Battle group
A battle group is a group of one to five ships either spawning in HyperSpace or guarding a TrueSpace star system. The probability for the battle group to be composed of a single ship is 50%; for two ships, 25%; for three ships, 12.5%; for four ships, 6.25%; and for five ships, 3.125%. The following are exceptions to this rule: fourteen Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah Marauders or Ur-Quan Kzer-Za Dreadnoughts in the battle groups guarding Delta Crateris V, always a single Slylandro Probe and always a single Melnorme Trader in their respective battle groups. A battle group is treated as a single entity (represented in HyperSpace as a black "spoor" and in TrueSpace as a single, non-rotating ship of the respective race) and the ships constituting it cannot separate. Colliding with a battle group will initiate an encounter. If the battle group is encountered in HyperSpace, the encounter will take place in TrueSpace, in an area called "Deep Space" — and if the encounter turns hostile, a planet will still be present for the battle.
Battle group behaviour
- In HyperSpace, battle groups spawn randomly at most once a day and follow the Flagship. Notice that they simply head towards it, instead of heading a bit further to collide with it if it does not change course.
- In TrueSpace, battle groups circle at different ranges around planets, switching randomly between them. Most battle groups can only be seen in the closest zoom level (focused on a planet), though they may randomly switch back to the main zoom level.
If the Flagship gets close enough to a TrueSpace battle group, regardless of whether they are friendly, neutral or hostile, all battle groups in the system will head on an intercept course with The Flagship — including those at different zoom levels. After the encounter is finished, they return to patrolling unless they are hostile.
There may not be battle groups pertaining to different species in a single star system, even if their Spheres of Influence overlap on that star system.
Battle group variables
| Ship name | Speed | Encounter probability in TrueSpace | Encounter probability in HyperSpace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arilou Lalee'lay Skiff | 40 | 0% | 20% |
| Chmmr Avatar | 27 | 0% | 0% |
| Druuge Mauler | 20 | 20% | 30% |
| Earthling Cruiser | 24 | 0% | 0% |
| Ilwrath Avenger | 25 | 60% | 60% |
| Melnorme Trader | 40 | 0%1 | 0%2 |
| Mycon Podship | 27 | 20% | 40% |
| Orz Nemesis | 40 | 20% | 20% |
| Pkunk Fury | 40 | 20% | 40% |
| Shofixti Scout | 35 | 0%3 | 0% |
| Slylandro Probe | 60 | 5%4 | 2% |
| Spathi Eluder/Discriminator | 48 | 10% | 20% |
| Supox Blade | 40 | 20% | 40% |
| Syreen Penetrator | 36 | 0% | 0% |
| Thraddash Torch | 28 | 20% | 60% |
| Umgah Drone | 18 | 20% | 30% |
| Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah Marauder | 30 | 40% | 70% |
| Ur-Quan Kzer-Za Dreadnought | 30 | 40% | 70% |
| Ur-Quan Kzer-Za Security Drone | 90 | 0%5 | 0% |
| Utwig Jugger | 30 | 20% | 40% |
| VUX Intruder | 21 | 20% | 40% |
| Yehat Terminator | 30 | 40% | 60% |
| Zoq-Fot-Pik Stinger | 40 | 0%6 | 0% |
Notes and references
- 1However, there is always one (and only one) Trader in any supergiant system.
- 2If The Captain uses a HyperWave Caster in HyperSpace, a Melnorme Trader will always appear.
- 3However, Tanaka (or, if The Captain kills him, Katana) is always present at Delta Gorno until he is given the Shofixti Maidens.
- 4The encounter probabilities with Probes, both in HyperSpace and in TrueSpace, increase gradually. See here.