Just how random is this. I seem to be detecting some form of clustering on ship entry.

Yeah right. I've just had a pair of ships enter on opposite sides of the system.

I would prefere clustered entry, as it's hard to use any multi ship tactics if your fleet is very spread out.

Currently it's random. But I could maybe cluster them.

Jonathan

Meh, it might just be bad luck on my part. But I seem to find that mines launched on your first turn in the system tend to hit something.

In any case, I've never started within a gravity well. Is this possible?

This is the pattern I've seen when entering systems.

Ships sometimes cluster in pairs, and this leads me to believe that entry is random among predetermined spots. Not only this, but sometimes my ships appear right next to an enemy ship, which is part of the reason I don't fire anything on my first turn. (Not even mines.) That only reinforces my thoughts on predetermined areas that are randomly selected.

Another one is that ships tend to appear near the edges, but this is logical and probably intentional.

My opinion is that there should be some kind of option. "Check this box to have your ships appear in clusters." Because sometimes appearing spread out is an advantage.

But the idea is that you are 'washed' into the system. So there is no real choice.

Clustering of ships that enter on the same turn kind of makes sence. ie same turn same race.

Also, as you gathered, jumping into system and ending on a gravwell should never happen. Ships appear at the edges of the system.

I don't mind being spead out.

Perhaps implementation of jump in placement could be as follows.

If race has ships in system and jump in location >= 25 hexes from a friendly ship then regenerate jump in point.

If jump in location < 10 hexes from enemy ship then regenerate jump in point.

That would allow fleets to cluster to some extent, but not really closely unless very lucky, and would also stop jumping in right on top of the enemy, although you could still be quite close if unlucky.

I've just dropped into a system with multiple ships. 2 pairs of my ships started on identical hexes. This may explain the clustering and mine impacts I've been detecting elsewhere with other ships.