[X3] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots

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Kor'ah
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[X3] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots

Post by Kor'ah » Mon, 14. Jan 08, 01:42

Updated: 16Jan08

Overview: A short Guide for traing AI pilots to fly Commercial Agent (CAG) and Commodity Logistics Software MK1&2 (CLS1,CLS2) controled ships. No need to ever let a clueless rookie touch your money makers again. There will be some changes made to this guide to make it look better and add any addtional information.

All the information in this guide can be found on these forums but I've never seen it all collected into a single post.

Created useing "Bonuspackage 3.1.07"


The ship:

Discover S

Max Engine/rudder tuneings

Commodity Logistics Software MK2
Navigation Command Software MK1
Duplex Scanners (optional)
Trading System Extension
Special Command Software Mk1


Setting up the way points:

1: Ship menu
2: Commands
3: Addtional ship commands
4: Add/remove intermediate stops

*At this point it'll ask you to input numbers and pick station/wares Just follow my lead*

5: Input "0"
6: Universe map will pop up. Pick the target system and station.
7: Universe map yet again. Pickthe same target system and station as in step 6.
8: List of wares will now pop up. Highlight any ware on the list and hit enter.
9: Input "1"
10: Input "0"

That will configure a single stop. Do it three more times.


Double checking & saveing your work:

1: Ship menu
2: commands
3: Addtional ship commands
4: Configure intermediate stops
5: Input "0"
6: Input "0"
7: Input "0"

The Report generated will have the four stations listed and no wares mentioned. If you see that everything is good to go.

1: Ship menu
2: Commands
3: Configure intermediate stops
4: Input "6"
5: Input "0"
6: Input "1"

This will Save the route to the company server in slot zero with a friendly beep. 1-9 are still free for uses outside the scope of this guide.


Now to start the training:

*First procedure is only for training your very first pilot. All others after this will use the second procedure*

First Procedure
1: Ship menu
2: Commands
3: Trade
4: Start external commodity logistics


Second Procedure
1: Ship menu
2: Commands
3: Configure intermediate stops
4: Input "6"
5: Input "0"
6: Input "0" <-- Should hear a friendly beep
7: Esc back to commands
8: Trade
9: Start external commodity logistics

Watch the little Discover go. Now in 10.5 game hours and ~12,500 credits you'll have a fully trained CAG/CLS pilot. Once it hits "Freight Pilot" rank order the ship to dock somewhere safe.


Cleaning up the Mess:

1: Ship menu
2: Commands
3: Addtional ship commands
4: Configure intermediate stops
5: Input "1"
6: Input "0"
7: Input "0"

This will clear his waypoints and leave you with a totaly blank pilot ready for work. The waypoint information is tied to the pilot and not the ship. Just move him over to his TS ship and start training a new pilot with the discover. Use the Second start procedure in the previous section.


Moveing the Pilot to another ship:

1: Have both ships undocked. Both in the same system is prefered but not required.
2: Ship menu of the source ship (one with the trained pilot).
3: Commands
4: Special
5: Move pilot
6: Universe map will popup. Select the system and then the source ship.
7: Universe map will popup again. Select the system and then the destenation ship.
8: Universe map will popup one last time. Pick the station where the two ships will meet and swap pilots.

When the pilot is transfered to the new ship the game will give you a friendly beep.


Recomended Route:

Waypoint 1: Cloudbase Southwest - Free Argon Trade Station
Waypoint 2: Cloudbase Southeast - Free Argon Trade Station
Waypoint 3: Antigone Memorial - Free Argon Trade Station
Waypoint 4: Three Worlds - Free Argon Trade Station


Final Tips: (more will be added as time goes on)

-Homebase the training discovers at any factory you own. This allows you to use that factories "owned ships" list to keep track of them. M5s are near the bottom of the list so more imporant ships will always be above them. Pilot's paycheck comes from your personal wallet and not the factory's.

-If you don't use the "Recomended Route" Then have another thought out before hand. Just make sure it's low risk with no xenon and little (if any) pirate traffic. The boron sectors way down south is another area that's good to do this.

-Watch out for those annoying red lasertowers when planning the route.

-To give the training discovers a secondary use. Install "Fleet support software" and "Transporter Device". Now when these ships are not training a fresh pilot they can be used to ferry ship extensions around the northwest quarter of the galaxy.
Last edited by Kor'ah on Wed, 16. Jan 08, 04:16, edited 3 times in total.

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BugMeister
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Post by BugMeister » Mon, 14. Jan 08, 15:36

..what a good idea!

- I take my hat off to you, Kor'ah.. 8)

by way of further clarification.. I've prepared the instructions in leaflet format..
they are ready to print via Word - in 3 columns for easy folding..

- they're very handy to have nearby, when setting up a new agent

- I put them here, if you want to download a copy..
Commercial Agent - http://www.savefile.com/files/871963
Commodity Logistics Software Mk1 - http://www.savefile.com/files/872276
Commodity Logistics Software Mk2 - http://www.savefile.com/files/872287

- may the force be with you.. :wink:

EDIT - SAVEFILE WENT KAPUT - ALL FILES ARE LOST..
if anybody kept a copy - bung it to me via PM, and I'll re-post it somewhere safe(r)..!!
Last edited by BugMeister on Thu, 20. May 10, 16:04, edited 1 time in total.
- the whole universe is running in BETA mode - we're working on it.. beep..!! :D :thumb_up:

kc99
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Post by kc99 » Tue, 15. Jan 08, 00:01

I do this - it's a good, safe route to train up the pilots with lots of flight time and a minute stop over at each station. However, I don't bother with the Trading System Extension. What I've had happen is the training ships (5 Discoveries with speed and rudder as they were sold) just fly round and round the loop without doing any training courses so they don't level up, or cost anything to run. However, after a time, if I transfer a pilot to a ship that is to become a CAg/CLS trader, once you start the command all the previous flight time counts towards the pilots rank.

I've had several that have gone straight to Freighter Pilot 1st Class. I think its just a case of letting them fly round longer to get straight to Freighter Pilot.

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em3e3
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Post by em3e3 » Tue, 15. Jan 08, 00:46

I noticed the same thing happening in X2, an excellent way to train without paying!
8^)

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Kor'ah
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Post by Kor'ah » Tue, 15. Jan 08, 03:18

It's good to see those instruction leaflets as the first reply BugMeister.


I knew that omiting the tradeing system extnsion wouldn't effect pilot training. Didn't include it in the guide for three reasons.

-First the guide is geared for those with less experience with X3. Only need a basic understanding of the menu system for this guide. Giveing those players some form of feedback during the training is a good idea.

-Second the trick is somewhat of a loophole with the script. Since the script author has closed at least one loophole with CLS2 in the past I wouldn't be surprised to see this one go in a future Bonus pack.

-Across the training of 50 CAG/CLS pilots it'll only save you about 650,000 credits. Not really enough to be concerned with from my point of view.
[X3] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots
[X3T] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots in Terran Conflict

The mercenary code
There is no right or wrong.
There is no good or evil.
There is only the will of the client, and how much they're paying.

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Lucike
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Post by Lucike » Tue, 15. Jan 08, 07:57


*g* Yes, my driving school

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 56#2261956

Better is a mercury without tunings.

Greets
Lucike

jlehtone
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Post by jlehtone » Tue, 15. Jan 08, 09:55

Lucike wrote:*g* Yes, my driving school

Better is a mercury without tunings.
The speed of the ship does not really matter, does it? Being uncertain about the effectiveness of my sector patrols, I've donated Hydra to the school.


Furthermore, the training route is saved in company server, so a restart is simpler.

Btw, the "Move pilot" does not need "Special Commands" on either ship, only in the ship that issues the command (and that can be the playership).
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Kor'ah
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Post by Kor'ah » Tue, 15. Jan 08, 10:44

Over a fixed timeframe a slower speed ship will spend more time flying and less time docked, or do the same thing I laid out but keep it all in a single system or two.

I like the discover cause it allows me to kill two birds with one cheap stone. When not training they can be used to fetch, and deliver, the odd extension via Fleet support. When not doing anything at all they're tucked out of the away in an argon trade station.

Next batch of pilots I Train I'm going to tryout that company server. Rather program the racetrack once if at all possible. Then intergrate that into the guide.

Edit: Can't get the company server to work at all. BugMeister's word doc says it should be "{5} {x} {y}", yet useing that (with x/y correctly replaced with numbers) only gives me an error tone. After checking the Documentation post I can find no mention of this function in that thread.

I always though both ships needed "Special commands" installed. I'll have to check it out ingame first but running "move pilot" from the playership will have the universe map snap to the system the player is in each time it comes up? Always have run this command on the ship with the pilot that needed to be moved myself.
[X3] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots
[X3T] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots in Terran Conflict

The mercenary code
There is no right or wrong.
There is no good or evil.
There is only the will of the client, and how much they're paying.

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Post by jlehtone » Tue, 15. Jan 08, 15:25

:oops: The {5}{x}{y} is a translation/update error in documentation.

Original CLS2 had {2}{x}{y} as "delete waypoints". In this latest version that has changed to {5}{x}{y}, and company server is at {6}{x}{y}. Errata to documentation is in a comment of the Announcement thread at top of this Forum, but like snow in Sahara ... (I've followed literal instructions even though I already knew them to be wrong. Knowing and remembering are not the same thing.)


Yes, map opens at location of the caller of "Move pilot". Thus, having Special Command on board is convenient, although not obligatory.
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Kor'ah
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Post by Kor'ah » Wed, 16. Jan 08, 04:06

Thanks jlehtone.

Got it working and added to the guide along with a correction on the "move pilot" section.
[X3] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots
[X3T] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots in Terran Conflict

The mercenary code
There is no right or wrong.
There is no good or evil.
There is only the will of the client, and how much they're paying.

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BugMeister
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Post by BugMeister » Wed, 16. Jan 08, 05:33

Kor'ah wrote:Edit: Can't get the company server to work at all. BugMeister's word doc says it should be "{5} {x} {y}",
yet useing that (with x/y correctly replaced with numbers) only gives me an error tone.
After checking the Documentation post I can find no mention of this function in that thread.
there was a corresponding adjustment made to the original CLS Mk2 leaflet,
and it has already been updated to reflect this change (- last October, would you believe!)

the one available at present, via the link shown in my posting above is up-to-date..

- I must say, I do like the step-by-step approach you've adopted
- she's looking good - even a Split would grant you ranking points..

- neat work, Kor'ah! 8)
:x3:

PS: Discoverer.. spelling
- the whole universe is running in BETA mode - we're working on it.. beep..!! :D :thumb_up:

firefly28
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Post by firefly28 » Mon, 21. Jan 08, 17:56

I previously on this forum asked alot of cag questions and everyone was really patiant and helpful.(Im appreciative of this) I am able to use CAG basically but I have read only the first part of your post and already its been useful so Ive voted positivly for this topic. (Im sure as newbies come to the site , the use of an easy to find and use topic like this will become apparent)

CLS I wasnt sure about but Im going to read that part of your post now. I realise there is a cag manual which through time I did understand but to me it didnt detail the usage well enough(I figured it out but im guessing it may seem complicated to some newbies in the initial instance). Its good to have an example cag config from a succesful player, Im going to alter my setup to mirror yours , that way I have a great starting point, can view how it works in practice and can because of this confidently know what I need to change!

Great work!(I see users posting other referance links that have been updated, superb )

Edit-------
Yup this is exactly what Im looking for, Im going to open up the usage commands now and this should get me understanding them better. By the way the commodity logistics software link posted wasnt the docs I was reading initially . This is also a really good read.

Ok I follow this Im just making sure I understand though and am using the CLS document linked as a cross referance

The 5th is the transfer price per unit. The last input is the quantity to transfer. A positive number causes the pilot to load or buy and a negative number to unload or sell.

So in your first part of the topic you set a factory as a wp , then you set the buying price to 1credit and 0 as the transfer price of the good

Is that the logic behind how you are adding stations as wps without buying? I realise you expand on this Im just wandering if Im understanding how you are initially adding the waypoints without the ship making purchases :)


:x3: <------from clueless newbie :gruebel: to newbie fanatic :pirat: I is :mrgreen: :D

Kor'ah
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Post by Kor'ah » Tue, 22. Jan 08, 01:37

This is what happens at each of the four waypoints.

1: pilot flys to the station
2: Pilot docks
3: CLS goes on stanby for 60 seconds
4: He undocks and goes to the next station.


Steps 7&8 have exactly no effect on what happens but it is needed to pick something, inorder to procede. Since the chosen ware will never be in his price range and he is never asked to load/unload a ware he defaults to doing nothing at each stop.

Like in auto raceing if you take enough left turns you get good at it. Same basic thing is going on here with the CLS2 controled m5.
[X3] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots
[X3T] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots in Terran Conflict

The mercenary code
There is no right or wrong.
There is no good or evil.
There is only the will of the client, and how much they're paying.

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Post by jlehtone » Tue, 22. Jan 08, 08:10

firefly28 wrote:The 5th is the transfer price per unit. The last input is the quantity to transfer. A positive number causes the pilot to load or buy and a negative number to unload or sell.
Yes, except that in this special case (mentioned explicitly in the Readme) the logic goes:

Code: Select all

IF 0 == "Quantity to transfer"
THEN
  IF 1 == "Price"
  THEN
    ignore ware
    wait at station
    no transaction
  ELSE
    ..
ELSE
..
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Post by MadKelt » Wed, 23. Jan 08, 02:55

Or if you find the idea of ships running around not making profffittss culturally cringe worthy ( ie you're like me a tight a**e) - :shock:

I have found that a Rimes Factory L in 3 Worlds will train two CAG's relatively quickly and earn credits - (Argon + Borons love the stuff).

With both Wheat ands Ecells to buy it will give the two CAG newbies plenty of product to buy and in 9 sector radius all the stations you need to supply.

It will train my two ships in plenty of time to start work in a new complex by the time I build it and assuming your like me and enjoy other pursuits usually I have two more trained by my next forray into station building and being close to both races home sectors is as about as safe as you can be - just set and forget.

Well that's my 2 credit's worth!

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Post by Kor'ah » Wed, 23. Jan 08, 03:55

If you don't need an army of the little buggers the training factory/complex does just fine. I trained them like that for the longest time.

The key advantage of the racetrack method is that it can train more at once faster than any complex can. The credits you loseing out on omiting the training factory/complex is more than made up for haveing those high profit complexes running sooner with fully trained pilots.
[X3] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots
[X3T] Guide to training CAG and CLS1&2 pilots in Terran Conflict

The mercenary code
There is no right or wrong.
There is no good or evil.
There is only the will of the client, and how much they're paying.

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Carlo the Curious
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Post by Carlo the Curious » Wed, 23. Jan 08, 05:57

I actually do something similar to MadKelt - I have an LT/SQUASH complex in the same sector as my power complex (so jump drive capability doesn't really matter).

When I lose a CAG or CLS I swap the LT complex CLS1 over to replace it and buy a new one to work out of the power complex.

Since my game is at the stage where I don't often need new CAGs/CLSs, it works quite well. If I had to do it all again though I'd probably set up a training route as suggested.

MadKelt
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Post by MadKelt » Wed, 23. Jan 08, 06:09

I see your point -

I guess with me I tend to build in between blowing stuff up/shooting things - so my little training buddies are usually qualified by the time I get round to finding them real work - and it's a question of preference (I trashed my empire and started again when the modified "bug" hit me through the bonus pack glitch - oh the pain!!) - I was going to make some comment about realism in the game but that's just laughable! I fly the Hyperion!
Anyhoo wasn't meant as criticism merely an alternative.

jlehtone
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Post by jlehtone » Wed, 23. Jan 08, 09:01

Training a CAG in factory needs a bit of the 'Think'. If you start a new ship on a new empty factory, there is good chance that it advances one level before the resource stocks are full. Tech factories are better than Food, which are better than Bio/Mine, since they need more resources. SPP might be one of the worst.

Once the factory is already running steadily, a single Apprentice does not have enough work to train up quickly. You need another ship, that does only the selling. That keeps the resource stocks empty and trainee busy. But now the Tech fabs may no longer be ideal, as they may have limited market for their product. At least the weapon types do. Anything that sells as secondary sounds like a good school.

But there is another way. A bit more expensive to set up, but pays itself: traditional self-sufficient loop. Standalone SPP, Mine, Crystal array, and Bio-Food production line. An Apprentice CLS Mk1 can haul ECells from SPP to all three consumers. More trainees haul Silicon, Food, and Crystals. Or you can train CAG directly. Same as training on one factory, but with guarantee of market to exist. What you do with surplus energy is your profitsss.

A non-Apprentice CLS Mk2 on training route demands wage. That is worse than running around without making profitss, isn't it? But Apprentice remains a "free slave" if he cannot attend courses. And anyone with over ten flying hours can pass the Freight Pilot driving exam without any prior study sessions. A compromise perhaps even more cringy than either of the honest alternatives?
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karl_1_marx
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Post by karl_1_marx » Wed, 23. Jan 08, 18:51

Same problem with self-supporting complexes. So, yes, I'll still use it.

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