How do NPC spawns in detail work?

[Crimson Kaim]

I give up. I can't figure it out. Sometimes I get a wing of 3 Anacondas, and now I barely get a T7 by itself.

My guess would be that the time plays a role, the later it gets, the less NPCs spawn. No matter in which system I am, the maximum number of NPCs that spawn remain at the magical 6. 6 NPCs or less spawn per system which is barely anything worthy to interdict and farm merits (since they are 95% alone, no wing).
I wait usually around 10 minutes until something interdicts me (a lone iEagle), I destroy it within the FSD cooldown and jump out again to wait another 10 minutes (I wait because there is NOTHING to pay attention to, I am cruising in SC while typing this lol).


Anyone got information about how and how much and when NPCs spawn?

Information on the following would be appreciated:

1. When do NPCs spawn the most?
2. When do NPCs come up in wings?
3. How long does it take for NPCs to spawn? Sometimes it takes minutes to spawn even a single one!
4. Why do NPCs stop spawning after a while? It turns out that there will remain nothing in SC except FSD wakes.


Thanks!