Advanced Warp Sensors don't seem to be working

[sk_2013]

When playing, I've noticed that aside from warp counterattack waves, I always get a notice of "### AI ships 1 starship to ". I like to play larger maps (80-120), and this sort of warning makes defenses nearly impossible when my territory gets spread out. I typically have to resort to spreading scouts 1-3 planets deep into AI territory in an attempt to see the attacks coming and judge their target. Here's what I can tell you.

1. I have warp sensors on every planet, even those not connected to enemy territory.
2. I use Warp Jammer Stations on all my borders (I'm careful how I expand).
3. None of the AI planets on my borders are on alert.
4. The vast majority (all but one or two) planets on my borders have been gate raided.

Now, I learn something new about AI war mechanics every day, but this isn't something I follow. I would guess that because the planets aren't on alert and many have no warpgates, the strategic AI doesn't know where to send the attack wave, so it just dumps it on a nearby planet. The ships then work their way towards my planets, which is why I can then scout them coming.       

Is this even remotely accurate? How can I fix this?

EDIT: CPAs and No Wave Warnings were both turned off in the lobby.

[relmz32]

If you have no eligible system for the AI to warp in attacks to, it instead warps them to an AI world, and the wave joins the normal threat in the galaxy. This is what i suspect is happening to you.

[Diazo]

2. I use Warp Jammer Stations on all my borders (I'm careful how I expand).

This.

A warp jammer station tells the AI "This system is not hostile" and the AI will not consider that system a target for waves.

Note however that when it is time the wave still arrives, but since it has no valid targets, the wave simply arrives at a nearby warp gate in an AI system and joins Threat.

When the AI is warping in waves, all systems that have a non-jammer command station and an adjacent AI system with an intact warp gate are valid targets. If none of your systems satisfy these conditions you run into what you are experiencing.

D.

[sk_2013]

Alright. Looks like that is clearing it up. Thanks for the help.

[Draco18s]

Also, Advanced Warp Detectors don't tell you WHERE the wave is going, it tells you which wormhole they're coming through.  Without the AWD you'd still get a notification on which planet they're coming to (except in the case of no valid targets, in which case you still get ).

[Kahuna]

Oh Warp Jammer.. forgot those things even exist. Overpriced compared to what they do.
EDIT: They do nothing to protect you from CPAs or Exos anyway.
EDIT2: Warp Jammer should be changed to Cloaker Command Station.

[Faulty Logic]

Oh Warp Jammer.. forgot those things even exist. Overpriced compared to what they do.

Strongly disagree here. First, if want a spire archive, you need these, or a core world on alert the whole game.

You can use them in place of gate raiding to control where waves come in.

And they let maintain outpost planets with little to no effort until CPA time.

[Diazo]

Oh Warp Jammer.. forgot those things even exist. Overpriced compared to what they do.

I believe their power is relative. The more warp point connections your map has, the more powerful jammer stations get.

You want to secure a system with 7 warp points? Jammer is a very attractive option.

D.

[Kahuna]

gate raiding costs 5 aip. Unlocking warp jammers costs 5000 knowledge which costs 40 aip. You would need 8 warp jammers before warp jammers would be better than gate raiding. 8x20=160 aip so that would only be an option on low difficulties (diff=<9).

[Draco18s]

Unlocking warp jammers costs 5000 knowledge which costs 40 aip.

No, it costs 33.3 AIP.  The other 2000 knowledge doesn't just poof.

You would need 8 warp jammers before warp jammers would be better than gate raiding. 8x20=160 aip

Gross overestimation.  1 warp jammer on a planet with 5 hostile neighbors counts as capturing 1 planet (20 AIP) and killing 5 gates (25 AIP).

2 well-placed warp jammers along your borders would be enough to "break even."

[Chthon]

Warp jammers can also be used to keep reinforcements from building up quickly on a major route into enemy territory that you plan on using.  Or keeping an AI Homeworld off of alert prior to invasion.  They really can be the swiss army knife of command stations.

[sk_2013]

I always unlock the Jammer station with my first 10k Knowledge. It makes a nice command station for starting (and settling down next to mk IV planets you can't take yet). It keeps the AI from going on alert of building up forces, so even if you don't cap a MKIV immediately, you don't have to try to gate raid the thing.

Every planet I capture starts as a warp jammer, then most get switched over to economy or logistics stations. I get one or two whipping boy planets and use MKI ships on cross planet FRD and mini-fortresses to deal with smaller incursions.

[Nodor]

I tend to place warp jammers to avoid getting alert reinforcements for core and home worlds. 

Taking out the "warp station" on a homeworld is usually not a simple 5 AIP plan.

Of course, this is a pre-hacking era strat.. as you could get -1K AIP with advance planning and setups for superterminals.   Taking a few "off path" worlds for the extra knowledge is trivial at that point.