The universe explorer scripts allow you to hire a pilot to automatically explore the universe for you. These explorers will gain experience and skills as they traverse the universe to open up new methods of finding unexplored sectors, and more. There are 24 levels in all which are explained in more detail below.
This is a continuation of the Universal Explorers script by 7ate9tin11s. The original thread can be found here: Universal Explorers 2.4.0
What is changed or is changing is updating of the script to reflect the changes in the ship ware such as Salvage Command Suite 4.07 by TECSG.
Features:
---> Player owned M3, M4, M5, and Goner Rangers (and Truelight Seeker in ship mod) may hire a pilot by choosing "Start Universe Explorer..." from the navigation commands. The ship must be equipped with Explorer Command Software.
---> If an explorer enters a sector marked as 'Foe' in their ships friend/foe settings they will retreat and try to find a different unknown sector. I always put pirates as Foe so they survive. Razz
---> As the pilot gains experience they will learn methods to increase the speed of exploring a sector. As with the original Explore Sector command the speed of the scan is very dependent on the installed scanners and speed of the ship.
---> With experience comes more methods of finding unexplored sectors, everything from random known gate wandering to using the players satellite network to communicating with other ships to get directions can eventually be used.
---> Explorers will automatically begin to build up the players satellite network, if one is not in place already. They will also maintain the players satellite network when they notice missing satellites. This feature and the type(s) of satellites used can be toggled in the community menu.
---> Experience also brings wisdom, the pilot will purchase wares needed to explore more efficiently and, eventually, will just order in wares to the edges of space so they never have to stop exploring. Then again their new addiction to exploring is just as bad as their old space weed/fuel addictions due to the 10% delivery surcharge! (this feature may be altered slightly in the future)
---> While Cartographers (level 20) are very efficient at exploring the universe, an explorer can join the ranks of the Goner if certain conditions are met and work their way up to being a Priest (level 24) with full access to the Goner universe guide to aid in finding those last few sectors.
---> Universe explorers can be moved between ships using the 'Move Universe Explorer Pilot...' command under the 'Start Universe Explorer...' command in the navigation commands menu.
---> As they gain experience your explorers will learn to defend themselves by noticing enemies and purchasing items for their defense. Like Fighter Drones. (eventually will add the more powerful Mk2 drones)
---> Those lucky enough to get high level explorers will see them use jump drives to traverse the universe to quickly replace satellites or find new sectors.
---> Your explorers will now drop short-lived beacons in sectors that they find dangerous to prevent other explorers from entering those sectors.
---> Any ship owned by the player with Navigational Command Software installed can drop a permanent navigational warning beacon to prevent explorers from entering a sector. Elena's Fortune in XTM is a good example sector for this. The command can be found under in your Navigational commands menu and these beacons cost 2000 credits to pay for the permits and raw materials needed.
---> Ships with the default "Your ShipType" will be renamed to "Explorer ShipType" automatically as the explorer software runs. Changing the name of the ship in any way before hand will prevent this.
---> Satellite Deployment Options - You can choose to deploy a single satellite in the center of the sector, enough to cover every gate, and/or enough to cover every station. The options can be mixed and matched to fit your needs.
---> Ship Capturing - Instead of flying out to capture those empty ships your explorers find, they will do it for you. Yes, they even take the spacewalk and risk death...though probably for the bonus finders fee they get!
---> Finders Fees - Explorers get paid a small finders fee for things they find, this fee increases as the explorers level and can be seen in the statistics tracking.
---> Statistics Tracking - By using the menu you can see the complete statistics of any of your explorers. Everything from sectors discovered to flying wares sighted...including how much they have earned in finder fees and how much of your money they have used in buying ship upgrades.
---> Notification Options - You can choose which types of notifications will be sent to you from the possibilities of voice, logbook, and subtitle.
---> Pilot Ejection - Pilots have an increasing chance to eject before their ship is destroyed as they level up. To use an ejected pilot just have one of your ships pick them up and then:
1. If the new explorer vessel or the ship with the pilot has a transporter device installed, just start the explorer command on the new ship when it is within 5km of the other ship and the pilot will be transferred over automatically.
2. If both the ship carrying the passenger and a new explorer are docked in the same place the pilot will jump into the ship instead of making a new pilot.
3. If you transfer the pilot to a new explorer and start exploring he will take the pilots seat.
4. If the pilot is docked at your your ship that is holding the pilot they will also pilot any newly starting explorer.
There is currently no way to replace an existing explorer with an ejected pilot, you will need a new ship for them!
---> Wanderlust - Pilots will slowly build up stress if they stay in the same areas until they just have to get away and go hopping to some other part of the universe. The more stress they have the more chance they will buy recreational stress relievers too.
Version History:
2.5.b1-XRM
Temporary removal of ship modification for compatibility issues. Without this modification, the UEC will(should) have no compatibility issues with future XRM updates. I am looking at how to make the ships work in future editions without the need of a fake patch and a modification to the ship table that is causing some instabilities in the game.
2.5.b-XRM
*Updated XRM compatibility to XRM1.19f
2.4.b4-XRM
*Updated XRM compatibility in Beta 4 to XRM 1.11b
*Changed TShips file to fake patch
Non-XRM version still Beta 2
2.4.B3
Updated TShips file in XRM Ship Mod version to match 1.09XRM.
2.4B2 non XRM Ship Mod IS compatible with XRM, just doesn't have the modified repair ship and Gonar Truelight Seeker.
2.4.B2.1
Corrected install error when trying to install the XRM version with the latest version of XRM due to Paul changing the Author Name a bit. (Thanks Paul!
)NOTICE: This version has not been tested with XRM above version 1.6. If there has been any ship changes after this point, the XRM ship changes will be over written with the ones in this mod! I'll work with Paul shortly to make any needed adjustments.
2.4.B2
Corrected issue with all M6 class ships being able to use Universal Explorer command.
Corrected wrong script file having been packaged in previous version. (sorry, my fault)
2.4.B1
This is the initial beta to test the effectiveness of the changes to use Salvage Command Software if installed instead of jumping out and doing a space walk. In addition, slight changes are being worked on so that mods that involve ship bailing won't accidentally see the ship as bailed and the pilot never returning to this ship (in the case that you don't have Salvage Claim Software).
Two versions are released to test.
Version Beta 1 is simply what was described above (minus the bailing fix, coming in a later beta).
Version Beta 1 XRM Ship Mod is a modification for XRM usage to add the Truelight Seeker as a Gonar class ship instead of an M6 so that it can use the Universal Explorer function as a heavily shielded explorer, giving it a chance if in a REALLY bad spot. The downside of the heavier shielding and aft turret is it is slower than the other explorers of course.
Additional ship changes in this mod is the Mobile Repair Ship now will have the ability to use Repair lasers/Tractor Beam/Cluster Flack/Pulse Beam Emitters. This doesn't really change the tactical problems and strengths of this M1 ship, but it does help give it a chance to defend against missiles and light fighters while it preps for a jump out of Dodge. Don't try to go toe to toe with anything more than 2 or 3 light fighters because it won't be a pretty end. It now can support 12 upgrades instead of 4 to the engine tunings giving it a max speed of almost 20M/s. Not much from 12M/s but a bit better.
Universal Explorers 2.5.b1 XRM
[ external image ]
Universal Explorers 2.5.b1 XRM as Manual Install in ZIP format
Requires:
AP Libraries by 7ate9tin11s of at least r1 for common functions.
Community Configuration Menu by Cycrow to use menus and configure options.
Both of these can easily be installed with Cycrow's Plugin Manager and I think even come with it.
(Please correct me if I am wrong Cycrow)
Known Issues:
1) If used in conjunction with NPC Bailing scripts, pilot will sometimes go MIA after bailing and capturing a ship without Salvage Claim Software. Looking into a solution for next beta release.
2) Doesn't use Cycrow's Salvage Claim Software or Override Software yet.
3) Occasional hiccups with Hostile Sector after planting the Danger marker and running to another sector and the marker gets destroyed before the explorer chooses another sector to explore resulting in returning to the Hostile Sector again.
Installation Note for XRM:
The XRM version now installs as a fake patch. You MUST install this AFTER installing XRM for it to work. Manual installations will be available eventually for those that do not like using the SPK mod manager.
I replied to quickly 
Once a hacker is in the system and you're not aware of it, even Bitlocker is useless. Granted due to the files that were damage and that bitlocker WAS active, I wasn't able to simply re-install to repair the system. Still, I like bitlocker. You can't hack a bitlocker system UNLESS the system is already active and the key was turned... like in my case. 
![[ external image ]](http://www.arcl07.dsl.pipex.com/x3tc/plugins/spk.png){kind=link}