Well, this is going to take longer than I thought.

I started by making a script that dumps a def fig in every sector but Fed and SD. I deliberatly voided fed and SD to make sure that I wouldn't move into any sector that didn't have one of my figs under it. Then I blew up a target [:D] to go red in my ISS. Then I started moving around in various ways.

So far, I've ALWAYS been podded, although the amount of hops I've been able to move has vaired from 1 hop to 39 hops. It seems to be random. Alignment doesn't seem to be a factor, since the 39 hopper was while I was at -4,500,000 align, and I've been podded at -1 align after just 2 hops. I've been podded while under L6 cits with 50,000 def figs in the sector too.

I have however, been able to t-warp without getting podded (5 times in a row is my record), I've exited the game and re-entered without getting podded. (to the game menu) I've completly logged off and on without getting podded too. I've also gotten podded while signing on. (Although I was never off-line for more than 30 seconds. I need to test to see what happens when you log off for an hour or a day...that kind of testing takes alot of time tho...)

After over 100 poddings, I'm starting to think that it's random.

There are still some tricks you can use to avoid getting podded completly. Porting doesn't seem to attract the feds. (I need to do more testing on this tho...I'm planning on doing an MR or two in a bit to confirm) Also, if you are on a cit, you seem to be safe, I was able to drive around the universe in a cit just fine. (burned 25,000,000 units of ore moving to every sector without getting podded.) You can even take off the planet and land again. You can even park in it overnight...BUT you can't leave the cit without getting podded if you do park overnight. (I retired for the night, logged back in, and took off the cit and was podded instantly.)

If anything, I'd have to say that the amount of TIME you spend IN the ISS while red is more of a factor than how evil you are or how many hops you make.

I'm going to write some more scripts (to automate the T-Edit and movement) and see if I can nail this down. I'm also going to check the behavior at extern. I'll post my findings here and on my site.

Thanks, very useful information

WOW! Traitor it is people like you who make this game continue. Great job on the testing and know that it is appreciated by newbs and vets. Keep up the good work and thanks again.

Bone

Thanks guys. Positive feedback makes it all worthwhile. Since I can't play much anymore, testing helps me keep my skills sharp, and if I help a few prople get more competitive along the way, so much the better. I am hoping to be able to return in a few months. I am seriously looking at that low turn, 45 min limit game. The core members of The Cabal are getting eagar to play again. [:D]

Well,
I don't have much new to add. Time is a factor. It appears to me that if you sit for an hour in the same sector before moving, you are MUCH more likely to get podded when you take your next move than if you don't wait around and move. It still seems to be random how many moves you get.

Yea.. thats the same results I'm getting. Seems the faster you make your move the better.

quote:Originally posted by Traitor

Well,
I don't have much new to add. Time is a factor. It appears to me that if you sit for an hour in the same sector before moving, you are MUCH more likely to get podded when you take your next move than if you don't wait around and move. It still seems to be random how many moves you get.



whew. thanks for your update. saved me from getting podded when I killed 20k good figs today...

Glad it helped someone...besides me anyway. [:D]