My home planet is not shielded or cloaked at all (I've had an average of 7000 research over 80 turns) I just have 5 Defence Stations & a fleet of 10LCs in orbit. Plus 50 missile/PDC/Spy sats
Mostly, alien ships don't return home to tell the tale of the pirate home system, but join my empire instead
The only classically "secret" thing I have is my hidden base in a nebula system. Once that is operational, I will have no further need for my home planet, except as for the (painfully slow) armor & psychic research. Everything else, I can steal.
One thing that a pirate race REALLY needs is a Tiny space yard for constructing hidden bases early on. Perhaps a 100KT SY, that builds 300KT /turn & repairs nothing. Then you could cram one on an escort (with two movement points) and get a hidden base going immediately.
With my low construction trait, i'd be getting a 150Kt rate, so It would take many years to finish a real construction base. But I could start early. Even with no planet, I could build capture ships, grab a colony, and be back in the research business.
As it is it took 80 turns before the aliens... I mean My empire
discovered Cruiser hulls.
[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 06 March 2001).]