[TC] The N00B Guide to Mk3 Trading (unfinished)

EmperorJon · Post by **EmperorJon** » Tue, 5. Jan 10, 22:05

The N00B Guide to Mk3 Trading

Well, seen as Perkint requested someone do one, here it is!

What?

Mk3 Trade Command Software is a ship upgrade that enables you to easily set ships to trade. They do it all themselves. So no more micromangement!

Where?

A few random Teladi Space Equipment Docks every time you load the game, and always at TerraCorp HQ in Home of Light.

When?

Whenever you have around a Million to invest. Just buy a ship, give it the software, engine tunings and maybe a scanner, and set it off!

Why?

It can be very profitable. It can sometimes take only a few hours to get your initial investement back. Then it's pure profits! They also get your trade rank up quickly.

A Basic Guide to Setting Up

Now, so you know what you need:
1. A ship of either TM, TS, TP or M6 class. To be of any real use.
2. The software.
3. Credits for the dude to spend on wares.
4. Somewhere good to put him.
5. Any other useful equipment.

Your Mk3 Software will cost you just over half a million credits. Once installed, you get two new options:

Start Sector Trader
Start Universe Trader

At the moment, you want to start Sector Trader. The other will be greyed out. Just to clarify, a Sector Trader (ST) trades in one sector. A Local Trader (LT) is an ST set to trade between several sectors, and a Universe Trader (UT) will begin to trade all over the place.

Now, select the sector for the ship to go to. This sector should have plenty of trading opportunities in it. Look out for sectors with Power, Bio, Food, and some sort of Tech factory, because all the factories need wares which can be provided in that sector.

The more profit your pilot makes, the more they will 'level up'. At a higher level they will be more efficient, they will go on 'standby' less often, and will unlock new abilities.

Sector Traders and Local Traders:

Lvl1 - The pilot can 'Sector Trade' in one sector.
Lvl5 - The pilot will first look for trade runs beggining at it's current station.
Lvl6 - The pilot can become a Local Trader, with a range of one jump.
Lvl7 - The pilot will now sell ware under average price if it will still make a profit.
Lvl8 - LTs can now have a jump-range of 2. The pilot can now become a Universe Trader. (See the next bit)
Lvl9 - Any trader at this level can now repair at a Shipyard.
Lvl10 - STs stop levelling up. LTs now can go 3 jumps.
Lvl12 - LTs now can go 4 jumps.
Lvl16 - LTs now can go 8 jumps.
Lvl20 - LTs now can go 10 jumps.

Universe Traders have a confusing and different setup:

Which I will explain when better understood.

Sectors

So where do you level up your STs? Here's a few of common ideas:

Aldrin - Loads of factories, full supply chain, use Springblossoms for speed.

'Oops, busy now! You'll have to wait 'till tommorow!'

Technojerk36 · Post by **Technojerk36** » Tue, 5. Jan 10, 22:32

You beat me to starting a guide

But I beat you to completing a guide

(See the original thread)

Btw just be sure that your guide is more detailed than mine, I put a link to your guide from my guide describing yours as a more detailed version

(It probably already is more detailed with all those headings)

stavros · Post by **stavros** » Tue, 5. Jan 10, 22:48

you missed out that you need at least 25mj of shielding to begin with and i believe you need at least that much to start the Universe Trader going.

Ulan Dhor · Post by **Ulan Dhor** » Tue, 5. Jan 10, 23:30

stavros wrote:you missed out that you need at least 25mj of shielding to begin with and i believe you need at least that much to start the Universe Trader going.

In TC, these requirements have been done away with.

stavros · Post by **stavros** » Tue, 5. Jan 10, 23:34

then i stand corrected.

jimlpearce · Post by **jimlpearce** » Tue, 5. Jan 10, 23:49

Isn't it level 6 that they can be made into LT's? I've heard a few people say level 5 before but I can't do it until they're level 6.

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Wed, 6. Jan 10, 00:28

Ulan Dhor wrote:
stavros wrote:you missed out that you need at least 25mj of shielding to begin with and i believe you need at least that much to start the Universe Trader going.
In TC, these requirements have been done away with.

You do still get a warning/advisory message though if they're not fitted, I think - might be worth noting.

Possibly also of interest (from plugin.autotrade.local):

Code: Select all

001   * This script is the Local and Universe Trader, who searches for good trade runs.
002   
003   * Experience:
004   * UT: Experience : Jumprange to buy : Jumprange to sell
005   *  8-10 : 1 : 0
006   * 11-12 : 1 : 1
007   * 13-15 : 1 : 5
008   * 16-16 : 3 : 5
009   * 17-20 : 3 : 12
010   * 20-25 : 5 : 20
011   * LT: Experience : Maximum Jumprange
012   *  6- 7 : 1
013   *  8- 9 : 2
014   * 10-11 : 3
015   * 12-15 : 4
016   * 16-19 : 8
017   * 20-20 : 10
018   
019   * Experience General:
020   * 9 or more: Trader gets a repair at SY when damaged
021   * 12 or more: Trader needs Jumpdrive and orders it if not installed
022   * 23 or more: Trader locks stations that he picked as destination
023   
024   * If Trader does not find any profitable trade runs, ship will wait for a while.

(although I think it's all in the datasheet anyway)

perkint · Post by **perkint** » Wed, 6. Jan 10, 00:45

Cheers EmporerJon. I must admit I was a little surprised there wasn't one in the sticky. Obviously up to you how you want to do it, but I would suggest you keep editing your original post so once complete, you can just post in the sticky thread and ask for this thread to be added

Worth adding a list of good sectors as well - it is for noobs

Tim

EmperorJon · Post by **EmperorJon** » Wed, 6. Jan 10, 08:43

@Carlo

I was already ripping the scripts apart for info, yes...

@Perkint

That was the idea.

Yulric · Post by **Yulric** » Tue, 9. Feb 10, 08:17

Noob alert !!!....... with questions......

At level six you say the ST can become an LT. Does that mean at level six a "Start Local Trader" option will show up or auto change to "Local Trader"?? Are the sector limit Ranges for LT auto as he levels or are they manually set and optional.

Just started first ST today and is now at level 4 - so the timing of this post is perfect.

Yul

Catra · Post by **Catra** » Tue, 9. Feb 10, 08:29

At level six you say the ST can become an LT. Does that mean at level six a "Start Local Trader" option will show up or auto change to "Local Trader"?? Are the sector limit Ranges for LT auto as he levels or are they manually set and optional.

no. to start local trade, you have to restart the sector trade command, which will then ask you to specify a trade range. the range will increase as he levels up, and to use that additional range you need to yet again restart the command and specifiy the range.

EmperorJon · Post by **EmperorJon** » Tue, 9. Feb 10, 17:42

Ooh, I forgot this!

I'll do an update later. Make it sort of finished.

Yulric · Post by **Yulric** » Tue, 9. Feb 10, 19:06

Catra wrote:
At level six you say the ST can become an LT. Does that mean at level six a "Start Local Trader" option will show up or auto change to "Local Trader"?? Are the sector limit Ranges for LT auto as he levels or are they manually set and optional.
no. to start local trade, you have to restart the sector trade command, which will then ask you to specify a trade range. the range will increase as he levels up, and to use that additional range you need to yet again restart the command and specifiy the range.

Thank you Catra !!

perkint · Post by **perkint** » Wed, 10. Feb 10, 01:22

Here's a question for you...

The TS is the only ship class which will automatically deploy drones when attacked. But, the MK3 software will automatically buy drones (yeah - if he's high enough level, got fight command software, whatever).

What causes them to deploy? Is it the standard TS routines or will an MK3 pilot deploy drones from an M6/TM as well?

Tim

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Wed, 10. Feb 10, 04:34

It's not class-specific, as far as I can tell (in the autotrade signal handler lib.ship.signal.attacked.trader.xml).

perkint · Post by **perkint** » Wed, 10. Feb 10, 04:52

Cool - cheers Carlo

Tim

Rottweilexpress · Post by **Rottweilexpress** » Mon, 10. May 10, 16:00

So..Why do my superfreighter just hang around on STANDBY all the time? At some point I saw it checking some prices or such, then back on standby. And on checking the sector I personally saw E-cells bought for 12 and sold at 15 and possibly better, I never checked all locations. I've tried sector Profit Center Alpha, Two Grand and Cho's Defeat. None have "worked".

Baddieus · Post by **Baddieus** » Mon, 10. May 10, 17:37

Why do my superfreighter just hang around on STANDBY all the time?

I have many sector traders and all go to standby for one reason or another. Upon looking I too found good deals but the trader on standby, then I looked at the adjoining sectors it was assigned to trade in and found pirates. Another time I found one on standby for too long, and found a Kha'ak group in the sector. When I use UT's over ST's I always promote a level 20 ST to a UT, rather than start them off at any earlier level.

For the most part, standby rarely lasts more than 15-30 game min.

EmperorJon · Post by **EmperorJon** » Mon, 10. May 10, 18:00

I forgot about this!

Deadbeat_Spinn · Post by **Deadbeat_Spinn** » Mon, 10. May 10, 18:10

EmperorJon wrote:I forgot about this!

That's what happens when you have too many things going on.

And I was wondering when you planned on finishing this.....

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

[TC] The N00B Guide to Mk3 Trading (unfinished)

The N00B Guide to Mk3 Trading (unfinished)