I have finally tracked down the problem with wrecks. There are still there and they aren't moving and they can be picked up by active sensors. However, in certain circumstances the code to check those sensors won't run so they will never be detected.

To avoid checking every sensor on every ship in every system during every sub-pulse, Aurora keeps a database table called SensorChecks. This table contains a list of systems where more than one race is present or where civilians are present. This table is updated every time a ship transits a jump point or a colony is created. During the sensor phase, the sensor code only runs for systems in this table (as there is nothing in the other systems to detect). However, when determining the systems that should appear on this table, wrecks were never considered. So if you have a system with wrecks but no colonies or ships from other races, you won't be able to detect them. As soon as there is a second race in the system, the wrecks will detectable again because the sensor code will run for that system. They will stay detectable until the next 5-day increment when a piece of code runs that remove entries on the SensorChecks table where only one race (and no civilians) is present.

I'll update the code for version 4.1 so that wrecks are a reason for a system to be added to the table.

Steve

Definetly. I had a bunch of wrecks at a warp point, and was salvaging them slowly they stayed on the map for a long time , then I moved the ship with active sensors and took them off the job list of the salvage ship to send it to other wrecks . The Wrecks where not there when the salvage ship returned and I sent another ship with active sensors

Quote from: "Hawkeye"

I can now confirm, there is a display? bug re. wrecks.
I had a battle with precursors recently. I knew they were there, so I brought some salvagers with me and ordered them to salvage the first two wrecks as soon as the enemy was defeated. I put some scouts where the wrecks were too, so I didn´t loose sight of them. However after some 10 days, when the salvager where about to reach the wrecks, they where nowhere to be seen on the system map (no restart of aurora either, played streight through).
The reason I think it is a display bug is, the salvagers still managed to salvage the wrecks I had ordered them to, even though I couldn´t see them anymore. Of course, there were more wrecks, but with those now being invisible, I can´t order the salvagers to salvage those (if I had known this, I had queud up those).
I have made a backup of the database with one wreck allready salvaged and the second some 5 days from finished

Thanks - that is very useful information. Normally I would say send me the DB but Aurora is still in pieces on the floor at the moment so I can't test it. I'll try and recreate the problem in my own game once normal service is resumed

Steve

Just an FYI - last night I put a intel ship with powerful active sensors into the system where I first encountered Precursors.  During the encounter (several years back), they destroyed one of my scouts.  The moment I lit off the active sensors, I got a "new wreck" message about where the scout was destroyed and an "X" showed up on the display.  So it all seems to be working for me (so far ).

John

Just to check, I assume those people having problem spotting wrecks know you need to detect them with an active sensor

Steve

The wrecks seem to get lost after quiting the program and restarting.
I checked the database and the entries are still in the wrecks table for some I cannot find anymore.
They were just inside a JP of a system.  No sensor can find them now.

I´m not sure if this would be better posted in the bugs section, but I will give it a try in the academy.

I fought a battle vs. Precursors some 15 game-months (december 2065) ago. All 5 Precursor ships where blastet to scraps and 5 wrecks showed up accordingly.

I marked each wreck with a waypoint, so I could later find and salvage them

It´s now march ´67 and I have two salvager and a jumpship (with active sensors) in place, but there is no sign of any wreck (not even the one from my own scout, that got blasted by the precursers first)
The JS doing the search mounts an active sensor of 24mkm range and resolution 50, the wrecks are 4 x 5.000t and 1 x 14.500t.

Now the question: Do wrecks vanish after some time, or maybe do they rotate with the rest of the system (I got a couple of error messages re. orbital movement, so I turned off Orbital Movement for Planets/Moons (it was off from the start for asteroids)

I have checked the code and can't find anything that would cause wrecks to move. The code for NPRs to salvage them hasn't been written either.

Steve

I'd say that, for now, the best way to keep track of wrecks that you can't salvage right away, would be to position a scout ship with the wreck, set her
speed to 1 so her fuel will last a long time, her actives on. Check from time to time for drifting and move the ship accordingly if they've drifted. It's
a relatively inexpensive way to keep track of them, I find.

Eric

Wrecks do move, but the movement is not always orbital.  They tend to drift a bit as well.  They will probably still be all together however, so if you really want to find them you can either bring in a couple more ships and search for them, or bring in a ship with a bigger resolution and therefore larger search radius.  When searching try moving counterclockwise first and see what you find.

Brian