Sensors Guide (Radar, Elint, IRST, Tracking, Jammer) | Highfleet

A complete guide on how to use the various sensors in Highfleet. It covers using Radar, Elint, IRST, Tracking and jammers.
0:00 - Overview and sensor placement
4:06 - Radar and infrared signatures
5:25 - Tracking
7:25 - IRST
10:20 - ELINT and RADAR relationship
12:04 - ELINT
14:08 - RADAR
17:12 - Jammers

[@TheStigma]

One important thing you skipped about sector-search: You can hide yourself from dangerous enemies while actively scanning for targets in another location. This is a lot more important than just having faster updates, and a good reason to actually use the feature. For example, if a strike-group is looking for you (and your ELINT is telling you they are somewhere south) then using a full radar sweep is probably not a good idea because they will probably investigate your location. But if you are searching for a transport target that you think is somewhere north-ish then you can still relatively safely use your active radar with sector-search to scan that general area. The enemy to the south will not detect you on ELINT because you aren't sending radar signals in that direction. The intelligence and strategic eletronic warfare aspects of this game are really important to your success. In many ways it is similar to a submarine-sim, where hiding your location is key. Your army is greatly outnumbered, so using full radar all the time and basically telling the enemy where you are you will get worn down and defeated quickly even if you are really good at the real-time combat.

[@caracal3892]

This is a really good observation. Ignoring enemy ELINT can lead to very bad situations quickly. I had 3 strike groups fire at me the same time and it was 13 missiles fired at my fleet.

[@golferchin76]

@@caracal3892 I think it must be something you did to have 13 missiles came at you. You should be able to have ELINT going off crazy like 2 up north, 1 down south, 4-5 bars and they have no idea of your where about. The situation I described is big zone very alerted, but the area still have a radius of 300-600km, which is very large for the enemy to blindly shoot cruise missiles.

[@golferchin76]

I am learning this whole intelligence and strategic electronic warfare is extremely important if we use the existing set up of campaign (no self designed ships, only slightly modify in shipyard as you go). 1 wrong move can cause a lot of trouble. 2 wrong moves and dead.

[@TheStigma]

@TEXOCMOTP Absolutely. using the radar on the Sevastopol at all is a big risk because it's slow (which is really it's Achilles heel) - so you have few evasive options once the enemy knows where you are. A small, fast ship is what you want to have radar on preferably, since it is far less risky to show up on enemy ELINT occasionally when you can be long gone by the time they can react. When you are fast you can even use that to misdirect strike groups away from your real areas of interest and vulnerable ships. Airplanes also make for really good scouts that don't reveal our location. Unlike radar you can even get a read on what vessels you are up against. Here is also a really good advanced tip: If you have multiple ships (at least 2) with ELINT in the same general area (such as a scout ship with the Sevastopol trailing behind) you can triangulate strike group positions fairly accurately based on ELINT alone. It's just a matter of simple geometry and drawing some lines on the map. That can be super handy to keep en eye on threats while "running silent".

[@kinagrill]

@@caracal3892 Once I get caught by one SG, I always end up having to eventually fire nukes (and then I get turned to mush cuz enemies retaliate XD). I have to basically escape visual range while flying DARK so hostile SGs dun detect me. and you just have to fly FAR away.

[@Derpartment]

Thanks for making all these guides. My first few runs were laughably short, but thanks to your videos i was able to learn enough to make it to Khiva, while feeling like i was able to make best use of all the tools the game provides.

[@caracal3892]

Thanks. The thing that would improve survival for new players the most is finding strikegroups before they find them.

[@liesdamnlies3372]

Notice at 15:35 how the RWR jumped from 2 to 4. The game is definitely modelling signal strengths, which in this case increased once you’re at altitude.

[@golferchin76]

Wait, I am new to this. So you mean that when I am parked on the ground, and I have 3 bars on ElINT, the enemy is not 600km out? I am actually within there radar range?

[@liesdamnlies3372]

@@golferchin76 Probably.

[@Peliass100]

If it were a sudden jump, it would be a good conlusion, but it only rose quickly, not instantly, and it did so while the fleet was moving right at the source. It's just as likely that the emitter simply approached and it looks way too fast because of time acceleration.

[@liesdamnlies3372]

@@Peliass100 That's only one example. Play the game more.

[@thathandsomedevil0828]

@TEXOCMOTP What does RWS and RWR mean?

[@SuperSeagull12]

12:00 The signal received by active radar has make a full round trip, go all the way to the contact, bounce back, come all the way back, and be received. The signal received by the RWR only has to go from the enemy fleet to you, half the distance.

[@caracal3892]

This is a really good observation. I wonder if the game models the travel speed of electromagnetic waves.

[@KiloSierra213Sierra]

@@caracal3892 I highly doubt that, because on the distances that in-game systems work, the difference in time between radio waves covering one way or both ways is miniscule, below 1/100th of a second

[@matthewleong2726]

@@caracal3892 even if it did, would it matter? the speed of light is pretty fast...

[@inquisitorbenediktanders3142]

Yeah, especially given that the game operates at about 6 minutes per real time second at least, I doubt that is modelled at all.

[@SuperSeagull12]

@@KiloSierra213Sierra it's not about speed, it's about attenuation. Radar energy expands as it travels, so the received signal drops with the square of the distance. It's distance only, speed doesn't matter.

[@AndrejaKostic]

Could the chance be the sudden strike probability? That is to say, to attack the city without being detected? It's used on the main map, on the lower right for selected group.

[@setsappa1540]

How can somebody dislike demonstration like this?

[@Sabier3]

The radar lines on the map correspond 1 to 1 with the lines on the radar display, and whatever it is you are detecting should be at the centre of the line that appears on the screen, so actually you don't need to guess very much at all.

[@nnmmnmmnmnnm]

These videos are so helpful. Thanks for making them.

[@caracal3892]

Thanks.

[@MajorCoolD]

Yo Tarkhan, I hate to rain on your parade. But Radar tracking ONLY works if you have your Radar on. The yellow circle you had then which allows you to track the enemy with Radar off, is your visual range. At best circumstances it's about 100km though time of the day and I believe weather, influence it aswell, deep night, so a few hours before and after midnight can cut it in half, which is why that is the best time to conduct silent strikes against unsuspecting garrisons. Other than that small tid-bit, still a good vid. The bit on jammers was a bit short but helpfull nonetheless. :)

[@xtomvideo]

Good guides, very helpful.

[@FoolishPoppycock]

I love the way you explain things, very easy for me to understand. Helps a lot, thank you

[@caracal3892]

thanks!

[@webertheo5448]

straight to the point and very precise thank you very

[@Yogurt4655]

Excellent and concise explanations, thank you!

[@1littlemaxy]

It is clear the person is attached to militery enginiring or smtg similar. Thank you!

[@kilastrika]

Very well spoken tutorial on everything. Helps a lot thx.

[@caracal3892]

thank you.

[@TomahawkFare]

Thank you for the guide bro.

[@reggiemaron6310]

thank you for doing this ! This is game is so awesome but really complex

[@ChenZyO]

Thanks for the videos, please make a hidden city guide, I can't find the cities even with the directions from the tent helpers

[@r-saint]

Very interesting!

[@nashiffuadkhan9817]

Do make the hidden city guide

[@SimDeck]

This game looks superb. I'm getting it.

[@lorenzocassaro3054]

It is, but beware: it's also hard as hell

[@laibashafique5078]

Video is helpful for us

[@FloatingOnAZephyr]

Super useful, thanks! Friendly tip: cut out some of the long pauses :)

[@NefariousKoel]

I wonder if they modeled the effectiveness of turning off your radar and jammer against incoming anti-radiation missiles, hence giving them nothing to home on. Or, at least, increasing their chances of losing track if those ARMs have target memory capability like AGM-88 HARMs (on non-moving targets anyway).

[@caracal3892]

I observed some weird behaviour with missiles. 3 missiles were coming at my fleet, and I switched on the jammer. As soon as it found me (it changed course slightly) it says JAMMED however it still hit. Perhaps it was an anti-radar missile or it was a normal missile that was bugged. Because it would not make sense for the missile text to say JAMMED, when it means "I found a target with a jammer on"

[@fastindy]

​@@caracal3892 From the manual: "If you have a ship equipped with a Radar Jamming module (these can be found and equipped in some cities’ Shipworks) you can hit the RAD button to jam the enemy’s radar tracking - this will help avoid enemy missile strikes. ARM missiles will aim directly for the Jammer."

[@cryptoam177]

@@caracal3892 Jammers in game reduce the effectiveness of active radar. That means that the range at which they can track is lowered. I can think of 4 main interactions here: 1- Active guidance by enemy ships to target designation: The missile loses guidance once it enters the jamming range and reverts to local active radar tracking. See 2 and 3 for what happens then. 2- Missile terminal guidance, out of reduced range: Say the missile has a normal tracking range of 30 miles and is faced towards you in it's radar cone and you are 29 miles away. Jamming reduces the range by one half. Now the missile will not have track since it's effective tracking range is now 15 miles. Use this time to either intercept or run away/out of the missile's seeker cone. Note that the moment that you stop jamming the range will revert back to it's original range. 3-Missile terminal guidance, in reduced range- Same example as above but you are now 14 miles away. Unfortunately, the missile's reduced and effective range is still enough to detect and hit you. Run to prolong the time to impact and prepare for interception. 4- HARM- You are now emitting an additional source of emissions that the missile can home in on. If you wish to prevent the HARM from hitting, disable all radars and jammers or intercept it. You may need to move away once you have ceased emissions. My guess for what happened then? It was either a HARM or you were still in effective range despite the jamming. Jamming is not a cure all. It is a opportunity to use to counter threats. Activate it as soon as you can to maximize evasion and interception chance. Disable it once you are not using it(eg to counter missiles or radars). Do not forget: Jamming is an emission that enemy ELINT can detect. ELINT detection range is the following: ELINT range + Highest range emission source effective range. This means that if you have a radar range of 900 miles and a jammer effective at 300 miles active and the enemy ELINT range is 1500, the ELINT initial detection range will be 1500+900(max range source active). If say you then keep the jammer on but disable/do a sector search away from the enemy using ELINT, the ELINT detection range will now be 1500+300 miles.

[@DamazViccar]

Your voice kinda reminds me of Vaas from FC3. I dig these guides of yours.

[@caracal3892]

Hey thanks!

[@MortalWombat1988]

Anyone know by how much it reduces your signature to have your fleet landed? I've had strike groups pass me by < 100 km when I was parked in the dirt, but other times I wasn't so lucky.

[@golferchin76]

maybe 15:35 can give you some estimate. you see the ELINT jumped from 2-4 when he got airborne.

[@Cactusjugglertm]

Do helpfull! Thanks!

[@seagie382]

4:17 SUDDEN STRIKE CHANCE!!

[@xX_Man_Of_Culture_Xx]

When i turn on the radar it shows the radar on the map but the yellow ring doesnt expand and when i detect enemy SGs they are on the radar in the corner but not on the map1

[@ImperialGit]

I can feel my brain growing... :D

[@Trifler500]

Which would you recommend putting on a scout, if not all of them?

[@caracal3892]

I think it depends on what you want to do with the scout. If you want an early warning from incoming strike groups, then ELINT is great. Because strike groups use radars to find you. However freighters tend not to have their radars on. Because they want to avoid being seen it appears. If you want accurate targeting information for a missile carrier to hit a strike group your scout spotted, then a radar is good to have. Because it shows targeting information in a 10 degree cone, while ELINT only shows the target within a 60 degree cone. IRST is good for ambushes, if you have your radar off and are landed, then you can park yourself next to a street connecting 2 cities. TRACKING is close range exact position information (you can see the target in real time). However if it is that close, it likely can see you too.

[@Trifler500]

​@@caracal3892 I was mostly thinking about trying to see what a city garrison has before I send my assault force in, but you bring up some interesting ideas.

[@ColdPillowz]

@@Trifler500 yes, every time the admiral asks if i want to send a strike group or go all in I’m like ??? I have no information lol

[@thathandsomedevil0828]

@@Trifler500 Why not just fire a cruise missile at the garrison and see for yourself? :}

[@joshuacoleman6245]

Ty

[@galacticfederationofficer]

i like how youre named caracal, a missile cruisers name from eve :D

[@thathandsomedevil0828]

Caldari ships are awesome! :}

[@galacticfederationofficer]

@@thathandsomedevil0828 i played eve for the first time intensively when eve mobile came out. I immediately fall in love with caldari, their rocket affinity, and the upgrades of the caracal, caracal navy and the caracal sniper with extra range. I still love those ships up to today.

[@ether23-23]

I love eve so much, I just don't have the time to play the game properly anymore

[@fremenGaming]

Does the manual says its 60deg cone for RWR? It is rather suspicious. It would mean that the cone is from 330 to 30 when target is in the cone but imagine situation when the target is between 0-30 degrees of actual position. That would mean that both 0 and 30 would have to blink (because cone is for 0 330 to 30 and for 30 is 0 to 60). I never seen 2 lights blinking from one target so i suspect the cone is more like 345 - 15 deg for 0, 15-45deg for 30 and so on... :> Its just logic :> Also, not true that if anything gets within radar circle than it will be detected. It all depends on radar detectability of the target. If he is small and low detectability than he could be way inside of the range but not being detected. I also believe that it is possible the focused angled version of radar tracking may simulate "stronger" signal and allow you to find targets you wouldnt normally see, but that is just my suspicion for now. Need to make more tests

[@GamesExposed]

did you work for submarines or aviation in WWII or something? you're really good at this

[@caracal3892]

Thanks, however I am not old enough to have been in ww2.

[@evolgenius1150]

Silent hunter i bet 😂

[@C05597641]

I appreciate that the makers of this game are treating us as intelligent humans but fuck am i confused by the systems of this game. I endeavour to live up to the expectations of the developers and I will never stop buying these confusing indie games even if I dont finish them.

[@seagie382]

You sound like Jordan Petersen, you could probably do a good impression if you covered up the accent

[@junoxii6181]

I feel like i study for radar ship 1950 warfare

[@viarnay]

You need a Phd to play this :- º

[@caracal3892]

Don't get intimidated by it. The game is a lot of fun even if you are just at the beginning of figuring the systems out.

[@karasupowa23]

Why do I hear Jordan Peterson ?

[@sinam3347]

this game is too deep. and most of the mechanics aren’t explained in game. I love it but it is hard to play because of this.

[@Lexhy]

I hear you, just picked up the game and the in-game tutorial is extremely lacking. It's really one of those games where you must watch youtube tutorials to know what to do

[@Lexhy]

@TEXOCMOTP yeah, basically played it like a silent hunter game! I actually found a manual for the game on the FAQ page that helped a lot

[@cryptoam177]

There is a manual accessible in the steam library page. Use it.

[@SuiSideex]

Lmao i bought this game for ship combat which looks pretty funny and arcade and i get raped by campaign which is kinda like simulator and hard af, and now after 7 hours i cant evet get a my money back.