Sensor contacts in combat

[James Patten (OP)]

I'm fighting some precursors right now, and one of their ships is shown in red on the F3 system map window.  What does the red ship mean?  Does it have active sensors?

[IanD]

I'm fighting some precursors right now, and one of their ships is shown in red on the F3 system map window. What does the red ship mean? Does it have active sensors?

As far as I can remember a red indicator indicates a thermal contact, I get a white contact when my search sensors have sufficiently resolved the contact to enable lock-on by the fire control.

Regards

[James Patten (OP)]

The red contact is within my active search sensor circle and has a name, speed, and tonnage.  I can target it if I want.  Sorry should have specified that.

[IanD]

As far as I can remember a red indicator indicates a thermal contact, I get a white contact when my search sensors have sufficiently resolved the contact to enable lock-on by the fire control.

Since I have just detected an active sensor contact, it must register those as red as well as thermal conact, could be that red indicates passive sensors. When I get an active sensor contact it goes white, but the range can be modified by hostile ECM, never get to lock-on to precursors at my max fire control range.

Regards

[welchbloke]

As far as I can remember a red indicator indicates a thermal contact, I get a white contact when my search sensors have sufficiently resolved the contact to enable lock-on by the fire control.

Since I have just detected an active sensor contact, it must register those as red as well as thermal conact, could be that red indicates passive sensors. When I get an active sensor contact it goes white, but the range can be modified by hostile ECM, never get to lock-on to precursors at my max fire control range.

Regards

If you are detecting an active sensor there should be a sensor range ring for it on the system display (IIRC you need to select this on the display options).  I've just encountered some precursor GBs and I detected them with thermal and they were displayed as red dots.  I always thought the red indicated unknown or hostile active or passive contacts, but maybe I'm wrong?

[sloanjh]

Red indicates hostile.  Neutral is now grey IIRC.  You can adjust the colors on the race relations (or whatever it's called) screen - the one that tells you what your treaty status is with the various races.

John