Editing Time, Turns and Interrupts (section)

== Interrupts ==

Interrupts give you a chance to do something about a perceived problem while you still can do something about it e.g. detecting a new ship from an alien race, having one of your task groups finish its orders or detecting a missile coming at you. Interrupts ends automated turns, and can not be shut off. 

An interrupt means an event partway through an increment that ends the current increment at the end of the current sub-pulse. Only certain events are flagged as interrupt events so not every event causes an interrupt. An increment adjustment is where the program checks ahead before the increment takes place to see what is going to happen and makes the increment shorter as a result. This is not the same as an interrupt. An interrupt or an increment adjustment does not end automated turns. That only happens as a result of an interrupt for the currently selected race.

Note that the NPR AI code for movement and combat takes place at the start of a turn, so if anything significant happens relating to an NPR, the NPR needs a new turn in order to evaluate the event and react to it. Once a player interrupt occurs, it ends automated turns so the player can react. However, the AI doesn't need a break to react - it just needs to start a new turn - so interrupts are flagged as Player Events or Non-Player Events. A Player event is either something directly affecting a player, or an NPR event that involves a player, such as the NPR detecting the player. For NPR events that do not involve players, Automated Turns are not switched off. Example of Player events that interrupt a turn:

* a new ship contact
* a missile Launch
* a task group completed its orders
* a production item being finished
* a ship being unable to carry out its orders

For a list of game events, see the Events Log window and click "Filter Events". There you can also configure which events not to see in the log by double clicking them (e.g. officer promotions).