The Motion Tracker didn't appear in the SeptemAlien II treatment by David Giler, Walter Hill and James Cameron it first appeared in the FebruAliens "First Draft" by Cameron (the very next version). The first mention of the designation "M314 Motion Tracker". Though they'll have a unique icon when they are detected, the tracker itself will not emit any sounds. In addition to tracking enemies, the Motion Tracker in Aliens: Colonial Marines is also able to detect dog tags, audio logs and legendary weapons. The Motion Tracker detecting an audio log (indicated by a square with an audio icon inside of it). When the Motion Tracker is equipped in both of these games, the player is unable to use their weapon, again, just like in the film. As such, it has featured in numerous video games featuring the USCM, although in most of these appearances, owing to gameplay mechanics, the Motion Tracker is incorporated into the player's HUD and requires no interaction to use.Įxception to this are Aliens Online and more notably, Aliens: Colonial Marines, which features the Motion Tracker as a separate item that must be equipped to use just as in Aliens (although an audible (as well as an optional visible) warning is played to alert the player when it may be needed even when the Motion Tracker is holstered). The Motion Tracker has become an integral part of the Alien universe, particularly with respect to the Colonial Marines. Using a Motion Tracker in Aliens: Colonial Marines. The HUD motion tracker would also display the direction of an objective that the user had active. ![]() The HUD motion tracker functioned the same as the handheld M314, with a moving object shown on the tracker's display as a series of contours of probable loci and with the range and bearing given to the target. The armor-integrated motion tracker appeared in the corner of a Marine's head-up display and its appearance was very similar to what was displayed on the screen of the handheld tracker. Later variants of USCM standard armor included integrated motion trackers, thereby leaving a Marine's hands free to ready their weapon. The HUD motion tracker with an objective currently active. As a result, most commanders preferred to employ Motion Trackers only in support of traditional surveillance techniques. Lastly, Trackers were vulnerable to spoofing by ultrasound jammers, or "jumping jack" decoy devices. Furthermore, the fact Trackers were set to ignore small movements in the environment left them unable to detect very slow-moving objects this shortcoming was notably exploited on many occasions by guerrillas during the Arcturan War, allowing them to infiltrate a Tracker's detection cone. The devices were active sensors, emitting thousands of high-energy ultrasound bursts every second, and could therefore be easily located by enemy listening stations and serve as a target for enemy fire. The M314 also had a limited field of vision, and would only detect movement in the direction it is pointed, leaving large areas unchecked, particularly to the rear.įurther technical drawbacks were also inherent in the design. ![]() ![]() While Colonial Marines were equipped with an Identification Friend Foe (IFF) transponder as part of their armor, designed to render them "immune" to the Motion Trackers carried by the USCM and thereby preventing false detection of friendly personnel, this technology was liable to malfunction on occasion. Primarily, it was incapable of differentiating between different sources of movement - an approaching hostile target would register just the same as moving machinery in the environment (although the Motion Tracker's range gate function was calibrated to reject small or slight movements, such as bugs crawling, plants waving in the wind, etc.). While a powerful tool, Motion Tracker operators had to become familiar with the device's limitations. The greatest advantage of the Motion Tracker was its ability to scan through objects however, intervening terrain could cut this detection range quite drastically and, in built-up areas, the presence of walls and partitions could reduce the range to less than 20 meters. Motion Trackers were often employed for perimeter surveillance, able to monitor movements of small animal-sized targets up to a range of 1,000 meters in open country. Man, this is a big fucking signal." ― Hudson reading his Motion Tracker (from Aliens)Ī moving object was shown on the M314 Motion Tracker's display as a series of contours of probable loci, with the range and bearing given to the target.
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