[TC] A Guide to Controlling the Xenon Menace

[Bill Huntington]

The Xenon Sectors – A Guide to Controlling the Xenon Menace
by Pilot Bill Huntington

Introduction

A lot of TC is oriented around the Xenon, especially dealing with the Q. I will have something on each Xenon sector, but I will present it as dealing with dealing with a particular problem, and solving that problem in some way.

Every pilot tests their combat skills against the Xenon at some point. Clearing any Xenon sector shows that the pilot has reached a certain skill level and has a ship (or fleet) that is a certain level. While clearing a Xenon sector even temporarily is an accomplishment, this guide will go further. While the Xenon cannot be exterminated, the guide will describe a strategy of controlling them so they cannot interfere with ST/UT traders or player complexes outside of Xenon sectors. I will present a certain problem, my solution, and then summarize what is needed to accomplish it.

Making Safe the Ocean of Fantasy

The Ocean of Fantasy is the goal of Xenon fleets leaving 4 Xenon areas, through Zyarth’s Dominion, Thynn’s Abyss, Menelaus’ Paradise, and Getsu Fune. Xenon 472 exits into Thynn’s Abyss and Black Hole Sun. It has a Xenon Shipyard and Station, and a good size Xenon fleet inside it.

Xenon 472 can be cleared and held permanently by the player. It is easier to hold it than to blockade the two exits. There are usually 4 Ks, perhaps 3 Js, perhaps 8 Qs, and numerous P, L, LX, and smaller. The gates might be covered, but a fast ship that enters and leads the Xenon gate blockaders away should allow entry for the player’s big ships. I find 2 or 3 M2 ships can do the job, but using missiles with an M7M, Skirnir, or M8 can also be successful.

The Xenon Shipyard must be killed to take the sector. Xenon ships will continue being built if it is not destroyed, including K and J. The Xenon station is irrelevant. It makes no difference in Xenon spawning or not spawning. It can be killed or not at the player’s choice. I place my own station on the former site of the Xenon Shipyard. I also put two blocks of 80 Lasertowers on the inner corners of my station. I use a Paranid Snail Ranch L for its shape, toughness, and cost. It would not be hard or expensive to replace. 40 LTs might be enough. Having my own station gives provides a safer place for the defenders, between the two sets of LTs. It is better to have the LTs away from the traffic lanes, to prevent attacks on the passing traffic. (More on this later.)

I use 4 M2s to control X472. I base two on the side of the station toward the gates, and two midway between my station and the gates. It works well enough. I put each M2 on Defend Position. I find that the Tyr and Osaka are the only M2s tough enough to maintain this kind of duty. The Boreas is marginal. The others just don’t have enough shields or whatever to last. I will look in at times, and rotate the assignments if a ship’s shields are low. If 15% or lower, I will even jump that ship out until it recovers. But this should be enough to hold the sector permanently. Also, I set the M2s to pirates as friend AND Show as Enemy if Enemy to Me as NO. So no red or blue pirates are attacked.

Once a Xenon sector is seriously attacked, and especially if the player puts his station there, the other Xenon sectors send relief expeditions to try and take it back. After X472 is taken, there is no general spawning. This is the only sector where that is true. But the Shipyard will respawn, and the Xenon Station will respawn (this doesn’t matter). This is on a long schedule though. The main threat to player control will be the relief expeditions, which are based around K, J, or Q. They might be destroyed or partially destroyed by the defenses of the other races before they get to X472. Or they might make it.

There is also a ‘K package’, consisting of 2 K, 2 J, 3 Q, and a number of smaller ships. (Exact numbers can change some.) This can still spawn in X472 when the player has it. This ‘K package’ can spawn in any Xenon sector and then get its mission from there. Or it can stay for a while. It seems that it spawns more often in a sector where the player is or has been. The ‘K package’ is on a long schedule also. Sometimes it shows up when the Shipyard respawns.

Taking X472 makes the Xenon much more predictable. Almost all (and maybe all) of their missions will be to relieve this sector. So if Xenon are out, you know where they are going. They might come from any of their sectors however.

To take X472: 3 Tyrs or Osakas, or 1 M2 and Cobra, Skirnir or similar with a lot of missiles.

To hold X472: 4 Tyrs or Osakas, 1 Snail Ranch L, 2 Blocks of 80 Lasertowers (40 might be okay, just replaced more often.)

Defenses in Menelaus’ Paradise

The Boron actually have two defenses in Menelaus’ Paradise, one on the SE and one on the SW near the South gate. By themselves, they get overwhelmed. With the player’s help, they can be part of a good defense. They will respawn if destroyed. So I set up a Snail Ranch L, one block of 80 LTs and 1 Tyr on Defend Position next to each Boron Orbital Defense station. Xenon from X596 and X597 come through the East gate and from X534 from the West gate.

To blockade Men. Paradise: 2 Tyrs or Osakas, 2 Snail Ranch L, 2 Blocks Total of 80 LT ( or 40).

Getsu Fune

If the player wants to use Getsu Fune, a gate blockade could be placed in the North gate. One way to do this would be to have 2 or 3 Tyrs or Osakas stationed about 5 km in front of the gate, with Defend Position orders. One M2 can work for a long time, but could be worn down and destroyed by a combination of Xenon missions. A block of LTs nearby might help. (More later.)
To blockade Getsu Fune North gate: 2 or 3 Tyrs or Osakas, LTs (optional)

Key Sector of Xenon 598

Now if the sector of X598 can be controlled or blocked, then the whole area in the NE around Ocean of Fantasy is safe for ST/UT traders. That can be a lot of $$$, and prevent losses. There is no shipyard or station in X598, but the Q and smaller never stop spawning. My solution is to build solid ‘forts’ that the Xenon attack and destroy themselves on. I build a fort in front of each gate, and then 3 more across the sector, spaced evenly. Each fort consisted of two Snail Ranch L stations placed 6 km away from each other, with a block of 80 LTs on each corner. There is an open space in between where an M2 doing a Defend Station Mission can be relatively safe, and can recover from attacks. The LT blocks just eat the Xenon, and can be replaced safely when needed. One or two LTs can be lost in an attack by a Q or K. It is just awesome to see a strong Xenon ship come in firing and just … disappear.

If the player takes and holds X472 first, then most Xenon missions will be relief expeditions to X472. From this area, they will exit the South gate. So I add 1 or 2 more blocks of 80 LT to the Snail Ranch in front of the South gate.

I also add a team to defend the North gate of Grand Exchange, with 3 M2s, 2 Snail Ranchs, and 2 blocks of 80 LTs close to the gate.

To complete the blockade, a fort could be added to the South gate of Zyarth Dominion. But in a number of game hours, there was not one Xenon mission that went that way. They all went south, to relieve X472, even though it is the same number of sectors to go by the south or north.

To build the forts requires a screen of M2s a certain distance around the builders. Most of the M2s can stay after the building is done, 1 M2 per fort. I have a Mammoth bring in the Snail Ranchs, two at a time. After the first fort, they can come into the sheltered area between the two Snail Ranches. I have an Elephant bring in 320 LTs at a time, and take some time to place the LTs exactly where I want. I include an Advanced Sat in each LT launch. The Sat is much safer among the LTs. Outside it would be destroyed. The ejection places the LTs 2Km directly behind the Elephant. Saving before an ejection would be a good thing. If the ejection places the LTs too close to the Snail Ranch, they will be scattered instead of staying in a block. A block provides massive supporting firepower on an enemy that comes into range. Besides an exact position of the ejecting ship, where your bow is pointed determines the altitude of the LTs you launch.

The Qs are constantly spawning, the K package spawns occasionally, but more often spawns in the interior Xenon sectors and enters X598 through the East gate. This gate could be blocked with some effort, but that effort is probably better spent reinforcing the South gate and the North gate of Grand Exchange. Many times an LT or Snail Ranch will be attacked, lose shield, survive, and recharge shield. In quite a number of game hours, I have not lost a Snail Ranch. I lost one Tyr to multiple Q and K attacks. I noticed that one had low shields, and took a chance by leaving it, and lost. I had to rebuild only one LT block, which I did quite easily spending most of the time within the protection of the LTs and Snail Ranches.

Taking and Building in X598: 6 or 7 M2s, Mammoth or similar, Elephant, personal ship.

Holding X598: 5 M2s, 10 Snail Ranch L, 1600 + LTs.

North gate, Grand Exchange: 2 or 3 M2s, 2 blocks of 80 LTs, 2 Snail Ranches

Problems with controlling X598

The biggest problems are not the Xenon but the TC program! X598 is a major transit route, even if the Xenon were killing a lot of ships. Some pirate bases have a route through X598. Some of the pirate spawn as red. The standard setting of an LT has Xenon as enemy and pirate as friend. Fine. But it also has the standard setting of Show as Enemy if Enemy to Me. A red pirate would show as enemy and be fired on. Then the setting would change to pirate as enemy, and both blue and red pirates would be fired on. And there is no easy way to change the setting. Each one would have to be done manually. Global Commands doesn’t change that. Broadcast doesn’t either.

Also the global command doesn’t work all the time for that many LTs. So it is even impossible to change the pirate to friend for all of them after an attack.

That is why I limit the number of LTs in Scale Plate Green and Eighteen Billion to 10 or 20. Each has to be changed manually.

If pirates are attacked, then it won’t be long before most pirates are red, then more aggressive, then attacking traders and complexes everywhere.

We can hope that Egosoft will change this in 2.7. In the meantime, this is what I do to prevent the problem for X598. I kill all the pirate bases that send ships through X598, with the Tomahawk Barrage, Change ship, Jump out Trick. I can’t do it for every sector. But I can do it for one.

Occasionally there is a pirate base in the Unknown on the other side of X534, the one north of Getsu Fune, or in Getsu itself. If there is one, that will have to be destroyed also. You would know if pirates come out of X534, or appear in Getsu.


Xenon 101

Xenon 101 has only one gate, so there is no ship traffic. I just control it by putting a full fort on the gate, on the South Gate of Nopileos’ Memorial. I set the defense for Xenon going to the West gate of Nopileos, since they use my Hub settings to get to X472 faster. I have cleared X101, and put my own station there with LTs in other games. But that is a lot of territory to cover, and a station on the site of the former shipyard is far from the gate and support coming in. There is constant spawning of Qs if you have a presence. My choice is to cover the exit gate. Even this leaks, but it is helpful.

Gate blockade, South gate of Nopileos: 2 or 3 M2s, 2 Snail Ranches, 320 LTs (smaller blocks okay).

Xenon 347

This one is a problem. I use gate blockades in both Scale Plate Green and Eighteen Billion. I use 3 M2s, 2 Snail Ranches, 2 blocks of 10 LTs at each entrance. I can’t destroy all pirate bases. One in the Unknown next to PTNI is even invulnerable, since it was used in a plot. So I only use the number of LTs that I can set manually. The blockade leaks but it gets some of them and breaks up the fleets. I have put forts inside, outside of the regular traffic lanes. Even one survives okay and lets you know what is going on. The Xenon spend most of their effort attacking the ship traffic, and do not persist in attacks on your fort. If you put one inside, remember to put your Sats inside the LT block, not up high where it would be lost. And remember that the Xenon station doesn’t make any difference.

Xenon sector next to TU3.

A heavy duty gate blockade probably would be worn down quickly here, since there is a lot of Xenon traffic. The Xenon end up dead when they get to TU2 and an invulnerable Tyr there. If the player wants to use TU1, it might be worth doing. Otherwise, it might be best to leave the Xenon to that Tyr.

Xenon Core 023

This sector can really test your battle fleet. It can be done. But WATCH OUT if you destroy the Xenon Shipyard. Save before you try it. The Xenon go absolutely nuts! They start spawning in every Xenon sector and don’t stop. Previously cleared X472 starts spawning and won’t stop. X101 and X347 spawn a lot. In one game, I had Xenon spawning a lot in X598, X472, X347, X101, X023, and had breakout attempts from both NE Xenon sectors. No budget limits for the Xenon.

Xenon 627

Just a transit sector to X Core 023. Lots of Xenon. This sector must be crossed once.

Xenon 695

This sector is hard to get into and even harder to get out of. Multiple K, J, Q and continuous spawning of all of them. A real challenge.

Resources needed

Pilots who want to do some or all of this will need some resources. I use about 26 M2s for the basic blockades, and it would be wise to have a few reserves to swap with ships that get low shields. I don’t use smaller ships because Qs would eat them sooner or later.

I set up 3 monster complexes to produce LTs, in Ore Belt, Mines of Fortune, and Savage Spur. Two of those would be enough. If a player waited between LT deployments, one might do. I used these complexes for the HUB plot, then added layers of LT forges at a certain point, 30+ in each.

I hope this guide is helpful. Good Hunting!

[DaveyP]

I have the same objective. Here's my progress:

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=277857

So far, so good.

[Gruber1232002]

Thanks for the interesting read. ATM I'm spending more time preying on the xenon, but over time I will probably experiment with UT's and trade complexes across the universe at which point your post will be quite a useful reference.

[Targ Collective]

Interesting. Attacking Xenon Core makes the Xenon go mad... Useful to know. I'll have to try using the HUB to exploit that!

[Dycor]

Quite an expensive expedition there. Your all out war against The Xenon is really costly to maintain, But should be chump change, for a Trillionaire like you. Great reference there.

I believe the war on terror can be won, with words. If they can, only talk back.

[DaveyP]

Interesting. Attacking Xenon Core makes the Xenon go mad... Useful to know. I'll have to try using the HUB to exploit that!

I blew up absolutely everything in the core sector and it calmed them down no end.

[Kor'ah]

I keep the Xenon in check with just an ASAT network, a few M8s on speed dial and two firebases (Argon Trade Stations with jumpdrive equiped M3s). If I see a Q/J/K that's is, or is going to be, in my way I jump in first myself and bring in the M8 to clobber the big ship if needed. Then mop up the remaining fighters if there are any to start with.

Only trade ships I have running out that way are disposable "Best Buy" monkeys in the faster TS ships and CAGs that can take care of themselves. CAGs will use the ASAT network to avoid trouble. TS loss rate from the Xenon in my last game was zero. Nearly all my TS loses in my last game was from these morons jumping into a mission sector with all hell breaking loose.

The above only works if you don't allow the game to run AFK for long periods of time. It does require player interaction and awareness to function. Now if the Xenon went out of their way to attack player owned complexes down to the last factory (they don't and they should) I would be blockading those Xenon sectors in a instant. TS ships are cheap and easy to replace, complexes can very expensive irreplaceable things.

[sleepy_head]

Well, now that ATF ships have been "rebalanced", (made "less uber" according to Xenon Slayer), I wonder if that would have any affect on the effectiveness / costliness of these blockades. Anyone knows how much the Tyr have been nerfed in 2.7?

Edit : They are saying that only ATF fighters have changed, so 2.7 shouldn't impact these blockades.

[tonyg3d]

A really good read, even if most of it is still gibberish and a pipe dream right now for me! Nice one...

[XanII]

This thread nicely demonstrated the beauty of x-games.

Fun to read.

[XanII]

I keep the Xenon in check with just an ASAT network, a few M8s on speed dial and two firebases (Argon Trade Stations with jumpdrive equiped M3s). If I see a Q/J/K that's is, or is going to be, in my way I jump in first myself and bring in the M8 to clobber the big ship if needed. Then mop up the remaining fighters if there are any to start with.

Only trade ships I have running out that way are disposable "Best Buy" monkeys in the faster TS ships and CAGs that can take care of themselves. CAGs will use the ASAT network to avoid trouble. TS loss rate from the Xenon in my last game was zero. Nearly all my TS loses in my last game was from these morons jumping into a mission sector with all hell breaking loose.

The above only works if you don't allow the game to run AFK for long periods of time. It does require player interaction and awareness to function. Now if the Xenon went out of their way to attack player owned complexes down to the last factory (they don't and they should) I would be blockading those Xenon sectors in a instant. TS ships are cheap and easy to replace, complexes can very expensive irreplaceable things.

Cheap CLS mk2 pilots or even best buy ships in those tricky boron sectors can survive quite some time. The trick is to ensure that they cross the xenon patrols paths as little as possible. in X3:R i traded tons of bofu and bogas there and made a pretty buck and lost only two ships. All of them when they accidentaly crossed their path with the xenon. Went straight for them -> dead.

[Kor'ah]

In terms of survival skills. CAG = CLS1 = CLS2

Part of the training curriculum of all three is "Don't get too close to Qs".

[silenced]

Just blacklist those Boron sectors, to hell with the few profits.


And if you ignore the Xenon they're quite quiet, and Qs are helpful, their primary targets are civil ships. =)

[XanII]

Just blacklist those Boron sectors, to hell with the few profits.


And if you ignore the Xenon they're quite quiet, and Qs are helpful, their primary targets are civil ships. =)

Learn to co-exist with the xenon.

Be harmonous, be zen. Turn your other cheek

... and bring a big gun to the meetings.

Well back to topic: The cash extracted there werent that big but it could be counted in millions. However in TC the fabs are not so starved so i have zero economic activity there and dont see any reasons why i should invest there. Currently Aldrin is much more lucrative and safer.

[Starlight_Corporation]

Good read, and interesting. I plan in the future a large campaign to hold the Xenon link sectors (the sectors where all those pesky traders go through & get killed).

Interesting to know that the Xenon sector near Thyn's abyss is the easiest to hold, quite suprised at that.
From what I get, it seems Xenon sector 101 becomes active as well when you attempt to hold a sector. Right now in my game the only thing it does is building up large fleets of Xenon, but doesn't send out any ship.

[DaveyP]

I plan in the future a large campaign to hold the Xenon link sectors (the sectors where all those pesky traders go through & get killed).

That's exactly what I'm doing. My original plan was only to hold X347, X472 and X598, but I quickly realised that to do this, you also had to control X101 and Xenon core 023, or the shipyards in those sectors pump out a never ending supply of replacement ships.

You can see my progress over in the creative forum.

[Infekted]

You will always have to deal with a never ending supply of replacement ships. I think the important bit is where you choose to draw your line in the sand, and how you choose to do it. Something that can deal with a never ending supply of xenon, without annoying the pirates too much.

Bills Method seems a good one to me. X472, X598, X347 being the real crunch points. If you can lock those down and defend Menelaus Paradise you have made the majority of the universe safe. Counting bottling up 101 thats 5 major defensive points you need to maintain. Not too bad.

I presume this is all mainly to keep UTs safe. Anything else can be kept alive without such drastic measures.

[Claizen]

Argh... Controlling the Xenon may be harder than it seems. So far, I can only afford to have two, fully armed Split Tigers patrolling a sector adjacent to a Xenon sector. OOS combat is unreasonable, both of my Tigers destroyed by a single Q. I jumpgate to investigate, the Q only suffered about 15% shield loss.

So, inorder to completely control a Xenon sector, you'll just need overwhelm sectors with Capital Ships xD

[DaveyP]

IMHO, the key sector is X598. That's because not only do you have to deal with ships that spawn here, you have to deal with the replacements coming frm the nearby core centre.

[mordtech]

funny topic.. OPW your game must be so stressful. there's no point trying to take and hold xenon sectors because the reinforcement spawnings from other xenon sectors never stop.. plus as your fight rank gets high these reinforcements will start to increasingly consist of J's 'n K's.. so in affect you're actually increasing the zenon 'threat'. personally i prefer my own solution..... just keep a single bomber loaded with tomahawks docked at each sector where Q's or P's spawn... every now and then have a lookylooky, and if you see red then issue a move to position order to the bomber so it undocks, a quick missile barrage at the larger ship.. wallop it's gone, and redock. takes about 30 seconds and the following fighters will just mill around in confusion for a bit and then retreat. sorted.