The damage should only be presented visually. No bars, numbers... Unless this is too graphically consuming.

I have to agree. It kind of takes the fun out of things knowing everything without any effort at all. There should be limited information based on range and not unless the player has an appropriate level ECM ship.

For example at a real basic level the ECM ship could only get detailed info on ships up to one level below its level. If the enemy has an ECCM ship in the battle that effectively lowers the ECM data acquisition level by one. So at the top end if there were two level 10 ECM and ECCM ships in combat the ECM ship should only be able to get info on ships up to level eight.

The system could be refined however to count two levels per ECM and one level per ECCM to make it more interesting or even done in reverse and if there are more then one the effects stack so there is a total ECM and ECCM scale adjusted to the max level in the game.

ECM = Electronic countermeasures
ECCM = electronic counter-countermeasures



there should be more of a point to build them, then just being able to see the other ships stats.
Or else id just use my cash on more combat ships instead

Ediota continues communicating crasy messages

Theres only 2 kinds i think

But the ships that became famous, were famous because of the battles they fought in, not by seeing their statistics.

That's providing you have seen the ship in combat before, maybe each time you see it you learn a little more about it, also depending if any messages get out from the defeated fleet, too many variables.

Plus the ships were recognized by flags and the big white letters painted on the sides declaring the ships name, if a player wants to keep track of an enemy fleet let him use his eyes and remember the names of the capitals he has seen Also offers the idea of counterintelligence when you rename several capital ships the same name to screw with human intelligence gathering.

Though another idea is to have the ship "evolve" as their rank advances, maybe a custom paint job, teeth and eyes along the front of the hull, biger weapon ports for more advanced weapons, a bit thicker for more armor, ect... some visual differences to show how the ship and its crew are changing and growing together

example: http://photohome.com/pictures/aircraft-pictures/fighters/a-10-warthog-tank-buster-1a.jpg

another way to assess the quality of an enemy ship (and which should be in line with the world world example) is in listing the ships it destroyed. so, if you have a battleship that destroyed a good number of your high profile ships that would make it a prime candidate for taking it out.

though the ecm idea is also appealing provided there is some other use (eg reducing accuracy of enemy ships, slowing reaction times, reducing shield efficiency, etc.) for these ships. but then ... knowing the health of your enemy's ships in a large battle with 100+ ships is probably be worth more than an additional combat oriented ships.

You should have information through sensors (modified by local ECM & ECCM) as Class of vessel (possibly even name of ship if you can read the IFF), relative current shield strength, a reasonable estimate of current damage, and estimate of AM based on last known use of function that required it. Certain abilites should also be able to be readily discerned - such as targeting assistance, since this would make the vessel a communications hub, as well as any abilities (and strength thereof) which are witnessed being used.

It would be nice (if it doesn't become a resource hog) to have the game maintain an intel file on the various capital ships that have been encountered. A previously unencountered ship might display basic info and potential abilities, but one "known" to the player (or ally) should have some confirmed info available.

I don't know if fleet 'flagships' are contemplated, but if so, their identity should become fairly obvious shortly after an encounter starts, again, due to it being a communications and control hub.

untersee boats

Its all good. Just as long as we have the options.