Probe
What does a probe do in Old Light?
A probe is a fast, cheap scout ship. The map shows every system's owner and score, but a probe is how you see what is actually inside one: its structures, fleet, and real strength, in a snapshot taken the moment it arrives. Scout a target before you commit an attack to it.
A fast, lightly-built scout ship. The Probe flies to another player's system and comes back with a snapshot of the structures and fleet stationed there.
| Offense | 0 |
|---|---|
| Defense | 1 |
| Palladium cost | 90 |
| Iridium cost | 45 |
| Build time | 2m |
| Upkeep / day | 12 credits |
| Speed | 60 ly/hr |
| Cargo hold | 0 |
| Shipyard level required | 1 |
What it does
A Probe is how you see inside a system. The map already shows you every system's owner and score; a Probe reveals what's actually there: structures, fleet, real strength. You send probes to a system, and the moment they arrive you get a snapshot. After that, the data is frozen. To learn what happened next week, you send another.
It's the fastest ship in the Fleet and the cheapest to build.
Why it matters
Score only tells you "this system has had investment." A Probe tells you what the investment went into. Without one, you're attacking blind.
Strategy
Build them in small batches and send them where you need eyes. The hexes closest to your border or the system whose score jumped overnight.
Send several on each run, not one. A defended system's own probes shoot down incoming scouts, so a lone probe often dies before it reports; a flight makes sure at least one gets through. Probes are cheap enough that the losses don't sting, so keep a stock on standby and send them when intel goes stale.
The Probe unlocks at the base Shipyard level, so it's the first ship class available to a new empire.
To understand exactly what gets reported, read Recon Missions.
My God, it's full of stars.
Common questions
How many probes should I send?
Send several on each run, not one. A defended system's own probes shoot down incoming scouts, so a lone probe often dies before it reports back. A larger flight makes sure at least one gets through. Aim them at your borders or a rival whose score jumped.
Does probe intel stay up to date?
No. A probe gives you a snapshot at the moment it arrives, and the data freezes there. To see what changed later, you send another flight.
