From settings.json:
# probability of AI core dropping from a destroyed enemy ship that had an AI core officer installed
"drop_prob_officer_alpha_core":0.05,
"drop_prob_officer_beta_core":0.1,
"drop_prob_officer_gamma_core":0.2,
"drop_prob_mult_ai_core_frigate":1,
"drop_prob_mult_ai_core_destroyer":2,
"drop_prob_mult_ai_core_cruiser":3,
"drop_prob_mult_ai_core_capital":4,
"drop_prob_mult_ai_core_station":1000, # the station always drops it
So for an alpha core, a base 5% chance, x4 if it's in a Radiant, x3 if it's in a Brilliant, etc. (Edit: x4 meaning 20%, not 4 rolls of 5%, btw.)
(This used to be handled differently - just some rolls based on defeating remnant ships in general. But now (as of 0.95.1a, possibly also 0.95a but not sure on that one) it's based on the presence of AI cores commanding the ships you've actually destroyed, and handled entirely in FleetEncounterContext. So I think for a mod to mess with this, it would have to either change the values in settings.json, or provide its own implementation of the FleetEncounterContextPlugin. Though I suppose it's also possible to modify the salvaged cargo pre-drop in FIDConfigGen or some other kind of listener. ... yeah, there are options here.)
Given the vanillla values above, the odds of not getting any alpha cores from 30+ Ordos seem vanishingly small - around one in a thousand *just* counting 1 capital per Ordo and nothing else.
Played this game forever, lurked on forums but never bothered posting.
Hi, and welcome to the forum!