Autonomous pilots query - how to move mk3 pilots and other questions?

[Snafu_X3]

OK, I've picked up a reasonable (L15) potential pilot (by buying his ship in space) & want to transfer him to my fully-kitted Mercury to start some sector trading

This is my first time using the FL version of Mk3 trading (done it many times in R & TC), so forgive my stumbles

• Do I need to hire him prior to transferring him to the correct ship, or do I need to transfer him first and then hire him?
• Do I need CLS (cargo life support) on his trading ship in order to successfully transfer him over (prior to hiring)? If later I wish to transfer him to another (third) ship, will <destination>ship need CLS too?
• Do I need to retain that CLS module on his ship once he's hired?
• Presumably he'll pay his own wages from the trading profits he makes, but if there's a shortfall due to my mismanagement of his trading area, he'll make that up from my personal account (if not homebased, when he'll use that station's account)?
• How will he follow direct orders, esp if (partially) full of wares? Eg if I change his trade location from Kingdom End to The Void, will he (intelligently) sell all necessary cargo locally to make space for the Ecells necessary to make that initial huge jump, or will he slowboat his way across all sectors in between, ignoring potential threats?
• WRT starting eqpt, is it still necessary to have Nav1, Trade1 installed on their ship before Trade3 can be used? Encyclopaedia is unclear on this..
• Will a ST promoted to UT still go off & buy/receive a JD automatically?
• Possibly more queries to follow as I experiment..

[iparkan44]

Hello everyone! Guys, thanks for your hard work! A little discouraged by the new reputation system, but okay, I'll get used to it. The actual question is how to transfer the merchant to a new ship?! I have Demeter and merchant have 14 lvl.
https://i.imgur.com/xBHJq5F.png[/img][/ ... EdUddF.png Where i may find this command?! if it is absent at all can this be a bug ?!

[X2-Illuminatus]

**Merged with existing topic about Mk3 trader from Snafu_X3**

With regards to Pilot transfer: It's a bit different now than in previous X3 games.

• Have both of your ships, the one with the Mk3 trader and the one without, docked to the same station.
• From the context menu of one ship select 'Advanced' -> 'Freight Exchange with' and afterwards select the other ship.
• In the Freight Exchange menu you can now transfer the Pilot from one ship to another. You can also transfer the Mk3 trading software.

This also works when being in space, and if at least of the two ships has a Transporter Device installed. Obviously both ships need to be in transporter range.

If you don't have the target ship for the new Pilot around, then there's also a way to transfer the Pilot via a different ship. For that to work all ships need a Cargo Life Support System installed:

• From the context menu of the Mk3 trader ship select 'Advanced'-> 'Remove Pilot'. The Pilot will be placed in the cargo hold under the "People" section.
• Using the Freight Exchange, as explained before, you can move them to another ship.
• Let that ship fly to the actual target ship, and transfer them using the Freight Exhange option again.
• Now go the freight menu of that target ship, click on the name in the People section, and select the "Add as pilot" option. You will need a Trading software Mk3 in that ship to actually restart the Mk3 trader then.

Once the Mk3 trader is a pilot again, you can remove the Cargo Life Support from that ship again.

Regarding the other questions:

• Presumably he'll pay his own wages from the trading profits he makes, but if there's a shortfall due to my mismanagement of his trading area, he'll make that up from my personal account (if not homebased, when he'll use that station's account)?

Mk3 traders always use your personal account for getting money to trade, transferring earning and getting the wages. If they are homebased they use the station's account for that.

• How will he follow direct orders, esp if (partially) full of wares? Eg if I change his trade location from Kingdom End to The Void, will he (intelligently) sell all necessary cargo locally to make space for the Ecells necessary to make that initial huge jump, or will he slowboat his way across all sectors in between, ignoring potential threats?

The latter.

• WRT starting eqpt, is it still necessary to have Nav1, Trade1 installed on their ship before Trade3 can be used? Encyclopaedia is unclear on this..

Only Tradesoftware Mk3 is required to start the sector trader.

• Will a ST promoted to UT still go off & buy/receive a JD automatically?

I think so, yes.

[Snafu_X3]

Thanks X2; shame about the slowboating tho

[Cycrow]

Fir the jumpdrive delivery, it's actually the jumpdrive installation kit that they get so its abot more expensive.

They will buy other upgrades form time to time though

One thing they no longer do is use the delivery service for energy cells, they will always get these from actual stations

[Snafu_X3]

With regards to Pilot transfer: It's a bit different now than in previous X3 games.

• Have both of your ships, the one with the Mk3 trader and the one without, docked to the same station.
• From the context menu of one ship select 'Advanced' -> 'Freight Exchange with' and afterwards select the other ship.
• In the Freight Exchange menu you can now transfer the Pilot from one ship to another. You can also transfer the Mk3 trading software.

Hmm.. so according to this I need to promote the passenger to pilot first, then transfer them at a station (or by using TD in space). This bit doesn't appear to work ATM: my Enh Mako has been carrying this passenger around for a while noow, & is currently docked at a trading station next to my Mercury with all relevant kit installed. If I promote the passenger to Pilot in my Mako he instantly vanishes & so is no longer available to transfer via Freight Exchange (I can't move him to the Mercury prior to promotion yet as it lacks CLS) If you require a save, let me know & I'll attach it to a new post in the L5 topic

This also works when being in space, and if at least of the two ships has a Transporter Device installed. Obviously both ships need to be in transporter range.

Should be "..at least /one/ of the two ships.."

[Cycrow]

Is the Mako you personal ship ? If so he could just be hidden while you are in the ship

[Snafu_X3]

Yes, the Mako is my personal ship. So I need to swap to /another/ ship (other than pilot origin & destination ships) to make the transfer at a station? That's not good!

[X2-Illuminatus]

It's maybe a bit complicated, but you still have your spacesuit. So leave your ship, let it dock together with the other ship to a station, make the pilot change, let the ship undock and enter your ship again. Best to make a save before that.

[iparkan44]

**Merged with existing topic about Mk3 trader from Snafu_X3**

Thanks it works, it was not entirely clear how it works now. Now I know!

[Snafu_X3]

It's maybe a bit complicated,[...]

Yech! I hope this gets a rework sometime soon, 'cos that's a /really/ kludgy method

[Cycrow]

unfortunately when you are flying the ship yourself, you are the pilot. So the current pilot is essentially not available until you leave the ship.

you can of course transfer it over as a passenger instead, you just need CLSS in the target ship as well