Small 'supply software' guide

[deca.death]

Resupplying growing armada of ships in this game can be slow and tedious task to do yourself. That's why our good developers decided to include simple but, used rightly, very effective tool /script in a form of 'supply software' ship upgrade. Supply software has several self explanatory options but, as true for most of this game features, has some specific quirks and peculiarities that are not not so obvious. After some beginning problems and casualties (1 TS, RIP) I believe that I devised relatively effective way of resupplying majority of vessels in quickest and safest way possible, and one of specific characteristic of this amazing game is the constant inflow of fresh newbies so I don't doubt that my simple observations will actually be useful to someone.

Requirements:

CARGO SUPPLY SHIP
Springblossom (or fastest TS you could acquire, like Mistral or Caiman, basic variants will do)
-trade software mk1 & mk2
-special command software
-supply command software
-navigation command software
-transporter device
-duplex scanner
-jumpdrive
optional:
Weapons are really not needed but I use 8+4 eEMPC and 2 pSSC anyway, just for basic sidearm
-fight command software mk1 & mk2
-triplex scanner
-boost extension
-SETA


SPECIAL SUPPLY SHIP
Kestrel (or fastest M size cargo bay M5 you can acquire)
-trade software mk1 & mk2
-special command software
-supply software
-transporter device


DUMMY SHIP
-ship type irrelevant, I use M3
-no cargo, guns and weapons whatsoever! empty ship.
-all software and equipment improvements you require on your Target EXCEPT equipment you have on SPECIAL SUPPLY SHIP
for example (terraformer standard warship issue equipment):

-navigation command software
-fight command software mk1 & mk2
-boost extension
-freight scanner
-SETA
-trade system extension
-triplex scanner
-docking computer
-jumpdrive


TARGET
This would naturally be the ship you want to equip. If you want some of equipment used in your Kestrel (like trade software or special software) you will have to add manually. Only thing target really needs is the transporter device and obviously enough room to accept needed cargo.


Procedure:
Put you Target in some safe race prime sector, few Km's above trade lanes, in space. Do the same for Dummy ship (they don't have to be in a same sector).

You will use SB to fill ship with required weapons and cargo, select special>resupply ship and then enter required items. Command executes after each item, unfortunately you cannot issue multiple commands in succession. Beware that Target will automatically equip provided guns in first slot available - so acquire guns in right order - from front to back (for example in a case of destroyer you will acquire PPC's first, probably for front, left and right battery, in same order they appear when you hit "G") Same goes for e-cells, missiles, boarding pods or any other item/cargo/weapon you can think of. SB will use jumpdrive (check appropriate options in ship command menu) in search of any known selling point of required item and it is fast enough to resupply a ship in a few minutes, providing there are enough of required items in space.
Few things though:

SB will fetch one selling place at the time and then return. SB will not collect all of required items (say, one type of weapon) and then return, even if would be more practical and has free space to do so. That means you do not need much of cargo space but you do need much of e-cells. I use around 1500 for SB. and even that doesn't last long. Only thing you need to keep an eye to is that ship has enough fuel. If it doesn't he will not resupply fuel and will use normal travel through gates, even through enemy sectors. SB is fastest and safest ship possible but still... watch for that fuel.

One small note, on occasion certain goods can disappear from selectable resupply goods, especially after you just bought/supplied many, that only means they are temporary unavailable and will be added to a list later.

Kestrel will be used to equip Target with all software upgrades. We will use special>equip ship like command and then select DUMMY SHIP, then Target. Kestrel needs no jumpdrive (because of obvious reasons). Reasons why DUMMY SHIP cannot have same equipment as Kestrel (and same reason why you cannot use SB for this task) is because stupid supply ship will give all required equipment, even one needed to continue his job, like transporter device and supply software. That's why you will add that equipment (if needed), and transporter device manually, prior to supplying.


That's it for now. You will never have to shop whole damn universe for few stinking missiles or squash mines ever again :-) Suggestions and alternatives welcome, If I forgot something I will include/edit that latter.


EDIT1:

Few things to add. It looks like the 'supply software' actually scans for equipment /goods only in certain radius from it's current position. Although that radius is pretty large this means that it might be a good thing to choose sector of resupplying somewhere in the middle of well developed and supplied core sectors. Similar thing, if you need specific race weapons or equipment, make your supply base in sector close to target race.

If you for some reason need your SUPPLY SHIP to resume previous commands after resupply (for example to get away from dangerous sector or to return to it's base position) make it a part of wing which follows desired command. You will issue commands to supply ship via 'wing command menu', selecting specific SUPPLY SHIP there. After resupply, ship will resume default wing command.

[johnnywas]

sounds neat. I shall try it

I use a ship transporter (magnetar) and small m5s fitted with jumpdrives and software to equip new ships but its not automatic by any means

[Laden Swallow]

Suggestion 1:

If using this software instead of CLS mk2 software (bonus pack), something to consider is that this command doesn't automatically repeat. This means that your supply ship will fly to the destination and once the target ship is completely resupplied stop there. To stop this from happening (particularly in dangerous space), assign the supply ship to a wing (which has the added benefit of making the supply ship easier to find) and assign a wing command to follow a satellite or ship on standby in a safe sector, then when you need to use the resupply order, enter the wing command console and use the ship's individual command console to order the resupply as normal. The effect of this is that when the resupply order finishes, the ship will revert to the wing command which is to essentially fly back to a safe sector. Because the wing command is a non-terminating command itself (like for instance, move to sector ends when you enter the sector), this will be a one time only deal, you just need to do this once per wing.

Suggestion 2:

If you have multiple ships that you want to equip in the same manner, have them follow an individual ship that you wish to equip, or assign them to a wing. If you now issue an 'equip ship like' order then it will equip all the ships following, or all the ships in the same wing, in the same manner.

[kurush]

Did anybody manage to make the "Equip ships like" command to equip multiple ships in one turn? I remember following a leader works for resupply but not for equipping. The real bummer for equipping is that you cannot do anything with engine/rudder tunings. A real issue for mass-produced Falcon Sentinels

[deca.death]

Suggestion 2:

If you have multiple ships that you want to equip in the same manner, have them follow an individual ship that you wish to equip, or assign them to a wing. If you now issue an 'equip ship like' order then it will equip all the ships following, or all the ships in the same wing, in the same manner.

Is it equip ship like or resupply ship then?

thanx for the input, I included suggestions in guide.