Should outpost make a warning sound while enemies are in the range of it?

[rkt]

Hey, does it make sense to have outpost make a warning sound once enemies are in the range of it?

In this way, outpost has a valuable use.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

37 minutes ago, rkt said:

Hey, does it make sense to have outpost make a warning sound once enemies are in the range of it?

In this way, outpost has a valuable use.

Perhaps, but only for the first time an enemy enters that outpost's vision range.

[Dizaka]

3 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Perhaps, but only for the first time an enemy enters that outpost's vision range.

I *think* that in the 0-8 min mark if the outpost would make a sound (maybe different for cav/infantry) each time they are spotted it would make them have interesting utility for counter-raids.

After 8 mins sounds could be muted?

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

1 minute ago, Dizaka said:

I *think* that in the 0-8 min mark if the outpost would make a sound (maybe different for cav/infantry) each time they are spotted it would make them have interesting utility for counter-raids.

After 8 mins sounds could be muted?

Or there could be a 2 minute cool down between notifications. If no units within range for 2 minutes, then it resets and will play the notification the next time. 

[Dizaka]

Just now, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Or there could be a 2 minute cool down between notifications. If no units within range for 2 minutes, then it resets and will play the notification the next time. 

That's an alternative.  Though the utility of the outpost is greatest in the early stages of the game.  Resetting it every 2 minutes only makes it possible to go off 4 times in the first 8 or so minutes.  

 

 

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Just now, Dizaka said:

That's an alternative.  Though the utility of the outpost is greatest in the early stages of the game.  Resetting it every 2 minutes only makes it possible to go off 4 times in the first 8 or so minutes.  

 

 

Then 60 seconds or so. The cool down could gradually get longer and longer until by minute 20 it no longer works. (all of this would be invisible to the player).

[faction02]

Rather than a sound, a ping on the minimap (or both) might be better in case someone has several outposts.

[Player of 0AD]

Maybe a very soft sound which is not disturbing. You don't want that your enemy is harassing you by annoying your outposts, right? The rather stupid attack-sound would be a no-go

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

I was thinking a rather innocuous sound effect. Also, with a cooldown time between notifications it would be a nice little feature. 

A good example of it is in Age of Empire III when the enemy is first sighted by your Explorer. 

[real_tabasco_sauce]

6 hours ago, Player of 0AD said:

Maybe a very soft sound which is not disturbing.

Here's a perfect sound:

 

 

 

 

In seriousness, maybe a single trumpet note or something?

 

[real_tabasco_sauce]

 

 

[Philip the Swaggerless]

The idea makes sense. A hot key similar to the go-to-last-attacked-alert could also go along with it.

A general comment on sound notifications and cool downs.   We often operate as though unless a sound effect has played we are not under attack.  Sometimes we come under attack but no sound effect has played and we are upset to see the damage we have suffered.  (Is this because of cool-downs? What are the other conditions?)

Having the outpost make a noise, especially inconsistently, might similarly frustrate players by habituating them to expect alert sounds. 

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Well, you have to have some kind of cool down or else you're inundated with notification sounds

Edited March 16, 2022 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[real_tabasco_sauce]

Its a tricky tradeoff

[Alar1k]

Since there is a ping indicator that should work for the outpost as well - some french horn sound like preparation for alerted stance - like a few tones just to break the usual game music followed by notification: "(in colour of the player insert player name) red player has been spotted by your sentry" - just like there is a notification for attack from a player/gaia

 

And I like the Idea of a cooldown - maybe even make it like a tech for research costing 50 food and name it "Alert sentry" - each garrisoned outpost sounds a noise when your enemy enters the vision range

[Stan`]

1 hour ago, Alar1k said:

Since there is a ping indicator that should work for the outpost as well - some french horn sound like preparation for alerted stance - like a few tones just to break the usual game music followed by notification: "(in colour of the player insert player name) red player has been spotted by your sentry" - just like there is a notification for attack from a player/gaia

 

And I like the Idea of a cooldown - maybe even make it like a tech for research costing 50 food and name it "Alert sentry" - each garrisoned outpost sounds a noise when your enemy enters the vision range

@Freagarach do you know how hard it is to tweak the attack detection code to trigger a ping?

[Freagarach]

12 hours ago, Stan` said:

@Freagarach do you know how hard it is to tweak the attack detection code to trigger a ping?

Nope, but it isn't hard (TM) to introduce a range query to outposts (and scouts for DE) (could be called AlertRaiser, but we have that component already).

Please make a simple ticket for this.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Freagarach
Ticket.

[rkt]

On 17/03/2022 at 1:49 AM, real_tabasco_sauce said:

 

 

Nice song.

[hyperion]

On 17/03/2022 at 12:19 AM, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Well, you have to have some kind of cool down or else you're inundated with notification sounds

So you send a unit to trigger the alert and then sometime before the timeout ends you pass with your army Now you are worse off as without the alert in the first place.

 

PS: changing the behavior after some minutes (8 here) sounds like broken design to me, don't care for mods tho.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

19 minutes ago, hyperion said:

So you send a unit to trigger the alert and then sometime before the timeout ends you pass with your army Now you are worse off as without the alert in the first place.

It's only supposed to be an early warning system, not supposed to do everything for you. You still should use map awareness as a player.

[faction02]

What about adding as requirement that the outpost is garrisoned to get the ping?

[Stan`]

How about having a constant ping on the map, but an occasional sound?

 

 

[Dizaka]

3 hours ago, faction02 said:

What about adding as requirement that the outpost is garrisoned to get the ping?

  

On 16/03/2022 at 1:23 AM, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Then 60 seconds or so. The cool down could gradually get longer and longer until by minute 20 it no longer works. (all of this would be invisible to the player).

 

2 hours ago, Stan` said:

How about having a constant ping on the map, but an occasional sound?

 

 

 

Could these three be combined?

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Dizaka

[hyperion]

9 hours ago, Stan` said:

How about having a constant ping on the map, but an occasional sound?

Outpost rushes are of the past

[Lion.Kanzen]

What sound could it be?

I don't want to mimic the blow whistle from AoE IV.