Advice on the Logistics Software for the Hub Plot in TC

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Bill Huntington
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Advice on the Logistics Software for the Hub Plot in TC

Post by Bill Huntington » Wed, 5. Dec 18, 06:18

It's been a long time since I did the HUB plot in TC. I built monster Complexes to do it before. Time for a challenge. This time I want to do with Ore Collectors and the Logistics Software. I'm not going to use the Miners but just Vultures with Special software and Ore Collectors, the same way we mine Niv. I'll have 40 Vultures gather Ore, or multiples of 40. Then a small group of Vultures with Logistics software will Load Ore from those that gather. They'll Unload at a stationary Atmo. A mobile Atmo or big Mistral will make the run from the Xenon Hub to the stationary Atmo. It will be automated with Logistics software and that's all it will do. It will take more than 450 full Atmo loads to handle Mahi Mahi's first request of 450,000 Ore.

I need some help to avoid the pitfalls.

Do my Vultures with Logistics software need to have high rank? Can they just start and get their training while they do it?

I'd like each of these Logistics Vultures to have nine assigned Vultures that they transfer Ore from. Is there a limit to the number I can assign? Does high rank or low rank limit the number you can assign?

I don't plan to enter this sector again. Is there a limit to number of gathering ships that I can be handled effectively with the Logistics software?

I'm a little worried that some ships might be skipped for different reasons, both the Logistics software, the experience issue, and the TC program itself. Should I be worried?

Thanks!
Bill in S.F., enjoying the game

Solomon Short
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Re: Advice on the Logistics Software for the Hub Plot in TC

Post by Solomon Short » Wed, 5. Dec 18, 09:47

Caveat #1 : I have never IIRC actually used CLS1 or even CAG functions, I just install CLS1 (when I do) so there is an extra equipment item to be destroyed if something is shooting up my logistics chain, so everything I say below is from someone who thinks in terms of CLS2 usage (which means I don't even know if CLS1 can be used for mining.

Caveat #2: My mining operations are usually in the mode you describe, in US20,17 (south of Menelaus' Oasis), for Nividium, Ore, & Silicon, I rarely get my games to the point I need Ice, so I don't have a standard sector for that.

Those being said, how many mining Vultures your transfer Vulture (or whatever) can pull from is a function of Pilot level, Apprentice Pilots can only have 4 waypoints, so depending on how you set your fleet up they would be pulling from 4 miners, & the pilot on the next ship up the chain could pull from 3-4 transfer ships, for 9 source/pull waypoints & 1 delivery/push waypoint you're going to need a Supplier or better (I usually go for Cargo Messenger pilots 'cos it's easy to remember a single rank requirement, & CMs are the minimum requirement for using Jumpdrives, the fact that they can have 15 waypoints isn't even a bonus 'cos I never remember to use miner cohorts of more than 10).
You can get pilots of a higher rank at...
Show
The Herron's Nebula Free Argon Trading Station, if they're not of a useful rank, just keep firing them until you get someone useful.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the ship that pulls minerals from your miners may not be particularly efficient, especially if it has to shuttle back & forth to a warehouse station or vessel, this is why I also use what someone (I forget who) here suggested several years ago under a name something-like "Solid-State Mineral Transfer Network" (or including the term "Solid-State" at the least), which takes advantage of the fact that CMs can also use Transporter Devices for non-docking cargo transfer (handy as even in X3AP most TL's don't support TS docking, & Falcon Hauler's cost way too much for the cargo capacity they give you.

What the "Solid-State" network does is stack up transfer vessels between where the miners are & where the warehouse is.

The (slightly) cheaper method would be to have the first layer of transfer vessels "pull" from <15 mining vessels, & "push" to another transfer vessel that doesn't have a TD or CLS2 pilot, & then alternate this system (every other ship has TD & CLS2 CM who pulls from the "outward" (from the warehouse which should be near the gate) non-CLS2 & pushes to an "inward" non-CLS2 until the cargo reaches the warehouse, & if the warehouse is supposed to have a TD & CLS2 pilot then remember TL-class ships also require a CM to pilot them), unfortunately this method means that you need to manually place the non-CLS2 vessels so that they're in range of both their "outwards" & "inwards" CLS2 TDs.

So what you want to do is go for a CLS2 pilot & TD on every "transfer" vessel (I wouldn't actually bother on the warehouses, & you might find it most efficient to build L-size mines on all the asteroids you're not using for your mobile mining & complex them as warehouses for the minerals), then set the first one to pull from it's cohort of mobile miners, & the next layer of transfer vessels "inward" pulling from the layer "outward" of them, until you get to the ones that "push" to (or land in) the warehouse for that mineral.

Between your warehouse vessel(s) or complex(es) you'll want to run a slightly different chain of transfer vessels, that pull from the warehouse, jump to the destination, jump back, & then refuel from an eCell warehouse, before starting the loop again (you'll want another CLS2 pilot keeping this warehouse topped up), I do the refueling at the mineral loading end because I prefer a slightly smaller load to the final destination with a guaranteed ability to jump the loop.

If you have the funds for it, you may want to set up another "Solid-State Transfer Network" at the other end, so that the jump vessels spend the least time possible in transit & you don't need too many of them.

Regarding some ships possibly being skipped, this is actually quite likely in my experience (mobile miners can fill up quite fast), the answer is probably just to name each cohort of miners in such a way that you know what order the "transfer" vessels pulling from them have them in their waypoint lists, & checking the last one in each group periodically, if it's been filled up (& stopped mining), save the configuration from the associated transfer vessel, & then load it into a new one & set that on the backlog.

jlehtone
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Re: Advice on the Logistics Software for the Hub Plot in TC

Post by jlehtone » Wed, 5. Dec 18, 19:40

Disclaimer: IIRC

I had just three miner groups. 10 miners, one CLS2, and one TL in a group.
Miners do not have levels. CLS2 does nees some level.
Supplier
The supplier is able to use up to 10 stops in total in the tour. Additionally, he will be able to supply large ships.
In other words, level 3 can load mineral from 9 miners and unload to the TL.

I had the TL with the group in the mined sector; no Ecell/travel issues. Then I had CLS2 at the Hub (refuel there) to fetch from the TLs. Cargo Messenger (level 4) to use JumpDrive. The Hub had CAGs too.

Incidentally, after the plots I had only 5 stations. The Hub, the PHQ, and three Microchip Complexes. The miner groups were diverted to supply Wafers to those Complexes after Hub had no more Mineral needs.
Goner Pancake Protector X
Insanity included at no extra charge.
There is no Box. I am the sand.

Bill Huntington
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Joined: Mon, 2. Feb 09, 17:34
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Re: Advice on the Logistics Software for the Hub Plot in TC

Post by Bill Huntington » Thu, 6. Dec 18, 18:54

Thank you for the replies! You gave me just the numbers I needed to set up the first wave. Now to train some more pilots!
Bill in S.F., enjoying the game

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