Automated Stockpiling of Weapons

[X102]

Ok, I have my Headquarters, and I use this to stockpile weapons and shields I am producing.

When I set CAG on the freighters, they happily collect weapons from my complexes in local sectors, however, I have recently expanded and have complexes producing weapons/shields over 10 jumps away.

How can I make the CAG freighters from the headquarters use a jumpdrive to collect weapons from far out sectors? If I install jumpdrives, will they use them AND manage refueling energy to enable this? If not they WILL inevitabely fly throught enemy sectors

Thanks!

[GCU Grey Area]

Suggest assigning a CLS freighter to each of your complexes to transfer weapons (etc) to HQ for stockpiling.

[X102]

Thank you General Contact Unit freind! But can you explain to me how I do this? I am noob... or the instructions are complelety confusing.

For example, how would I transfer GPPCs from my Complex in Mines of Fortune to my HQ in Power Circle automatically?

[GCU Grey Area]

This is what I do. Pick an experienced CAG with sufficient cargo capacity. I find it easier to train CLS pilots as CAGs first - ranks are interchangeable & most of the required equipment is the same.

Send it to an Argon Equipment Dock to install the CLS modules (I normally install both, just in case I want to reprogram it later without the hassle of re-equipping it, though, for a simple G-PPC transfer CLS1 is probably the simplest to use & if funds are short is the only one needed).

Then jump it to the G-PPC complex & assign the complex as its homebase. To give the freighter its orders go into the ships Command Console & scroll down to the Additional Ship Commands section & select 1 of the 2 command slots (doesn't matter which), then select Commodity Logistics: Add/Remove Products. This should bring up a list of all the products & resources made/used by the complex. Select G-PPCs. It should then ask for the price charged at the destination station. Input 0 so HQ funds are not depleted.

Then go back to Additional Ship Commands, select a slot & choose Commodity Logistics: Add/Remove Stations & select the HQ.
Finally go back to the main Command Console, select Trade, then select Start Internal Commodity Logistics.

If all goes well the ship should pick up a load of G-PPCs & some jumpdrive E-cells & head off to the HQ to drop them off, then return to the complex to wait until the complex has made made some more.

Note that experienced CLS pilots can transport several ware types so I often also use the same ships to also transfer all the resources needed for shipbuilding at HQ.

[X102]

Super, that works great! thanks for that! I just hope they will start using their jumpdrives soon!

Btw, any tips on "Automated Stockpiling of Weapons" in the real Universe?

cheers

[GCU Grey Area]

I just hope they will start using their jumpdrives soon!

What is the current experience level of the pilot? Minimum CLS/CAG level to use jumpdrive is Freighter Pilot 2nd Class. If the ship has a Trading System Extension installed it will gain experience every time it flies (experience is based on flight time).

Incidentally this is one of the reasons I train my pilots as CAGs, they tend to be more active then CLS ships which often spend substantial periods of time waiting at their complex for a load - if they're not flying they're not gaining XP. I find it very useful to build a station specifically for pilot training - I use a Teladianium Foundry & Mako Vanguards as training ships so there are always plenty of fully trained pilots available whenever they are needed.