What’s new

• Threat Scanner (was Density Scanner) — coarse threat readings for adjacent sectors. Reveals a threat band (empty/light/occupied/heavy/extreme) and numeric threat score. Costs 25K cr at StarDock. Each scan costs 1 AP.
• Holographic Scanner — detailed sector intelligence report for adjacent sectors. Shows port info, planets, fighter/mine/NPC presence, and hostile players. Costs 140K cr at StarDock. Each scan costs 1 AP and writes findings to Captain’s Journal.
• Probes — single-use reconnaissance drones launched from the Sector View or StarDock. Each probe costs 12K cr. Launching consumes 1 probe + 1 AP. The probe travels the shortest warp path to a target sector, revealing every sector it passes through.
• Avoid Sector from recon — after a Holographic Scan or Probe reveal, click ⊘ Avoid Sector directly in the result modal to add that sector to your avoid list without warping there first. If the sector lies on your current plotted route, the route is automatically cleared so you don’t accidentally warp into it.

How probes work

• Probes use BFS shortest-path traversal automatically.
• They are non-mutating: no PvP triggers, no defense consumption, no visited-sector marking.
• Probes are destroyed by hostile fighters, limpet mines, armid mines, or planetary defenses.
• You receive all intel from sectors transited before the destruction point.
• All probe findings are persisted to your Captain’s Journal.

Where to find them

• Buy scanner upgrades and probes at StarDock alongside fighters, mines, and cloak charges.
• In the Sector View, select a warp lane to reveal Density / Holo / Probe action buttons below it.
• Probe telemetry results display in a dedicated modal after launch.

Why it matters

Until now, the only way to know what was in a sector was to warp in and hope. Scanners and probes give you a choice: gather intel first, or take the risk. This is especially valuable for long routes through dangerous territory, scouting rival planets, or deciding whether to avoid a sector entirely.