This is not a limitation that exists in cell phones generally, so why would it exist in bombs?
The receiver in the bomb would be a cell phone. A circuit in the cell phone powers up when it's called, connected to the detonator, causing the bomb to explode when the number is dialled.
Let's say I'm a mad bomber. I hide bombs rigged with cell phones at a few key locations and wait...and wait...and wait. Those bombs aren't necessarily going to be found. I have carte blanche to just wait for weeks and then detonate when the moment is right. Is that realistic? Maybe...I mean, it's all about that stealth-check, right? A bomb could be that skillfully hidden in real life.
If you're cool with that - I say we go for it.
Well, the longer you wait, the greater the chance of the bombs being discovered and disarmed. In fact, someone might find the bomb, disarm the bomb, and keep the phone in order to catch you out when you call to detonate!
And this is what happens with land mines and cluster bombs. Bombs are laid down, and lie for months, or years, before they are discovered, usually by taking someone's leg off.
bomb maker does his normal bomb making things, but does so with a progia. Code sticks the progia object inside the new bomb object, then the bomb is coded to basically listen for the progia to ring and to destroy the progia when the bomb goes off.
(mostly for Slither's benefit, but this can be taken that I support this idea in general)
I'm not saying it's a *valid* concern. Just one which I see coming up, since it would follow a certain pattern which has been popping up lately.
All and all this seems like a cool idea!
You hear a progia ringing
A "Not my phone? Your phone?"
B "Ummm.. nope"
A "Huh wonder if some-BOOM!"
A+B dead
We can do a couple of things to shorten the progia's battery life so this isn't as much of a concern if we add a few. I'm not an expert, and this is going to bend reality since we only have so many parts to use in building, buuuut...
There's a piece of clothing or two that hinder certain frequencies from being received. Make these mandatory in the building material list, as well as a battox, and boom (haha), the bomb has an EMI shield. It prevents the device from being sniffed out as easily, but shortens battery life. For the duration the IED is active, jammers and bomb sniffers will have to be right on top of it to work. Otherwise it gets passed by.
Once the battery dies, the shielding fails, and one of two things happens...
1. It's found, and said finder does whatever with it. Certain investitory skillsets might be able to track parts or fingerprints or w/e to attain clues as to it's builder's identity, or the person that left it there.
2. Any electronic interference nearby could set it off. Someone taking a proggie call a couple blocks away might poke the sensitive electronics and trigger it.
Best case scenario, I think this would be akin to other modified devices in the game. Plain Jane at first glance but perhaps possessing a bit of @color flair when looked at closer.
I think this would also help inform non-direct combatant meta and empower said archetypes.
