Pirate

There are fifteen AI controlled empires. They always take an enemy stance toward unknown empires. Human players are not permitted to become members of AI controlled empires.

AI controlled empires do not build cities, though they sometimes control cities. They do not capture cities overtly. They acquire cities that revolt against human controlled empires. Cities always join AI controlled empires when they revolt.

These empires are often called pirates, due to their lack of substantial city developments and their hostility toward human players. Gravity Well V provides some of the back story to these empires.

• Akson - The Akson Patriarch grinds a special axe for all Syth. After the humiliation of Dyrathon's Retreat, the Akson Patriarch swore a blood oath to exterminate every living cell of the Syth wherever they may be found.

• Balorite - The Balorites are terrifying opponents from the Edge of the Rift. Be prepared to react quickly as Balortie shaheed relentlessly throw themselves at your cities with single-minded purpose. Balorites were the common enemy of the civilized races for hundreds of years, leading to the creation of the Council of Hazeron. There was even talk of a more permanent alliance before the Syth invasion began. The resulting discord has threatened to tear apart the fledgeling alliance.

• Dendrae - Dendrae have a reputation for furtiveness and guile. Respected as cunning businessmen, the Dendrae have a darker side. The Dendrae barely conceal their disdain for the custom of shaking hands. To the Dendrae, this custom simply creates an opportunity to stab your opponent with a poisoned knife concealed in the palm of another hand.

• Haxu - This splinter group is not a race of its own. The Haxu faction grew from a consortium of rag-tag warlords and pirates in the In'kar Border Region. While mostly of human origin, outcasts of all races can be found among the Haxu. The mix of races has proven advantageous, leading to some strong alliances. The Haxu are not represented on the Council, but they are known to exert influence none-the-less.

• Kla'tra - Capt. Bazor Muturon first discovered Kla'tra hives in the galaxy now known as Muturon Encounter. Perhaps the galaxy should have been called Bazor's Demise. A Kla'tra swarm overran the good Captain's ship shortly after he touched down. The gruesome first-contact was captured in full by a vidcom channel that remained open until the ship was destroyed over a year later. The Kla'tra hive settled into his ship and slowly digested him over the next week. They replicated the ship with such mindless precision that Kla'tra fighters are notorious for traveling through space, vidcom channel open, broadcasting the seething mass in the ship's command bridge to the stars. Survivors of Kla'tra encounters have even reported the macabre sight of pictures of Bazor's family on the console in the vidcom broadcasts. Lore...

• Malacon - The Malacon are one of the eldest races. Long ago they evolved themselves to live as cybernetic organisms. When their race began to die out as a result, they used their technology to preserve the remaining living tissues. It is thought that each Malacon contains only a single living cell and that their supply of cells is running out. The Malacon claim to be the first to suffer at the hands of the Syth. Intelligence suggests the Malacon may have created the Syth in a failed experiment intended to replicate some of their remaining genetic material.

• Myntaka - The Myntaka were slow to emerge into the Universe. Early lessons taught them to be wary of alien contact. Holding a minor seat on the Council, the Myntaka have managed to survive by maintaining strong bonds with powerful allies.

• Ogar - House Ogar commands vast resources in the Veil of Targoss galaxy. Little is known about the reclusive Ogar leader, except that he is a shrewd and calculating tactician. It is believed that an "understanding" exists between House Ogar and the Haxu; details are sketchy.

• Otari - The Otari Council of Elders was the first of the civilized races to accept the Vreen into the Council of Hazeron. Hailing from the Heart of Victorus galaxy, Otari pilots are known for their exceptional skill. The Otari are most noted for their loyalty and honor. Some of the best wingmen are Otari.

• Seledon - Some of the greatest artisans and philosophers are of Seledon descent. Holding all life as precious, the Seledon long ago abandoned war as a solution to any problem, instead resorting to learned discussion and political manipulation. Their recent election to a fourth sequential term on the coveted inner council raised a fierce and acrimonious debate among dissenting factions, to no avail. Drawn into this war against their will by the Syth, the Seledon have found themselves with no choice but to react.

• Syth - With tales of their ruthlessness preceding them, Syth Warriors carved their way deep into the Universe before being stopped by a temporary coalition of House Ogar and the Haxu. The battlefront that was created penetrates right through the heart of civilized space. Constant probing attacks by Syth Warriors have brought trouble for many races who thought themselves insulated from the ravages of war.

• Tassad - Legions of Tassad are notorious for their determination. The earliest encounters were in the House Zanathar galaxy. Intelligence indicates a strong likelihood of a connection between the existence of the Tassad legions and the mighty House Zanather. Some have speculated that the Tassad are the result of genetic experimentation and cloning.

• Vilmorti - The Vilmorti were once close trading partners with the Seledon. Litigious quibbling by the Seledon over mutual defense treaties directly resulted in the Syth massacre in galaxy Seven Ten. Every living Vilmorti in the galaxy was ruthlessly tortured before being barbecued and eaten by Syth Warriors. Meanwhile, the Seledon Prelate demanded proper requests for assistance with attached waivers of responsibility, justification for use of force, grants of immunity, etc., etc., etc. After the fact, the Seledon Prelate denied all responsibility, claiming that no "legitimate" request for assistance was ever received.

• Vreen - The Vreen Advance Guard has established the Vreen race as a force to be reckoned with in the Universe. A recent run of good luck on the battlefield, both against the Syth and the Balorites, has caused a stir, particularly among those Council members who saw the Vreen as insignificant. Honesty, cooperation and fairness have characterized their brief membership on the Council.

• Zuul - Reclusive and xenophobic, the Zuul are so furtive they were once thought to exist only in children's tales. Contacts with the Zuul have been rare, mostly concentrated in the Thustra's Eye galaxy. Little is known of their society.

Pirate Ship Encounters

Pirate ships plunder the spacecraft of avatars who are on line. Their tech level is from 1/2 the tech level of the avatar's spacecraft up to one tech level higher than the avatar's spacecraft.

Pirate ship encounters are triggered by the presense of a spacecraft containing an avatar who is online. Ships and stations trigger pirate ship encounters.

Probability of pirate encounters is influenced by factors in a system. Probability increases in systems that have been explored by multiple empires. Probability decreases with the presense of cities in a system. Probability decreases a lot when a pirate encounter occurs and it slowly rises over time.

The number of pirate ships that spawn in a pack is determined by the tech level of the avatar's spacecraft. Pack size ranges from one to four pirate ships.

Pirate ships will be members of a pirate empire. Pirate empires are enemy to all other empires, including other pirate empires.

Plunder

Pirate ships spawn with a mission to plunder the victim ship that triggered the pirate encounter.

AI crew treats the plunder mission a lot like an attack mission. They attempt to maneuver their ship close to the target vessel and they attack the target vessel until it's current order becomes a Stand Down order.

Once the victim stands down, the pirate officer transfers as much cargo, passengers and money from the victim ship to the pirate ship as possible. The Cargo (F5) window enables cargo to be transferred from any ship nearby that is executing a stand down order, for this reason.

Players can issue a Plunder order to their own crew for the same behavior. The crew attacks the plunder target until it stands down. The officer in command loots the victim ship when they stand down.

AI officers may decide to stand down when their ship is damaged by an attacking ship that is executing a plunder order. Their willingness to stand down increases as the damage to their ship increases. Their rank influences their probability of standing down, with low ranking officers slightly more likely to surrender than high ranking officers. Officers will not stand down while their posture is berserk.

Pirate officers never stand down.

Pirate Spacecraft Designs

Pirate ship encounters draw from the database of all published and read-only spacecraft designs. This insures a rich and growing selection of interesting spacecraft designs to encounter in your travels.

Pirate spacecraft designs must meet certain minimum criteria for selection. The tech level needed by the pirate spacecraft design is determined. If any published designs are found to be suitable at the desired tech level, the pirate spacecraft design will be selected from among them. Read-only designs are designs that have been burned onto a CD but they have not been published. If no published designs are suitable, read-only designs are searched for a suitable pirate spacecraft design at the desired tech level.