Patrol

Patrol sends a combat fleet into deep space to watch one system for trouble. While the fleet is holding there, it can fight generated hostile contacts and it can also try to intercept enemy deep-space hold fleets already operating in that same system. It can also rarely catch Exchange convoys whose route crosses the patrolled system.

Quick Rules

Rule	Value
Mission ID	12
Target	Deep space at position 16
Return trip	Yes, if the fleet survives
Tick interval	Every 30 minutes while holding
Launch requirement	Hold time is required
Unlock	Space Dock research level 1
Required ships	At least 1 combat ship

Launch Requirements

Patrol will only launch if:

you target deep space at position 16
you include at least one military ship
you set a hold time

In normal live play, Patrol is treated as a hold mission. It is not meant to be used as a zero-hold bounce.

Normal Patrol Encounters

Every 30 minutes, Patrol first rolls for catastrophic fleet loss:

lost_fleet_chance = 1%

If that happens, the fleet is lost in deep space and never returns.

If the fleet is not lost, Patrol rolls for a normal hostile contact:

hostile_contact_chance = 10%

If a contact happens:

the enemy is generated as Nomads, Raiders, or Aliens
enemy strength is rolled between 30% and 150% of your fleet score
the fight uses the full battle simulator
you receive a real combat report

If your fleet survives, it keeps patrolling until the hold ends.

If your fleet is destroyed, the mission ends immediately.

Intercepting Other Deep-Space Fleets

Patrol can also try to intercept enemy deep-space hold fleets in the same system.

Eligible targets are enemy:

Trade holds
Recon holds
Exploration holds
Exchange transfers that are currently in flight through the patrol system

Patrol ignores:

your own fleets
same-alliance fleets
Exchange traffic from worlds in the same galaxy/system as the Exchange itself

Interception Logic

Patrol uses two separate checks:

held_fleet_detection_roll = 10%
held_fleet_interception_roll = Space Dock level on the patrol origin world

That means your Patrol first has to find a deep-space target, then it has to win a second roll based on the Space Dock level of the world that launched the patrol.

Exchange Convoy Interceptions

Exchange missions use a separate transit rule:

exchange_convoy_intercept_roll = 1%

If an Exchange route passes through the system your Patrol is holding in, the Patrol can intercept it on any tick while that convoy is still in flight.

Important route rules:

the remote world must be in a different galaxy/system than the Exchange
the patrol system counts if it sits between the Exchange system and that remote world
a Patrol in the Exchange system itself can intercept convoys from other systems
worlds inside the Exchange system are not interceptable, because there is no in-between route to cross

What Happens After Contact

If Patrol locks onto an enemy deep-space fleet:

if your Patrol intel is higher and your fleet score is higher, combat starts
if your Patrol intel is higher but your fleet score is lower, you get an intel-style report and your fleet disengages
if the target wins the intel contest, it escapes before combat starts

Debris Rewards

Normal Patrol combat can create debris. That debris is scattered into a random debris-field position inside the same system.

The patrol result message tells you where the debris landed.

Patrol debris rewards use universe score scaling after mission reward bonuses:

If you are below the average overall score of the top player in each of the four research focuses, Patrol debris rewards scale up. If a focus has no scored leader yet, that focus contributes 0 to the average.
At 0 score, Patrol debris rewards can be up to 2x.
At the focus-leader average, Patrol debris rewards are 1x.
Above the focus-leader average, Patrol debris rewards scale down quickly.
At 200% of that average or higher, Patrol debris rewards are reduced to the 1% floor.

This makes Patrol useful for active catch-up and system control, while keeping top-score players from turning generated encounters into runaway income.

Fuel Cell Reward Boost

Patrol uses the reward-style Fuel Cell boost.

The multiplier is:

reward_multiplier = 1 + min(1, fuel_cells_spent / 100)

Breakpoints:

Fuel Cells Spent	Debris Reward Multiplier
0	1x
100	2x
200+	2x

For Patrol, the Fuel Cell boost applies to the debris reward created by Patrol combat outcomes. It does not make hostile Patrol encounters larger.

Strategy Tips

Patrol with a real fleet, not token ships. Encounters use full combat rules.
Launch Patrol from a stronger Space Dock world if you want better interception odds against enemy deep-space missions.
Patrol is best when you want system control, not just random income.
If your goal is information rather than combat, use Recon instead.