Ship Transponders and Landing Codes

[FlamingLily]

It's late and I haven't really thought this through a lot but I wanted to get a forum post out while I remember I might come back and touch it up later but here we go
Also disclaimer, as with all my suggestions, I'm willing to make it myself, just posting for a gauge of interest

This one's a big one so two parts

1) Transponders

A device in every ship detailing a ship's designation, owner, vessel class, parent vessel (for shuttles) and maybe even an optional mission field (Simple things, like "Diplomatic" "Medical Aid". Would not be mandatory [ICly] to broadcast unlike the other fields for safety reasons [you don't want a transport ship broadcasting that it's transporting valuable goods]).
They would be laid out like:
Designation: SCCV Horizon
Owner: Stellar Corporate Conglomerate
Class: Cruiser [This is apparently what it is in lore]
Parent Vessel: N/A (For the Intrepid, this would be "SCCV Horizon")
Mission: Withheld (Or: Exploratory)
 

Transponder details can be seen when running a scan of a ship using sensors.

Transponder details are pre-configured and unchangeable, (The mission field is changable at any time), but can be turned on or off to prevent details being broadcast. Antagonist ships have hacked transponders and freely change any field details.

2) Hangar Codes

When a ship wishes to land in another ship's hangar, or dock with another ship (Currently I believe only the Horizon can be docked with, away sites not included), they must first gain access via contacting the bridge crew, who can set hangar codes at a hangar control terminal. When attempting to dock in a restricted docking location/hangar, the pilot must input a code or be unable to dock.

When docking with the horizon, an automated announcement of imminent docking will occur, informing people to clear the docking port or hangar deck, and will share the transponder details of the docking ship.

Optionally, antagonist ships could have a silent landing feature, or a silent docking feature, (Or a semi-silent docking, where they can dock, but the airlock will not open without being forced, and they cannot land at hangars without codes.). Personally, I think the semi-silent docking should be the only case, antagonists should have slight difficulty docking quietly, or social engineer their way in.

Hangar/docking codes are required for arriving and leaving, and bridge crew can set a different code for both

The default status for hangar codes is empty, however, so if there are no bridge crew or command online, the hangars are unlocked.

Also add a shadow where a ship is landing for hangar techs to get nice and up close, for marshalling wand purposes

[Sycmos]

I 100% cosign this addition. After witnessing a round where a retinue of cocky Legionnaires boarded the Horizon in full battle rattle without authorization I believe it's imperative that the Horizon have some sort of safe measure to prevent ghost rollers from simply coming aboard whenever they please and disrupting rounds unceremoniously. 

[Carver]

Agreed wholeheartedly. The ease at which people can trespass aboard the Horizon with no recourse is comical, and this might give an added value to Bridge Crewmen as targets for antagonists to coerce or convince.

[Zulu0009]

Absolutely support this, nobody should be able to just dock in a ship as large as the Horizon without being detected anyway. Needing to actually contact the bridge to dock is an essential addition. And if you don't have docking codes, you have to park next to the Horizon and make your way inside yourself. Seems fair.

Transponders seem like a cool idea too! That way a smart antag ship can fake being something else, like an Orion Express ship, to pass by unseen or dock with the Horizon. Cool idea.