You can flip a bunch of switches to calculate the chance of a sudden strike if the enemy has infrared or radar, but this is mostly pointless The only way to successfully hit an enemy equipped with these advanced sensor is by using a very small and very fast ship. The probability of successfully performing a sudden strike is displayed on the lower right corner of the UI for the ships you have currently selected. If you manage to attack them before they raise the alarm, you get a sudden strike.

Once they spot you, they try to raise the alarm, which takes some time. This means that they notice you only when you enter visual range. Garrisons get stronger the further north you go, but they (almost?) never contain ships with sensors, neither radar nor even infrared. They have a low strategic range, which means that they cannot leave their city to pursue you across the map, but they will try to intercept you when your position is revealed close to the city. They will however repair any damage sustained, although very slowly. Garrisons consist of a number of hostile ships that do not respawn. Some cities trigger random or story events when landing and some contain Tarkhans, who are potential allies. Every city has a garrison and a special perk. The northernmost cluster surrounds Khiva, your ultimate goal.

The randomized map shows cities occupied by the Gathering, roughly clustered into groups of cities surrounding one fleet HQ per cluster. Let's start with explaining the stuff on the map. This displays a map and a bunch of instruments surrounding it. So, let's start with the strategic layer.

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