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--- components:enemy-detection [2026/08/24 20:34] – triscus
+++ components:enemy-detection [2026/10/08 14:06] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[start|Torque Tycoon]] > [[components|Game Components]]
+[[:start|Torque Tycoon]] > [[:components|Game Components]]
 ====== Enemy Detection ======
-Enemy Detection is a passive Direction-Finding network for hostile ground activity. A station does not scan its whole network circle like radar and even a level-3 station does not reveal an enemy's true position. A contact appears only when at least one sensor in the network receives that enemy type.
+**Enemy Detection** is a passive Direction-Finding network for hostile ground activity. A station does not scan its whole network circle like radar, and even a level-3 station does not reveal an enemy's true position. A contact appears only when at least one sensor in the network receives that enemy type.
-**The network.** An active airfield can build and upgrade one Direction-Finding station. Its network radius decides which nearby active sites can act as relay sensors; it is not the station's listening range. The airfield itself listens up to 30 km, while a relay listens up to 22 km before the enemy type is taken into account. If a site lies inside several networks, it is assigned to the nearest covering station and uses that station's level and calibration.
+===== The Network =====
+An active airfield can build and upgrade one Direction-Finding station as a site upgrade, paid from cargo delivered to the airfield (see [[components:airfields|Airfields]]). The network radius decides which nearby active sites act as relay sensors; it is not the station's listening range. If a site lies inside several networks, it is assigned to the nearest covering station and uses that station's level and calibration.
 ^ Station ^ Upgrade cost ^ Network radius ^ Available sensors ^ Detectable enemies ^
 | Level 1: Loop Direction Finder | 8 Lumber | 40 km | Airfield, Hubs and Cities | AAA |
-| Level 2: Adcock Direction Finder | 8 Steel | 55 km | Level 1 sites plus Factories | AAA, MANPADS and light camps |
+| Level 2: Adcock Direction Finder | 8 Steel | 55 km | Level 1 sites plus Factories | AAA, MANPADS, light camps and checkpoints |
-| Level 3: Watson-Watt Direction Finder | 6 Industrial Parts | 70 km | Level 2 sites plus Sources | All previous types plus checkpoints |
+| Level 3: Watson-Watt Direction Finder | 6 Industrial Parts | 70 km | Level 2 sites plus Sources | All types |
+Level 2 hears every enemy type, including everything a secure region still produces. Level 3 adds no new type; it pays in more relay sites, a wider network and much narrower cones. The station airfield hears further than a relay does, and a quiet emitter is heard less far than a loud one.
+===== Receiving a Contact =====
+Detection is never guaranteed. Close to a sensor a contact is likely; towards the edge of its reach the chance falls away to nothing. A result holds for one detection period and is then evaluated again, so a stationary enemy can appear or disappear when a new period begins.
-Different emitters can be heard at different distances. These are the maximum effective ranges in ideal conditions; the probability is already close to zero near the outer edge.
+Every successful sensor produces a bearing cone without range information. Its width depends on the station:
-^ Enemy emitter ^ Minimum station level ^ From the station airfield ^ From a relay ^
+  * **Level.** A higher station level produces a markedly narrower cone.
-| AAA | 1 | 30 km | 22 km |
+  * **Calibration.** A calibrated sector roughly halves the daylight error for bearings arriving from that direction.
-| MANPADS | 2 | 25.5 km | 18.7 km |
+  * **Darkness.** Night widens every cone, and the lower the station level the more it suffers. Calibration cannot repair this part.
-| Light camp | 2 | 22.5 km | 16.5 km |
-| Checkpoint | 3 | 24 km | 17.6 km |
-**Receiving a contact.** Detection is not guaranteed inside the effective range. The chance is highest close to a sensor, about 71% at half range and falls to zero at the edge. The result remains stable during a ten-minute detection period and is evaluated again for the next period. A stationary enemy can therefore appear or disappear when a new period begins.
+Distance also contributes to the **A**, **B** or **C** quality rating shown in the contact tooltip.
-Every successful sensor produces a bearing cone without range information. Station level, calibration and darkness determine its width. Distance also contributes to the map's **A**, **B** or **C** quality rating. The following values are the approximate full opening of a daylight cone before a Control Centre bonus:
+===== Calibration =====
-^ Station ^ Uncalibrated ^ Fully calibrated ^
+Fly any player aircraft 3-6 km from the station at 300-900 m above ground and remain continuously inside the same 30-degree sector for 20 seconds. Leaving the distance or altitude band, or crossing into another sector, resets the current dwell timer. Each of the twelve completed sectors is stored separately and improves bearings for every relay assigned to the station. Upgrading the station clears its calibration, because the antenna has changed. A sector keeps full quality for a long time and then fades slowly; the **CAL** layer shows what is still bright. The flight itself is described in [[guides:calibrate-a-station|Calibrate a DF Station]].
-| Loop | 86 degrees | 42 degrees |
-| Adcock | 52 degrees | 26 degrees |
-| Watson-Watt | 32 degrees | 16 degrees |
-Night widens the full cone by another 16 degrees at level 1, 8 degrees at level 2 and 4 degrees at level 3. Calibration cannot remove this night error.
+===== From Bearings to a Position =====
-**Calibration.** Fly any player aircraft 3-6 km from the station at 300-900 m above ground and remain continuously inside the same 30-degree sector for 20 seconds. Leaving the distance or altitude band, or crossing into another sector, resets the current dwell timer. Each of the twelve completed sectors is stored separately and improves bearings arriving from that direction for every relay assigned to the station. Upgrading the station clears its calibration because the antenna has changed. Calibration remains at full quality for 180 server mission cycles, then fades linearly to zero by cycle 365.
+With no received bearing, the enemy does not appear in the public threat layer. One bearing produces a single cone. Two or more bearings produce crossed cones, but players must judge their overlap themselves until the world has a [[components:institutions|Direction-Finding Control Centre]].
-**From bearings to a position.** With no received bearing, the enemy does not appear in the public threat layer. One bearing produces a single cone. Two or more bearings produce crossed cones, but players must judge their overlap themselves until the world has a [[components:institutions|Direction-Finding Control Centre]].
+{{:wiki:bearing.png?400|A single bearing cone: direction from the station, no range.}}
-{{:wiki:bearing.png?400|}}
+The Control Centre requires three Direction-Finding stations at level 2 or higher. Once built, its global plotting service narrows every cone and automatically intersects two or more bearings. A wide intersection appears as a red **plotted** area, a tight one as a **fixed** point. That point is the calculated centre of the bearing intersection, not access to the enemy's hidden true coordinates.
-bearing
-{{:wiki:plotted.png?400|}}
+{{:wiki:plotted.png?400|A plotted contact: the red area is where the bearings intersect.}}
-plotted area
-The Control Centre requires three Direction-Finding stations at level 2 or higher. Once built, its global plotting service narrows every cone by 4 degrees on each side and automatically intersects two or more bearings. An intersection larger than 5 km² appears as a red **plotted** area. An area of 5 km² or less appears as a **fixed** point. That point is the calculated centre of the bearing intersection, not access to the enemy's hidden true coordinates.
+===== Reading the Live Map =====
-**Reading the Live Map.** The normal **THREATS** layer draws each unresolved bearing as a red cone made from five progressively fainter bands. Every cone is displayed with the same cosmetic length of 10 km. Only its direction and opening angle carry information; the drawn length is neither an estimated enemy distance nor the sensor's detection range. A single **bearing** and unresolved **crossed** bearings have no contact marker, so their overlap must be judged visually. Once a contact becomes **plotted** or **fixed**, its ordinary dim cones are replaced by the red error area or point. The tooltip gives the enemy kind, resolution and the contributing A/B/C bearing qualities. Selecting a station airfield highlights all bearings reported through that station, including reports from its assigned relay sensors.
+The **THREATS** layer draws each unresolved bearing as a red cone made from five progressively fainter bands. Every cone is drawn at the same cosmetic length. Only its direction and opening angle carry information; the drawn length is neither an estimated enemy distance nor the sensor's detection range. A single **bearing** and unresolved **crossed** bearings have no contact marker, so their overlap must be judged visually. Once a contact becomes **plotted** or **fixed**, its dim cones are replaced by the red error area or point. The tooltip gives the enemy kind, resolution and the contributing A/B/C bearing qualities. Selecting a station airfield highlights all bearings reported through that station, including reports from its assigned relay sensors.
-**Map layers.** **CAL** displays the real 3-6 km calibration band as twelve 30-degree sectors around each station; completed sectors appear brighter according to their remaining quality. The experimental **CLOUD** layer draws every bearing over its full effective detection range at very low opacity. Overlapping cones become darker, but this is only optical assistance and does not calculate a fix. Its outer edge shows the maximum detection range, where the actual detection chance has already fallen to zero. Threat data is refreshed every 30 seconds.
+**CAL** shows the calibration band as twelve sectors around each station; a completed sector appears brighter according to its remaining quality.
 ===== Related Guides =====
+  * [[guides:calibrate-a-station|Calibrate a DF Station]]
   * [[guides:respond-to-an-ambush|Respond to an Ambush]]
   * [[guides:build-project|Build a Project]]