[SCRIPT] BenCo Factory Autotrade Network v1.00 4/8/2007

[Ben2006]

Script Name: BenCo Factory Autotrade Network
Version : 1.00
Author : Benco Industries
Released : 4/8/2007
Updated : n/a
For Game : X3 ReUnion v. 2.0.02
Packaged : WinRar v3.2 and X3 Script Installer SPK v1.86.
# of Files : 8 =

X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\t\447790.pck
X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\scripts\benco.autotrader.main.pck
X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\readme\benco.autotrade.network.readme.txt
X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\scripts\benco.autotrader.start.status.pck
X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\scripts\benco.autotrader.start.pck
X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\scripts\benco.autotrader.stop.status.pck
X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\scripts\benco.autotrader.stop.pck
X:\Program Files\EGOSOFT\X3 REUNION\scripts\setup.benco.autotrade.network.pck


Download latest X3 Script Installer version "SPK" here:
BenCo Factory Autotrade Network v1.00 "SPK"

Download latest WinRar version "RAR" here:
BenCo Factory Autotrade Network v1.00 "RAR"

What is it:

BenCo Industries has now gone Universal and wants you to participate within it's trading Network. BenCo will install an "Industrial Strength Transporter Device" (free of charge) into your single Factory (no Complexes). This special Transporter is not seen and you will not even notice that it has been installed into your Factory. With this TD it is now possible to transport (beam) resources and finished product directly to/from BenCo Industries. BenCo will buy all the product that you can produce and sell you all the raw resources that your Factory needs automatically and within each Product Batch Cycle Time Period (a true Just-In-Time management system). BenCo will also watch your resource inventory levels and maintain them at optimal levels. You will never run out of resources again and you will never carry unwanted high levels of resources either. You also will never have unsold product, as BenCo will buy it all and right now!

So what does this mean?

Any Factory that participates in the BenCo Autotrade Network, no longer needs any TS Transport ships to gather resources or to go and sell product. (Just think of the savings). Also, you can kiss the need for Warehouses and other storage solutions goodbye too, as you will never have enough product or resources to worry about storing them. Simply, buy and place a Factory, put some credits in it (or not) and hit the "Start Autotrade" button and litterly forget you even own this factory. It is now a money making machine that runs itself (with the help of BenCo). How much easier can this get? Also, it doesn't matter where you place this Factory. Put it behind a wall of Asteriods in an Unknown Sector and it still runs happily and safely. Also, if the Factory itself does not have enough credits in it to buy the resources it needs, your main credit account will be used to deduct the cost of the purchase. If neither you nor your Factory has enough credits, then the Factory will just skip buying any resources for that particular batch cycle time period.

Also, if you want to turn off or stop participating in the BenCo Factory Autotrade Network for a time, say to bulk up on product or sell the product somewhere else, there's no problem. Just hit the "Stop BenCo Autotrader" button and BenCo will suspend any further purchases of product and will stop selling you resources. It's just that simple. Want to start participating again, just hit the "Start BenCo Autotrader" button and away you go, hassle free once more.

Note: This is not meant for Complexes. Do not add a participating Factory to an already existing Complex. Do not add participating Factories to other participating Factories either! This IS meant for stand alone Factories Only!

Note: BenCo will buy all products at the Standard market prices and will also be selling you resources at the Standard market prices. Ok.

How to Use it:

After you install the scripts and load your save game or start a new game, two new "Station Commands" will show up ie: "Start BenCo Autotrader" and "Stop BenCo Autotrader".

X3 Script Installer: See instructions for using the X3 Script Installer.

WinRar Version:
Unrar the files into your X3 Reunion subfolder. The rar uses relational paths, so it should extract into the folders properly.

How to uninstall:

For both the X3 Sript Installer version or the WinRar version, you should go to each station that you have running the BenCo Autotrader and press the "Stop BenCo Autotrader" button.
It shouldn't be too hard to find which station is running the Autotrader, as "BenCo" has been added to the name of any Factory that is participating. Maybe some time, I will add an uninstall script to go with the package, but it's not too tiresome to find your station and hit the "Stop" button, is it?

X3 Script Installer: See instructions for using the X3 Script Installer.

WinRar Version:
Just delete the files located in the above shown subdirectories.


Version History:

4/8/2007 Initial Release

Other Info:

Uses Text Language File: 447790
Uses Station Command Slots:
<t id="1148">COMMAND_TYPE_STATION_48</t> This slot conflicts with a Complex Manager script.
<t id="1149">COMMAND_TYPE_STATION_49</t> This slot conflicts with a Complex Manager script.

[danielhumphries50]

this is awesome but the fact you can't have complexes is kind of stupid what you shjould have done was if there was a closed loop sell everything that way it does the job just a lot easyer

[matt9871]

Hey, the script doesnt seem to work for me. I used an Argon Cattle Farm andturned the command on through the station and the BenCo part was added to the name but after that nothing happens. No resources are delivered to my station.

[Ben2006]

Hey, the script doesnt seem to work for me. I used an Argon Cattle Farm andturned the command on through the station and the BenCo part was added to the name but after that nothing happens. No resources are delivered to my station.

How much credits do you and or the Factory have at this time?

What other "Station" scripts do you have installed and or running at this time?

Not that it is required, do you have the Script Editor activated? If so maybe we can do further investigation.

Is it just that one Cattle Ranch or does it not work for you with other Factories too?

Does it work for you with any Factories?

[Ben2006]

this is awesome but the fact you can't have complexes is kind of stupid what you shjould have done was if there was a closed loop sell everything that way it does the job just a lot easyer

Hi Daniel,
I am sorry that you think my Script is stupid. But, I did make it clear that this script is not meant for Complexes. Perhaps small cars are stupid too because you can't load 100 tons or Coal into them. Damn, well the car lot did say that this small car is not meant for mining. Oh well, guess I'll just say how stupid this small car is.

[danielhumphries50]

this is awesome but the fact you can't have complexes is kind of stupid what you shjould have done was if there was a closed loop sell everything that way it does the job just a lot easyer

Hi Daniel,
I am sorry that you think my Script is stupid. But, I did make it clear that this script is not meant for Complexes. Perhaps small cars are stupid too because you can't load 100 tons or Coal into them. Damn, well the car lot did say that this small car is not meant for mining. Oh well, guess I'll just say how stupid this small car is.

ok ok i get the idea but using the example of a closed loop proberly wasn't the best idea but if there is a complex that needs 1 resource energy cells for example wouldn't it make sense that you supply the e cells and we supply the products

[Ben2006]

ok ok i get the idea but using the example of a closed loop proberly wasn't the best idea but if there is a complex that needs 1 resource energy cells for example wouldn't it make sense that you supply the e cells and we supply the products

Hi Daniel,
I know what you are saying. But the script is not meant for Complexes. There is no easy way to deal with Complexes in scripting terms. So, I avoid them at all costs. For the most part, individual Factories that are using the BenCo Factory Autotrader don't benefit from being attached to a Complex, because all of their product is sold as fast as they can be produced and all of their resources needs are filled. The shortfall is that the resources need to be purchased, whereas with a "closed loop complex" the resources are free after initial recoup of investment.

I am sorry to say that this script is not the total 100% answer for every situation for every player. But if someone wants the benefits of simply buying a Factory and having it run by itself as a trouble free, no TS required, hands-off, money making machine, then this script is the answer for them.

[Graxster]

Correct me if I'm misinterpreting this script, but it seems to me to be a kind of "cheat". If BenCo is going to buy and sell my stations' product without the need for any supply and demand, it's basically working outside the theory of the game economy. This means, for example, I could build an ore mine on every asteroid that produces ore, and BenCo will buy all my product, even though no "real" non-player station has a need for ore. Or I could build BioGas factories in Split space and still sell all my product, since the product is essentially "vanishing" from my factory. Is that what this does?

-G

[Ben2006]

Correct me if I'm misinterpreting this script, but it seems to me to be a kind of "cheat". If BenCo is going to buy and sell my stations' product without the need for any supply and demand, it's basically working outside the theory of the game economy. This means, for example, I could build an ore mine on every asteroid that produces ore, and BenCo will buy all my product, even though no "real" non-player station has a need for ore. Or I could build BioGas factories in Split space and still sell all my product, since the product is essentially "vanishing" from my factory. Is that what this does?

-G

Yes to all the above. However, it is debateable whether it is working outside the theory of the game economy. There is no real economy in this game. The God event script kicks in every once and awhile to provide some good and bad economic impacts. All of the NPC stations are only there for the benefit of the Player anyhow and provide an opportunity for you to sell or buy something from them. Take a look at the shipyards, one minute they have 10 of every ship, the next there is only 10 of the cheap ones. Even though there has been no visitors to the shipyard the whole time. So, who bought them. No one did. Maybe a bunch of invisible Teladi scooped up all the ships. You could look at this in another way. BenCo is just another business in the X3 Universe. They are growing and growing fast, they need all the product you can sell and it doesn't matter where your Factories are because BenCo is Universal now, so they buy/sell no matter where you are. This also opens up even more opportunity for everyone else in the X3 Universe, because the Beef you sold to BenCo did not go to Argon etc, so now you have the opportunity to create Complexes and sell the product that your Complex's make to the races. BenCo doesn't deal with Complexes. So, you have in the long run even more opportunity and everyone in the X3 Universe is happy. So, go out there and build all the Factories and Complexes you can muster. Ok

[danielhumphries50]

i see what you mean it would be a lot more complicated to deal with complexes sorry it seemed like a waste of an excellent idea that ould be built upon

[Ikaruga]

I agree with Graxter to say that this script makes trading (too ? ) much easier, and so, can be considered as a cheat.

However, there are some drawbacks to balance this :

- you don't get any trading ranks with this
- neither do you get any reputation with the NPC races


So, it's not really a cheat.

And if you want it to be really balanced, here are a few ideas :

- For each station with this software installed, the user should pay something ( pay the installation of the system AND / OR pay a tax every hour it is used)

- Drugs are very profitable and illegal, BenCo doesn't buy them.


Voila, they are just a few ideas. Tell me what you think


I'll try this script tonight

[Ben2006]

I agree with Graxter to say that this script makes trading (too ? ) much easier, and so, can be considered as a cheat.

However, there are some drawbacks to balance this :

- you don't get any trading ranks with this
- neither do you get any reputation with the NPC races

Ben2006 wrote: Yes, those two points are exactly true. Initially, I thought about allowing the player to aquire Notoriety points for BenCo sales/purchase, based on what race's sector location your Factories were operating. But, decided against that, because no real interaction was being undertaken with these races. The Factory just happens to be sitting in that sector is all. So, yes the player does forgo these two benefits.


So, it's not really a cheat.

And if you want it to be really balanced, here are a few ideas :

- For each station with this software installed, the user should pay something ( pay the installation of the system AND / OR pay a tax every hour it is used)

Ben2006 wrote: Mmm...I don't know, just because BenCo is buying the products and selling resources to you doesn't really justify a penalty for dealing with BenCo (which in reality BenCo is just another "race")
Transporters (Beamer) technology has been around for quite some time. The only dif is that BenCo has developed an Industrial Strength one, which they give freely to new customers to facilitate conducting Universal business. Players who use this technology still have to buy the resources at "Average Market Prices", and BenCo only pays "Average Market Prices for any purchases they make, so the profit margin in the end is not that great. Any added costs applied just for being able to deal with BenCo is not justified in my opinion.

- Drugs are very profitable and illegal, BenCo doesn't buy them.

Ben2006 wrote: Mmmm...the fact that one group of products are more profitable than another shouldn't bar BenCo from buying/selling them to the player. BenCo is just another race that has found a more efficient delivery system using existing Transporter technology. Why should BenCo or the Player be penalized for using a more efficient method of delivering wares, which thus causes sales/purchases to be a little quicker.
Drugs will sell out of stock all the time, no matter where you place your drug Factory, so there is no benefit to using BenCo with a drug fab anyhow.


Voila, they are just a few ideas. Tell me what you think

Ben2006 wrote: thanks for the response, but I don't feel that this is a cheat, nor does it require any penalty to the Player in order to justify it's use. Just my opinion. But, I truly do thank you for your opinions. Let me know how the system works for you.

I'll try this script tonight

[Ikaruga]

I tried it yesterday, and it works great


It's perfect for people who don't want to care about trading, handling and replacing TS ...

It's just : buy station, and forget.

Really good idea, really.


Would it be possible to make it so that if you use it on a HQ, it automatically buys resources for it ?

[Ben2006]

I tried it yesterday, and it works great


It's perfect for people who don't want to care about trading, handling and replacing TS ...

It's just : buy station, and forget.

Really good idea, really.


Would it be possible to make it so that if you use it on a HQ, it automatically buys resources for it ?[/quote]

Yes, it would be possible to do that. But, currently the script is set up for Factories that are "static" with their products and resources. Given that a HQ's product/resource mix can change alot during a given period of time, it is "dynamic", so a dynamic approach to the script would be required. Yes, that is easy to do, but I am working on other things right now and broadening the scope of this script to handle more than static Factories, isn't really a priority with me right now. Anyhow, glad you like the script.

[Thraxwhirl]

Hi, Ben.

This looks like an awesome script, and it's very much the kind of thing I'd love to have....

...Unfortunately, the DL link isn't working. I'm getting a message that says:

"We're Sorry, This Page Was Not Found. Feel Free To Search Below!"



Can you look into it, please?

Thanks.

Adam.

[andreslin]

I wish to have a try on this great script too. It's very unfortuante that the download link isn't working, plus Ben hasn't showed up for a really long time. i wonder if there's anyone who still got that script and willing to share with the rest.

[Taku]

Can Anybody Send this to my email who has this script, Please, Ben has decided to delete all his stuff, but his scripts were amazing, and i need this please send it to Snoozer34723@yahoo.com
I would very much appreaciate this!