How to find a "non-visible" defense station ...

[KhorsKan]

Hello everyone,

To take possession of an area I have to destroy only one station with an administrative center, the problem is that I can’t find it... I’ve been through the whole area and I still don’t see anything ...

I also looked at all the "edges" of the area but still nothing...

Do you have any idea ?

Thank you.

[LameFox]

Sometimes they appear very high or low, not just out from the center. Stations are often visible from beyond sensor range too so you might benefit from just looking for it visually in the distance.

[LameFox]

Also, just in case, you did clear out shipyards and wharfs too? They also confer ownership.

[KhorsKan]

Sometimes they appear very high or low, not just out from the center. Stations are often visible from beyond sensor range too so you might benefit from just looking for it visually in the distance.

I agree with the sometimes high or low position, but until now I always saw the station icon ...
Frankly, I don't see myself flying around the area again to see if I can see anything directly ... this is the first time I've had this happen.

Also, just in case, you did clear out shipyards and wharfs too? They also confer ownership.

I destroyed everything, there are only 2 stations left in the area that belong to me, one of which has an administrative center, but the area is still contested...

[LameFox]

The station icon on the map only appears after you've had an asset in sensor range of the station AFAIK. Or if you hit it with your long range scanner but hadn't yet seen it, it would be a question mark icon. Visually however they can be seen beyond the range of either of these, depending on conditions.

I suppose you could put some adv satellites in the area, and see if any of their ships appear. Those might approach the station. Or maybe (I don't actually know if this works) set some scout ships to 'revisit known stations'. I say that order instead of explore because explore seems to stop working once the area is revealed on the map. However, the revisit known stations order seems functionally a lot like explore, rather than showing any intent to fly directly to stations as you might expect. So despite the station not actually being known, they might locate it while flying around randomly.

Or, if it's a faction like Xenon or HOP, some other faction's ships might lead you to it.

[Alan Phipps]

Just to mention that if the sector is Xenon owned, sometimes a Defence Station of theirs can literally comprise just a single armed station module (as opposed to an incomplete construction site) and that one built module may be enough to claim or hold onto sector ownership.

[KhorsKan]

It is not a xenon sector.

I followed the advice to put advanced satelites on the whole area.
As you can see here, apart from my two stations, there is nothing but a station under construction from another faction ...


I confess I don't understand anymore ... !


(I specify that my defense station was built with the administrative center as first module...)

[LameFox]

To be clear the goal of the satellites was to watch for ships that might fly to the station. Their range isn't so great they would find it if sensors didn't.

That said, judging by your screenshot I assume this is a (perhaps heavily?) modded game, which may introduce unknown factors, intentional or otherwise.

[Imperial Good]

Click sector in map view and then open plot view. This will show all station plots, even undiscovered ones, within the area of space you have explored along the XZ plane.

For more help you would need to provide a not modified save file so people can tell you exactly where the station is.

[KhorsKan]

To be clear the goal of the satellites was to watch for ships that might fly to the station. Their range isn't so great they would find it if sensors didn't.
That said, judging by your screenshot I assume this is a (perhaps heavily?) modded game, which may introduce unknown factors, intentional or otherwise.

It's the Star Wars Interworld mod, I've played it for hundreds of hours and I've never had any problems...

Click sector in map view and then open plot view. This will show all station plots, even undiscovered ones, within the area of space you have explored along the XZ plane.
For more help you would need to provide a not modified save file so people can tell you exactly where the station is.

Good idea ... unfortunately, it does not indicate any hidden station ...
I think I'll open a post in the support category giving them my backup.

[Imperial Good]

I think I'll open a post in the support category giving them my backup.

If your save is modified you are unlikely to receive help as nothing stops mods from preventing sector ownership change or other massive mechanical or buggy changes.

[Diroc]

If you make an uncompressed save, you may be able to check if there is something in the system you are not seeing.
Perhaps searching for your station's name, and looking in that area of the save might at least let you know what you are looking for.
If you don't have assets in the system, name a ship something easy to search for and move it to the system in question.
Make an uncompressed save and search for the ship. It should be found in the data for that system giving you a starting point for your search.
Best of luck and happy hunting.

[KhorsKan]

If your save is modified you are unlikely to receive help as nothing stops mods from preventing sector ownership change or other massive mechanical or buggy changes.

My backup is modified since I use a mod ... but I understand the process.

If you make an uncompressed save, you may be able to check if there is something in the system you are not seeing.
Perhaps searching for your station's name, and looking in that area of the save might at least let you know what you are looking for.
If you don't have assets in the system, name a ship something easy to search for and move it to the system in question.
Make an uncompressed save and search for the ship. It should be found in the data for that system giving you a starting point for your search.
Best of luck and happy hunting.

I will look at it, it's a good idea. Hopefully I'll find something...


Thank you for your answers.