Random Invasions in X3 R ?

[pasmon]

Dear Friends

I have completed all plot lines from main story to Bala Gi mission. I even have an HQ.

I have already observed Khaak invasion by the start of game in Argon Prime. Does Khaak or Xenons invade/incurse randomly/periodically neighbouring sectors without BBS missions in vanilla version of X3 Reunion.

[jlehtone]

Yes and no.

I presume that by "Khaak invasion" you witnessed 1-2 Khaak capital ships and some fighters ravaging one sector. Many have witnessed about two of those, early in the game. Only in the early game.

There are continuously random Khaak Clusters, that break up to M3 and many M5, if you do approach them. These, like small groups of Pirates keep on showing, but are hardly an "invasion".


The Xenon do frequently send out "Xenon P patrols". One P escorted by some fighters. A patrol flies out from Xenon sector to some nearby sector and then starts to attack all bypassers. Local defenses might intercept a patrol before it reaches its "target". In either case, there will be some activity. Again, a P patrol can wreak some havoc, but is not quite an "invasion".


X3R engine is told to maintain a certain number of Xenon J, K, P, and fighters in the game. It is allowed to respawn the "lost natives" in any Xenon sector randomly, as long as it does not "overpopulate" any one sector. (Xenon P patrols are probably not counted.) Luckily, the total of Xenon Capital ships for the X-Universe is less than the sum of sector maximums. Therefore, it is possible to clear a Xenon sector so that once all the respawns have occurred in some other Xenon sectors, no more will appear in the clear one. In other words, no Xenon capitals "in excursion".


The other games, X2, X3TC, X3AP are different. The respawns do not occur randomly, but at Xenon SYs. The reinforcements do then "migrate" to lacking Xenon sectors. That is not "invasion", although many ships tend to become "lost in transit".

[pasmon]

Interesting it is. How does this mechanism operate in X3TC/AP?

[UniTrader]

its the same as in X2 afaik: Destroyed Ships are re-created at the nearest Shipyard of the related Race and then move to their intended Sector from there. the only Xenon Shipyard in the Universe is in 472, so all respawning Xenon will come from there, most likely get destroyed on their way and respawn again in 472 to move to their intended Sector.

(to be precise technically its also the same in Reunion, but because the Xenon lack a Shipyard they related Ships respawn in their intended Sector directly as Fallback. if you create a Xenon SY somewhere the migration will also begin from there)

[pasmon]

Are there any random invasions in X3 AP/TC without BBS missions?

[jlehtone]

the only Xenon Shipyard in the Universe is in 472

In X2. X3AP has Xenon SY's in 101, 472 and 023.

In X3TC and X3AP the player has control of "Xenon Hub" that allows adding some shortcut routes. Player can "guide" the migration to use some unexpected routes.


The X2 plot had some action on the route between 472 and 347. The player had an option to be guided to that action via the 347. If you simply could not pass a lot of red without violence and took a pause after that, then the Xenon replament fleet for 347 from 472 did arrive to the sector of plot action at the same time as you.

[Sinxar]

Are there any random invasions in X3 AP/TC without BBS missions?

In TC there is usually one at the start of the game. I haven't seen any others beyond that though. In AP the Khaak are not present.

[pasmon]

Hey, I am setting up factories in NewIncome now. Well, wow this place never gets run out of pirates and encounters xenons too but rarely. I also tested my Elephant supported by four fighters against double cluster invasion of khaak in a neighboring sector.
It appears that "Action" is focused on border sectors, where the real challange is to maintain security for traders.

[ajime]

Are there any random invasions in X3 AP/TC without BBS missions?

In TC there is usually one at the start of the game. I haven't seen any others beyond that though. In AP the Khaak are not present.

i didn't bother rerouting them. i get in an m2 and jump to x472. blow up the shipyard, jump to x101 and snipe the shipyard from 30km with tomahawks/shadow missile then leave them spawning from 023. Trade ships are much more safer that way for me.

I remember having twice invasion missions in bala Gi before getting the balance of power which i recently finished. then I am not getting them anymore. I wonder why. killed 1k ships and i thought it would never end even after few days of playing.

[Timsup2nothin]

I presume that by "Khaak invasion" you witnessed 1-2 Khaak capital ships and some fighters ravaging one sector. Many have witnessed about two of those, early in the game. Only in the early game.

I suppose there must be some time limit, or trigger that shuts them off, but I think the main reason people only witness one or two is the random sector process. As soon as the caps are destroyed a new invasion spawns, in a new random sector.

If the random sectors are heavily secured core race spaces the battle is intense, the 'invasion' doesn't last very long, and a new one starts in some other random sector. But if the random sector is some odd corner of pirate space, or a distant fringe unknown sector, or otherwise not patrolled and off the beaten track corner of the universe, then that's it. The capital ships will wander around there for the duration...or until you go there and find them.

[pasmon]

Well this random sector theory can only be confirmed by the coders of the game. I have seen one in Argon Prime in the beginning ofcourse and in the sector conencted with Heretic End after just recently.