What more do you want? lol

---------- Post added at 10:49 ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 ----------

Now if the scanner acctually did something usefull, like reduce my lock on time, then I might use it over a shield for the manta.

ATM I would rather have ammo box for the Walrus and Shield for the manta.

[species1571 64]

Never even produced one, they are one of those items that seem pointless. When I am invading an island, I destroy everything in my path, regardless of what weapon it has. At best, this should have been one of the unit upgrades like the marsh or arctic upgrades, so every unit afterwards would have that ability. Or it should be something that is carrier mounted instead of wasting a valuable weapon slot. Second walrus slot would be ok I guess, but my games are mainly air assault to clear the way for the walruses to come in, so a walrus scanner wouldn't be much use by that time and I probably still wouldn't waste materials and time building them.

[Tontow 1]

Fist thing I will do when the sdk comes out is change the manta and walrus scanners to use the second slot.

Second thing I will do is see if I can't make scaners reduce the lockon time of missiles.

[Gazzareth 1]

Fist thing I will do when the sdk comes out is change the manta and walrus scanners to use the second slot.

Second thing I will do is see if I can't make scaners reduce the lockon time of missiles.

I take it you mean second slot on the Walrus - keep 3rd slot on the Manta .. .. ..

G

[Tontow 1]

No, I mean second slot on both, I want my ammo boxs and shields on mantas.

[species1571 64]

Well if you're putting it in slot 2 on mantas, then you are losing rockets/missiles, so there's no point making it increase the locking speed of missiles ;)

Unrelated to the scanner, but maybe you could make it so missiles lock onto everything in your field of vision and you can manually cycle through the targets before firing. Many times I have wanted to use a missile against a greater threat (like the turrets that fire missiles that make a noise like somebody being hit in the face with a frying pan), but the missile locks onto something else and you can't break the lock without switching weapons or turning away. So yea, that would be good.

[Tontow 1]

Good point, I need to put more thought in to where to shove the scanner. ;)

[jureidinim 10]

Fist thing I will do when the sdk comes out is change the manta and walrus scanners to use the second slot.

Second thing I will do is see if I can't make scaners reduce the lockon time of missiles.

Other things to make it more useful could be:

1. Gives equipped vehicle a slightly larger scan range to pick up contacts further out. Makes a good scout.

2. Built in ECCM - maybe a scanner equipped vehicle will have better telemetry range - even offsetting scramblers a bit (not totally - but better telemetry range than normal scrambling effect)

[legacy77 1]

To me the scanner should be a one time install option to the walrus or manta and also that option in settings for automatic aim should be another item in production for one time install.

[Osric 1]

I initially thought the scanner would let the equipped unit detect enemy units from further away (and display them on the mini-map). Blundering into an AT turret at full speed quickly dispelled THAT illusion!

TBH I think giving it that exact function would be enough to make it viable rather than its current function of...umm...yeah. If it were to be moved to the No. 2 slot on the Walrus you would then only be able to equip the light weapons (GL, MG, Laser) since the heavy guns use slot 2. I'd like to keep the option of a scout Howitzer thanks.

[Tontow 1]

Ummm, I don't think a Howitzer would be something that an a tipical scout would carry lol.

Scouts, in my mind at least, are fast and light with long range spotting abilitys and a Howitzer is rather heavy.