[experimental 6.24 - strategy] UFO DEFENDER XENOPEDIA ENTRY

[st3fan21]

An observer + defender escort spawned twice and i killed them twice but no entry for the defender even after i finished the ground combat mission.

i tryed to delegate the mission also

i loaded a save and killed only the defender, retreated my planes, then came back attacked and destroyed the observer. same result

 

maybe this is a bug? or does the defender xenopedia entry only spawn when you destroy a lone defender?

[st3fan21]

Update - the entry spawns corectly after killing both the observer and the defender in the same fight and then doing the ground combat mission.

 

But if you destroy the defender separately first, it should also spawn a destroyed site that gives alloy and alienum and the xenopedia entry (like when you destroy fighters)

Edited November 26, 2025 by st3fan21

[Alan Griffith]

Same here. I didn't get the Defender xenopedia entry for ages in my 6.23 playthrough, because they spawned as escorts for capital ships  where I took the bounty instead of ground assault (or got shot down over water). Eventually a mixed squadron of fighters and defenders got shot down and I got the Xenopedia entry from them, but that was at least my fourth encounter with a defender.

Edited November 26, 2025 by Alan Griffith

[st3fan21]

This is most likely valid for any escorts - so it should be fixed for all of them - if you destroy an escort but the main ship survives it should spawn a wreckage site that includes the xenopedia entry.

Or at least (as a worse alternative solution) , if you destroy the escort, then retreat or the main ship escapes, and after that you attack again and destroy the main ship and then win the ground combat mission then you should at least get the xenopedia entry

[Kouki]

15 hours ago, st3fan21 said:

An observer + defender escort spawned twice and i killed them twice but no entry for the defender even after i finished the ground combat mission.

i tryed to delegate the mission also

i loaded a save and killed only the defender, retreated my planes, then came back attacked and destroyed the observer. same result

 

maybe this is a bug? or does the defender xenopedia entry only spawn when you destroy a lone defender?

Thanks for the report! Ah it's possible the entry isn't generated when the escorts (defender in this case) are killed separate from the main ufo.
 

14 hours ago, Alan Griffith said:

Same here. I didn't get the Defender xenopedia entry for ages in my 6.23 playthrough, because they spawned as escorts for capital ships  where I took the bounty instead of ground assault (or got shot down over water). Eventually a mixed squadron of fighters and defenders got shot down and I got the Xenopedia entry from them, but that was at least my fourth encounter with a defender.

Not getting the xenopedia entry when you get the bounty might be intended, I'll have to double check with Chris about this one

[st3fan21]

Yes, i tryed it again and the entry is not generated unless you kill the escorts and the main ship at the same time.

 

As for the getting the entry from the bounty it probably does not work because you do not actually do the ground combat so the local government gets everything.

[Alan Griffith]

4 hours ago, st3fan21 said:

Yes, i tryed it again and the entry is not generated unless you kill the escorts and the main ship at the same time.

 

As for the getting the entry from the bounty it probably does not work because you do not actually do the ground combat so the local government gets everything.

I appreciate the realism argument, it's just an oddity due to a combination of changes.

In my campaign experience, the first encounter with the other wreckage ships (probe, fighter, bomber and interceptor) are lone enemies you shoot down, so you get their xenopedia entries on pretty much first encounter. And the capital ships you usually shoot down and loot on first encounter, so get their xenopedia entries early as well. However the defender operates a weird position as it starts out as an escort to other capital ships AND capital ships turn up unescorted initially before having escorts. Combine this with the new 'UFO Delegation' system, and the defender is likely to show up escorting a capital ship you have already shot down and Delegated, so you are encouraged to take the Bounty rather than assault (which costs OP).

Combine this with fuel/speed considerations making you shoot some UFOs down over water rather tail them, and you can end up with the Defender Xenopedia entry not showing up until you have fought it many times.

[st3fan21]

very ac

Quote

I appreciate the realism argument, it's just an oddity due to a combination of changes.

In my campaign experience, the first encounter with the other wreckage ships (probe, fighter, bomber and interceptor) are lone enemies you shoot down, so you get their xenopedia entries on pretty much first encounter. And the capital ships you usually shoot down and loot on first encounter, so get their xenopedia entries early as well. However the defender operates a weird position as it starts out as an escort to other capital ships AND capital ships turn up unescorted initially before having escorts. Combine this with the new 'UFO Delegation' system, and the defender is likely to show up escorting a capital ship you have already shot down and Delegated, so you are encouraged to take the Bounty rather than assault (which costs OP).

Combine this with fuel/speed considerations making you shoot some UFOs down over water rather tail them, and you can end up with the Defender Xenopedia entry not showing up until you have fought it many times.

acurate assesment, hope it gets fixed

Edited November 27, 2025 by st3fan21