Give it another try

[Commander_K]

"Drone bay"

Where: Depends on the ship. For the Rahanas it's in the front opening. You can find it by cycling through the surface elements (if you have the right software installed).

Hi,

thanks. It's Targeting Mk2, yes? That I've got already.

Don't remember. It says in the description. PageUp and PageDown to cycle through surface elements, I think.

[RAVEN.myst]

For my first boarding attempt I want to reduce the chance of failure as much as possible, so: where is the "drone bay"? How can I identify it?

Yes, it's one of the targeting software upgrades, just go with the highest (I'm not sure, but I think that's the one you need - I always just max everything I can as soon as I can.) You can use Home/End to cycle between the target's surface elements (it can be tedious on ships with lots of weapons, but since you are doing "entry-level" boarding, pardon the pun, you'll be tackling "weak" ships initially.) As Commander_K mentioned, the location varies (once you see a couple, you'll also be able to identify them visually) - in the front opening on Rahanas, on the rear back of Balor (which, by the way, is a good early training target - just remember to keep moving so its Novadrones don't turn you into very small chunks.)

NOTE: Stromvoks and Styrvoks have integrated drone bays, which means they are stored in the hull itself, there is no separate drone bay to target. This is a great advantage to you if you own any, as enemies can't blitz your drone bay and leave you friendless, but it's a major obstacle in early boarding attempts, as the drones can't be dealt with as previously described, so you'll be facing a much higher boarding resistance.

As for bringing the turrets to below 25% - I'll be happy to even find and destroy them instead of being killed myself

The targeting upgrade helps with this, too - it shows the surface element's hull %age, so once you have it under 25%, stop shooting it if you can (I won't lie, I sometimes overkill and end up destroying them - as you say, under fire pressure, finesse can be tricky!) That 25% thing works specifically for turrets, not for force field projectors or other surface elements, by the way - just something to keep in mind.

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

2) In the meantime I found some "game bugs" which don't qualify as "technical" (e.g. spelling errors in smalltalk). Where can I deliver them?

Thank you. Please report bugs or spelling mistakes in the beta forum here (please provide the info requested here).

Ordinarily, issues should only be reported if they occur in unmodified games but unless you have mods altering Small Talk text (unlikely), it won't matter for spelling mistakes.

[RainerPrem]

2) In the meantime I found some "game bugs" which don't qualify as "technical" (e.g. spelling errors in smalltalk). Where can I deliver them?

Thank you. Please report bugs or spelling mistakes in the beta forum here (please provide the info requested here).

Ordinarily, issues should only be reported if they occur in unmodified games but unless you have mods altering Small Talk text (unlikely), it won't matter for spelling mistakes.

Hi,

I ALWAYS play vanilla.

cu
Rainer

[RainerPrem]

Hi,

for a change, here are some positive news.

I'm a little farther in the campaign, and took my first couple of "defend station against Xenon" missions, which ran very well.

I got a P to bail (and spent 9 Millions to repair the hull), 5 Xenon components, 12 "jump drive components (rare)", and the last part for my SETA. All in all a good day in space.

The station called "AR Escape Velocity" is really impressive. Do they really burn their engines all the time to stay in the sky? In that case: Why don't my space ships and all other stations fall down?

Okay, one question: How can I identify Nividium asteroids to rob space fly nests?

cu
Rainer

[RAVEN.myst]

The station called "AR Escape Velocity" is really impressive. Do they really burn their engines all the time to stay in the sky? In that case: Why don't my space ships and all other stations fall down?

Okay, one question: How can I identify Nividium asteroids to rob space fly nests?

Nice going no the hauls. Here's a tip for you - hoard those Jumpdrive Components (Rare) - you will need them for something special

Regarding Escape Velocity and its engines, here's some speculative handwaving to "justify" the inconsistency: maybe it's an old station (never DID get underway on its voyage to the stars, or whatever, heheh), and thus not equipped with Podkletnov Generators and the like *shrug* Despite the inconsistency, it looks pretty enough, I'll give it that If you think that's an impressive-looking station, wait till you see the space farm in Alpha Quadrant, Maelstrom...

As for the nividium asteroids, they have a distinctive, jagged/spiky look to them and a sort of almost bleached grey appearance. Since you have access to Omycron Lyrae, here's a tip:

Spoiler

Show

Last Stand is full of nividium-bearing asteroids,

which can sort you out with regards to that spacefly collection, and also help to demonstrate their appearance, for future identification.

Incidentally, I also only ever play vanilla (and not just in this game) - call me a purist, I guess...

[RainerPrem]

The station called "AR Escape Velocity" is really impressive. Do they really burn their engines all the time to stay in the sky? In that case: Why don't my space ships and all other stations fall down?

Okay, one question: How can I identify Nividium asteroids to rob space fly nests?

Nice going no the hauls. Here's a tip for you - hoard those Jumpdrive Components (Rare) - you will need them for something special

Regarding Escape Velocity and its engines, here's some speculative handwaving to "justify" the inconsistency: maybe it's an old station (never DID get underway on its voyage to the stars, or whatever, heheh), and thus not equipped with Podkletnov Generators and the like *shrug* Despite the inconsistency, it looks pretty enough, I'll give it that If you think that's an impressive-looking station, wait till you see the space farm in Alpha Quadrant, Maelstrom...

As for the nividium asteroids, they have a distinctive, jagged/spiky look to them and a sort of almost bleached grey appearance. Since you have access to Omycron Lyrae, here's a tip:

Spoiler

Show

Last Stand is full of nividium-bearing asteroids,

which can sort you out with regards to that spacefly collection, and also help to demonstrate their appearance, for future identification.

Incidentally, I also only ever play vanilla (and not just in this game) - call me a purist, I guess...

Hi,

first thing I found in the zone you mentioned was a Khaak-lockbox. Thanks.

But there are really many asteroids in all shades of gray. Which ones are the Nividiums? And when do I stop grinding them into smaller pieces?

cu
Rainer

[RAVEN.myst]

The nividium-bearing ones are the spikiest ones, generally with high light-dark contrast and no colour at all, just shades of grey. You have to cut them pretty small - to get an idea of how small, you can practice with any asteroid type, as they all have a chance of dropping something eventually (usually silicate minerals or gold nuggets) - just pick some asteroids and keep reducing them, and keep an eye on your radar for the dots that indicate containers (may be a good idea to turn off the info overlay, so it's easier to see those small dots) - this will give you a sense of how small you need to go, as the valuables from the nividium 'roids appear at the same level of reduction. To be able to see the containers on your radar, you may need an upgrade to the ship sensors (I always just max out to the police scanner, so I don't know precisely what level you might need.)

As for that lockbox you mentioned, I'm guessing you found it nestled in a cavity of the Core Dig station, yes? If so, the thing you got out of it is a crafting component for a rare item tradeable (via mission) for a Mk.5 shield.

[RainerPrem]

...

As for that lockbox you mentioned, I'm guessing you found it nestled in a cavity of the Core Dig station, yes? If so, the thing you got out of it is a crafting component for a rare item tradeable (via mission) for a Mk.5 shield.

Hi,

I know. At the moment I'm happy opening lockboxes in the vicinity of Lost Stand, I think up to now it's about twenty or so.

BTW: Is there a way to flip the map 90%? What I could do in X3 with the Ins-Key.

cu
Rainer

[RAVEN.myst]

Is there a way to flip the map 90%? What I could do in X3 with the Ins-Key.

Sadly, not exactly, but you can get similar functionality by right-clicking and dragging in the map - it will allow you to rotate the view, so you can get a side view in this manner.

[RainerPrem]

Is there a way to flip the map 90%? What I could do in X3 with the Ins-Key.

Sadly, not exactly, but you can get similar functionality by right-clicking and dragging in the map - it will allow you to rotate the view, so you can get a side view in this manner.

Hi,

that's even better... But where the h... is that documented?

Next question: My station in deVries is now fully built and working fine. So the CV is now free for new constructions. How can I find out what kind of station would run well in, say, Omicron Lyrae? Are there any obvious gaps in the economy?

cu
Rainer

[Alan Phipps]

"So the CV is now free for new constructions." Not in vanilla. Also the race/plot supplying the CV determines the available station options too.

[Santi]

You need a new CV if you want to build more stations, CV ships get attached permanently to the Station they built for repairs and extensions.

As for the documentation, with every mayor patch a guide was released in Steam, you can find the official but community made guides here.

*ninjaed by Alan.

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

In terms of guides, there's also the wiki hosted by Egosoft and populated by them and players here.

[RAVEN.myst]

Next question: My station in deVries is now fully built and working fine. So the CV is now free for new constructions. How can I find out what kind of station would run well in, say, Omicron Lyrae? Are there any obvious gaps in the economy?

Despite appearances (and I think it's implied in some text somewhere, I forget), the CV is not reusable - once deployed to build a station (or attached to a station that lost its CV to enemy action), it cannot then be packed up and used again to build another station - you need a new CV, one per station. Also, bear in mind that each CV has build options dependent on where it was itself built - Albion and Omicron Lyrae have totally different stations (even though many are analogues of each other, fulfilling similar/identical functions), and the CVs available from the DeVries stations only offer 3 stations (though all of them are compatible with Albion-style economy, one is fully compatible with all economies, and one is partially compatible with all.) The campaign CV that builds your Integrative URV Forge can *only* build that station - and is, in fact, the only CV that CAN build that station: it is unique to the campaign, and unavailable anywhere else.

Furthermore, despite being functionally similar, Albion and Argon (OmLy) economies have a fundamental difference in how the handle food: Albion industry uses Food Rations (made of energy, wheat, meat, and spices), while OmLy uses BoFu (made of energy, spices, soja husk, and plankton, if I recall correctly) - so the food factories are different in the first place, but furthermore an OmLy Hardware Supplier, for example (the OmLy equivalent of Construction Shop) will use BoFu in place of Food Rations, while the rest of the resources will be the same. The long and short of it? Since you want your stations to be locally relevant, it's generally best to use a compatible CV (one made by the OmLy shipyard in OmLy, that's for sure - the rest of the universe pretty uses the Albion/Home of Light system, except for Teladi space.)

Lastly: there is one major gap in the Omicron Lyrae economy, which provides a nice starting opportunity: Energy Cells - the whole system is critically short of these, and so they fetch a premium. While this isn't overly lucrative (it is, after all, one of the most basic resources), it will make you more money than anywhere else in the universe, and furthermore if you supply OmLy with sufficient ECs to make a difference, you will end up finding wares that depend on it (ie. pretty much everything else) becoming more readily available, therefore cheaper and in more constant supply.

Another good opportunity in Omicron Lyrae is Reinforced Metal Plating - in Albion there are 2 Construction Yards supplying this crucial ware, each with 3 plate foundries, but the OmLy equivalent has only 2 plate foundries. Supply of this in OmLy is desperately low, and in this case excellent profits can be made. Also, given that RMPs are used in shipbuilding, you will need to supply the OnLy shipyards with it if you want to be able to consistently buy the ships they offer (some of which are RATHER NICE )


EDIT: Triple-ninjaed, lol. Though it's not like they didn't have plenty of time...

[RainerPrem]

Despite appearances (and I think it's implied in some text somewhere, I forget), the CV is not reusable - once deployed to build a station (or attached to a station that lost its CV to enemy action), it cannot then be packed up and used again to build another station - you need a new CV, one per station. Also, bear in mind that each CV has build options dependent on where it was itself built - Albion and Omicron Lyrae have totally different stations (even though many are analogues of each other, fulfilling similar/identical functions), and the CVs available from the DeVries stations only offer 3 stations (though all of them are compatible with Albion-style economy, one is fully compatible with all economies, and one is partially compatible with all.) The campaign CV that builds your Integrative URV Forge can *only* build that station - and is, in fact, the only CV that CAN build that station: it is unique to the campaign, and unavailable anywhere else.

Furthermore, despite being functionally similar, Albion and Argon (OmLy) economies have a fundamental difference in how the handle food: Albion industry uses Food Rations (made of energy, wheat, meat, and spices), while OmLy uses BoFu (made of energy, spices, soja husk, and plankton, if I recall correctly) - so the food factories are different in the first place, but furthermore an OmLy Hardware Supplier, for example (the OmLy equivalent of Construction Shop) will use BoFu in place of Food Rations, while the rest of the resources will be the same. The long and short of it? Since you want your stations to be locally relevant, it's generally best to use a compatible CV (one made by the OmLy shipyard in OmLy, that's for sure - the rest of the universe pretty uses the Albion/Home of Light system, except for Teladi space.)

Lastly: there is one major gap in the Omicron Lyrae economy, which provides a nice starting opportunity: Energy Cells - the whole system is critically short of these, and so they fetch a premium. While this isn't overly lucrative (it is, after all, one of the most basic resources), it will make you more money than anywhere else in the universe, and furthermore if you supply OmLy with sufficient ECs to make a difference, you will end up finding wares that depend on it (ie. pretty much everything else) becoming more readily available, therefore cheaper and in more constant supply.

Another good opportunity in Omicron Lyrae is Reinforced Metal Plating - in Albion there are 2 Construction Yards supplying this crucial ware, each with 3 plate foundries, but the OmLy equivalent has only 2 plate foundries. Supply of this in OmLy is desperately low, and in this case excellent profits can be made. Also, given that RMPs are used in shipbuilding, you will need to supply the OnLy shipyards with it if you want to be able to consistently buy the ships they offer (some of which are RATHER NICE )


EDIT: Triple-ninjaed, lol. Though it's not like they didn't have plenty of time...

Hi,

thank you. That's really a crucial Information. So I'll go the old X2 path and start with a solar power station. I assume it would be best built in the free space between zones close to a highway and to a zone with a jump beacon in it.

Fortunately I'm close to the big shipyard in OmLy now, and have a little cash in my account. The second rare engine is also nearly finished, so I can sell it for 30Mill.

Can I at least loot my first CV for manpower, material and money?

BTW: The Integrated URV Forge makes RMP as well.

cu
Rainer

[RAVEN.myst]

thank you. That's really a crucial Information. So I'll go the old X2 path and start with a solar power station. I assume it would be best built in the free space between zones close to a highway and to a zone with a jump beacon in it.

You're welcome
Actually, it's better to build in a zone with either customers or suppliers - I prefer customers, as station managers are very aggressive in buying resources anyway, and also in the case of an energy station, it only has a secondary resource which it uses in tiny amounts. So your best bet is to pick a zone with as many energy users as you can (Last Stand isn't bad, as it has 4 energy-using stations, and contains a jump beacon - I often built my initial SEA at the build location next to the jump beacon and the filling station.)

The second rare engine is also nearly finished, so I can sell it for 30Mill.

Spoiler

Show

There's something else you also need a second rare engine for, just so you know. Of course, you can always craft a third or fourth for that, so it's up to you

Can I at least loot my first CV for manpower, material and money?

Partially - you COULD remove the engineer and defense officer off it, but I wouldn't recommend that - it's best to keep it manned so that if attacked it can defend itself and repair as needed. If there are any leftover materials aboard it, yes, you can grab those; in fact, I used to often, when playing the campaign, pull all the free RMP off it to use it toward setting up my own RMP production, because...

BTW: The Integrated URV Forge makes RMP as well.

...I'm afraid that's incorrect - the iURVForge makes Refined Metals, which is not the same thing as RMP (an easy mistake to make, considering their similar initials - I think I thought the same on my first playthrough! ) - it's a bulk ware instead of a container ware, and it is used in the manufacture of RMP (among other things), but is not RMP itself. The other refined mineral made at the iURVF is silicon wafers, which are used, among other things, for microchip manufacture.

[RainerPrem]

...

BTW: The Integrated URV Forge makes RMP as well.

...I'm afraid that's incorrect - the iURVForge makes Refined Metals, which is not the same thing as RMP (an easy mistake to make, considering their similar initials - I think I thought the same on my first playthrough! ) - it's a bulk ware instead of a container ware, and it is used in the manufacture of RMP (among other things), but is not RMP itself. The other refined mineral made at the iURVF is silicon wafers, which are used, among other things, for microchip manufacture.

Ah, yes, thanks again.

Slowly but sure the game grows on me ...

cu l8er - after gone home from work
Rainer

[RainerPrem]

Hi,

just an update after a long weekend of playing XR.

Finished the main campaign - the end was a little like X3R: an epic battle, where I wasn't really involved.

At that point I already had four Khaakh components, and I cheated to get the fifth one. Since it was the only one not within a .... I never would have looked for that at that point in deVries.

Now I'm hunting for the jump drive coolant which is the apparently rarest commodity of all. There is a nice Excel sheet showing the location of lockboxes within stations, unfortunately in Albion and deVries only two of those locations had lockboxes in it. So at the moment I have 17 of them and need three more.

And then the HoA XL shipyard is blocked by an Arawn at 0% and I can't get a CV for my next station. I hope at one time our friends at egosoft take pity on us and allow us to reuse the CVs we already have.

cu
Rainer

[Alan Phipps]

@ RainerPrem: Hunting Kha'ak was another good source of JD coolant loot iirc. OK, there's a limited choice of locations for that.

Supply the HoA shipyard with what it needs to clear the NPC Arawn building blockage and set it up for your next CV. Win-win situation for all concerned.