Being followed but not attacked?

[xeryon (OP)]

So I encountered what was most likely some Precursor ships, four contacts in all.   They sped out to meet my lone geo survey ship which I wrongly assumed was going to be toast immediately.   Their four ships matched my speed and transited in sync with my ship for several hours time (excruciating hours as the pulse length would only go 60 seconds regardless of my input).   I sped up, slowed down, stopped, changed course and nothing, just matching my movements for a total of several hours.   I kind of assumed it was a ramming attempt but the thermals were only 200, so they weren't big ships.   My Geo ship is likely bigger.   After 3 hours of four ships trying to ram they either weren't ramming or my ship captain is a grandmaster at dodge.   So I called in the battle fleet to try and come to the rescue as it appeared my geo ship might survive then they go and blast me to smithereens.   

So, long story short: wth just happened?  Are the NPR known to try and tail in an effort to gain intelligence or what?

[Arwyn]

If you havent met them before, your status to them was probably still neutral. They dont always shoot at first sight. Particularly if you arent running active sensors or shields, it can take a while for them to get mad enough at you before the attack.

[xeryon (OP)]

Oh yes, we've met before.   To the tune of a dozen missiles blasting my tin can into space debris.

Your comment brings me to questions about relations.   When I first encountered them our status was -37.   Not knowing who they were I selected to communicate.   Then they blew up one of my ships and my status went to -160 or so.   My diplomatic team was already assigned but kept failing and my status dropped to -200.   Then they concluded communication was impossible and I am at -310 right now. 

So what is the scale for communications?  0 being neutral, at what #'s would you consider a race hostile, friendly and so on.   If relations get to the point where the diplomatic team claims communication is impossible the communication button is grayed out now.   Is there a trigger where the communication option would ever be reengaged, such as new technology, if I win some battles or capture some life pods?

[Sarganto]

I think if communications are impossible, they are precursors.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

The relations number determine what treaties are available - trade, research, etc. But as far as I can tell no amount of relations helps you once a NPRs military cooperation level is set to hostile.   

Communication just means whether you can communicate with a species at all. You only get one shot at it, if you fail then your options are pretty limited.   It's near-impossible to communicate with precursors, swarm, or invaders. I don't think you get any benefit even if you manage it.

[Arwyn]

As far as the numbers go,

199 to -100 is Neutral
200 is Trade allowed
800 is Friendly & Geo-survey info can be traded
2400 Gravsurvey sharing allowed
4000 Allied Status allowed
6000 Research can be shared

As far as the negatives go, generally once you go hostile, its pretty much war from then on.

Things like painting their ships with actives sensors, having military ships in their systems, all contribute to a negative gain every month. Thats offset by having Diplomatic teams working on improving the relationship.

[Thiosk]

They might simply not be able to shoot you.  As in out of missiles.  Usually they have missiles in system that they can go reload from, but maybe they're weaponless troopships or something.

[xeryon (OP)]

They might simply not be able to shoot you.   As in out of missiles.   Usually they have missiles in system that they can go reload from, but maybe they're weaponless troopships or something.

In this instance what you say may well have been the situation.   My ship was slow and the first contacts may have been unarmed or ammo depleted.  In the intervening time frame equipped warships were able to reach missile range.


Thank you for the relations score info.

[Jacob/Lee]

They might simply not be able to shoot you.  As in out of missiles.  Usually they have missiles in system that they can go reload from, but maybe they're weaponless troopships or something.

If they were troopships, wouldn't they atleast try to ram?

[Thiosk]

Maybe, who knows why xenos do what xenos do?  They're about as predictable as khornate cultists, and generally run screaming into your missiles with just about as much tactical sense.  

When I have ships without sensors, I note strange behavior.  The alien approaches, though it could fire missiles from far away, as if to give the crew a chance to look out the window to see the ship-- and thats what happens.  Then, generally, my ship dies.  In this case it did not.  Weird!

Crazy xenos.

Purge em with nuclear fire. (its the only way to be sure)

[xeryon (OP)]

The thermal on it was smaller then the thermal on my geo ship, so possibly they did not want to embark on an outright suicidal ramming?  I'm limited in my experience with Aurora, but I would guess that with similar sized thermal readings that unless specific technologies were used in construction that the alien ships would not have deviated far from the size of my own.

[Jacob/Lee]

Thermal signature is only produced by engines, right? I don't know how the signature works with the engine, but they might have a smaller engine that is higher tech than yours and a bigger ship. The only way to know how big it was is by painting it with active sensors until your intelligence officers give you a size.

I think I've had the AI do some stupid rammings, like trying to ram a ship twice its size and exploding while doing no damage to my ship.

[blue emu]

In one of my earlier campaigns, I used Q-ships to draw enemy missile fire... big civilian designs with twenty layers of armor. One of the Precursor ships decided to ram one, and folded up like a paper hat.

[xeryon (OP)]

I think I've had the AI do some stupid rammings, like trying to ram a ship twice its size and exploding while doing no damage to my ship.

A ramming would be rather fun.   I armored up that Geo ship for nebulea survey work.   He was a bit tougher then his size and mission would have implied.   Do ship explosions have an area effect?  If my ship was rammed would the attacking ship be damaged not from the impact but from the systems explosions, such as engines or magazines?  I think someone mentioned a collier or missile cruiser or something being rammed and the rammer died, but it was non-specific on if the impact damage or resulting magazine explosion is what killed it.

On a completely off-topic thought:  Why are unarmored grav ships military vessels and the same identical (copied) config modified with geo sensors classed as commercial ships?

[TheDeadlyShoe]

grav sensors are military components, presumably owing to their sensitive nature.  Also, grav ships can open new territory - geo ships can only backfill. So being maintenance free has significantly larger impacts on the game.