[Bonus Plugin] Manual Trade Commands

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moggy2
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[Bonus Plugin] Manual Trade Commands

Post by moggy2 » Thu, 24. Aug 06, 19:54

Name: Manual Trade Commands (MTC)
Version: 1.8
Date: 04.06.2006
Scripter moggy2
  • Overview

    The Manual Trade Commands(MTC), by Xai Corporation, provides 3 trade commands to facilitate easier control of remote trading ships.

    The Commands are provided by the Trading System Extension and Trade Software MK1, so each ship you want to run the commands on requires both of these. In addition the best sell and best buy commands require the Best Selling Price Locator and Best Price Locator respectively.

    The MTC is similar to the Trade Command Software Mk3 in that it does not operate out of a Homebase, however, the MTC has no "brains" of it's own. It relies on you to make any decisions on what to trade.

    Commands

    1. Manual Trade Run
    - Select the ware and station to purchase at, then select the station to sell at.
    - The ship will complete the run once.
    - The ship will not complete the sale if it cannot make a profit.
    - requires the Trading System Extension

    2. Best Buy
    - Select a ware from a station's list, and enter the maximum number of sectors to travel.
    - The ship will buy that ware for the best price found in range.
    - requires the ship have a Trading System Extension and Best Buys Locator

    3. Best Sell
    - Select a ware from the ship's cargohold, and enter the maximum number of sectors to travel.
    - The ship will sell the ware for the best price possible in range.
    - requires the ship have a Trading System Extension and Best Selling Price Locator

    Error Handling:

    If an MTC command encounters a problem it will contact you, then land the ship at the nearest possible station and wait for you to sort out the problem.

    Unlike many more advanced scripts, it has no ability to correct for a problem, indeed it has very little brains aside from what it requires to perform the commands. That is left for you to provide.


    Friend/Foe Settings:

    The MTC commands are sensitive to the ship's Friend/Foe settings. It will refuse to trade at Argon stations if the ship has the Argon set as an Enemy, for example.


    Tips

    1. Provide the ship with a jumpdrive and enough energy cells and the ship will use the jumpdrive for journeys over 2 sector.
    2. Navigation Relay Satellites in sectors will allow the ship to check prices in remote sectors, that have no other player property, when using the Best Buy and Best Sell Commands
    3. The keywords for this script are "no brains". It does next to no thinking, just does what you tell it. If it has a problem, it will tell you and set the ship down at the nearest station to wait for help.

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Paajtor
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Post by Paajtor » Sat, 26. Aug 06, 00:07

What if a ship has TradeMk3 installed, and is running as ST or UT...now you issue a command through the MTC...will it override the Mk3-orders?
And will you have to restart the ST/UT, after the MTC-job is done, just like after any manual interruption of the auto-trading?

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moggy2
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Post by moggy2 » Sat, 26. Aug 06, 00:18

Paajtor wrote:What if a ship has TradeMk3 installed, and is running as ST or UT...now you issue a command through the MTC...will it override the Mk3-orders?
And will you have to restart the ST/UT, after the MTC-job is done, just like after any manual interruption of the auto-trading?
yep

it's no different to running any other command on the ST/UT. You have to restart the ST/UT command after.

ScorpiusX
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Post by ScorpiusX » Sun, 27. Aug 06, 06:31

This script is a great help to me, it has already tripled my income from manual trading, mainly through the fact that manual trading is now quicker because I dont have to go looking for the best buys/sales any more.

Thx Moggy2 for another great script

ScorpiusX

Criminal_Colt
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Post by Criminal_Colt » Fri, 6. Oct 06, 07:41

Would it be possible to ignore any factories selling a ware at or above average price? I'm finding my ships will jump to equipment docks to purchase weapons most of the time which isn't a viable option as equipment docks always sell at the average. Would it be possible to simply have equipment docks written out of the best buy part completely?

Also is it possible to red highlight the goods you are unable to trade in because of trade restrictions? I'm finding this is a real bitch in X3 as I'll browse through goods, make arrangements to buy and then only find out I can't buy it once the ship docks there.

Any advice would be appreciated.

jlehtone
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Post by jlehtone » Fri, 6. Oct 06, 08:03

Criminal_Colt wrote:Would it be possible to ignore any factories selling a ware at or above average price? I'm finding my ships will jump to equipment docks to purchase weapons most of the time which isn't a viable option as equipment docks always sell at the average. Would it be possible to simply have equipment docks written out of the best buy part completely?
Please no.

If you do buy from equipment dock, you can sell the goods back at no loss. When I was gathering BHEPTs, I simply added 1000 ECells for fuel into the ship, and then repeated the buy command until the ship ended up in EQdock. Then I knew I had bought all the "cheap" guns on the market. And EQdock is a safe place to leave the ship in, unlike NPC factories that can vanish.

The Readme of this wonderful script clearly states that these commands are simple. Simple is good. All the thinking is left to the player, as it should. Knowing what you can buy is part of the thinking process.

Criminal_Colt
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Post by Criminal_Colt » Fri, 6. Oct 06, 08:16

Well I'm sorry but in that case this script seems fairly pointless for what I want it to do right now (it is still a very good script for other uses).

Considering that equipment docks selling weapon X will almost always outnumber any factory producing weapon X for less than average 10:1 that means you're almost certain to get an equipment dock as your target.

Further considering the fact that once I realise this I will obviously need to restart the script just makes it frustrating and if my ship has made a jump and wasted energy in that time well that's just even more annoying. I don't think you need to be particularly intelligent to work out if you buy and sell at an average price there is no profit to be made so modifying the script to take note of this wouldn't make it any less "simple".

You could make the above optional to keep jlehtone and others happy.

If not, perhaps I will look into modifying it myself but I've little scripting experience at the moment.

Also, knowing what you can buy is of course part of the thinking process but if you are never told what you can and can't buy I think you are a bit stuck! The only way to work out whether you can or cannot buy a ware is by docking at the station in question yourself which as I've said is very frustrating. Other than that price is usually a fairly good indication but this can vary hugely and price isn't displayed in a lot of the menus.

jlehtone
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Post by jlehtone » Fri, 6. Oct 06, 10:17

Criminal_Colt wrote:Considering that equipment docks selling weapon X will almost always outnumber any factory producing weapon X for less than average 10:1 that means you're almost certain to get an equipment dock as your target.
I tell the ship to buy the cheapest gun within 50 jumps. I expect to get the cheapest gun, even if the rest of the universe is full of average priced stuff. AFAIK, I do get that gun. The command says "Best offer", and I do believe that it does what it says.

Sure, if the best offer is the EQdock, that is it. I could have looked up every Forge in the universe myself to find that out. But I do value my time and effort more than one lot of jump fuel. The price of convenience.
The only way to work out whether you can or cannot buy a ware is by docking at the station in question yourself which as I've said is very frustrating.
It is. But that is part of the design of the game. This script is not in there to change that. It simplifies other steps. It was made initially for X2, where the reputation had less effect. It seems that part of the basic game interface has not changed from X2 either. Apparently nobody told them about the rep-limits. :cry:

jlehtone
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Post by jlehtone » Mon, 9. Oct 06, 14:23

Hmmm, strange:

I have a "training system" for CAG/CLS. One SPP. One Silicon Mine. One BoGas-BoFu-CrystalFab line. Average prices. One Mako/Falcon Hauler on each, training. Obviously, the ships lack capacity (but learn at maximal speed).

Each of the three had 10 mil to start with. At some point the SPP dropped to 7 mil (probably invested on crystals).

Then I had time and one MTC to play with. I had to drop the Silicon and ECell prices to avg-1 at the Mine and the SPP. Then I could say "Manual Trade Run ECells from SPP to Complex". And I did, repeatedly. Also fecthed intermediates from the NPC into the complex.

Oddly, the SPP has now only 3 mil (and it ought to sell at 15, while resource cost is 13), and the Complex has 11 mil. I would have expected the Complex to convert its float into stock and the SPP do slow profit. But float at SPP seems to vanish.

Ah well, could be any number of reason.

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moggy2
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Post by moggy2 » Mon, 9. Oct 06, 17:39

if the goods are being transfered then cash is too. The script uses instructions that handle the whole transaction. Your problem cant be caused by this script.

jlehtone
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Post by jlehtone » Mon, 9. Oct 06, 21:13

I think I figured a logical explanation. My crystal production line does not run by default due to lack of resources. Manual trade did change that. Thus, more crystals were on the market. The SPP may have invested big time. Thousands of crystals means millions.

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moggy2
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Post by moggy2 » Mon, 9. Oct 06, 21:23

thought that might be the case. It's amazing how much cash a SPP can spend when it's just starting up.

jlehtone
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Post by jlehtone » Wed, 8. Nov 06, 13:24

Although I may have said this before:

This script is absolutely, definitely one of the greatest and smartest around. It may be small, it may be simple, but it makes a huge difference for the manual trader. :D


I did device myself a logistic in-game challenge. With MTC it is quite enjoyable.

I have training ground for the more complex automatic trading scripts (CAG, CLS). You know students, so MTC can help keeping the X2-style open loop in shape.

To equip a fleet, MTC can gather plenty on day one relatively cheaply, while a weapon complex takes ages and credits to get into full speed. And MTC can kickstart the poor complex too.

Billionaires recommend: Choose wisely, choose MTC. :thumb_up:

---------
Anonymous Teladi Company Director

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Fireball3
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Post by Fireball3 » Mon, 18. Dec 06, 10:30

Hello moggy,
thank you for the MTC! Couldn't imagine to trade whitout them.

I'm not sure if it's the right place but you have to try in order to
make a mistake :lol:

Well, since the Bala Gi Update some things went on strange regarding
my installed scripts! Lookt at this:
http://forum2.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

and look also here
http://forum2.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

Now there's nearly everything O.K. but the MTC obviously got a problem!
(at least i think it's the MTC???)
My freighters won't jump and fly to destination! I have to do the jump
manually and then send them to dock - that's uncomfortable you know?
::EDIT::
I think it's not only a MTC Problem! I've observed the
"Jump an fly to station" has also got a problem!
::\EDIT::
(What should I do?)

The second issue is about the selling.
The script doesn't look after where it can sell most of the product.
Even if the price is equal! I have to sell much space fuel on the few
Trading Stations and Pirate Stations in the XU. The MTC prefer to sell
to the next best price and not to the next best price AND the most
"sellable" quantity.
Is that right? Can that be changed?

And what do you think about limiting the amout to sell?
Especially EC runs often leave my trader out of EC's because he sells everything out so he can't jump.

Nevertheless, Thank you for the good Job!
Greetings
Fireball

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Gazz
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Post by Gazz » Thu, 10. Apr 08, 16:40

Just a small wish. =)

Could the MTC adopt the jump range rule of the CAG?
- Duplex- and Triplex-Scanner (optional: decreases the minimum jump range by one sector)
That would mean it jumps if distance > 1.

As a result, it would be allowed to fly next sector but could not possibly fly a course of
Current Sector -> Xenon -> Target Sector
It would never fly through any intermittent sectors. Period.

Quite a bit faster, too, but costs 10 more EC. Terrible pity. =P

Personnally I don't need that feature any more (because I implemented that trivial item myself =) but since it's in line with several other bonus pack scripts it would be a nice addition.
My complete script download page. . . . . . I AM THE LAW!
There is no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

Pimpace
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Post by Pimpace » Wed, 2. Jan 13, 01:56

Sadly, I couldn't get it worked. :( I just unzipped your XaiCorp-MTC-X3.1.8.zip file to game folder, but nothing happened. I can't see the new command in ship's trade command console.

Should I need to re-start the game? Any advice?

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