Just a quicky... about pirates.

I just got the space pirates in either this game I'm currently on, or my last one. I haven't really seen them a lot either recently. My battle cruisers made short work of them.

Arrgh! Aint no pirate better than a G.R.O.S.S pirate!

Perhaps the reason you dont see them alot is cause theyve realized there error and have joined up!

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but I get them every now and then.. and they suck massivly.. they need an overhaul. Pirates are supposed to be feared.. the only thing I fear about those is my starbases in the viscinity sometimes.
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I still get pirates in Version 1.13, maybe once or twice a game.

They are pretty weak though and I don't think they have ever destroyed anything of mine. So perhaps Hegetaga is right and they have joined G.R.O.S.S

I got my first space pirate event where I actually saw the pirate ships. I have gotten the even maybe 2 times before; this is the first time I ever saw them, though. They had 3 ships (frigates, i think), appeared next to a starbase, a freighter, and a world. My "local police" (1 DN, 1 Ranger, 1 BattleHammer) salied forth, eliminated them with no damage, and called it a day.

hmm.. wonder why i don't have them anymore..

I've seen them quite alot lately but with nothing more powerful than a battlecruiser they have had no effect at all, seems like they've been toned down

Pirate ships should be very fast and have powerful sensers but be no stronger than they are currently. They should avoid warships and go for freigters aswell as "free snacks" such as constructers and colony ships but only when poorly defended by warships. As an added twist any ship with an attack capacity defeated in battle by pirates is captured and becomes a pirate ship itself.

I get them on and off in my games... They are a 'random' event are they not? But I never actually see them. The AI usually takes them out.

I like the idea about pirates being able to 'build' a fleet by capturing other ships. That's pretty neat.

Oh and did I hear some say 'free snacks'?

Yes, by the time pirates usually appear everyone has overlords so they're pretty harmless. With the above modifications pirates aren't going to obliterate entire fleets but will only fight stuff they stand a good chance of winning against. Pirates should also be able to raid undefended systems. If a pirate ship intersects an undefended system the player has to pay a ransom or the pirates destroy 50% of the planetery improvements in the system and take up orbit siezing all tax income and stopping all production and research. This would last until the pirates flee or are destroyed. The "improvements" do not include capitals, wonders and such like.

You have some good ideas there GoblinCookie, particularly the raiding of undefended planets.

They fear you! LOL

later,
oldgamster aint skeert