Last month, our beloved Head Dev Neth proposed creating a "non-linear coordinate" system to combat certain individuals who are extrapolating coordinates anywhere on the map through some math (which some would accuse this to be meta-gaming). From my understanding, Neth would effectively be encrypting coordinates, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Real-world militaries don't depend on range-finders for all fire, logistic, and other indirect support missions. They have maps. Maps with grid systems that people estimate the coordinates of locations from. Emerald herself said something to this effect. So instead of effectively making it cannon that the USCM uses some ass-backwards encrypted coordinate system that is so complex that maps are rendered useless, I would propose an alternative: Let the marines create their own gridded map.
Think about it. According to the lore we are patrolling the far frontier of space, fighting on worlds whose actual names the USCM doesn't even know (Do you really think the colonists who have made these worlds their home use names like "LV-###"?) or on stations, which the owners would have no rational reason to create gridded maps of. So it would make sense that one of the first priorities the command crew (ie the SOs) would have when arriving at some backwater distress beacon with no proper maps of the AO (areas of operation) would be to create their own map. The SOs would start with orbital imaging to create a rough grid system. It would be inaccurate. Lets say coordinates from this initial map would be 60% accurate (completely arbitrary). If CiC tries to use these coordinates, they might get within ballpark range of where the actual coordinates in the AO are, but it would be risky. You might hit the xeno's position with an OB without needing a spotter, you might drop supplies to a cut off group of fortified marines who lack a rangefinder. Or you might hit the FOB with an OB and deliver a crate of MREs to the xenos (USCM Catering, dopping flavor bombs like its Operation Rolling Thunder!). At this stage, coordinates from spotters would effectively be mandatory. Coordinate values would be different each match. For example, the bottom left tile of the map might have the coordinate value of 156, 82 or -352, 0. If this is insufficient, the coordinate value pattern could also be randomized so on one round, "up" makes latitude more positive while "right" makes longitude more negative, while another round the pattern is positive, positive (I'm here to blow your 2D space-man mind: "up" doesn't have to mean "North").
Marines on the ground could increase the accuracy of CiC's gridded map by going to "landmarks" on the ground and marking them with a rangefinder and giving the data to CiC. Example: Alpha SL stands on one landmark, a big and colorful rock, and lases the big tree on LV. ARES takes the "data" from the SL's position in relation to the lase and improves the accuracy of the map's grid system. There could be several pairs of landmarks randomly placed across the map that marines would have to go to and defend until CiC gets the data. This has several benefits: First, it creates an organic objective system for marines that provides meaningful and substantial benefits. You want better OB support without green dots giving away your intentions? You have to work for it. Second, it gives more strategic options to the CO. A CO might choose to have more mortars brought up from Req to create a creeping barrage for the marines to advance with, or use them in a box-barrage firing pattern to trap xenos against a marine push. But, the CO would have to sacrifice the early game, when marines are at their strongest, to get a map accurate enough to do this. Third, it would reduce metarushing. If Command is having Alpha and Charlie do actual scouting, then Delta alone is unlikely to kill the hive by 12:45 (or some other equivalent). Fourth, this would give the SOs something meaningful to do during the preparation phase of a match. Requisitions has to equip marines, Medical needs to make medicine and set up the ORs, Engineering has to repair the reactors and load the OB. What do the SOs do? Fight over who gets what squad, and talk meaningless strategy (POs have to fight for who flies what AND prepare the dropships). Now they would have to do preliminary work scanning the planet and preparing the map to receive data from the ground (still thinking how this would precisely be done). CiC would have their own preparations to make besides giving input to the XO/CO on how marines should blob the xenos to death this time (or get horribly slaughtered.
Now, some of you might point out that this does absolutely nothing to stop the "meta-gamers," to which I say: It doesn't have to. You give a player the choice between a system that feels cheesy, is finicky to do, and brings with it the fear of a meta-gaming ban, then present the player an IC system that is fun, interesting, and creates RP, strategy, and hilarity; 99 out of 100 times that player will choose the later system. Don't fight the people gaming the system. Make gaming the system obsolete and boring. I suspect that no matter how much the devs could encrypted the system, there will be that one guy who figures out a way to exploit it (our devs are great, but they aren't all cyber-security professionals). If this isn't enough, maybe make it that ARES (a W-Y made AI) wont allow the OB to fire on a civilian (W-Y) target from map-estimated coordinates unless the gridded map reaches a certain percentage of accuracy (maybe make it that the CL has the power to override this requirement, which creates LOADS of potential for RP shenanigans). So instead of wasting time and effort on stopping player innovation, I would like to make the case that the devs should instead create an interesting system that gives marines meaningful objectives, opens up new potential strategy and RP, and makes the meta-gamers obsolete.