Thargoid invasion - Next target systems?

[Kira Goto]

Spire reactivation using controls does not strike me as a very automated mechanism like this, when it only happened this week. That or there is just some invisible background mechanic to it, but it does not look to me as anything such is the case. (Though it would be hard to tell)

Or that it actually has any kind of relevance to the lore at all, for that matter - it’s just for the players to do stuff less slowly.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Yes - I strongly suspect that it's a manual intervention (though one, it appears, with a reasonably consistent model on how it works)

If Frontier are wanting Raijin to be defeated in the week leading up to the Powerplay release, then that means that an average clearance rate of between 18 and 26 controls a week would be safe at this point.

 

[Sublime]

I don’t know if anything special is going to happen with the last Titan, but would it be worth considering at this point which of these last two would be better kept as the last Titan. Perhaps in case Thargoids become a power centered around it, or some other reason?

 

[Grimscrub]

I fear such discussions would have been more sensible when we shifted from Thor.. The titan with fewest systems gets a number of special effects (more counterstrikes, reactivated ports in inhabited counterstrikes, et al) to speed its demise, and Raijin is over a hundred systems closer to its end than Cocijo at this time.

Efforts will continue for the moment. Whether Titan 8 ends up set in stone or no, it does not have to have a pleasant time/possess over a hundred systems if the option to reduce such is there.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

It's probably far too late at this point for it to be anything other than Cocijo last - there's a very strong incentive to attack the Titan with the fewest remaining Controls, which is currently Raijin with a gap of over 100 systems.

When Thor was being finished off, Cocijo and Raijin were almost level on Control count, and Raijin's defenders made a specific effort at that point to ensure they were looking at the slightly smaller one, so that's when that decision got made.

 

[Kira Goto]

I don’t know if anything special is going to happen with the last Titan, but would it be worth considering at this point which of these last two would be better kept as the last Titan. Perhaps in case Thargoids become a power centered around it, or some other reason?

I don't think it particularly matters. Aside from naming by humans and the sigils painted on each Titan, they are largely identical, and differences only arise from local positioning influencing possibilities of attack, and where spires are placed (as well as how many). Inner core density of Titan control spheres also used to matter more but since they rebalanced things...

Of course, Raijin is a better name than Cocijo (in my opinion) but after the work which has already gone into clearing out the former's control systems, it's probably going to be Cocijo which is the last one to go. The Powerplay Q&A thingy published in text form today seems to suggest that they will be around in some way following the update anyway...

... does Cocijo impede on any Powerplay spheres, anyway? I know Raijin does with proximity of Utopia and some of LYR/Sirius, but that's as far as my knowledge goes. And depending on the pace of clearance Raijin's interference will either be neutralized completely or be pushed back far enough to no longer be a concern.

 

[Felix DiCestria]

The fact that Cornsar is on Raijin's doorstep (and hosts the local rescue ship) would also focus things that way.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

That spire recapture has certainly shaken up Raijin's remaining structure a bit. Quite a difference also between the lower group - dense connections but not much perimeter - and both the connected and disconnected upper groups with sparse connections and a lot of perimeter.

Spoiler: Map

HIP 113695 as Raijin's innermost Control is the only thing stopping the main mass breaking completely into three distinct groups (not that that matters as much as it would have in the past)

 

[Aleks Zuno]

I don’t know if anything special is going to happen with the last Titan, but would it be worth considering at this point which of these last two would be better kept as the last Titan. Perhaps in case Thargoids become a power centered around it, or some other reason?

Based on information from Frontier after update 18, there should be no question that all eight Titans are available to destroy! From Titan Combat Rewards & Changes:

Participating Commanders will also receive a ship kit, paint job and decal after the defeat of each Titan. This set will reflect the amount of Titan battles you personally participated in, with each Titan you destroy awarding you a different set, for a total of 8 to earn.

 

[SergMx]

Based on information from Frontier after update 18, there should be no question that all eight Titans are available to destroy! From Titan Combat Rewards & Changes:

Since we found out the release date of PP2, I too think the last Titan will stay for ever.
When defending Shinki, we gave the penultimate Titan a reprieve, but I think we'll be able to destroy it before October 22.
But the last one will always be in the game and all the usual activity will be around it always.
Well, that's fine.

 

[Kira Goto]

As a side note, are we not getting to that point where Raijin’s invasions on the outer perimeter take up some of the periphery? However temporary that is. Also cannot remember for sure if they are still affected by spire progress boosts but I think they were not excluded (unlike alerts).

 

[SergMx]

Probably not, though.
Studying more carefully the answers to the questions on PP2, I saw (maybe not translated correctly) that it says that the Thargoids will take over the territories of the POWER, ie, it turns out that just from time to time will come new Titans and so on in a circle .... and that's a way out of it.

 

[Kira Goto]

Probably not, though.

Frontier never specified so I figured it good to ask the question. If the answer is yes, then the invasion at Shinrarta may well explain why no spires were reactivated until now - to avoid them messing with that event when it was/is mostly outside of the ordinary Titan zone(s).

Studying more carefully the answers to the questions on PP2, I saw (maybe not translated correctly) that it says that the Thargoids will take over the territories of the POWER, ie, it turns out that just from time to time will come new Titans and so on in a circle .... and that's a way out of it.

Yes, that may be the case too, but as of right now it's looking a lot like Cocijo will be active in October regardless of what players do, simply because A, Raijin still is and B, Cocijo still has somewhere around 170 systems to its name, meaning it will go down in a month and a half at best, probably more with pod rescue effectiveness reduced significantly.

 

[BDelacroix]

Found my carrier booted FAR from where it was nearish to Raijin. Lucked out to be close to Shinrarta so I could make it back without fuel scooping but was disturbed to find I was booted so far away. Usually I am booted just a little.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

Found my carrier booted FAR from where it was nearish to Raijin. Lucked out to be close to Shinrarta so I could make it back without fuel scooping but was disturbed to find I was booted so far away. Usually I am booted just a little.

Was that parked previously at Pegasi Sector IH-U b3-4, KC-U b3-4 or JH-U b3-4, or perhaps at Kissi, Vistnero, Nibelaako or Ixbaksha? In any cases of Thargoids trading systems to restore Spire sites, inner populated systems being invaded immediately or a simple Alert becoming an Invasion, unfortunately Fleet carriers have to make an emergency jump!

Additional: That said, there are also plenty of safe populated systems around to which a more appropriate travel vessel could be transferred.

 

[BDelacroix]

I don't recall where it was, and I'm familiar with emergency jump but this was placed much further than usual. I'm back now, though.

 

[MartinG]

Same here, FC was booted ≈200 Ly away from a reactivated Spire system, plus no message about it (unlike previously when an Alert progressed to Invasion or Control).

I suspect someone at FDev relocates all the FCs manually when they reactivate a Spire.

 

[AlSki]

Same here, FC was booted ≈200 Ly away from a reactivated Spire system, plus no message about it (unlike previously when an Alert progressed to Invasion or Control).

I wonder if they just push you all the way out, to avoid pushing you system by system?

If, for example you jump your carrier quite close to the frontline, then stop playing, with the "just far enough move" your carrier would add to the burden to move every week and be taking up slots that active cmdrs want to use. With the "Yeet it out the way" then active cmdrs can always move them back closer.

 

[BDelacroix]

Same here, FC was booted ≈200 Ly away from a reactivated Spire system, plus no message about it (unlike previously when an Alert progressed to Invasion or Control).

I suspect someone at FDev relocates all the FCs manually when they reactivate a Spire.

You know, that's right. No message and it was after the Jameson memorial event started as I had to fly the cutter the distance to get there. It could be just a boost of everyone out of the area by hand for the special event.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

Well done thus far to everyone forming overwhelming turnouts at systems such as Snoqui (75%) and the completed Sugalis! Their reactivated Outposts have drawn less attention recently, but now the former has a real chance of completion this evening, and with it some respite for the embattled Nu Guang in guarding it against another Invasion tomorrow.