what scanner range do pirates, xenon, and khaak ships have?

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Idgy
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x3tc

what scanner range do pirates, xenon, and khaak ships have?

Post by Idgy » Mon, 13. Oct 14, 22:23

I'm starting a new game of X3TC and doing the usual exploration and satellite placement via automated ships. Since the sat factories aren't well-supplied yet, I can't place an advanced sat 25km above each gate; I need to stick with just one sat in each sector for now and not worry about visibility into the traffic lanes.

This got me wondering about what's a good balance between having the sats far enough away that no enemies destroy them out of spite, and having the sats close enough to the traffic lanes that I can still see at least some of the ships passing through the sector.

Given that a duplex scanner has a range almost as big as a regular navigation relay satellite, if pirates/xenon/khaak have duplex scanners, then I need to leave a bigger buffer.

So, what are the detection ranges for the basic enemy ships?

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DiArmada
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Post by DiArmada » Tue, 14. Oct 14, 11:13

good question.
most people, including me, drop their satellite in the center of the sector.
when placed about 20 km from the ecliptic (up or down) it'll have a decent survival rate.
most ships I encounter start to turn towards me at about 15 km. range.
I'm not sure but it would be logical that the presence of a duplex or triplex scanner would make a difference.

hisazul
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Post by hisazul » Tue, 14. Oct 14, 16:35

Well... here is personal observation since I don't recall any tech talk on subject.

Different places will have different results. Normally assume duplex scanner ranger, in most cases that tends to hold so just a little a bit short of triplex scanner range(2/3 circle in and they are getting close to engaging range). Once you get in 20km range that's about the time when someone may switch their command to attacking you.

Now in some places, xenon will charge at you from 100+km away. Namely UFJD sectors. Also if someone(you or someone else) attacks a ship of the same race, then range is irrelevant they will rush from anywhere in the sector(not always.... but xenon tend to pretty much always do this). Also from personal experience when anyone, doesn't matter who attacks a xenon station/shipyard in xenon sector xenon get attack command on everyone in the sector , doesn't matter how far or what you were doing. I was in situation where I was getting ready to "encourage" relocation and some passing npc clown took a pot shot at xenon station. He got shot soon after, then everyone in sector went after me... while they ignored me for more then an hours before.

Short version. Think duplex scanner range
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Albert Einstein

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Reimu Hakurei
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Post by Reimu Hakurei » Tue, 14. Oct 14, 21:06

Same range as any other ship depending on what scanner they have installed. What ships have duplexes and triplexes is determined at random, as with all equipment. With few exceptions (ex. Griffon Sentinel), only 'full size' capitals (M1/2 class) have built-in scanners and they're all triplexes. Advanced satellites have a slightly longer range than triplex scanners, and since any hostile ship with M+ cargo could be carrying a triplex, your only option to guarantee they aren't lost is to deploy them so they can just about see the gates.

Ships the game forces to pick a target will ignore range limitations, but I probably couldn't tell you every case in which this happens. I'll list what I do know, though.
- Space suits (when an NPC abandons their ship), war ships (probably), and ships spawned by patrol/Xenon invasion missions may pick a target outside their scanner range upon spawning; they are otherwise limited by their scanner range when picking any further targets. For space suits their target will be the nearest station, at which they will dock and despawn.
- Pirate fighter groups will (either generally or always, not sure) set out with a particular target, and if it is destroyed will idle in search of enemies within their scanner range as normal.
- Ships spawned by station defence and escort missions will spawn with their target chosen and will immediately pursue it, but are otherwise limited by their scanners.
- Ships attacked from outside their scanner range may be aggroed and are able to immediately target and pursue their attacker as though they can see them. If the ship being attacked is already pursuing a target, it will take a sufficient number of hits (seems to vary per ship, perhaps based on the hidden combat skill stat) to make it change its target and retaliate against its attacker.

If you want numbers (these may not be the exact values);
No upgrades: 10km
Duplex: 20km
Nav. Sat.: 22km
Triplex: 30km
Adv. Sat.: 35km

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Black_hole_suN
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Post by Black_hole_suN » Wed, 15. Oct 14, 03:31

I place mine 20km above and below from the sector center.

There is a difference between "Patroling" pirates and "Just Passing" pirates. Passing pirate are usually harmless, they just pass a sector and will ignore anything unless attacked by any defending force in the sector they are cruising. Patroling pirates on the other hand will hunt down player assets even if they are faaaaaarr away from the sector center. I occasionally see them kill my adv. sat. placed from 80 km away from the sector center. that is way beyond triplex scanner range.

this also applies to other other races. I am currently at war with the Borons. from time to time they will send a destroyer group to attack Family Rhy. They will hunt down anything owned by the that is not docked in a station so I tried to place my adv.sat. 150km above the sector center but it got destroyed too. on the other hand I got a sat on the sector east of Barren Shores (forgot the name of that sector) which is a famous shortcut for Boron destroyers if they want to go to paranid space. its been sitting there for days now untouched

Idgy
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Post by Idgy » Wed, 15. Oct 14, 04:35

Thanks for the info everyone. I guess if enemy units in "target mode" will seek out your items regardless of distance, it's hard to keep your assets truly safe.

I also did a bit of personal investigation. In a totally unscientific survey of the stripe of pirate sectors around Olmancketslat's Treaty, the pirate Carrack vessels and their escorting Blastclaw or Kestrel fighters would occasionally carry duplex scanners. I didn't see any triplex scanners when I checked them out.

So if you are worried about the detection range of "Just Passing" pirates, you need to put your sats at least 20 km away from traffic lanes.

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Masterbagger
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Post by Masterbagger » Wed, 15. Oct 14, 05:11

I've seen Terran ships turn to pursue me at 30km and leave me alone when over 30km. NPC ships seem to be governed by whatever scanners they carry.
Who made that man a gunner?

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