X3 TC: Deploy Satellite Network

[nOObonian]

I have grown tired of manually deploying satellites so I looked into the "Deploy Satellite Network" command.

Tried this a few times to much failure. Can someone explain the steps to use this command?

[Flozem]

Tried it multiple times... the ship will launch the satellites it has loaded in the freight bay (one per sector) starting from the sector/station you selected... Always near the center.

Somehow it jumps sectors in a 360 degrees increasing range from my own experience... Watch out with pirate / yaki / Xenon and all other enemy sectors though...

[nOObonian]

Wow I got that way wrong. I thought it would deploy a network of multiple satellites in the sector, not across sectors.

Thanks

[festa_freak]

I may not be right, but I believe the one deplying the network goes and buys sattelites on its own. The command does not start if you don't have a satellite in your cargo bay. If you have just one it starts up and goes automatically. This is how it worked in X3:R, and I am very sure this is how it works here. Its been a while since I did this (I really should get around to it), so I don't know what the status of it is.

[Ferdilance]

festa_freak has it right but you can dictate where the satelite is placed in the sector. When you set the deploy network command you are taken to the sector map. Position the satelite where you want in, rememberr to move it off the shipping lanes or it will get shot up.

The ship will keep resupplying itself until it can't find any more satelites for sale in range.

I used two m3's to deploy in every sector, except xenon. I made them jump through then issued the command again.

[JeffreyW75]

I had 3 or 4 Satellite deployers at one time, but xenon eventually killed them off. I use Magnetar's and the Zephyrus (TM's?). Now I buy them jumpdrives and the various softwares, and set emergency jump when shields reach 95%. They seem to be lasting a little longer now, but I don't really micromanage them to keep them safe. At least one of them is still going and has lasted a long time, and 99% of my sectors have at least one satellite in them (minus Xenon sectors). I have noticed that it will sometimes deploy multiple satellites in larger sectors, but at some sort of intervals that it actually works better because when you view the sector, you can see more of it covered by the satellite range--sometimes the whole sector. That is useful for finding Xenon and other enemies that are lurking, especially in the NE corner of the game map.

Setting up the deploy satellite network is pretty easy. But if you don't want to micromanage them, I highly recommend getting shielded ships, putting jump drives and software on them, giving them energy and weapons, setting their emergency jump settings to 95%. And of course you do have to give them satellites to start the command. I try to give them at least 20 to start with (easy once you have the hub--my hub collects them), because at times it can be difficult for the ship to find more satellites.

[jannix]

What software upgrade do you need (Explorer sw?) to the deploy satellite command? Sounds useful.

[Carlo the Curious]

Yes.