WHAT THE...

[ImperiumLafayette]

Ok, how do you tell if a planet is npc controlled or player controlled?

What does Planet Owner Undetermined and Planet Owner Unknown mean?

I thought one was setup away from others so one would get a chance to explore and expand a bit without getting shot at and finding no empty worlds to occupy.

Rethinking this whole thing...

[Framis]

I don't know of a foolproof way to determine if a planet is owned by an NPC or player. There are a few clues - more MUs than allowed, could be NPC. Fleet overhead? Could be Player.

Undetermined, Unknown, and Refused to Identify Themselves are often unoccupied. You need to send a planet probe (order 65) to them to be sure. Even at higher TL, your ships can't always determine who owns a planet. It's sort-of illogical why a ship overhead can't tell more than a one shot probe.

[Tregonsee]

Feel free to ask if a name is a player or NPC. Most of us have extensive lists.

You might also bring down the aggression on your ships (AC 21).

An ally can get you higher tech scouts that allow you to get planet stats from system space.

[ImperiumLafayette]

I lower my Aggression Level on any new scouting fleet, merchant fleet, colonizing fleet before they move out.

So, if one can't find out who owns a world, be it player or npc, because their scouts and probes get blown up by fighters one has to kill the fighters/forts/whatever to clear the skies to get information on the world and hope it is an npc and not a player you just started a war with????

Sigh...

[CHARON EMPIRE]

If it blows up your probe/ship just move on to another planet. When your tec is higher, your ships will have better shielding and you can go back to those planets that you couldn't scan the first go around. I would also send out sector probes to area's at least 2 sectors away and begin exploring those as well.
Randy is pretty good at placing new players in a sector to themselves, although sometimes mistakes happen and you have another player in the same sector as you, but that is rare. Now when you venture out, you could be finding another player...

[Ralleb]

Good Evening from the Pirate Ralleb

remember if you probe a player, there is a chance he will capture the probe. In this case your turn will read the planet is unowned. The players turn will tell him he captured your probe.
This has started conflicts.


The best way to figure out if an Empire is a player or NPC, is just to ask. Those of us who have played a long time know.

[ImperiumLafayette]

Hi Pirate Ralleb!

Actually I did ask about a one planet and so far I got crickets.

I'll try it here.

SOVEREIGN WORLDS player or npc?

IL
Smiling Because I Took A World

[CHARON EMPIRE]

NPC

[Tregonsee]

If you get probes shot down, you could also try spies to find out who owns the planet.

[ImperiumLafayette]

Thanks CE!

IL
Lonely At The Bottom