[BUG] Plot Construction Vessel bugs out after forge built when assigned crew

[Defektiv]

At least I think that's what is happening.

So after building the forge and assigning a station manager, the CS took off flying. By reloading saves and following it I noticed it was immediately taking off to try and buy energy cells but bugged out when docking. I have not experienced a trade bug yet and can trade fine with any other ship. From my understanding, you're supposed to lose the vessel after building and have to rebuy another to build another station, but I'm not 100% sure that's correct. In any case, this one is not responding to my commands but remains green and shows on maps, as well as being able to call the captain but not issue commands. It does not appear on my properties list however.

I'm thinking this is because I assigned a new Captain, Engineer and Defense Officer before building the forge?

Multimedia Support

[dmk]

no that's because you assigned manager,
and ship was part of station,
buggy game assume that manager could control the ship.
only thing you could do - get manager money for trade,
go out of zone of trade
wait while this ship returns to your station zone, remove engineer
and destroy engines, (but be sure he not too close to station (but in same zone), the ship will serve as docking port for your transport if you wish to upgrade/extend station).

[xandicar]

Darn, I lost the constructor too. I got a message that the Forge was ready and when I came back I got this animation and the architect asking me if I wanted to have something else to build. Then I looked for the constructor and it was gone. I expected to find the architect on the Forge with the defence officer and so on. But they aren't there?

So it looks like I lost;
1 architect
2 captain
3 engineer
4 defence officer

This is annoying since I have to hire new staff for the Forge I suppose. The manager is logical and I had waiting.
I can understand the loss of the constructor. But not the loss of all useful elements on this ship.

Also noted a strange thing with the manager details. He has 1 ship assigned, but there is no ship in the details list. Perhaps the missing constructor?

UPDATE:

I found the constructor by accident in different sector. It is heavily damaged and it looks like it is going for E-cells?
Hull is now down to 25%? What happened here *sigh*

[Defektiv]

no that's because you assigned manager,
and ship was part of station,
buggy game assume that manager could control the ship.
only thing you could do - get manager money for trade,
go out of zone of trade
wait while this ship returns to your station zone, remove engineer
and destroy engines, (but be sure he not too close to station (but in same zone), the ship will serve as docking port for your transport if you wish to upgrade/extend station).

How do you give a manager money? She's sitting in her chair in the admin office but the only options I get when talking to her are show me your skills and goodbye.

[xandicar]

no that's because you assigned manager,
and ship was part of station,
buggy game assume that manager could control the ship.
only thing you could do - get manager money for trade,
go out of zone of trade
wait while this ship returns to your station zone, remove engineer
and destroy engines, (but be sure he not too close to station (but in same zone), the ship will serve as docking port for your transport if you wish to upgrade/extend station).

How do you give a manager money? She's sitting in her chair in the admin office but the only options I get when talking to her are show me your skills and goodbye.

You need to talk to the manager and click on the budget / money related line with the zero. Then a slider is available to transfer to his / hers account.

[xandicar]

Darn, I lost the constructor too. I got a message that the Forge was ready and when I came back I got this animation and the architect asking me if I wanted to have something else to build. Then I looked for the constructor and it was gone. I expected to find the architect on the Forge with the defence officer and so on. But they aren't there?

So it looks like I lost;
1 architect
2 captain
3 engineer
4 defence officer

This is annoying since I have to hire new staff for the Forge I suppose. The manager is logical and I had waiting.
I can understand the loss of the constructor. But not the loss of all useful elements on this ship.

Also noted a strange thing with the manager details. He has 1 ship assigned, but there is no ship in the details list. Perhaps the missing constructor?

UPDATE:

I found the constructor by accident in different sector. It is heavily damaged and it looks like it is going for E-cells?
Hull is now down to 25%? What happened here *sigh*

Found something else that seems odd. I don't know if it is intended or a bug. I had an option to buy drones with the architect and I did. I could buy up to 80 in total of different drones. (cargo, constructor, fighter) This cost me a bundle, but seemed to be useful to do. Now the mission constructor ship shows a negative cargo of these drones? The architect didn't give the idea there was no stock of the drones.

Bug or not??

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

I believe the constructor ship is intended to be a one-shot deal - once first station is built with it the ship is used up.

[xandicar]

I believe the constructor ship is intended to be a one-shot deal - once first station is built with it the ship is used up.

I thought that too, but for some reason it is still around and operational. It is also linked to the Forge's manager, not visible, but it is counted in his personal ship count. Either way it is a puzzle to solve. lol

[Defektiv]

How do you give a manager money? She's sitting in her chair in the admin office but the only options I get when talking to her are show me your skills and goodbye.

You need to talk to the manager and click on the budget / money related line with the zero. Then a slider is available to transfer to his / hers account.

Something screwed up then. She had none of those options and just sat there looking smug.

[werewolves?]

How do you give a manager money? She's sitting in her chair in the admin office but the only options I get when talking to her are show me your skills and goodbye.

You need to talk to the manager and click on the budget / money related line with the zero. Then a slider is available to transfer to his / hers account.

Something screwed up then. She had none of those options and just sat there looking smug.

I give her orders through the station details menu in the property menu, can't talk to her face to face about it.

[xandicar]

How do you give a manager money? She's sitting in her chair in the admin office but the only options I get when talking to her are show me your skills and goodbye.

You need to talk to the manager and click on the budget / money related line with the zero. Then a slider is available to transfer to his / hers account.

Something screwed up then. She had none of those options and just sat there looking smug.

I give her orders through the station details menu in the property menu, can't talk to her face to face about it.

Ok, understand the confusion. I went in game to check how I get there.

I open the station menu (enter, 2, 2, click on SM, then on station name, click on details button) and select the managers name, then I click details. I click on the line Current Budget and in then the right button below (4) shows change. Click on that and you get the slider to add budget.

Hopes you find it.

[Defektiv]

Ok, understand the confusion. I went in game to check how I get there.

I open the station menu (enter, 2, 2, click on SM, then on station name, click on details button) and select the managers name, then I click details. I click on the line Current Budget and in then the right button below (4) shows change. Click on that and you get the slider to add budget.

Hopes you find it.

Ok that works, thanks! That panel is not easy to find but has all the options I was looking for.

Also tried to edit cargolifter URVs into the construction vessel. It docked and 12 URVs moved to the unavailable state but none appear and no trading happened still. Guess its time to just blow out the engines.

[EnemyWithin]

Ive got the same problem with the construction ship. It rushed to the next solar plant and tried to buy energy cells, which did not work of course. Instead it is now blocking the trade port, doing nothing. It has no cargo drones and since I cannot control the ship, not even with manual commands extension (Mod), nor can I destroy it (25% hull is the lowest it can get) I will either have to mod my save game (AGAIN) or this solar plant was just rendered useless and a threat to the economy (as other ships are stuck waiting for the port to free up).

++edit++
According to this thread: http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=350356
the construction ship is required after the station was built to issue the construction of the URV wharf. Now that the construction vessel bugged out, it seems like we cant even finish the mission anymore.
Christ! This game is driving me nuts.

[Hardcard]

Ive got the same problem with the construction ship. It rushed to the next solar plant and tried to buy energy cells, which did not work of course. Instead it is now blocking the trade port, doing nothing. It has no cargo drones and since I cannot control the ship, not even with manual commands extension (Mod), nor can I destroy it (25% hull is the lowest it can get) I will either have to mod my save game (AGAIN) or this solar plant was just rendered useless and a threat to the economy (as other ships are stuck waiting for the port to free up).

++edit++
According to this thread: http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=350356
the construction ship is required after the station was built to issue the construction of the URV wharf. Now that the construction vessel bugged out, it seems like we cant even finish the mission anymore.
Christ! This game is driving me nuts.

It's amazing how you are all trying to play this game despite the fact that isn't finished and will surely get stuck at some point (that's kind of what happens with unfinished games).
Don't lose your minds, don't get angry, just accept the fact this is unplayable right now. I'd recommend to wait some weeks/months until Egosoft finishes this unfinished piece of...whatever.

[Defektiv]

Quiet Hard, we obviously want to play and help make it better. If you want to shove your opinion in peoples faces, the Steam community is a marvelous place for that.

Back on topic, I believe the Construction Vessel is supposed to stick around until the entire factory is completed. This is why the architect tells you to choose another upgrade when one is finished.

It's gotta be a bug that the vessel tries to go buy energy cells as soon as you assign the manager. If you look at the sector map, it does show it belonging to the station but its not on the managers ship control list, despite there being a 1 listed under total number of subordinates. So I believe the manager is trying to order the Construction Vessel to gather wares but thats just a guess.

I did manage to keep it put by blowing the engines and removing the engineer from the save file. But then the vessel slowly drifts away the first time it gets bumped. I keep having to go into the save file and delete the velocity values each time it happens.[/b]

[Koritnaciino]

Best way is :
When you fnish URV forge part 1 and the game asking for manager - dont do that!!! Construction ship will be available for later mission.

[Defektiv]

That won't work as the plot won't advance until you have upgraded Stage 1 of the URV Wharf.

I did notice that if I edit the captain out of the Construction Vessel in the save file, load and resave the game then paste the captain back into the Vessel, the order to go get energy cells clears and stays clear. She unfortunately doesn't do anything to move the ship when it drifts however when I do this so its kind of useless for keeping it put.

I wish to hell I could find where to clear orders from the save file (command orders not trade orders).

The Construction Vessel does have a build plan and queue in the save file so it has to be designed to stick around until all the upgrade stages are completed. Assigning it to the station manager seems to be the problem that makes it take off.

[Koritnaciino]

That won't work as the plot won't advance until you have upgraded Stage 1 of the URV Wharf.

I did notice that if I edit the captain out of the Construction Vessel in the save file, load and resave the game then paste the captain back into the Vessel, the order to go get energy cells clears and stays clear. She unfortunately doesn't do anything to move the ship when it drifts however when I do this so its kind of useless for keeping it put.

I wish to hell I could find where to clear orders from the save file (command orders not trade orders).

I am sorry but I can agree with you. You have mission to start build URV forge. So you put command to start build. Then you have some other missions untill you will get the mession to build upgrade to URV Wharf. So The URV forge is still not finish because of materials. Delivery all materials and after couple of mins ou will have video that your URV forge is finished. Game will advice you to employe manager for that station. In this moment do not do that and construction vesel will be still on his place. Deliver another materials for upgrade and its done.

My save game right after finish URV Wharf
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ym4kwp

[Defektiv]

You do not get any other main plot missions between forge build and wharf complete. Look at my link in the original post, I've already been to the next main plot area.

[Koritnaciino]

I had mission for protect Albion mining ship, after that another mission to contact albion commander ... When I fonish this 2 missions then next was upgrade forge.