No pirates set in options, but....

Are you sure the pirates still go on raids though? I haven't been able to try 1.03 yet.

This has me irritated, too, and I can't see any option that sorts it either. No, they don't go on raids but with pirates set to 'inactive' the pirate base is invariably still sat in the middle of the map, ships, defences and all. It's pointless and rather annoying.. what was wrong with just 'no pirates'?

Having no pirates at all requires 2 versions of the same map.. which is rather pointless.

It doesn't require that. Perhaps I (and I assume he) didn't make it clear but the first poster and I were talking about the random maps. All it needs is a generator for random maps without pirates.. which it HAD prior to 1.03!

space ponie- workkers union will go on strike if you remove pirate roids.

Please give us back the no-pirates random map. I really really don't want to play with pirates in Sins of a Solar Empire. I know the designer has a woodie for pirates and ebay bounty auctions, but those things make the game a lot less fun for me.

This "inactive pirates" option has other problems, too. Not only do you still get pirates clogging up the space lanes, but you can still set bounties! They don't do anything, but you can throw your money away...

Why can't you just ignore the pirate base even existing? If they're not raiding, then that seems just fine. Leave the pirate base there for an experience bump and heavily fortified place for a player to try to take over. There's very few maps where the pirate base is unavoidable. In cases where you battle the AI, the pirate base is like a virtual wall.

Wow, that's amazing. Can you hand down some more wisdom from Mt Sinai, oh lord?

I was also surprised that they're still there, just inactive. I'd imagined it would be done at the map level, where the presence of the Pirate Base node is dependent on the pirate bit being set to 1... and not 'do you want pirate AI y/n'. The Pirate screen isn't even 'broken' the way it would be if there were no pirates!

If the devs want to say 'it's a hackish temporary fix until we implement it better in a later patch', that's fine. Totally fine. But if this is their idea of 'selectable pirates', it's poor.

I don't want any pirates!

They're in my way. I don't want to get experience from them. I don't want them there, inactive. I want the no-pirate map back. I do not like green pirates and ham, I do not like them, ZJBDragon I am.

We pirate haters had a perfectly viable option in the previous patch. I can't fathom why it was removed.

Sarcasm is all well and good, but perhaps you could actually try to understand how the maps work before making those kinds of comments? Just an idea...

If you open up any map file, you will see that the PirateBase there just like any other planet. The actual base is not dynamically added to the map based on whether or not pirates are enabled - it's always there. The only thing that CAN change dynamically is whether or not they actually *do* anything. Anything else would require another version of the same map where the pirate base planetoid doesn't exist.

I concede the point of random maps to a degree - the devs had to make special no pirate version templates of them for 1.02. However, you do get pretty much the same functionality out of this system. It wouldn't have hurt anything to leave those templates in, but there's not much ground to argue that they're essential to have. And you could always create maps with the in-game generator without any pirates at will.

Agree with OP, nothing worse than having all your units move through a pirate base when you have them rallied to your cap ship, sure you can easily get around it with some micromanagement but it's still annoying, they had the random map with no pirates there before, why can't they bring it back.

You peeps are all making a mountain out of a mole hill. If you cant deal with the pirates inactive then you got some strategic inadequacy. There just one part of a dynamic universe of strategic game play. Thats the point you should not be able too move ships with total impunity. It adds to the depth of game play. Let these guys fix the real problems. You peeps should learn how to live in a dynamic universe.

You need to chill, what's the big deal with having pirates in a map? Does it really detract form you ability to play? Are you that terrible at playing that yu can't tactically avoid a pirate base? Maybe you're not smart enough to realize that pirate bases usually contain precious artifacts that help your empire. See... if you want the advantage of having a pwn artifact that may just change the tide of battle then I guess a pirate base would be something nice to have wouldn't it!?! Or maybe you just like making pointless complaints wihtout any reasoning. IDK maybe you can edumacate us.

This isn't directed at the OP but more to the geniuses who replied with like wie genius comments.

Isn't inactive pirates is just like a planet with local militia. They are essentially the same, isn't it. You guys got no problem with local militia, but got a problem with pirates that don't go on raids? that's kind of sad.

2 cents, incoming...


First - Pirates don't seem to be that big a threat. It doesn't take much to learn to deal with them. They are instead, for many, a source of experience and a backup harrasment tool to be used, wielded, and then destroyed when they are no longer useful.

Second - Some people just don't want to worry about them at all. This is a perfectly valid viewpoint.

Third - A choice that people had in the last patch was removed. There is no way to sugarcoat this, it is very much true. That choice, of a random map with no pirates was there and it isn't now. The fact that a random map still has a pirate base, but an inactive one, while a compromise, is still a step back.

Last - By Hastur, this is only the second patch/update! I guess I don't understand why people freak so much out about this. There are probably reasons why that choice was removed. I assume it wasn't due to a simple oversight. If it was an oversight, I'm sure it will be put back quickly! The developers and Stardock have proven, to me at least, over and over, that they will support the game and listen to people's concerns. No, they don't HAVE to do anything about it and if they choose not to, people can choose to not play the game and I'm sure will kvetch about it...but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.


Yes, the choice was removed. Why? I don't know. I assume there was a reason. I assume it will be back. Do I know for sure? Nope, but I'm willing to wait to see. Personally, I just use the pirates like the resource they are...and am curious how they are going to evolve, just like every other aspect of the game.

I have no problem with adding the random no-pirate maps back in but on this... pirate manipulation is the most obvious reason for the bounty system but bounties can be collected by other players as well. It wouldn't be 'as' much of an incentive to use it but there's still a reason for the bounty to be there, especially in free-for-all games.

Interesting thought from above...

Inactive pirates = militia.


Extremely well armed, orbital gun-wielding militia, sure...but still more like militia than anything else I guess.

Three fun things to do with pirates turned off:

1. Set game to no pirates.
2. Place bounty on a particularly annoying enemy to make him a more enticing target for other players.
3. Kill pirate base for achievement and special pirate base income.

If you still cannot deal with the pirates sedentary existence then reinstall the game without the patch.

Problem solved.

I don't care if pirates don't bother you, it doesn't matter. The fact is that some people don't like them and since it was in the game before and won't take the developers more than a few seconds to put the option back in it should therefore be put back in for people who want it.

Ok for those of you still saying "deal with it", here's a screenshot of the 1v1 I played today on a small random (with pirates set to inactive).




Notice how the only way I can get to my enemy (or beyond my starting four planets) is going through the pirates.

Needless to say I chalked up my first MP loss this game, although it was a really fun game in the end, I did manage to smuggle a couple of colony ships past the pirates but my opponent was pretty good and he managed to ping them.

Bring back random no pirates!!!