Interactions between Pirates and Empires w/o treaties

[elitesix]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if two empires have no treaty, their ships do not automatically fire upon on another, right?

However, if I'm not mistaken, I just tested out setting my pirate ships to basically sit there in an unclaimed system near an independent planet, yet another empire that was +0 in relationship comes in and starts firing first at my pirate ships?

Working as intended? Are all empires, be default, at war status with all pirates even if the pirates did not do anything to upset that empire?

Is the iffy protection treaty the only way to maintain a non-war status between empire and pirates? (I say iffy because I don't think we know the mechanics and it seems that once an empire is out, its very difficult because of all the automatic attacks each side does upon on another).

I'm trying to setup a smuggling pirate empire, one that doesn't fight unless it has to, but within the first week before I've done anything (no firing, no raiding, no smuggling), it seems that empires that don't have protection treaties with me blow me up in uninhabited systems?

elitesix

[MarQan]

Colonial Empires do not attack eachother without declaring war; however it's Pirate season until you've got a deal.

Playing with a Pirate Faction you're in "war" with everyone at the beginning, though others do not particularly want to destroy you (as it is with 2 Empires in war).

[elanaagain]

Also note that as an empire, even if you have 'protection' treaty currently in force with a pirate gang, they will 'raid' your colonies, and continue to attempt to control your colonies. As near as i can tell. by observation, a protection treaty means the pirate thugs won't attack your ships and bases. Struggling to get control of colonies, even yours with a protection treaty, is not something pirates ever agree to do.

[elitesix]

Is there a guide on how to keep a protection treaty going?

Empires seem to break them for no reason. I've also never gotten a positive bonus from empires for having long protection treaties (only from pirates). Working as intended?

[Ob1ivion]

They're not going to get happy from you forcing them to pay you protection money...

[elitesix]

Shame.

Perhaps a philosophy of exploring incentivizing antagonistic empire-pirate interactions would be better suited by focusing on competition of resources rather than a brute force always on state of war between the types of empire -

Giving pirate empires much more fleshed out diplomacy would go a long way toward adding great depth to pirate empires.

[elanaagain]

@elitesix I agree w you, wholeheartedly. I was actually thinking that a mod of this would be playing the game as a 'legitimate' (legal..lol) business. Make money buying and selling resources, having storage warehouses on various sites, owning /leasing mines, merchant ships, and maybe a few 'security' forces.

[MarQan]

Would be a great scenario! Moving resources for pre-warp empires... constantly sabotaging their research towards HyperDrive technologies. Slowly getting rid of competition.
Shakturi would only come to give you a BroFist, then head to the next galaxy.

Btw nobody is forcing protection money.. it's just a generous offer

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: MarQan

Colonial Empires do not attack eachother without declaring war; however it's Pirate season until you've got a deal.

Playing with a Pirate Faction you're in "war" with everyone at the beginning, though others do not particularly want to destroy you (as it is with 2 Empires in war).

Not 100% true. Colonial empires will attack each other's ships and bases without a treaty if relations are bad enough. However, they won't try to invade a planet without declaring war first.

If you get a diplomatic message warning you to remove military ships from their territory, you'd better do it or those ships will get attacked.

[MarQan]

Thanks for the clarification, I never experienced those situations.
Seems like I have some more playing to do [:)]

[Ob1ivion]

Love it when they blockade a planet and you warn them and they're just like, "We have no idea what you're talking about." Well okay then, guess you won't miss this fleet then.

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Ob1ivion

Love it when they blockade a planet and you warn them and they're just like, "We have no idea what you're talking about." Well okay then, guess you won't miss this fleet then.

You actually warn them first? I don't.