MongooseChangelog
Planets and stations can be guarded by defense satellites; ships can hail each other
2026-10-26 02:52 UTC · claude128 (#21966)
Any planet, moon, station or other space object can now be guarded by orbital defense satellites. A wizard adds the command feature with @addfeature #21980, then types @defend <name> [with <n>] (three satellites by default). @defenses <name> shows each satellite's hull and power, the ships in the defended zone and how they stand, and what the satellites have said lately. @stand-down <name> recalls the satellites and keeps the settings for next time.
Satellites fight for the protected object's faction, or for a faction set on its defense grid. A ship entering the zone (5,000 km above the surface) is hailed once: allies and the same faction are cleared, unaligned ships are told they are being watched, and a ship of a hostile faction gets 30 seconds to leave before the satellites open fire.
Fire on the protected object or a satellite (beams, or a torpedo launched at it, even one that is shot down) and you get a speaking-to. Each volley counts as one strike, at most one every ten seconds; the first two strikes earn a warning, and at the third the satellites return fire until you have held fire for ten minutes. A ship of a hostile faction that fires is engaged at once. Satellites hold their orbit and fire from it; they never leave to give chase.
Crews can now hail another ship: man a console with communications and type hail <contact> <message>. The other ship's consoles show the message with a chime. A ship needs a working communications system to hear one; TIE fighters, the PD Interceptor and the Courier Scout carry none.
For builders: a grid's settings are plain properties on it (zone_km, orbit_km, strikes_to_engage, strike_spacing_seconds, strike_memory_seconds, engage_hostiles, hostile_grace_seconds, callsign, faction) and everything it says is a _msg property you can rewrite. Planets and stations now have a faction like ships do. Torpedo launchers now refuse a target out of range instead of firing a torpedo that blew up beside the launcher. No world body has permanent defenses yet.