BluTracking device

TL:DR
Small blutracking device (integrated compass) with friendly indicators and moving map to enhance situational awareness and tactical teamplay - displayed all the time (no switching necessary), probably for some supply points.

What does it?
Blutrackers show friendly units in your vicinity on a small map, similar to gps, but with friendly indicators on it.
Depending on settings you can zoom in and out of your map, to better see bundled up groups or spread teammates further away.

How would it look like ingame?
Standard view (overview)
Standard view
Zoomed view (tactical)
Zoomed view

Why wouldn't you use the standard map?
The problem with the standard map / tactical map is, you don't see it all the time, you have to click first. This isn't the best option within firefights and it's certainly not very clever to get out of your situational awareness (SA) to get more SA 😉 Furthermore the game map doesn't have a way to zoom in, so it's quite useless for coop-formations and your close SA.

So what advantages would a BT bring into the game?

  • very good SA
  • you can use formations (stick together, covering each other)
  • you could divide in 2 teams, 4 players each, and you always know what's going on
  • it simulates the sensual awareness you won't have in computergames (peripheral view, sounds, instincts etc.)
  • you don't have to switch
  • it could combine compass with map in one view

Mechanic

  • a small device as shown in the pictures above
  • key bindings for: 1) on/off, 2) zoom / standard
  • shows the standard map of the game
  • standard: your location at the center, map moving, bearing north
  • zoomed: same as standard, but map is zoomed in 10 x
  • teamindicators in blue (could disappear if player dies)
  • small compass integrated at the top
  • bearing (big number)

optional (later):

  • center map / move with arrow keys
  • bearing north / view-direction
  • icons for roles
  • tactical ping (same as in compass, enemy contact)

Balancing
This idea is mainly for coop, where balancing isn't that important.
But if you have to, this device could cost supply points.

Give examples of better gameplay!

  • moving in two teams aka fireteams (where is the other team)
  • moving in buddy-teams of two
  • attack / breaching buildings from two sides
  • defending (sectors to cover)
  • throwing explosives (buddy somewhere in danger?)
  • technical friendly or not?
  • approach covered or not?
  • is a mate on the objective already?
  • has the group moved already?
  • is the shadow at your 9 'o clock friendly?
  • where the heck am I? 😉

Sure, you can communicate a lot of those things, but if you have been in a firefight in ISS before or on discord with 7 friends, you know, it's not working. To much noise, to many mates shouting over each other, pure chaos. And so you could concentrate to your 12, always ready for contact. It's a little bit sophisticated and Sandstorm is displaying syrian fighters with relatively old equipment, but perhaps the advisor was so nice to get some shiny new stuff for his friends, I don't know, it would fit in well imo.

Idea?
Not mine. We used similar stuff in ArmA (DAGR, ShackTactical etc.) and it's certainly known from other games I don't remember now. In all those games it enhances SA and improves realistical gameplay aka moving together in formations. Formations are not that important for ISS, but it improves tactical gameplay if playing with more than one team (e.g. 2 x 4) and it simulates this "knowing" of the whereabouts generated by peripheral view, little noises (clothes, small metal thingies etc.) and this 6th sense we all still have if predators are around.

So what do you guys/gals think?

So that is a permanent minimap which shows the actual locations of the teammmates !?

To be honest i don´t like such minimaps but i am sure there is a big request for it inside the community.
So yeah why not ?
As long as you can toggle it on/off it would be a cool addition to the game and help players to analyze the situation and may be even prevent teamkilling.

PS :
I don´t like the compass of that device.
The actual circular compass rose which is integrated in Sandstorm is absolutely perfect for threat call outs !
You hear the direction in which the enemy has been sighted and the direction is indicated on the circular compass so that you can turn around very quickly and engage the threat.
So i definatly prefer the circular compass rose !

last edited by GSG_9_LIGHTNING

thats pretty nice but i would only love to see my own location instad of others
and its too big blocking too mutch room on the screen

last edited by Dutchxarms

@Dutchxarms
I agree with the size of the tracker frame being too big ... either the mini map could be bigger inside the frame or reduce the size of the frame to the size of that minimap shown in the pictures.

Nobody wants wasted space for an olive colored frame of that tracker.
A very thin frame going around the display ( just like the thin frame on top of that device ) would also work for that issue.

The yellow arrow indicates your own position. Whats wrong in knowing the postions of others in your team ?
May be you can select by keypress if you want to see the others too or just yourself on the whole minimap !?

last edited by GSG_9_LIGHTNING

@GSG_9_LIGHTNING said in BluTracking device:

So that is a permanent minimap which shows the actual locations of the teammmates !?

Yeah, some sort of situational awareness display. Quite common in milSims and it's a thing in reality too. Germans have it as a part of IdZ (Infanterie der Zukunft, future infantry) concept, some other armies are already using it.

As long as you can toggle it on/off it would be a cool addition to the game and help players to analyze the situation and may be even prevent teamkilling.

That's the purpose: Know where your teammates are in relation to yourself, so you can use proper formations for tactical teamplay.

I don´t like the compass of that device.
The actual circular compass rose which is integrated in Sandstorm is absoluteley perfect for threat call outs !
You hear the direction in which the enemy has been sighted and the direction is indicated on the circular compass so that you can turn around very quickly and engage the threat.
So i definatly prefer the circular compass rose !

Good point, but it's difficult to integrate this rose into a minimap-device. In my experience it's okay to know were sounds come from, after a while you know that the boundaries are behind you.

@GSG_9_LIGHTNING said in BluTracking device:

@Dutchxarms
I agree with the size of the tracker frame being too big ... either the mini map could be bigger inside the frame or reduce the size of the frame to the size of that minimap shown in the pictures.

Nobody wants wasted space for an olive colored frame of that tracker.
A very thin frame going around the display ( just like the thin frame on top of that device ) would also work for that issue.

That's due to the semi realistic approach of ISS: A minidevice had to be sturdy (usage, battery, etc.) and there should be some sort of disadvantage as well (little bit of balance). In reality you would probably have such a device on your forearms, but I don't know if this would be possible with the game engine.

Literally half of this community has never played NWI’s other games, how they develop their games, or is just so blinded by bullshit. This is fucken insurgency, if we add this then next we should add in a crosshair, then hit markers, then have your magazine count stay on your hud all the time. You want to know why NWI doesn’t fix all the problems we tell them. Is because shit posts like these who are trying to change the core of insurgency make it so none of the devs want to be infected with more cancer from this forum. Go fucken play or read and reviews on insurgency 2014 and see how that game was praised for minimal hud and how it doesn’t hold your hand in any way. Maybe then you will figure out why this game isn’t call of duty battlefield 69
Also you already have a map PRESS FUCKEN TAB. Unless your blind or don’t even have basic tracking skills with your eyes then you should easily be able to tell where you and your teammates are. Also no one does any formation in insurgency. When you can dolphin dive 5 meters while sprinting with 10 pounds of shit and when AI is about as bad as aids, there’s no point in doing formations. You want that then go play arma with some mods and download some missions. This isn’t a mil-sim game, this is a hardcore seim-realistic game that focuses on the fear people get in war

last edited by burntf1ames

@burntf1ames
Well ... thanks for your input I guess 😉

@tacplay
Eh to be honest
It would be cool but then you get some controversy for the first few months when added