[SCRIPT] Autotrader Sector Lock 1.0 . . . . . . . . { UPDATED 2007/05/30 }

mrcann · Post by **mrcann** » Fri, 25. May 07, 01:59

PS: the CAGs etc already prevent themselves going to a sector where there's enemy activity, or is that only pirate activity, not really sure.

i get CAGs trying to trade in sectors with Xenon Invasion and Xenon Taxi all the time. I was already going to patch my CAG script in spare time, to lock down sectors with major enemy activity.

Loosing a UT is ok, as they can be trained relatively quickly and not much profit is lost with their absence, however loosing an Agent hurts very much - cant sell stock, takes forever to train them.

Anyway, if CAGs are included in this package too, that would be really nice !

jlehtone · Post by **jlehtone** » Fri, 25. May 07, 08:21

mrcann wrote:i get CAGs trying to trade in sectors with Xenon Invasion and Xenon Taxi all the time.

If CAG has both Jumpdrive and Fight Software it will go to dangerous sectors as it thinks it has a "fair chance" to get out of trouble with that equipment. And a sector is "dangerous" whether it has one Pirate Harrier or 11 K and 50 L on rampage.

The latest (unsigned) version of CAG can apparently lock out sectors, if they are owned by enemy race. The signed version does not. Naturally, it makes no sense to turn Argon to Foe on every CAG every time you get XI in Black Hole Sun.

Now here is one idea:
* Multi-sector patrol script command "Add/Remove sector" maintains an arbitrary list of sectors. It is not available on TS ships now, so no conflicts. (Fighter/M6 CAG, well ...)
* Enable that command on TS just to allow "blacklist" management for them.
* Adjust CAG "get-list-of-sectors" to filter with that blacklist. CAG caches the list of sectors, so be smart about getting 'dirty'.
* Adjust CAG report to print out the blacklist too.

And here is another idea:
* Add third option to CAG-Satellites. Currently there are two:
- 0 Satellites ignored
- 1 Trade in sector if sector has satellite
so:
- 2 Do not trade in sector if sector has satellite
* This is a more local change and allows adding a temporary trade barrier beacon on XI/XT sector. Naturally, dropping a satellite into Khaak invaded sector may be futile.

RexIG · Post by **RexIG** » Tue, 29. May 07, 11:27

Hi,

i played alot x³ this WE (waiting for Xtended). So i thought i test this script.
I had/have all pirat sector looked because some of my d..n freighters tryed to sell their stuff in Moo Kye´s Revenge

During the WE i had at least two UTs entering one of these looked sectors (Brennan´s Triumph to be exact). Those two were attacked so i got a message. I can´t say if those were the only ones to enter a "forbiden area" because i don´t keep an eye on my UTs.

I hope this can help you, i really like this script (one more micromanagement pain of my back - more time for hunting pirats

)

halo112358 · Post by **halo112358** » Wed, 30. May 07, 10:49

RexIG, you've got PM

~~

Version 1.0 released, debugging is turned off by default.

unfunf · Post by **unfunf** » Wed, 30. May 07, 10:56

halo you know what might make sense is a autotrader multi-sector lock based on race.

If you are enemies with a race you could just lock every sector belonging to that race. Of course there would have to be a way to get UTs to jump across those sectors.

Just a thought.

halo112358 · Post by **halo112358** » Wed, 30. May 07, 11:15

unfunf wrote:halo you know what might make sense is a autotrader multi-sector lock based on race.

If you are enemies with a race you could just lock every sector belonging to that race. Of course there would have to be a way to get UTs to jump across those sectors.

Just a thought.

You should be able to just set the race to enemy on the UT's ship and be done with it

If you can't, then go here and download gnasirator's tuned up mk3 trader - it's 100% improved over the stock mk3 trader (fewer crashes, improved ecell routines, etc..). I know that his improved mk3 respects friend/foe settings and doesn't attempt to trade in foe sectors/stations.

edit: using my script to multi-sector lock based on race is computationally expensive - it's much cheaper (in cpu time) to use gnasirator's improved UT.

qarnaj · Post by **qarnaj** » Fri, 1. Jun 07, 17:39

Do you have to have any particular trading software installed before the commands become available? I only have Trade Mk3 on my UTs and don't see the command coming up in the trade commands window.

halo112358 · Post by **halo112358** » Sat, 2. Jun 07, 11:40

qarnaj wrote:Do you have to have any particular trading software installed before the commands become available? I only have Trade Mk3 on my UTs and don't see the command coming up in the trade commands window.

If the script is installed correctly then you should see the commands to "Lock Sector" and "List Locked Sectors" on all of your ships - there is no ware requirement.

Make sure you have the script editor turned on and double check under the trade commands section, let me know if there is still a problem

viptir · Post by **viptir** » Wed, 6. Jun 07, 04:28

Been testing this on my PHQ sector. Not stopping at least two of the UTs (repeat offenders). Fired one, dropped the other in a Xenon Sector.

wingot · Post by **wingot** » Wed, 6. Jun 07, 05:36

halo112358 wrote: If the script is installed correctly then you should see the commands to "Lock Sector" and "List Locked Sectors" on all of your ships - there is no ware requirement.

Do you have to lock the sector for every single UT? Or is it a global list?

viptir · Post by **viptir** » Wed, 6. Jun 07, 12:37

It's global. I did it on several traders, then went to check the messages: lock, unlock, lock, unlock, et cetera.

saar · Post by **saar** » Thu, 21. Jun 07, 20:37

sorry for the noob question but i have never installed a scirpt\played a scripted game in my file and am pretty new to X3: is cycrow's installer required to install your script?

BTW, great script! Congratulations!

I am exactly in your same situation with the only difference that in my game Grand Exchange is experiencing some heavy traffic all of the same color...purple...!!!

And having started with xtreme doesnt help much in terms of credits available so a little bit of help is really not cheating

Tx so much for the help in advance

saar · Post by **saar** » Tue, 26. Jun 07, 09:21

Hi Halo,

I have installed your script together with Gnasirator's but I seem to experience something unusual. I have a saved game with 4 ST's in 4 different sectors (all between lvl10 and 12 so ready to become UT's).

Unfortunately when I go to the trade menu of the ST's I don't see neither functions Start Sector Trader and Universal Trader; all i can see it's Manual Trade Run. How am i supposed to tell any freighter to start either ST or UT?

Do I need to enable your script to be able to see Start ST\UT again? Also I don't see any command to blacklist sectors.

My game version is vanilla 2.0.02 plus Bonus Package 3.1.06 and the two scripts mentioned above.

Thanks,
Saar

jhscott · Post by **jhscott** » Fri, 6. Jul 07, 01:37

I have a question. I've installed this script, as well as the AStar mod (and your jump addition) and gnasirator's mk3 improvement, but it doesn't seem to be working well. I left the game on SETA for a few hours, and two of my traders got destroyed in Brennan's Triumph, despite the fact that it was blacklisted. That wasn't the first time that traders have wondered into pirate sections and gotten destroyed, either. The only other scripts I have installed are all the bonus package ones. Is it possible that there's a conflict there?

DaveyP · Post by **DaveyP** » Fri, 6. Jul 07, 09:41

I have the same problem. I've lost 2 UTs in Mi Tons refuge despite the sector being locked and the ships friend/foe settings being set accordingly.

The sector shows as being locked when I run the "report locked sectors" command.

Any ideas?

halo112358 · Post by **halo112358** » Fri, 6. Jul 07, 18:27

Unless you know exactly what the trader was doing when it wandered into a locked sector it's hard for me to tell what went wrong.

While it is possible for traders to select newly built stations in locked sectors it is unlikely - it's more likely that some other script caused the trader to move into the dangerous sector for some reason.

If you can find a pattern in the ship losses and look at it closely (especially if you can catch the ship in the act) you can figure out exactly which script is causing the ship to go there. It could be a refueling run, or a supply run (drones, etc) or the ship could have tried to escape to that sector to avoid pirates. It's hard for me to tell

Cacker · Post by **Cacker** » Fri, 6. Jul 07, 19:55

Hi,

Just to report I too have had 3-4 UT losses in sectors that were locked. Most notably Ghinn's Escape, which currently has two Khaak Destroyer's and a Khaak Carrier living there.

A couple of times i was just checking my inventory and managed twice to rescue the UT's before they were attacked. I got a report from them each time and they indicate that Ghinn's Escape is indeed locked.

Next time i will check what they are doing and check the freight to see what their current destination/wares/ecells.

fyi -

X3 v2.02 with Bala Gi Missions Bonus Pack (dl'd from Egosoft)
No other scripts installed apart from sector lock

Cheers,

Cacker

Annex · Post by **Annex** » Sat, 7. Jul 07, 20:04

Ive started losing UT's in Farnhams Legend, even though it was one of the first systems ive locked. Ive verified the system is locked and yet UTs all of a sudden started going there to do business. Velvet Tears, a system from XTM, was locked immediately and yet my UTs started using that system almost immediately and have never obeyed the lock until I cheated to destroy the one chelt factory there.

Cacker · Post by **Cacker** » Sun, 8. Jul 07, 12:02

Okay, I just had a UT escape from a locked sector (Ghinn's escape, which has a Khaak Carrier and 2xKhaak Destroyers).

I checked it's orders after it had escaped .. and it was enroute to buying lasertowers from a factory in Ghinn's Escape. So it seems like it was just on a normal trading run.

However, it could be coincidence, but i'm pretty sure most, if not all of these occurences happened whilst SETA was active.

bumpinthenight · Post by **bumpinthenight** » Mon, 9. Jul 07, 21:11

I lost a Dolphin in a locked sector that was trying to buy energy from the last remaining station in there (khack attack), he'd also avoided a pirate attack previously, couldn't check but possibly it was replacing energy cells for future jumping needs.

Over all I'd say that since employing this lock out add-on my losses have greatly reduced. 2-3 UTs in an overnight SETA session prior, just one (that dolphin) last night during the same duration.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

[SCRIPT] Autotrader Sector Lock 1.0 . . . . . . . . { UPDATED 2007/05/30 }