Block Watch Program
 

Tried a technique to monitor my "neighborhood" and found a few problems...

I explore with a medium transport carrying small satelites. I leave the satelites in the systems I pass through to maintain a monitor view of what happens. Now, the problem... When other empires enter these, I recieve a message regarding First Contact, but I can not "see" into these sectors. I see my ship, but nothing else. Just to make sure I wasn't in err, I sent my ship back through and found my satelite in place along with the colony of another empire (which I didn't see until I brought my ship through...)

Re: Block Watch Program
 

I don't think Sat's or mines give you sensors in the system (unless you outfit them I think). I believe that was a significant change from SE3 to 4. In SE3, if you had mines (no sat's in SE3) in a system, you could see everything (except of course anything in a storm). I suspect you got the First Contact message 'cause the other player / AI saw your Sat. At least that's the way my full Version plays...

[This message has been edited by rdouglass (edited 20 November 2000).]

Re: Block Watch Program
 

The satellites can be put on the warp points into the system. Then you will at least know if a ship has entered the system. If it is a colony ship you know they are at least looking for a place to colonize there. I use them more as early warnings.

Re: Block Watch Program
 

I started using a cloaked ship to lay recon satellites in the AI-controlled systems before this topic started. They seem to work, at least as far as showing me the colonies (as you know, a system you've explored with alien colonies in it looks uninhabited once your ship has left). That much is an improvement over having to remember where the alien colonies are. I don't really know if they show ships yet - I've only laid a few and there were no ships in the systems when the satellites were placed.

The satellites are equiped with long range scanners, gravitic sensors and cloaking devices.