symbols next to star-system names??

[sandman2575]

small thing, but what do the symbols next to the star-system names mean? I know the star means the system contains your capital world. however, often a star-system you've colonized will have a rectangular, dashed symbol next to it -- what does that mean? I've also seen a 3-dot triangle symbol -- again, meaning? I figure these have to mean something, because I also have star-systems i've colonized that don't have any symbols next to their names.

would love some clarification! don't see this in the manual anywhere...

[Aures]

Systems with 3 dot triangles next to the name contains ruins that you are aware of. The star as you said means the system contains an empire capital. The slightly tilted rectangle with lines through it (rectangular, dashed symbol) I don't know. I have been wondering this myself. Looks important but for the life of me I can't see what the relevant difference is between a system with or without it.

[sandman2575]

^thanks Aures -- that explains those triangles.  The other, rectangular symbol is indeed baffling.  I would not have thought it meant anything, actually, except for the fact that some of the star systems you colonize don't have it!  Could it just be a bug (for the systems that don't have it, I mean)?

[Groovynatureguy]

If you mean the blue and white symbol then I think that means a refueling point.

[sandman2575]

^ Genius!  is that what it is then, a rectangular fuel tank?  would make a lot of sense.  will test that out when i get home later today.
 
thanks!

[Aures]

Yes that would make sense. The possibility that it involved refuelling had crossed my mind but I couldn't tell from the limited testing I did.

I just had a poke around a game I am using as a testing ground. If it does indicate a refuelling point it must take some time to update or something. Out of a dozen systems I looked at each with 1 colonised world, no star port and no mining bases one that wasn't listed as a refuelling point had more hydrogen and caslon than most of the ones that did have the refuelling symbol. Luckily all of the systems had 0 reserved caslon and hydrogen so it was an easy comparison to make. Most of the others that weren't listed as refuelling points had slightly less hydrogen and caslon than those that did.

If 500 or so free caslon or hydrogen is too little to count as a refuelling point but 800 is enough (whether you have to have both hydrogen and caslon or just one in sufficient quantities would be good to know) and it takes some time to update the map then that would be pretty consistent with my little test. Presumably the one with lots of caslon and hydrogen but no symbol has just had it dropped off and the map has yet to update.

[ehsumrell1]

Aures;

In addition, those refueling symbols also only appear at systems where your ships
can refuel without any incidence (i.e. active trade agreement, mutual defense pact).

If what was once a refueling system (with symbol)becomes unfavorable or hostile, and you don't have
one of your own empires gas mining stations somewhere in that system, then you cannot
refuel there and the symbol will vanish. At least from my experiences.

I also believe that if you have a "deployed" resupply ship in a system, the symbol will
show as long as the resupply ship is deployed.