Solar Flares are real they happen but we just don't know or feel it. but they do mess with electronics.

say every week a Solar Flare come of a Random Sun and disrupts the radars of every ship in that sector (in a radial sweep emanating from that sun.

when it goes of every one is warned in that sector that a solar flare has been detected, the radial circle is two sector long and it takes 10 min for it to travel from one sector to the next. so each sector is without radar for 20 min.

ex:

sun is in d3

flare hits

10 min later it hits d4 and surrounding sectors. 10 min later it hits d5

10 min later it leaves d3 and hits d6

10 min later it leaves d4 and hits d7

so on and so forth. would make CTC VERY interesting if it happens at the right time. and would make botting more interesting when it hits. and so on so forth

ALL other things would still work like select nearest foes, but it would pick a random one of 3

so if there are 4 close

1 is at 300
2 is at 400
3 is at 700
4 is at 1500

"select nearest foe"

it choses 3 push it again and it picks 2 again and its 3 again and its 1 again and its 1 again and its 2 So On and So Forth

there thats my 2 ¢

Well the solar flare idea is very interesting, but some problems.

1. Your not gunna be able to se yyour radar at all.
1b. This mean your targeting system is also moslt likey going to crap out on ya.
2. Since the entire ship is made of electronics, would your ship start like donig random things. (ex. boost for 12 sec.) (ex2. Ship starts drifting to the right heavily.)

Just a couple of things. But an interesting idea non-the-less

More natual events like this are definitely needed. I like the Sun Flare idea and if some of the details were ironed out I think it would make a great addition to the game.

If you wanna see a Sunflare, come into Pyronis while I'm mentoring Serco newbies... :P
In TI2, solar flares would have completely blinded ships without open (transparent aluminum) cockpits, as their electronics would all totally FAIL. One would have been able to purchase a radiation hardened hull and non-electronic control systems for the right costs, but they would have sacrificed maneuverability and durability.
The reason that I'm referring TI2 as a "would have" is because it died as a project when VO was released.
-:sigma.SB

chances are most vital systems would be shielded agenst the em radiation that a solar flair would cause. However it would still blind sencores. All and all i like this sugestion.

*bump*

i think it would also be cool to have a movie sprite that lets you know where it is in space.

screw realism, it would be a cool addition to the game. Buuuuuuuut,

As an alternative it could be a maruading race of space bacteria that live in suns and migrate from system to system weekly. They feed off a special component found in radar systems nullifying them useless till you get out of the infested system and go to a station for repairs.

Now dont you wish you had stuck to the solar flares!

I like it. Better yet, make it only happen in certain system.

Affected systems: Nyrius, Bractus, Betheshee, Setalli Shinas.

Proposed Effect: smaller particles than an ion storm, moving in staggered waves from one side of the sector to the other. Yellow is nice, yellow with bright white trails is better.

Okay... how about a giant space amoeba...

Psshh... Master of Orion geek

Or...Star Trek :P
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:N9PI2lmDPDEJ:sttos.epguides.info/%3FID%3D403&hl=en
-:sigma.SB