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EmNAR

It's hard to be specific, but the article reads more like a lecture that explains why and how the item exists than it does as a straight description of what it is and does. That sort of content might be better off under a 'history' sub-section. The 'it's rather quite basic' line could just be removed without hurting the article.

The first paragraph says the system is a specific product designed by KAM for the Vekimen stealth ships, but the capabilities paragraph describes it as if it's a general category of equipment that's available to many factions. If it's just talking about potential applications, rather than how it's used, that could be clarified.
 
Given this is the first sensor submitted for the setting, I am assuming the KAM is the only one who has created it to be a ship sensor system. Unless I am told otherwise, yes, KAM designed it, the VDTF is the only one right now who fields the system. For the benefit of the doubt, I assume it will be under the pretense that everyone else just thought it was too simple to pursue, which will make it interesting. If no one did it because they already had better stuff, t gives a low tech race a chance to have a surprise.
 
Navi is right, but their statements need to be taken a step further.

You compare this system to sonar. Sonar involves having an individual listening to the sounds in the water and recognizing them. A computer also could do that, but there's a core fact here that's missing — translating the information into a recognizable format. Considering the Vekimen's tech level, this system won't be of any use without them somehow obtaining a wide, wide variety of EM signatures and translating how they "sound" into something useful. That might not even be possible; you're talking about ships that use ZPE/Aether. Even if those leave a residue behind, it might not be recognizable by the Vekimen.

Which leads to the other problem. A system like this relies on radiation coming toward it and being able to sort it out from noise. In water at short ranges, it works because sound travels great in water and ranges are relatively close for all parties involved.

That's not how it works in space. Radiation travels STL. It's only going to be practical only at the shortest possible ranges — long after the Vekimen vessel has been detected.

tl;dr: This system's viable, but you should be realistic about how it works. Even the most basic starship out there will have sensors that can detect you before you detect it.
 
What type of electromagnetic radiation are we talking about here? Light? Radio waves?
 
Sounds a whole lot like this won't get through without turning into another system all together.

For references though, from what I have read, EM travels at light speed. It is full spectrum EM.
 
Considering we're essentially talking about light, you are correct in that it travels at lightspeed.

You don't have to turn this into another system. I just want to be absolutely certain you recognize exactly how limited the system is. It's ready to go otherwise.
 
It is a limited system, yes. It was intended to be before all the really fancy systems. I figure you would have a basic background emissions in deep space, and would hear anomalies. Then you would use other systems to identify what exactly it is. You can then record objects and what sounds they generally make. Make assumptions based on that. Of course they wouldn't be able to go "Oh hey, that's a Yui-7 and a Plumaria such and such a distance away at bearing ### by ###"

It would be like "We have a weird sound in the general direction of ### by ### give or take 10 degrees on each variable"

It can take up the whole EM Spectrum, or you can set it t only focus on certain spectrum if the need arises. So instead of going from Radio to Gamma, you can go "Sweep Infrared, then switch to X-Ray" blah blah blah
 
Understood. Just as long as you understand, clearly, that ships in this setting go much faster than light, and even approach lightspeed with STL propulsion. By the time your EmNAR detects something, it will be long, long gone — rendering the system almost useless as a tracking device.

Then again, if this is just going to lead to other systems with this one being abandoned eventually, that's sensible.
 
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