Subscribe to download
Encounters - broken atm

"Encounters" in deep space... love them or hate them?

Compatibility

X4 5.1 HF3 (479084) - 2022-06-13
DLC - Split Vendetta
DLC - Terran Cradle of Humanity
DLC - Tides of Avarice

Prologue

It was once said ...

"You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time..."

Sorry EGOSOFT it's mission impossible ... or maybe you can please everyone?

Where do we start...?

Description

Once you leave the busy part of a sector the game engine (via the MD Encounter script) starts to jump small groups of enemy ships (out of thin air) right alongside you every ~60s, one group after the other.. endlessly!!

This mod changes this annoying behaviour (by replacing the vanilla "Encounter" script) and adds more variance to the game experience in deep space. Deep space is anything >130km from the sector centre. Egosoft designed the 'encounter' dynamic to transport (unseen) ships already built in another part of the universe to make the large empty spaces between far-flung stations beyond seem less empty. A nice idea... and it keeps the economy functioning as per design... but unfortunately it's not been very well implemented...

Browsing the various forums I have noticed the main gripes of "encounters" 'fans' have often been some of those things solved below. With the first release of the mod I attempted to solve many of the more annoying features whilst providing a working codebase for further functionality.

* * *
Encounters v1.3 onwards - Please note that within Inner Terran & Windfall/Avarice sectors, 'encounter' behaviour is more selective and sometimes removed altogether (this is to follow X4 lore)
* * *

Less encounters
>>> Now much more infrequent instead of every 60 seconds
No more ships jumping right next to you
>>> Now radar-range aware, they appear just when they should... not before
No more ships always in your path
>>> Now more variation in positioning ahead
Always the same, regardless of play progression
>>> Encounter instances per encounter now based on fight rank
Pirates always ignoring you
>>> Successful traders beware, pirates always prefer rich businessmen with a high trade rank!!
Khaak should be rarer
>>> They appear less often but now sometimes there are lethal swarms
Missing Xenon threat
>>> Ooops... you folks should have kept quiet ... now sometimes destroyers & frigates appear
Pirates not a threat
>>> More variety and now they've brought some friends along to play with you
Too many criminals loitering at space stations
>>> Fewer criminals with more/less Police (for each race)

Feedback

I have been developing & play testing this mod for a period of time and I feel the balance between encounter occurrence, difficulty and variety is about right for the coding I have done so far. I want to expand and tune this mod further, so if folks can give feedback and suggestions about what I've got right (if anything) and what's still to do (including any bugs) then please do let me hear. This is my very first proper MD coding so please be nice, it is a great voyage of exploration... and I've had many nasty encounters !! Constructive feedback is welcome but please be aware due to the nature of competing gameplay styles accommodating everyone's wishes may not be possible... but I'll try.

Thanks

EGOSOFT for giving me such a great playground for years
MacBain81for allowing me to try and reverse engineer his explosion effects, not quite there yet but maybe more in the future.