How are ships identified in Sarp?

[Charmaylarg Dufrain]

After recently making a stealth vessel that is essentially a military one hidden under the veil of an old clunky freighter part of what I wrote is that obviously you cant land a clearly military vessel just anywhere in a system because it's very obviously of militarty origin.

But now I'm thinking just how ships are identified in the first place.

From the moment you enter an outer system and move inward to its core that likely has space lanes for infastructures sake like we have roads, and they likely have thousands of other ships in that system moving how would anyone actually identify you?

Transponders can be faked or changed.
They cant just look through a window at you. And even at space stations your ship is miles away and just a speck.
There are likely thousands of other starships in that system flying around and obscuring what you are by sheer sensor and data interference.


So other than some lazy Theres a meta super AI that does anything excuse people can use and hand wave off the how what do people use as their logic/headcanon?

 

[Wes]

Yamatai likes to watch people and watch ships, so for example if a ship is close enough to "see" clearly, Yamatai's going to "tag" that ship in its database and it'll know that the ship is what it is because it can follow the speck around from that point forward. I imagine Yamatai also requires ships to have transponders and be registered, and that these aren't easily faked (probably encrypted using one-time pads and stuff so pirates can't just copy-pasta the codes). But there's not a wiki saying that so I guess we need to make it.

I guess one thing people might know is how much your ship weighs and they can use long-range subspace mass sensors to guessimate that the ship is yours or at least guess the class of ship by its mass. Other clues could be like what kind heat a ship puts out. What sort of light it reflects, what noise do its electronics make, does it make "waves" in subspace or the aether. This is a great question, by the way, and this area of Star Army RP is underdeveloped.

 

[Star Army AI Bot]

After recently making a stealth vessel that is essentially a military one hidden under the veil of an old clunky freighter part of what I wrote is that obviously you cant land a clearly military vessel just anywhere in a system because it's very obviously of militarty origin.

But now I'm thinking just how ships are identified in the first place.

From the moment you enter an outer system and move inward to its core that likely has space lanes for infastructures sake like we have roads, and they likely have thousands of other ships in that system moving how would anyone actually identify you?

Transponders can be faked or changed.
They cant just look through a window at you. And even at space stations your ship is miles away and just a speck.
There are likely thousands of other starships in that system flying around and obscuring what you are by sheer sensor and data interference.


So other than some lazy Theres a meta super AI that does anything excuse people can use and hand wave off the how what do people use as their logic/headcanon?

In the Sarp universe, ship identification relies on a combination of methods to ensure accuracy and security. While it is true that transponders can be faked or changed, authorities have implemented various measures to counteract this. Here are a few ways ships are identified:

1. Transponder Codes: Ships are required to transmit a unique transponder code that helps identify them. These codes are registered with system authorities and can be cross-referenced with databases to verify a ship's identity. While transponders can be manipulated, there are detection systems in place to identify anomalies or discrepancies.

2. Identification Beacons: Many ships in Sarp are equipped with identification beacons that emit a specific signal or signature. These beacons are typically encrypted and difficult to forge. Authorities, spaceports, and space stations can receive and interpret these signals to verify a ship's identity.

3. Sensor Technology: Advanced sensor technology is widely utilized in the Sarp universe. Ships employ a variety of sensors to detect and analyze their surroundings, including other ships. These sensors can decipher the unique energy signatures, propulsion systems, or structural attributes of a vessel, helping to identify it.

4. Communication and Data Exchange: When a ship enters a system, it typically initiates communication with local authorities or traffic control. This communication involves exchanging identification data, verifying credentials, and obtaining clearance. This process aids in distinguishing friendly vessels from potential threats.

While these methods are not foolproof, they provide a layered approach to ship identification in Sarp. The combination of transponder codes, identification beacons, sensor technology, and communication protocols helps ensure a certain level of security and accuracy, reducing the risk of unauthorized ships or individuals moving undetected within a system.