X3TC Chip Plant location

[darkwoe1209]

I'm about to start the HUB plot and figured i'd get to work on the massive chip plant complex. The only thing I'm worried about is the location.

I've already made a pretty good complex in the unknown sector near queens harbor, but no one is buying from it. I don't mind that, that complex will be used to arm my ships. But with the chip complex I want people to buy from it at all times after the HUB plot.

I'm really thinking about perpetual sin, no stations to get in the way, Paranid territory, with plenty of Silicon. But will people come to buy from it?

Also: How exactly do I use the tractor beam? Can I move asteroids?

[Morkonan]

...I'm really thinking about perpetual sin, no stations to get in the way, Paranid territory, with plenty of Silicon. But will people come to buy from it?

They will come. But, of course, they'll find out about it quicker if it's on a heavily traveled trade lane. If you find that it doesn't generate the volume of sales you'd like, get a player Trade Station (whatever it's called) and base some CAGs out of there to sell the chips to local factories. Use CLS pilots to transport the chips from your complex to your Trade stations

Also: How exactly do I use the tractor beam? Can I move asteroids?

Mount the Tractor Beam in a mount capable of equipping it in a ship that has the necessary power to power the beam. (I just use my Vidar and hotswap the weapon into one of my forward mounts, then set that mount up to a different firing configuration. ie: 1,2,3 or 4, etc.. ) Aim the reticle at a station, ship or artificial object that you own and pull the trigger. If you're within range, the beam will lock on to the target and you can tow it, no faster than 60kms, IIRC. Pull the trigger again to release. Remember that momentum will carry what you're towing for a short distance, though it would continue on its course if this was "real" space.

(Note: Some people prefer mounting the beam in a rear turret and then switching to that turret position in order to control the beam. I'm not fond of that method as the beam really doesn't care very much if it's stretched around a bit.)

You can move asteroids, but only if the asteroid has a mine on it that you own. You can not move asteroids that do not have one of your mines on them. Sometimes, it's worth throwing away a mine, just to be able to move an asteroid. If you do that, you can turn the mine "off" in its menu so it won't demand your attention for resources. You can only place mines on asteroids that appear in the map's property list, btw. Other asteroids will have to be either blown up or "bumped" out of the way with sufficiently strong shields. I wouldn't suggest bumping very large asteroids, though...

[darkwoe1209]

Ah it needs a mine, alright thanks. I was trying to sort out the asteroids in perpetual end but could not manage to move any of them.

Thanks for the info!

[Morkonan]

Ah it needs a mine, alright thanks. I was trying to sort out the asteroids in perpetual end but could not manage to move any of them.

Thanks for the info!

You're welcome!

PS - It is considered unsportsmanlike to park asteroids in front of Boron jump-gates, just to hear the last keening wails of Boron M5 pilots as they get a brief, close-up, view...

PPS - You can order a mine you own to "Self-Destruct." However, if you do this, the asteroid that it is on will also be destroyed, permanently. This is the only way to permanently remove asteroids that also appear on the Sector property list.

[pref]

I used TUS1 and Unknown sector South-West of Unholy descent. Not much traffic, but i can sell the chips with CAGs now that the HUB plot is done.

[oogs]

Ah it needs a mine, alright thanks. I was trying to sort out the asteroids in perpetual end but could not manage to move any of them.

Thanks for the info!

A lesson I learned: Use a smaller ship to move asteroids. While you might think you need a massive ship to move a massive asteroid, it happens to be that a massive ship is more likely to hit said asteroid and blow up. It's not like I've lost a mammoth this way .

Also, you can move stuff at up to 80m/s. However, the asteroids retain some momentum (not a lot).

[Graaf]

True, Centaurs are great movers.

[terryokc2]

In my X3TC game...Hollow Infinity has been working well in this capacity.

[Triaxx2]

If you're really looking to tow, but expecting Hostiles, the Galleon is my tug of choice for large ships. It's surprisingly small for being an M1.

Alternately, I really like the Pirate Centaur. It tows very nicely.

[jlehtone]

... the massive chip plant complex.

Please define "massive". Different players have quite different view on what magnitude is massive.

One aspect are the resource: Silicon. Mining by stations or mobile is bound to where there is Minerals, but there are plenty around. One can map the sectors, or make use of Complex Calculators that have already done that (but then there is less to explore and there is not much to explore in the game overall).

Wafers can be hauled though and so can Crystals. The selling point -- the Chip array -- can be elsewhere, thanks to Commodity Logistics Mk1. In fact, it could be in many places. The NPC Free Traders do not look far from their current location. Obviously, more dense galaxy map means more traders and thus more potential buyers, but covering multiple areas is good too; less traffic congestion.

As bonus, the Hub can alter geography.

From technical point of view, I don't want to visit sectors that have stations. Out of the way of both me and anything red is good. Luckily, both the player and the usual suspects can be predictable.

[jackelmyer]

I was a fan of the Unknown Sector furthest to the South East side of the universe. Near Queen's Harbor. Would very seldom (and I mean very seldom) get even a squad of pirates magicly popping into the sector. Of course I had no idea at the time I could move asteroids so my stupid complex spanned the whole sector.

[darkwoe1209]

Thanks everyone!

My complex is aimed to be 15 chip plants, and I've already used a complex calculator to determine all that it needs.

And Jackelmyer, I like that sector too, which is why I'm using it to make my weapon manufacturing complex for all my caps

[terryokc2]

Thanks everyone!

My complex is aimed to be 15 chip plants, and I've already used a complex calculator to determine all that it needs.

And Jackelmyer, I like that sector too, which is why I'm using it to make my weapon manufacturing complex for all my caps

If you can, take the time to move the roids where you need them...just so happened that I chose this sector for my hub plot as well. All the roids with silicon and ore...along with a couple of solar xl's, 15 chip plants, 8 teladianium, and food stuffs, the thing is 65 stations large. Definitely not a fan of having to go IS.

Just have to keep an eye out for the pesky pirates that might pop a base there on you...was a bit of an inconvenience to have to replace CAG's from pirate activity.

And good luck on your complex as well.

[sadron]

My chip plant complex is in the same Unknown Sector as my Headquarters, next to Clarity's End.

[jlehtone]

I do admit to have been defeated by the Boron.

So far I've trod along without a single station. Now I did got into the Chip delivery phase. I had gathered some along the way, but 53k is still missing. That would be more days than I'm able to play, so I have to scrap my principles and sulk in the corner.

Unlike the OP, I care not for beyond the Hub. Therefore, my first act on the new muddy path was to call the SY in Light of Heart and order six Mammoths. Their first mission was to load a full haul of Chip Construction Kits from the SY in Lucky Planets and activate them in that same sector. Twice. No "real Complex" by my counting, just an array of 36 Chip Plants welded together with tubes.

Commercial Agents may or may not be able to scavenge resources for it. Too fresh to know. Silicon is supplied by Commodity Logistics Mk2 from mobile mining teams that previously were feeding the Xenon Hub, before its appetite did change.

Lucky Planets is about as far from the Hub as possible; transportation costs are insignificant to me. I do now eye Argon and Teladi space for similar setup.


Mi Ton was sheer pleasure compared to this fella.


Towing

I did some of that in X3R. Before and after version 2.0. (Read: the initial really hard and final rather hard way.) Centaur was good, for I would lock first with frontal beam and turn 180, and later -- as the beam inevitably broke -- quickly relock with rear turret.

X3TC is easy compared to that. I would use Dragon. It is fast, so getting to the next Mine takes a bit less time. The towing speed is limited to 80m/s, so there no ship has advantage (unless it is slower than that).

[Nanook]

My chip plant complex is in the same Unknown Sector as my Headquarters, next to Clarity's End.

I'm not aware of any unknown sector next to Clarity's End in TC, which is what the OP is playing.

[darkwoe1209]

The HUB itself, and even the PHQ, is not my main concern. The biggest reason I wish to finish it is to get access to Terran stations after the Aldrin expansion.

My terran fleet will conquer all!

As soon as I finish scrapping up rocks for this boron here...

[Aragosnat]

Yeah plenty of places to build chip plexes as long as you keep them out of sight of gates that you enter from constanly. Glad you're sticking it out. Just wish steam was not so evil to my games. Hollow Infinity and barran shores are good places. Barron shores you dont need to tow the rouds and could set up a 76 self suporting chip plex with enough e-cells left over for a teladianium L fact. I have used Hollow Infinity with mobile miners on my last DiD that finished the plot.