(Using 4.82, btw)
So, in fooling around in SM mode to get my barrings, (Figuring out how to design and deploy fighters, and stuff) I come across a new system with a thermal contact on an asteroid. Neat, lets go check it out... Then this:
'4th March 2025 08:59:01,Washington,Shields Detected! Strength 18000 Active Sensor S336/R100 (New)'
Now, the first thing I thought: "It's over 9000!" If that 'strength' means shield strength, I'm screwed.
Turns out, I wasn't far off...
'4th March 2025 10:25:31,Washington, hit by 397 points of damage from Ramming Attack'
Ramming attack?!? 397 damage? Screw lasers, Next game I wanna shoot asteroids at ships!
I go to shoot back, but on my combat window, no contacts are present. Odd? Maybe I need to mark these aliens as hostile. I go to alien diplomacy screen... Nothing listed. At all. WTF. Can't make peace, can't shoot back. They destroyed my engines in their first attack.
Well, I guess I didn't need those engines...
'4th March 2025 10:25:36,Washington,Archangel hit by 1200 points of damage from Ramming Attack'
Ok, that's freaking ridiculous. I may not know how this games mechanics work, But I am pretty sure 1200 damage would completely disintegrate some of my battle cruisers. (Which had ~10 armor)
In a desperate attempt to figure out what is going on, I sent a full-on battle fleet to that system to fight these deity-level aliens. (Who seemingly cheat better than I do)
Unfortunately, I get greeted by the most annoying thing ever on my return to the system:
"Error in Updateallsensors; Error 6; Overflow"
And suddenly there are about 80 alien ships in the system, all ~800 tons. (Except for a few 6000 ton ships and one 60000 ton ship) Also, they now show up on my diplomacy screen. Which would be convenient, except after every time update, I get spammed with that overflow error, seemingly for each alien ship.
I know the overflow error is a bug, but the others? 18000 strength shields? (Am I reading that right?) 1200 damage ramming maneuvers (I don't even know how to ram someone...) and the sudden space-force spam.