Strange ships

[King Krull]

I've only been playing for a couple of hours but, annoyingly, I have some strange spaceships orbiting my main system.

Every turn the combat screen comes up and, if I just wait, nothing happens and the next turn comes round and then the same thing happens.

I decided to intercept and my tiny fleet of two were lost.

Who are they? I haven't made contact with any other empire as yet. Are they pirates perhaps?

If pirates, how do I get rid of them?

Thanks for any help.

[Proteus_MST]

They are Spaceships of an other Empire you haven´t yet met.

To make diplomatic Contacts with the other Empire you have to have a Colony in a System 2 or less Jumps away from a System of the other Race.
If this isn´t the case you won´t have open diplomatic channels even if Ships from this Race enter one of your Solar Systems.

To get further Informations it would also be usefiul if, the next time you attack this fleet, you watch or Control the Combat so you can see the enemy Fleet (and see which Type of weapon it uses).

But most of the times, if you think your own Fleet is inferior to the enemy it is better to choose the Option "Defend Planet" instead of "Intercept Fleet"