Suggestion - Blacklist Xenon sectors for AI-owned civilian ships

[sh1pman]

For some reason, NPC traders love travelling through Xenon sectors where they usually drop like flies. Given that there is already a tool in player’s hands to prevent their own civilian ships from taking suicidal routes, why not add the similar restriction to AI factions and blacklist Xenon (or enemy-controlled) sectors for traders and miners? It’ll surely help their economies suffering from constant attrition that is 100% preventable.

[grapedog]

I'd agree with Xenon controlled sectors, but not a generic enemy sectors ban. They could be on a highway, and rarely have an issue if they're say HOP, Hostile to ARG, but using a highway through Argon Prime.

I'd also say the blacklist should only apply to original xenon controlled sectors. So at the start of the game, whatever sectors Xenon controls, those are auto blacklisted. But if Xenon take over a new territory, that could just as easily cripple a faction by not traveling through it, if they can't go a different way... they just do nothing? There would need to be a mechanic in place though, that removes Xenon controlled sectors when Xenon lose control of them, otherwise you'd have problems with the NPC factions expanding.

It's a messy problem... and I don't know that there is an easy fix.

[sh1pman]

It's a messy problem... and I don't know that there is an easy fix.

Actually, it’s not messy at all. Individual sectors don’t need to be blacklisted, you can choose a specific faction, and a ship won’t travel through sectors currently controlled by that faction.

And it’s only a “travel ban” that I’m suggesting, not sector activities ban. If a sector was taken by Xenon, but there are still NPC stations, they WILL trade with those stations, even if there is a travel ban in place. All mechanics already exist. I don’t think there are any problems with this idea.

I agree that this should only apply to Xenon. Not because of highway being safe, but due to the fact that most factions usually don’t actively attack enemy civilian ships, while Xenon hunt every ship passing through their sectors. I also don’t agree that such a blacklist may cripple a faction. They get crippled much more when Xenon destroy every trader and miner that tries to pass through.