What does the Threat number really mean? (Answered by x4000.)

[Buttons840]

Tool tips say the Threat number is the number of soon to be attacking enemies.  Why does it stay at the same number for 30 minutes then?

Does it represent the number of "free" AI ships?  Meaning the number of ships they are free to attack you with.  

Obviously the AI is not free to use most ships, otherwise it would be a mass swarm for certain death in the early game.  From listening to Chris in some of his videos he talks about "freeing" the enemy ships by destroying the command stations (which often leads to all enemies in the system rushing your planet).

This is my best guess.  If this is not the case, they why does it stay at the same number for so long?

[x4000]

Does it represent the number of "free" AI ships?  Meaning the number of ships they are free to attack you with. 

Obviously the AI is not free to use most ships, otherwise it would be a mass swarm for certain death in the early game.  From listening to Chris in some of his videos he talks about "freeing" the enemy ships by destroying the command stations (which often leads to all enemies in the system rushing your planet).

This is my best guess.  If this is not the case, they why does it stay at the same number for so long?

Precisely.

[Spikey00]

They can also originate from various attacks such as through waves and such that decide to retreat or in some other similar condition--yes, it tends to seldom utilize these ships, at times.

[x4000]

yes, it tends to seldom utilize these ships, at times.

Usually those are biding their time, and/or waiting for more ships to mass an attack, etc.  Or they're busily finding their way around to a different part of your defenses to try, which can be very far away.  Sometime those free ships will actually ambush you on the AI's own planets if you attack them.  They do a variety of things, and that number can seem like it just hangs up there forever, but often that is some dying and other ones replacing them, or them trying continuously to find a weakness and waiting until they see a proper opening, etc.  They aren't just sitting around stupid, anyway.

[Kordy]

They aren't just sitting around stupid, anyway.

Not unless you intentionally stupify the AI at the lobby

However, they decide to bide their time too much if their only entrance point is too well guarded - 6 ion cannons, black hole machine, grav thingy, etc etc, the full zenith trade deal. Sometimes it's possible to bait them, sometimes not. Less 'fun' if you want the AI to attack you by trying to bait it with the break-in-the-wall style, I guess.

[x4000]

They aren't just sitting around stupid, anyway.

Not unless you intentionally stupify the AI at the lobby

True.

However, they decide to bide their time too much if their only entrance point is too well guarded - 6 ion cannons, black hole machine, grav thingy, etc etc, the full zenith trade deal. Sometimes it's possible to bait them, sometimes not. Less 'fun' if you want the AI to attack you by trying to bait it with the break-in-the-wall style, I guess.

Well, they know you have to come out eventually, haha.  Then when you do...