Xenon issue again

[Midnightknight]

Alright,

I should post after the topic asking about the xenon spamming issue but couldn't find it anymore.

So now i will just stop playing FL. I really enjoyed all the improvements you did, and i think the game is awesome but you really ruined it with weird decisions that really breaks most of the game and really prevent enjoying it at any point.
I'm to the point i was going to finally buy an Odysseus to be able to deal with the xenon threat in my Hub and kill the Ks without having to jump in each time, but as usual, it's useless, cause now Is are spammed even in Core sectors.

16-19:29 -> A I spawning inside PTNI HQ Beta, core sector of NMMC.
16-21:11 -> A I spawning at the gate of PTNI HQ Gamma, from a pirate sector.

I already had a few spawn around like in the Hub or close to Xenon sectors but i thought they were simply moving around from the gate, but now they simply pop randomly into sectors, backstabbing everyone and destroying everything. You really need to remove this "feature" that makes no sense at all, even less as they could simply spawn from a TOA, what shouldn't be possible if they are "jumping". I do not either bother about the Xenon hub i simply forgot about in my game to avoid this annoyance of heavy xenon spawn, but even like this, it's just impossible to play.

I was really waiting to enjoy the game that had so much potential cause i really loved you job for all those years guys, but at this point i just stop bothering, i'll come back when people will mod the game to remove those few features that have no point at all except make the game painful (Xenon spamming and "Dynamic" relations).

[blazenclaw]

One of the devs mentioned Xenon only spawn up to 10 jumps away from sectors 101 and 472; this means that the Boron sectors at the upper left (Menelaus' Frontier thru Argon's Three Worlds) are (so far in my experience) entirely free of random Xenons, as well as the Great Reef sectors and Dark Waters in the bottom left. Probably a few Paranid sectors at the bottom and some other places as well, though I didn't count that closely. At any rate, my current plan is to build up infrastructure there until I can lock down sectors with Lasertowers and/or OOS fitted ships, then build wherever.

Regarding Dynamic relations, it's also really not that bad if you pay attention to whom you're doing missions for/against and trading with. Additionally, Agents seem to provide significantly less rep loss than missions, so it might be possible to be friends with all but one faction if you focus on only doing Agent missions.

Edit: Agent explanation might be wrong

[X2-Illuminatus]

Can you post a savegame, please?

[birdtable]

I fail to understand the reliance on the xenon insta spawn, the Argon and the Boron would gladly hang draw and quarter me and we do have constant skirmishes (very enjoyable and a good surprise when it occurs) which is what I thought the whole diplomacy idea was about. The constant predictable spawn of xenon at your gates is just repetitive , repetitive , repetitive which quickly develops into the tedium of predictability... I have to "think" and balance my rep with the Pirates, Otas, NMMC and the Duke to obtain goods but the good old xenon just plod through as reliable as "Death and Taxes"...

[ubuntufreakdragon]

Xenon should spawn only in Xenon systems, and maybe in unclaimed systems, but not in peaceful systems and really never in player systems.
I can confirm they the spawn everywhere.
Of cause I could look up their jobs id next time. (2153)
btw. they spawn next to TOA not just Gates which makes no sense either.

[chip56]

I am absolutly fine with lots of xenon in 1-3 sectors next to their own sectors. Link that with a couple xenon missions and it can be a lot of fun to fight them.

But when there are something like I, k and 3Q in 8 sectors away to hunt the player down thats more than some xenon sectors have as defence.

And such huge waves are more of a chore than fun since you cant just say: "nope, dont want to fight xenon right now, i want to explore" because that would end up in "well i had some trader ships but those have been all destroyed so my stations are now idle due to lack of ressources" which is no fun

[Klord]

IMO Xenon intrusions are fine. You park a good M7 or a M2 at your sector gate and those pesky Qs will not be a problem. I have not got any K or I yet, which I hope will be a chore to deal with in continues basis.

The problem here is that these random invasions lack a logic. Let Xenons mount invasions time to time. Of course the player will receive an early warning from a secret agent somehow so he can try to prepare for the incoming battle.

These invasions strengthens can vary,
1. Matching the player fight ranks
2. Ship ownership
3. Recent activity like wiping out Xenon docks, killing a lot of Xenon ships
4. Or a combination of all with the random element also added, because they are AI !

Also, how about adding a high cost diplomacy option to send an agent on a "defend sector" task, so we can request help from our allies to fend off the imminent invasion?

Now it would be a pretty cool thing and will also provide meaning to massing a fleet. Otherwise all those factories, complexes and huge capital fleets for what point?

[HathKull]

Can confirm OP's statement, that the Xenon threat is getting worse, when you improve your fleet. Until now I had Qs and PXs harassing my every complex and sector (my largest ship was an Argon M7). Now that I bought and fully outfitted a terran Kyoto to deal with the f*ckers, I get an additional 1 or 2 Ks to fight in my sectors. Great. There is no way to win. What happens when I come with 10 M2+? Do I get so many Xenon, the game will break?
Really this feels way out of proportion!

[Utsuho Reiuji]

The Xenons definitely spawn even in player claimed sectors.

My sector setup:
I claimed the sector next to Unseen Domain and connected the Xenon hub next to it. The hub is also connected to Sanctuary of Darkness and Rhonkar's Clouds. I set up Advanced Satellites in the hub, my claimed sector and Sanctuary of Darkness (this one I did not claim, yet) and configured a warning network (without rapid response, yet), so I get a warning whenever hostiles enter my 2 and a half sectors.

result:
There're two kind of possible spawns that can occur: 1 L + 3 M or 1 LX. These spawn randomly in my 2 and a half sectors and fly around aimlessly until they find one of my ships or satellites. The Xenon fighters do never appear in the hub 1st however, but appear in each of the sectors directly.

I already lost 4 fighters, a newly claimed bomber (M8) and several TS to them. Unlike the OP, my Xenon "patrols" are weak enough such that my TL can take care of them, but they appear at the most inconvenient time. The spawns also are very random. Currently no Xenon spawned for about an ingame day, but I also experienced multiple spawns in all 3 sectors within minutes. I am having a very hard time to set up my 1st complex because these patrols pin down one of my transports... I came to the conclusion that setting up a complex should be done if and only if one set up a sector security strike force.

[Cycrow]

The xenon ships only spawn in xenon sectors.

But they do have jumpdrives

[Ketraar]

One of the devs mentioned Xenon only spawn up to 10 jumps away from sectors 101 and 472; this means that the Boron sectors at the upper left (Menelaus' Frontier thru Argon's Three Worlds) are (so far in my experience) entirely free of random Xenons, as well as the Great Reef sectors and Dark Waters in the bottom left. Probably a few Paranid sectors at the bottom and some other places as well, though I didn't count that closely. At any rate, my current plan is to build up infrastructure there until I can lock down sectors with Lasertowers and/or OOS fitted ships, then build wherever.

This is accurate, but mind that depending on how the Xenon HUB is connected this may change the range, say you connect one pair Between BHS and Treasure Chest and another in the Cardinal Domain region, this will effectively make the Cardinal Domain region within that 10 Jumps range.

MFG

Ketraar

[blazenclaw]

Many thanks for the additional info/elaboration on that Ketraar. I'd assumed as much and probably should have mentioned it, but haven't been able to test as it's been taking a while for me to work to the Hub from the Lost TerraCorp pilot start, as well as trying to find where the heck the PHQ is

[Utsuho Reiuji]

The xenon ships only spawn in xenon sectors.

But they do have jumpdrives

Can't you just remove their jumpdrives so they stop to bully me?

[Klord]

The xenon ships only spawn in xenon sectors.

But they do have jumpdrives

Can't you just remove their jumpdrives so they stop to bully me?

I dont like this idea. Then what are we supposed to with all the fleets we are creating. Just sit and idle? There should be enemies to fight for. Xenon invasions are fine, it just need a bit of rationale and tweaking.

[Ketraar]

The Dynamic Xenon Jobs will have a rebalance in next update. Where the first ranks wont see much activity and only start cranking them up at higher ranks. In addition to some changes to spawn time and some script changes that Cycrow can explain if he wants to.

MFG

Ketraar

[chip56]

The Dynamic Xenon Jobs will have a rebalance in next update. Where the first ranks wont see much activity and only start cranking them up at higher ranks. In addition to some changes to spawn time and some script changes that Cycrow can explain if he wants to.

MFG

Ketraar

I for sure would be interested in reading it.

[Utsuho Reiuji]

Don't get me wrong, I very much like the idea of invasions, but as it is now it's bland and annoying.

What I'd like to see is hostile factions invading your sectors if they consider your fleet power and/or economic power to be a threat. This would naturally happen once you actually have the resources to deal with them.
If the only incursions are random Xenon fleets jumping into your system then this is kind of cheap.

The Dynamic Xenon Jobs will have a rebalance in next update. Where the first ranks wont see much activity and only start cranking them up at higher ranks. In addition to some changes to spawn time and some script changes that Cycrow can explain if he wants to.

MFG

Ketraar

Which rank is being used for the dynamic jobs?

[Ketraar]

Which rank is being used for the dynamic jobs?

Trade and Combat ranks, where Combat has much more weight, especially in higher ranks.

MFG

Ketraar

[Utsuho Reiuji]

Which rank is being used for the dynamic jobs?

Trade and Combat ranks, where Combat has much more weight, especially in higher ranks.

MFG

Ketraar

Interesting, I hope I didn't gimp myself by doing many combat missions early on XD.

[Cycrow]

The main change is in the respawn timer and idle rate, these were not working correctly. The ships should be created in xenon sectors, then idle for a time before jumping somewhere else. Instead they were jumping straight away, and were being created pretty much as soon as they were destroyed.

They dont Specifically target the player though. Their sector selection logic has changed slightly so they are more spread out rather than favouring the Hub Sector