Simple UAV like solution

[Emdek]

After some discussions in other topics I personally thing that we could have primitive scout only "units" (not real units).
To make it logical they cannot be VTOLs or anything advanced.
They should be kite or balloon.
As someone mentioned, they could be available each few minutes from HQ.
Then they could be send one way and see around 20 tiles and send that data to HQ so it will show up on minimap.
This would be only one way moving, eventually they would drift out from map and "die".
They shouldn't have any weapon, probably shouldn't be possible to destroy (although AA probably should be able to kill them, maybe...) and visible to enemies.
I'm only unsure what if we don't use them for some time, there should be available always one of we could wait to have few?

Also, we currently don't have wind system, right?
It could affect them, to make it more interesting.
Maybe also VTOLs.
Also it could be optional only, for those who want to try something new.

[JakeGrey]

I'm not sure if mobile balloons are a great idea, but that does give me an idea for a new kind of sensor tower: a tethered balloon with a sensor turret attached. Much greater scan radius and immune to line-of-sight issues, but vulnerable to AA fire (if that wouldn't involve an excessive amount of fiddling with the code) and poorly armoured.

[aubergine]

Hot air balloons with sensors FTW! Or blimps! Would love blimps, especially if they had a machine gun on them.

[Emdek]

JakeGrey, the only clear difference is that it wouldn't be given every few minutes, right?

aubergine, yeah, blimps are nice too, maybe as upgrade to balloons (for example balloons could have limited travel range)?

[aubergine]

Balloons would float wherever the wind takes them, then eventually crash in to a mountain heh. Blimps would have propellers and thus their direction can be controlled. It would be interesting to see if balloons / blimps could be used as rudimentary air defences against VTOLs.

[Emdek]

But AFAIK we don't have wind system currently (could be interesting for other uses, but would make game more like simulator).
And I see place for both kinds, like for light and medium bodies.
As defense you mean like during WW II?
Primitive defense tech available before AA turrets?

[aubergine]

Yup, air defence like in WW II.

A wind system wouldn't be needed, the script controlling a balloon would just randomly change it's direction and speed. Height would be terrain height + X, similar how VTOL height is calculated, but higher?

[Emdek]

So, kind of wind system.
Although I would like more one implemented in engine, it would be nice to have ability to enable weather changes (not only by cheats, but as part of game).
Well, for defense purposes (separate use case) they would need to be on the same height I think, but for UAV usage a bit higher.

[aubergine]

Weather system would be cool, but I think there's much bigger fish to fry before implementing that sort of stuff.

[Emdek]

I would say plenty of them, right now biggest priority is flexible scripting system, so such things (maybe even loading models, adding UI elements) would be doable using API.

[Emdek]

Another solution for limiting them (airborne "spy units", whichever those would be) is to give for example 5 form start to each player and maybe ability to find more on the map (randomly placed, like oil drums).
In case of campaign I would love to have something like mission where we attack Scavengers and take over from them few pre Collapse units (blah, similar to ideas used in Earh 2150 campaigns - they have lots of variety there).