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Author Topic: Neutrals are fleeing from my fleet...  (Read 1361 times)

Requal

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Neutrals are fleeing from my fleet...
« on: February 21, 2022, 02:43:16 PM »

Why would they flee if I am neutral to them?
Weirdest thing is that I never even did combat.
Just trading.
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Supraluminal

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Re: Neutrals are fleeing from my fleet...
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2022, 02:46:34 PM »

Why would they flee if I am neutral to them?
Weirdest thing is that I never even did combat.
Just trading.

Do you have your transponder on? Sometimes fleets seem to run away if they can't tell if you pose a threat or not. Or, maybe they were fleets that could ID you, but you didn't have the sensor strength to ID them. In that case they may have actually been hostile (and scared of your fleet) but you couldn't tell.
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Requal

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Re: Neutrals are fleeing from my fleet...
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2022, 08:35:18 PM »

Why would they flee if I am neutral to them?
Weirdest thing is that I never even did combat.
Just trading.

Do you have your transponder on? Sometimes fleets seem to run away if they can't tell if you pose a threat or not. Or, maybe they were fleets that could ID you, but you didn't have the sensor strength to ID them. In that case they may have actually been hostile (and scared of your fleet) but you couldn't tell.

This makes a lot of sense I will check it asap thnx
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Goumindong

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Re: Neutrals are fleeing from my fleet...
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2022, 02:56:33 PM »

Neutral (non-pirate*) fleets will consistently flee from fleets that have their transponder off regardless of their status as being neutral or friendly (iirc).

This is because when you are unidentified you take a pretty inconsequential penalty to attacking a ship, even if you’re normally friendly or neutral. If you’re at +50 going down to +47 is like… whatever. The Neutral AI internalizes this and so assumes anyone they have not identified might destroy them in order to get their sweet loot/do whatever.

There is also “I think we can take them” logic iirc. So a huge battle fleet isn’t going to care about your single hammerhead with its transponder off. But a minor frigate convoy might


*pirate fleets will not attack you if you’re neutral but also won’t avoid you. Exception being if you triggered a trap of theirs.
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FenMuir

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Re: Neutrals are fleeing from my fleet...
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2022, 12:44:58 PM »

Turn on your transponder so they know who you are, and they will stop fleeing from you.
Keep in mind that if your fleet is big enough to be dangerous to them and you're not above friendly, they'll still probably run away from you just in case.
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Dante

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Re: Neutrals are fleeing from my fleet...
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2022, 04:24:22 AM »

I had a funny moment in my game last night. Playing as a pirate, all the factions hate and fear me. I was in a Hedge system, transponder off, being chased by a couple of pickets who wanted to identify me, when I came across a battle between pirates (my faction) and a Luddic Church fleet. Wanted to join the fight so I flicked on my transponder, and the two small picket fleets that were chasing me down had a panic attack, screeched to a halt, and then took off in the opposite direction. Made me chuckle.
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