Sensors

Operations in space cannot be well served by looking out of a glass window. Instead, like in the current day, we have numerous detection and scanning tools that can be employed for our nefarious purposes. Each scanner type has a specific use and application, which can be further modified by adjusting their size and resolution.

Active Sensors

Active sensors which currently (v4.91) consist of grav pulse sensors allow a ship to detect other ships equal to or above it's stated resolution size within it's stated range. The tradeoff is that progressively stronger active sensors can themselves be detected by passive EM sensors, which can prove a serious tactical vulnerability.

Passive Sensors

See Beam Warships for an in depth explanation of this technology.

The basic calculation is :

(Sensitivity * 1000km) * <signature strength> = max detection distance. so a sense 10 sensor will pick up a strength 5 thermal signature at a maximum of 50,000 km, scaling linearly up and down. You can view the passive sensors detection radius of your ships and installations in the system maps view by adjusting the Sensors tab values.

Thermal Sensors

Passive sensors that detect thermal signatures such as Engines, reactors and colony activity.

EM Sensors

Passive sensors that detect EM signatures. These can be used to detect ship shields, Active Sensors and the presence of colonies on a planet.

Geological Sensors

These generate Geo Survey points, which is used to determine environmental and mineral properties of a stellar body

Gravitational Sensors

These are used to detect jump points