Quick question

[JudgeDredd]

ok - can I ask...when my ships are all automated, how do I stop my ships going to other race sectors?

Several times I've been warned off a system because another race is there, but my ships are automated...how do I stop them going there?

thx

oh - and no, I have only played the tutorials so far...no manual as yet, though I had a search to see if I could find the answer and couldn't

[Gertjan]

In the options screen you can stop your ships from colonising inside other empires' systems. However, I believe that private ships will still go to these empires to trade and mine resources. As they should in my view.

[Nemo84]

I've had the same warnings from hostile empires, despite not allowing colonizing and building in hostile territory. I agree civilian ships should continue to enter their systems, but it seems to me that escorts have a tendency to follow those civilian vessels into other empires. As a result, the escort (a warship) enters another empire's system, they see this as a provocation and become angry at you.

I've been searching long for a setting that would allow me to restrict my ships to certain areas, but I think it's simply not implemented.

[Gertjan]

I didnt know other empires were offended by minor escorts. Perhaps this irritation should depend on the size of the fleets you use in other empires' territories. Elliot, how does this work behind the scenes of the game?

[Erik Rutins]

Escorts are a very minor irritation for them in my experience, I wouldn't be concerned with that to be honest and typically only a race that already has a bone to pick with you will be bothered by that. By the time the aliens file the complaint, the freighter and escort would already likely be on their way back out.

With the option unchecked to colonize/mine in other empire's systems, you should generally have no unplanned "incidents" of any significance.