Heartbeat Sensors, how do they work exactly?

(dommafia) #1

How many seconds after throwing the sensors does it take to go into effect?
Does the enemy have to do something in particular to get picked up or just be in the covered area?
Can the enemy do anything to avoid being picked up by it other than destroy the sensor and not be in proximity?

I ask these questions because I’ve been trying to use them for the past days and it seems to some times work and other times not so much. Sometimes I know there are a couple of enemies behind a wall and i’ll throw it against the side of the wall opposite to them and I dont see any spotted enemies.

Break it down please.

(Humate) #2

Once they land on the ground they start working, and will pick up the enemy within a certain radius.
The enemy will hear a beep, signalling that they are on radar.
If they find the sensor, they can shoot it or knife it to destroy it.

(dommafia) #3

[QUOTE=Humate;430532]Once they land on the ground they start working, and will pick up the enemy within a certain radius.
The enemy will hear a beep, signalling that they are on radar.
If they find the sensor, they can shoot it or knife it to destroy it.[/QUOTE]

Ok so it’s instant and no conditions need to be met for the enemy indicator to show up on my screen. So how comes it doesn’t work this way a lot of the time? That’s what made me bring up those questions above.

(Humate) #4

Yep, either the radar nade was destroyed or the players werent near it.

(dommafia) #5

Ill try to frap it, maybe it’s a bug on my end :confused:
Definitely not destroyed. And there are enemies right behind the wall im test throwing it at.

(acutepuppy) #6

I agree, the range seems weird. It’d be nice if the HBS showed up on the minimap.

(Violator) #7

ShooterUI.ini:

m_DisplayHeartbeatSensors=true

other stuff in there too, including turrets and mines.

(dommafia) #8

[QUOTE=Violator;430676]ShooterUI.ini:

m_DisplayHeartbeatSensors=true

other stuff in there too, including turrets and mines.[/QUOTE]

Yeah it’s on by default. I think that ACP is referring to the range being drawn on the mini map. Like the radar is on etqw.

(tokamak) #9

[QUOTE=Humate;430532]Once they land on the ground they start working, and will pick up the enemy within a certain radius.
The enemy will hear a beep, signalling that they are on radar.
If they find the sensor, they can shoot it or knife it to destroy it.[/QUOTE]

And radar is not just tagged on the minimap in ETQW, you can see your opponents through walls once they’re in range of the sensor.

They’re actually really powerful and any covert ops would be stupid not to constantly keep throwing them about.

(scre4m.) #10

I wonder why those things are actually in the game.
I’d like to see those wallhack-nades removed.

(Kl3ppy) #11

[QUOTE=scre4m.;430969]I wonder why those things are actually in the game.
I’d like to see those wallhack-nades removed.[/QUOTE]

For comp its probablly not good, but I think for normal pub games its a nice feature.
If Im not wrong, now when the enemy is in the detection zone, his class+health+position is shown, not only on the minimap. Maybe limit this information so just the location is shown and only on the minimap. Then its not a wallhack anymore.

(tokamak) #12

I think they’re highly valuable to both comp and pub and they really solidify the role for the covert ops.

BUT, players need to know when they’re being detected. They need a warning signal for as long as they’re within range of the sensor otherwise the situation is completely out of their control.

Just like a damage indicator you get a yellow tracking indicator pulsing in a circle around you so you can know you’re being tracked while at the same time have a realistic means of tracking the hostile sensor.

This mechanic justifies the power of the ‘wallhack’ and creates a really clever hide and seek dynamic.

A more simplified but less interesting way is to simply show a symbol above the sensor, just like a grenade visible through walls at all times.

(scre4m.) #13

I dont think those nades will be much appreciated among comp players. for sure not.

And I think its bad for Pub play as well. You will see people just running into rooms because they know:" hey, there is an enemy behind this wall". What they dont see is that there are maybe 2 other players outside the range of this wallhack nade. So they just get shot by these other undetected players. Its not always an advantage. Especially not for a casual player, who lacks the experience to guess that there might be more enemies than he can see right now.

Also if those nades are kept in the game, I dont like the way they work now. You see those icons through the wall and run around the corner perfectly pre-aimed. If the player crouches or stands, you know where to pre-aim. that’s too much of an advantage in a 1v1 I think. Displaying people on the mini map is enough I think.

(Rex) #14

[QUOTE=scre4m.;431006]I dont think those nades will be much appreciated among comp players. for sure not.

And I think its bad for Pub play as well. You will see people just running into rooms because they know:" hey, there is an enemy behind this wall". What they dont see is that there are maybe 2 other players outside the range of this wallhack nade. So they just get shot by these other undetected players. Its not always an advantage. Especially not for a casual player, who lacks the experience to guess that there might be more enemies than he can see right now.

Also if those nades are kept in the game, I dont like the way they work now. You see those icons through the wall and run around the corner perfectly pre-aimed. If the player crouches or stands, you know where to pre-aim. that’s too much of an advantage in a 1v1 I think. Displaying people on the mini map is enough I think.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely agree with scre4m, those “radar nades” have nothing to search in comp play as the radar was one of the first restrictions in ETQW promod.
Being able to see enemy arrows through walls, even through more walls, gives a too big advantage. I think its function should be reduced to the minimap only.

(Kl3ppy) #15

coldcoockie would be happy :smiley:

No, I aggree with Rex and scre4m, dont show it on the screen, limit the red arrow for an enemy to the minimap, thats enough advantage imo.

(tokamak) #16

Well then you might as well delete the entire class.

(Kl3ppy) #17

So covie is just ingame because he has the heartbeat sensor?

(tokamak) #18

Well without it it’s just a dude with a sniper rifle. I must admit that I’ve been thick enough not to truly ‘get’ the potential and power of these sensors but now I understand it and played with it properly I realise that the covert ops can finally have the same contribution to the team a medic or field ops have and that’s a great thing (it means we only need to start thinking more about the soldier).

And don’t get me wrong, I do thing the sensor IS very powerful, but that’s only because players can’t know they’re being tracked right now. That’s what needs fixing and then it becomes truly interesting. It means that the moment they’re warned a player can either chose to go detected or venture around this detection zone.

You can even let the signal appear a few meters before they start being tracked so it’s completely up to them whether or not they want to be detected in the first place.

This means that the game suddenly gains much more depth in terms of area control, which it really doesn’t have enough of right now. It also opens up the way for tactically advanced teams to create diversions and everything. Something that’s really only possible in competitive play.

(dommafia) #19

I like the sensors as they are, it gives the covertops class a great role in the team. Like toka, I think people in range should have an audible or slight visual indication that they are in range of one. Talking about pub play, obviously.

(Smooth) #20

We’re looking at revamping the sensors slightly this month to better communicate what they do.