[Script] SatelliteDeploy v1.12 (18/01/2006)

[Litcube]

Hello, Bhruic! Why is it I see you wherever I go? And why are you always first to show up? I use several of your mods from other games you've written. You get around, man.

To business:

I was wondering today why my game seems to hiccup at the "tick" of the game (every 4 seconds or so). So I started closing down my ship orders one by one to see which one was the culprit.

With this script enabled, my CPU is running at 8%. With this script not enabled (but with 2 complexes, 15 UTs, and 10 other orders running) my CPU hovers at 1%-2%.

Something's up, here. Thought you might be curious.

[Aszrayel]

Well this script is certainly a good effort but I think you forgot one thing. Shouldn't the ships refrain from entering hostile sectors/sectors with hostiles present?

First thing I did when I got this script was equip 4 Argon Discos with 20 satalites and send them out to do their stuff. 1 hour later I check my message log and find they have all been destroyed in various sectors.

That makes for a huge loss in terms of the cost of the discos+sats+lack of sats deployed.

Overall without the ability to avoid dangerous sectors this script seems rather useless which is a real shame.

I know it's a few months past October but I just started playing X3 again when I heard they were releasing 2.0 dvd version without Starforce, but he did state there was a way in which to keep the sat deploy ship out of hostile sectors. You need to change the Friend/Foe setting for that ship for each race/group and any sector that belongs to the hostile ones the ship shouldn't enter. Now hostiles in friendly sectors is another story

[Bhruic]

Hello, Bhruic! Why is it I see you wherever I go? And why are you always first to show up? I use several of your mods from other games you've written. You get around, man.

I like to think of it as having good taste.

I was wondering today why my game seems to hiccup at the "tick" of the game (every 4 seconds or so). So I started closing down my ship orders one by one to see which one was the culprit.

With this script enabled, my CPU is running at 8%. With this script not enabled (but with 2 complexes, 15 UTs, and 10 other orders running) my CPU hovers at 1%-2%.

Something's up, here. Thought you might be curious.

Well, now that I can play again without having my dvd drive screwed up, I'm going to go over the script again and make some changes. Probably start it from scratch, as it was a learning experience the first time. Hopefully I'll be able to come up with something less of a resource hog.

Nice to see you again, btw.

Bh

[Aszrayel]

Been running good on my computer so far Bhruic. Have satellites deployed in just about every friendly sector now. Was just wondering if there was a way that the satellite could automatically renamed "Your Advanced Satellite" or same for navigation satellite on the deploy from the ship with the sat deploy command instead of having to do every one manually for the Satellite Limited MK3 Universal Trader Script?

*Edit* Oh yeah thank you for your work on a great script =)

[Bhruic]

Yeah, I'll probably change it back to that for the single deployment. It doesn't work so well when you are doing the 8 tho', at least imo. I hate seeing a bunch of things named the same thing.

Bh

[Jtmd]

It's actually very easy to make it do unexplored sectors as well - there's a global flag '$bExplore' in bhr.deploy.satellites.xml - by default it is set to 0. Change it to 1, and pathfinding, satellite deployment and station selection will all allow for unexplored sectors.

Bh

I think the version has changed and so has the filename and string ?
Any chance of getting a couple of details to re-enable this to drop sats in unexplored sectors please ? Its handy for new games

[Bhruic]

If I'm reading this right, it should be the $explore var in bhr.satdep.deploy (line 007).

Bh

[Aszrayel]

Yeah I know what you mean with having multiple things named that same. I only use the single deployment for trading purposes mostly. If the satellite had the name "Your Advanced Satellite" on deployment I wouldn't have to change the name every time a sat got destroyed or something. I usually go through the list and check all the sats that say "Your Advanced Satellite" instead of the "Adv Trade Beacon" (name it gets when it's active in the Sat Limited Mk3 UT script) to see if it's "safe" to activate or not so would save some time and hassle. Also another thing. My sat deployment M5 is sitting in Heretic's End atm and says that he can't find a safe route to get to the other friendly sectors that don't have a sat. Only ones left are New Income, Ianamus Zura, and Eighteen Billion. There is a Xenon Sector in between those and the M5 but there's still a safe route if he went around?

[dragonsblade71uk]

ANy chance of adding some way for the ship deploying to return to a station after it has finished??

Twice now I have had ship destroyed because they were sitting in space.

[Aszrayel]

Same here =)

[bunk]

Can't get it in the menu. Is this because I have renamed most of my satellites?

[Aszrayel]

You have Special Command Mk1 software installed on your sat deploy ship?

[bunk]

Yes Aszrayel, got it. Thank you.

[Aszrayel]

NP

[bobbygraves]

FYI - This did not work for me until I installed the Extended Mod Pack. It'd probably be a good idea to mention that requirement at the top of this thread as is suggested by the EMP documentation. I'm sure there are others like me who resist installing unknown entities until they absolutely have to.

Otherwise, thanks greatly for your efforts.

[Gazz]

Personally I just changed the setup script to NOT require any freaky wares so the buttons showed up with Special Command software installed. =)

I think people use way too many odd items when it is not at all necessary.
Worst case is if they do not supply a working uninstall script that kills their special wares from the equipment docks and all player ships...

[ORIOLE]

My TS has a jump drive and all the extentions mentioned in the readme. However, it doesn't use its jump drive although I have set the jump range to 50. It was in Antigone Memorial and it went from sector to sector in order to deploy a satellite in Rock's Drift.

Shouldn't it use the jump drive or is that not one of the script's features?

[Gazz]

Jumpdrive use is not intended.

My approach is to just assign 5-6 disco raiders for sat service. They get around reeeal quicklike.

TBH, better sat deployment is one thing I want to write, too, but making it "smart" is the tricky part. Since Im busy with at least 2 other scripts atm, this may or may not happen anytime soon...
Actually, I think discos or something like a Mako Raider are far superior deployment ships (survivability), they just cant store enough jumpfuel.
If I ever DO get around to a script like that I'd try to tap into the fleet support software and have a TS bring sats to the deployment craft. =)

[MJALowe]

is it possible to get an option for more than eight satalites? for those REALLY large sectors?...im thinking a 4x4x4 cube...(total of 64 satalites...) dont know if its possible, but for those really large sectors it might be helpful

[Gazz]

It is... now... possible. =)

I have been using Bhruic's awesome script like forever and added little things as I went.

He hasn't been around for quite some time and I have been unable to reach him so I will offer this version until he asks me to remove it.

Code: Select all

1.) Required:  Special Command Software
    Optional:  Boost Extension           (illuminate gates)
    Optional:  Trading System Extension  (illuminate trade routes)
    Optional:  Video Enhancement Goggles (also deploy sats below the ecliptic)
    Optional:  Fight Cmd Software Mk2    (work in moderatly hostile sectors)

2.) One button operation. Configuration is done through ship extensions.
3.) Automatically buys and deploys Advanced Satellites
4.) Continuously scans for destroyed Sats and replaces those

5.) Satellites are always deployed in "Box-Formation"
6.) Optional: Boost Extension
    Jumpgates are illuminated if they are beyond the scanning range of the
    8 inner sats. Satellites will be placed 10 km towards the sector center.
7.) Optional: Trading System Extension + Boost Extension
    Trade routes (all space lanes between all jump gates) are illuminated
    if they are beyond the scanning range of 5. and 6.
8.) Optional: Video Enhancement Goggles
    6. and 7. only deploy one set of satellites 20km above the ecliptic.
    With VEG installed, a second set is placed below the ecliptic.
9.) If the player possesses < 2.000.000 Cr then only the first Sat for every
    sector will be deployed.
    In the early game you will want to "tag" sectors quickly to simplify
    trading. The typical "place 1 Sat in the center" routine would waste this
    sat or create additional work later on with collecting those.
    Since only the first sat of the full formation is placed your ships will
    automatically start filling up the formation once you earn more credits.
    (can be changed in  bhr.satdep.deploy.addpos.xml  )

10.) Route planning:
  * Undisdovered sectors are ignored. Period.
  * Sectors, that are set to Foe for THIS ship are not passed and no sats
    are deployed there.
  * If Fight Cmd Software Mk2 is installed then hostile sectors
    (except for Khaak/Xenon!) are treated as neutral.
  * If the player is in the same sector as the ship *while* the script is
    started then no rules of any kind apply and sats are deployed.
    Note that other deployment ships will still not *enter* this sector.
    This only allows for sat deployment in any hostile
    sector while you are fighting there.
    The deployment ship will finish deployment and hightail it outta there.

Download as ZIP or SPK. English and german version.

Yes, this will eventually deploy a ***load of satellites but you can always decide to use Bhruic's original script instead for a far more modest approach. =)