Question about certain combat symbols on the galaxy map

[vonduus]

I am some decades into my current game, and I am becoming very confused about some of the combat symbols.

There are symbols for dangerous locations, like a red lightning. I get those, these locations are listed in the military tab in the dangerous locations list. When I zoom in, I normally find some dangerous space whales and stuff.

Then there are a list of enemy targets, I get those too. When I zoom in I find enemy planets and stuff.

But then there are a lot of symbols on the map that I don't understand: The symbol in question looks like two red crossed swords under an inverted red teardrop - as if there is a battle going on. When I zoom in, this symbol is reproduced on the location badges for the planets/asteroid fields, but when I zoom further in, beyond the location badges, there is nothing. At least nothing that I can find.

It is becoming a bit frustrating, because crossed swords normally mean that there is danger of some sort, but I can't find anything dangerous.

I have read the manual, searched the Galactopedia and I have been on Reddit and all over the internet, but nowhere have I been able to find a legend that explains what this symbol means. So please:

What does this symbol - two red crossed swords under an inverted red teardrop - symbolize?

[stax]

To best of my knowledge, it means your assets are engaged in combat.

However, the icon for it often bugs out and becomes "stuck" indicating a conflict long after it's done. Sometimes saving/reloading clears it, sometimes it doesn't. Hell if i know :)

[Mozzy]

^^ yup, this.

The indicator, in theory, is meant to indicate your unit is in some sort of combat action.

Unless that too is bugged, the indicator follows the unit, not the location. Example - Fleet ABC engages in legit combat, but the indicator stays with them, even when returning to base system.

Then as it is bugged, the indicator stays on, showing your safely parked fleet 'in combat' at their home base system.

Another form of the bug is your unit was never in combat to begin with, yet will be tagged with this in-combat icon.

Far as I can tell, non-combat units never get this (e..g fuel tankers), while everything else seems either delayed or random.

Delayed = eventually the combat icon goes away, but in a sense it's the lesser bug b/c that fleet was involved in legit combat just recently. But it now away from the action, or back at home base, and still tagged.

Random = the more egregious form of bug, seems completely out of action fleets sometimes get tagged and no idea why.

[Mozzy]

p.s. if this icon was fixed, it would be useful. Because even as a mostly manual player, I rely on automated actions by manual fleets.

e.g. if ship design set to engagement range = system, then you can send manual fleet into enemy system as your (1) manual order, then sit back comfortably while the fleet rages around on auto - basically targeting anything hostile.

This is handy way of clearing an at-war AI empire system of all mining stations, research, etc. without micromanaging each next target decision. Then when you see the icon clear, you know the fleet is done w/ no more hostile targets left in that system (without leaving galaxy map to zoom in and check manually)

At the moment, the icon does sometimes work, but would be better if more reliable. Sometimes after killing all enemy targets, the combat icon does clear up on the next 'tick' of the simulation checking background processes. But lots of times, stays lit, and follows the fleet back home.

[vonduus]

Thanks guys, I suspected it was a bug.

[mjace72]

I don't know about asteroid fields unless you have a mining or research facility in it but planets with the combat icon attached to it usually means the planet is being compromised by espionage. I thought the icon being displayed means you've either upped your counter-intelligence percentage, your empire has better default counter-intel, or you have a captured spy doing counter-intel and it's race is attempting the deed to the planet or station. I could be wrong on all of this though.