Does anyone know, either from experience or maybe from having seen the game engine source code, how widely-ranging do Ferrengi and Alien Traders roam? For example, I have banged a game with 30K sectors, and a low setting on Warps, so that bigbang has created a game space that is very "large": the maximum "distance" across the game space between the two most widely separated Ports is 91 warps. Assuming that the sector containing Ferrengal is the center of the Ferrengi Empire, how far will Ferrengi ships get from that point? I'd like to set up my own base of operations in some part of the game space in which Ferrengi ships won't be constantly destroying my sector defenses, or triggering my planet Q-cannons (which wastes fuel). Is it possible to set up a base so far away from Ferrengi and Alien Trader areas that the AI server won't send Aliens there, or is the entire game space subject to Ferrengi and Alien Trader visitation?

I think you might have better luck changing the alien behaviors then trying to bang and edit that makes them not hit your bases. toning down their movement chance and how argressive they are might get you what you want.

just my 2c

sk

In my experience, they don't move far from their base unless you have captured their home planet. They will try to recapture their home planet, but they can't find it if it is behind your front sector.