First Contact pointers

[Konisforce (OP)]

Me again!

So, is there a 'first contact' tutorial out there anywhere?  If not, a couple specific questions:

I have some contacts in another system.   How do I specifically figure out a) where the inhabited planets are and b) any details about them?  I assume I'll need some active sensors to figure things out and a decent range depending on the thermal levels, and where does that actually show up in-game?  Like, which menu shows me the colonies of other races.

Also, for communication, I've assigned a diplo team currently stationed on my homeworld and clicked the "initiate contact" button.   Now do I just wait to offend their queen and get invaded, or can I do anything else active?

[Erik L]

Me again!

So, is there a 'first contact' tutorial out there anywhere?  If not, a couple specific questions:

I have some contacts in another system.   How do I specifically figure out a) where the inhabited planets are and b) any details about them?  I assume I'll need some active sensors to figure things out and a decent range depending on the thermal levels, and where does that actually show up in-game?  Like, which menu shows me the colonies of other races.

Also, for communication, I've assigned a diplo team currently stationed on my homeworld and clicked the "initiate contact" button.   Now do I just wait to offend their queen and get invaded, or can I do anything else active?

Shoot first and loot their ships?

If they are not spoilers, they might eventually give you that info. Spoiler races (which shouldn't appear in the diplo screen imo) just get annoyed with you. Non-spoiler races get annoyed when you do things like scan them.

[Konisforce (OP)]

So they don't respond kindly to bein' spotlighted.   Noted.

Is there any utility to cruising by with passive sensors and checking out what they've got?  Like, will that illuminate specific PDCs and defensive bases?  Or will  I just be pissing them off by getting that close to their territory?

They are icky bug-things (and non-spoilers, I believe) so extermination is the logic course, naturally.

[Erik L]

As far as I recall, passives are okay. It's the actives they object to. And depending on their relationship with you, getting too close to their holdings annoys them too.

[Redshirt]

Why exterminate? Welcome them into your empire* and utilize their resources!

* - Aka, "Greetings from the benevolent Terran Federation. We come in peace. We are now going to blow up all your combat ships, tow away your ship yards, drop large tanks and assault vehicles on your homeworld, and maybe sterilize a distant colony or two that we can't be bothered with until you give us your unconditional surrender."

[sloanjh]

As far as I recall, passives are okay. It's the actives they object to. And depending on their relationship with you, getting too close to their holdings annoys them too.

My recollection was that it was the other way around (after Steve stopped intel gathering from active contacts) - if they see you in their system with their actives, then they start to get peeved.  I think the idea is that a passive contact won't tell them your race (so they don't know who to be annoyed with), while an active contact does.

John

[Hawkeye]

From Steve´s Diplomacy post:

During the 5-day increment, NPRs will deduct points for any alien ships they detect on active sensors in systems in which they have a population. The deduction is equal to 10% of contact size. So a 5000 ton ship (size 100) would cause an instant 10 point deduction. For the purposes of this rule, they will ignore freighters if a trade treaty is in effect and they will ignore ships from Empires they class as Friendly or Allied.