[Bonus Plugin] Commercial Agent

[Carlo the Curious]

You can change homebase by setting command to none, changing the homebase, and re-selecting 'Start commercial rep'. The CAG will keep it's rank, but I'm not sure about the settings.

[Brinnie]

You can change homebase by setting command to none, changing the homebase, and re-selecting 'Start commercial rep'. The CAG will keep it's rank, but I'm not sure about the settings.

Thanks.

That was quick.

-.-.-.-.-

*** EDIT ***

I found out what was wrong with the CAGs not giving a report.

It seems the way I had named them interfered with it, I had called them:
"-=[][][][] {Chorizo}... ". I think it didn't like the "-=[][][][]" part , I have removed it and now the CAGs are reporting correctly.

[Karlfrans]

Uh, I'm trying to use this with the Dock Ware Manager, but when I start the CAG it's on standby all the time, even though I've placed satelites in the nearby sectors. Anyone else who have had this problem?

What level CAG, and what kind of station/complex?

L1 CAGs won't sell, so if there are no resources needed they'll do nothing. They also need to be a certain level to work for a dock, or to trade in intermediate products. Enemy activity can also cause them to go to standby.

Well, I'm using it with my HQ, it's only level 1, so that's probably the problem. Just thought it could, since the description says level 1 can buy resources, and when I have a ship in the production que it needs resources. Seemed obvious to me, oh well thanks for the help anyway

[Psycho0124]

\
Well, I'm using it with my HQ, it's only level 1, so that's probably the problem. Just thought it could, since the description says level 1 can buy resources, and when I have a ship in the production que it needs resources. Seemed obvious to me, oh well thanks for the help anyway

I regularly train new (level 1) cags at the HQ..
You might not have the necessary ware slots in the station yet. You must either add the wares manually or scrap a ship large enough to provide at least 1 of each ware type (a pirate buster/vulcher at 50%+ hull should work) . Once you have the wares listed, you should set some storage space for them.
More info on setting this up here:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=204755
Even a level 1 cag will buy wares for your HQ if the slot is there and theres creds in its account.

On another note about cags and the PHQ,
I have a question about this cag configuration:

Input - {3} {7} {G}
Freighter Pilot or higher: Intermediate products are sold when stock is above G% (default 80%)

First off, are goods in the PHQ considered Intermediate products? If they are and I were to change this to 100% for a cag working at the PHQ, will it sell wares that are at a level above the stations set "ware storage space"? The cags respect the ware storage space when buying goods but it does seem like selling wares at specific levels only works for hard coded values at stations/complexes. Is this correct?

[Avlar123]

Edit: Deleted, I'm an idiot.

Sidenote: I wonder if they fixed it so stuff respects the stock limit on the PHQ? If not how do we work around that, w/o micro.

[Psycho0124]

They seem to respect the ware limits from what I have seen. Occasionally there will be a huge surplus of one ware show up but I spotted a cag from another station leaving just when this happened. The Cags at the HQ itsself will not buy if the ware level is at or near the limit.

[Karlfrans]

\
Well, I'm using it with my HQ, it's only level 1, so that's probably the problem. Just thought it could, since the description says level 1 can buy resources, and when I have a ship in the production que it needs resources. Seemed obvious to me, oh well thanks for the help anyway

I regularly train new (level 1) cags at the HQ..
You might not have the necessary ware slots in the station yet. You must either add the wares manually or scrap a ship large enough to provide at least 1 of each ware type (a pirate buster/vulcher at 50%+ hull should work) . Once you have the wares listed, you should set some storage space for them.
More info on setting this up here:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=204755
Even a level 1 cag will buy wares for your HQ if the slot is there and theres creds in its account.

Did all that, and it doesn't work with a fully leveled up CAG, which is very annoying, since they said in the Dock Ware Manager thread, that the CAG was the only one that worked with the HQ..

I've added all the resources manually and added a limit to them. I've also added a ship to the produciton que, so the HQ has a "need" for resources. I have, earlier, scrapped a couple of ships.
And it still says "CAG on standby..", the HQ is placed in Avarice, but that shouldn't make a difference AFAIK.
The CAG I'm trying to use to buy resources for the HQ is a Caiman with all the softwares installed (lol yeah, i know).
What am I doing wrong? Too many softwares? Avarice's a bad sector for this? Or what?

[Psycho0124]

Does the HQ have the funds to pay for materials?
Is the jump range (in the station config) set large enough to find the materials?
Are the prices (in the station config) set high enough to purchase the goods?
Are you sure the CAGs are homebased at the HQ?
Have you tried a reset of the CAGs configuration? (enter 3, 0, 0 in the cags config.)

Every time I have told a cag to "Start Commercial Representation" at the HQ, it immediately started buying up materials and spending money like mad. Even a level 1 cag should do this (albeit slowly as it will not use a jump drive).

[Karlfrans]

Does the HQ have the funds to pay for materials?
Is the jump range (in the station config) set large enough to find the materials?
Are the prices (in the station config) set high enough to purchase the goods?
Are you sure the CAGs are homebased at the HQ?
Have you tried a reset of the CAGs configuration? (enter 3, 0, 0 in the cags config.)

Every time I have told a cag to "Start Commercial Representation" at the HQ, it immediately started buying up materials and spending money like mad. Even a level 1 cag should do this (albeit slowly as it will not use a jump drive).

Yes
Yes
Yes
No

But I actually got it to work now:
There was a single ware (25MJ shields) that wasn't given a limit, since it was only added by accident. When I added a limit for it, the CAG suddenly worked like you've described. Seemingly every ware has to have a limit.

[Brinnie]

I had this idea to train CAGs but it doesn't work , can somebody explain why.


I have the HQ and a complex in Elena's Fortune , the complex is 2 Solar P XL plus all the factories required to support them, with the exception of crystal fabs, I left crystal production in the red on purpose (1 Fab L instead of 4).
The idea was to set an apprentice CAG homed at complex to jump range 0, while another TS delivered crystals to the HQ (set trade with other races to NO)
I expected the CAG to go and buy the crystals from the HQ as there is no alternative in the sector, I checked the prices at both the complex and the HQ, but he doesn't wanna know.
Actually according to the price setting menu in the complex, the closest source of crystals for the specified price is 2 sectors away when it should really be the HQ.

I have removed the CAG trade barrier at the HQ.

[Psycho0124]

But I actually got it to work now:
There was a single ware (25MJ shields) that wasn't given a limit, since it was only added by accident. When I added a limit for it, the CAG suddenly worked like you've described. Seemingly every ware has to have a limit.

Good to hear. Thats a weird one though.. I scrapped a ship without checking its cargo bay once and a B-PPC ended up in the wares. Wondering why my HQ always seemed to be out of money, I checked and found that the cags had been on a shopping spree because of the missing ware limit. Odd that they didn't do the same to you..

I had this idea to train CAGs but it doesn't work , can somebody explain why.

...I left crystal production in the red on purpose (1 Fab L instead of 4)...

Cags at level 1 will only buy Resources (wares that the station/complex needs but does not produce). By producing just a few crystals at your complex, you make crystals an intermediate rather than a resource and so your level 1 cags cannot purchase it. To deal in intermediate wares, your cag will need to be a Freighter pilot 2nd class or higher.

Freighter pilot 2nd class
The freighter pilot 2nd class can handle intermediate products of a complex in addition to its products and resources...

[Brinnie]

Psycho0124 - - - "...By producing just a few crystals at your complex, you make crystals an intermediate rather than a resource and so your level 1 cags cannot purchase it."

I see , so my complex has no true resources. If for instance I hadn't added any crystal fabs to the complex my training scheme would have worked.

SOL PL - SIL MINE - BOGAS - BOFU - CRYSTAL


Just to see if I understand:

1- I could attach a rastar refinery to the complex and follow the original "training plan" .

or

2 - I could build a refinery and not connect it to the complex that way the trainee CAG based there would also train by getting E.C.s from my complex.

in case 2 how would I stop the CAGs from the nearby complex selling ECs to the Refinery?

one last thing, what counts as far as CAG training goes, the amount of money in the transactions or the amount of trips made?


Thanks.

[Psycho0124]

Just to see if I understand:

1- I could attach a rastar refinery to the complex and follow the original "training plan" .

or

2 - I could build a refinery and not connect it to the complex that way the trainee CAG based there would also train by getting E.C.s from my complex.

1: Yes. The trainee Cag would happily gather up Chelt Meat to supply the Rastar Refinery and gain levels in the process.

2: Yes. You will need to keep the stand-alone factory stocked with credits at first so the Cag can purchase the E-cells (he wont be selling any products yet so the station will run dry on funds at first).

Cags are leveled by flight time as far as I know. Be sure they have a Trading System Extension installed though. Without it, the cag will never level regardless of how long you baby-sit it.

Glad I could help ya

[Brinnie]

>>> Psycho0124

Thanks again.

[ORIOLE]

Could I use this script with the Extended HQ script?

Has anyone used it successfully?

Thanks!

[Karlfrans]

But I actually got it to work now:
There was a single ware (25MJ shields) that wasn't given a limit, since it was only added by accident. When I added a limit for it, the CAG suddenly worked like you've described. Seemingly every ware has to have a limit.

Good to hear. Thats a weird one though.. I scrapped a ship without checking its cargo bay once and a B-PPC ended up in the wares. Wondering why my HQ always seemed to be out of money, I checked and found that the cags had been on a shopping spree because of the missing ware limit. Odd that they didn't do the same to you..

Hmm, this is certainly a weird one. Now I stopped the CAG (because I was so certain it worked, that I didn't want it to use all my money), and when I started it again, it's on standby all the time. From time to time it has bought some energy cells, but that shopping run ended when there where about 4500 energy cells in the HQ.. I've tried resetting it, without luck.
So I'm thinking, is the Dock Ware Manager's limit in units of a ware or units of cargo space? (Not that it should matter with energycells)

[jlehtone]

I do have the PHQ and CAG on it, buying. Only the ship building resources have limits set, but station stocks all weapons too. CAG does buy.

For a time the CAG did refuse to buy b/gPPC. For simple reason: the PHQ already had more PPC than the CAG ship could haul at once. That is the implicit limit (at PHQ) obeyed by CAG.

CLS Mk1 does obey the ware limits too.

[Hellaspooty]

Ya so i got some Commercial Agents and so i'm trying to get them to work and i did so i got more but i can't get anybody hired or well the start commercial agent won't come up on my new ship i bought so i tried to check my other CA and stopped him from working and now he won't work so any advice would be good.

[Naughtulus]

I've trained a CT up to Frieghter level and have ecquipped him with all of the items listed in the OP. He will not utilize his jump drive although he carries 40 energy cells with him wherever he goes. Given that he has also purchased himself some drones as well as some mosquito missles for missle defense I know what the script is at least partially working. Unfortunately, unless I can figure out how to get him to use his jump drive, he really isn't that useful.

Any suggestions?

[jlehtone]

... with all of the items listed in the OP.

Really? I do not see "Video Enhancement Goggles" (VEG) in OP, which is outdated anyway. Perhaps you used the list in the "Bonuspack Readme" that is installed on your own computer? (As that is up to date.)

And that Readme says: "jump only in emergency". Yes, if the ship has VEG, then it will not jump for trade, but is able to do a short (40 ecells == 3 sectors for TS) jump when attacked. Some may consider a jumping trader an "unfair advantage", but accept the life-saving use of the jumpdrive. Or the continuous consumption of fuel is worse for profits than the lack of speed on long routes, and the loss of cargobay to fuel tanks ... For those players the "VEG disables jumping" is a gift.