Blockade: Ships not firing at freighters

[Tobsen]

Hello everyone.

I am new to Distant Worlds Universe and, while still very overwhelmed from the complexity, I have a ton of fun!

So this might just be someting i do not completely understand yet:

I have trade sanctions against a neighbouring empire. I decided to also blockade 3 of their colonies: I sent a fleet, the orange circles around the planet is shown and the description of the planet says that there is a blockade of my empire. But still the freighters of this empire just happily come and go to these colonies and deliver goods. They are not fired on at all (at least not automatically).
What am I doing wrong? Or ist this a known bug?

Thank you advance!

[Bingeling]

It is either a new bug, or what you see is not what you think you see.

If you have the circle for blockade, the blockade is working. What you may see is that the blockade does not prevent ships from refueling and using the shipyard. I am quite sure that I have seen the mess caused by a blockade with freighters turning away, but that is more than a few patches ago. Possibly as early as shadows beta...

[Tobsen]

Thanks for the response [:)]

So it is possible for freighters to refuel at the blockaded planet, but they do not deliver or load any goods? Is there some way to see if the blockade actually works? I was under the impression that the blockading ships would open fire on approaching vessels?

[Retreat1970]

I've been thinking about this post, but I'm unsure. I don't use blockades, but there may be an answer. The galactopedia says:

When trade sanctions exist between two empires, blockades may be declared against enemy colonies and space ports. In this situation no trade by any empire is permitted with the blockaded colony or base.

The phrase, "no trade by any empire" confuses me. Does it mean all empires, or just empires wanting to trade with the blockaded empire? Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I did do a test, and the OP is correct. A blockade does not stop any blockaded empire ships from doing their business. So maybe the second part of the phrase is true? What do you think?

[Bingeling]

I interpret it as "everyone". It means that (if that was even possible), on a blockaded colony of empire A. B may not sell its good to empire C. But I doubt that could happen in any case (third parties exchanging goods).

Back whenever, I ran an automated game and noticed there being a shortage which puzzled me. I then discovered a blockade was the issue. There was a spaceport "further out" that had this blockaded spaceport as its supplier, and kept ordering goods from there. And the freighters picked up the transport order, but turned away when they got to the blockaded pickup point. So the "where to get stuff routine" ignored the blockade, creating a shortage.

This is quite some time ago, and may no longer work that way. Which makes me suspect that for a somewhat large empire, blockading the capital would be even more crippling than one could think at first sight.

[Retreat1970]

That's what I'm thinking too, or maybe what should be happening. The phrase, "no trade by any empire", still bothers me though. If I have my colony blockaded, I don't trade with myself. I only trade with others. See what I mean?

I used the editor to blockade a homeworld. The blockade was ignored by the empires ships (freighters, miners, military, etc...). So I don't know what to think, but luckily, as I said, I never blockade anyways.

[Bingeling]

Did you check that the ships were picking up/leaving goods?

[Retreat1970]

I don't know how to see cargo of an enemy through the editor, but I did see freighters come in with cargo and leave with different orders. I could also see what was docking (planet and starport). Independents were coming in too, so idk. Sorry I couldn't help any better.

I tried again with similar results. I'm going to say this isn't working as intended unless someone else says differently.

[Retreat1970]

Anyone else have any ideas about this? I know it's not a game-breaking situation, but any ideas are welcome.

[Blabsawaw22]

So you need the Blockades to fire at Freighters? that's the problem? Maybe I'm missing the point here..

I'll play a game and blockade all the empires.. and that means they all won't get anything right.. but according to your recent findings, they will get resources?

[HerpInYourDerp]

Not directly related to blockades, but afaik the AI routine for cargo is if they get a new order that requires carrying items/cargo assigned, they'll dump whatever is they're carrying to make room for the new shipment. Usually this is irrelevant because there shouldn't be anything in there when they get a new order, but in the case of a delivery failure like in a blockade, chances are that once they reach the planet/station, they just dump it overboard into space when the AI is unable to dock/queue for docking and continues on with the next new order.

[Bingeling]

ORIGINAL: Blabsawaw22

So you need the Blockades to fire at Freighters? that's the problem? Maybe I'm missing the point here..

I'll play a game and blockade all the empires.. and that means they all won't get anything right.. but according to your recent findings, they will get resources?

Blockades does not fire at anything apart from protecting themselves. They (should) prevent freighters from docking (picking up/delivering cargo). And any case of actually "firing" should be in cases where ships of the offended attack them.

As far as I saw, he did not say that they did get resources. What was observed was that ships docked. There are a few other reasons to dock than to deliver/pick up resources (refuel, migration, shipyard actions).

[Blabsawaw22]

Regardless, it will be fun to see what 15 blockades do on 15 empires haha.

[Bingeling]

Indeed. And if one of them is suitably offended to block one of your spaceport, you could see what happens if you build some stuff (to get a temp shortage) there. Do resource arrive? Do freighters with resources turn away?

[Retreat1970]

As far as I saw, he did not say that they did get resources. What was observed was that ships docked

They would dock with resources, and leave without them.

once they reach the planet/station, they just dump it overboard

Possibly. How could we ever verify that?

[Bingeling]

By having your own colony being the blockaded one. Then you can watch freighter and colony resources, even if the latter is a rather noisy thing to watch.

[Retreat1970]

By having your own colony being the blockaded one

That's what I was thinking. It happens so rarely though. Oh well. Like I said it's not a big issue.

[HerpInYourDerp]

I've never bothered with blockades or suffered from one (for any period to affect me, at the very least), but I have seen my loaded & delivery-bound freighters arrive at a colony of mine that has either been invaded (by hostiles, who have subsequently cleared up by my own death fleets) or super laser'ed into rocks, try to dock and then shuffle off with empty cargo holds.

I have also tested the cargo dumping behaviour out by making a new colony far away, wait for it to order a large amount of supplies and then removing it (via editor) once a bunch of freighters have picked up their loads and jumped into warp. When they arrive at the barren planet, they just idle or get reassigned as per usual and all of the reassigned ships leave with empty holds. When I recolonise it again, the planetary storage doesn't contain anything from the 'failed delivery'.

[Retreat1970]

While it may be true that freighters just dump their cargo, there's another issue that isn't happening.

Enforcement of a blockade is usually accomplished by a fleet of ships from the empire initiating the blockade. These ships will attack any ship that attempts to run the blockade.

That's from the Galactopedia. When I blockade any planet cargo ships come in, dock, and then leave. I never attack anything. It may be true that the freighters don't drop their cargo and just dump it, but there is the other problem of enforcement of the blockade which doesn't happen.

I'm leaning towards this is broken.

[Blabsawaw22]

That's what I was thinking. It happens so rarely though. Oh well. Like I said it's not a big issue.

It won't happen rarely when you blockade the entire galaxy... they will reciprocate.