[MOD] Mining/Trading Fleet ver0.03

[kspn]

Awesome update.

Just a quick question, will you be putting this onto Nexus soon?

I have installed the Experimental version, lets see how it goes

[Spacecop42]

I suggest you use X-Perimental instead of Experimental

[pesoda]

OK. Initial and X-perimental versions were uploaded to Nexus and added contributors' names. Enjoy to watch it.
https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/191

[Buzz2005]

my wing leader doesn't do anything, I set him up with tatertrade and then assign 4 other traders to him

all 4 traders are working perfectly, but wing leader does nothing, all have the same settings enabled

[Buzz2005]

just a update

it does not copy restrictions to sectors from tatertrade

[Elephant42]

This is awesome, been waiting for something like it to appear.

Any chance you could add a purely cosmetic wing option? - what I mean by that is forming a wing just for keeping the ship list organised. Each member of the wing still has completely independant orders. Not sure if this is possible but it would be great if it was...

[pesoda]

my wing leader doesn't do anything, I set him up with tatertrade and then assign 4 other traders to him

all 4 traders are working perfectly, but wing leader does nothing, all have the same settings enabled

just a update

it does not copy restrictions to sectors from tatertrade

Thanks for reporting. First one was not replayed on my environment today, so it seems to need some time. Second one was fixed by inserting a missing line.

ver0.03 X-perimental 3
https://www.mediafire.com/file/y9dms5eu ... 3_exp3.zip

Fixed: Did not copy restrictions to sectors from tatertrade.

Any chance you could add a purely cosmetic wing option? - what I mean by that is forming a wing just for keeping the ship list organised. Each member of the wing still has completely independant orders. Not sure if this is possible but it would be great if it was...

It's nice idea. Keeping independent orders in the wing is capable, not difficult. However, some additional idea is necessary to switch order mode (Keep independent, Same as commander, Vanilla, etc). For instance, if the new assignment commands are added to the menu of right click on ship, we can select order mode precisely and your idea will be realized.

[Buzz2005]

yes did not report back that I was stupid and the trader was full of left over wares

but when I have them in a wing with tatertrade every so often they put a fly and wait command to a place where the leader is

[Elephant42]

Any chance you could add a purely cosmetic wing option? - what I mean by that is forming a wing just for keeping the ship list organised. Each member of the wing still has completely independant orders. Not sure if this is possible but it would be great if it was...

It's nice idea. Keeping independent orders in the wing is capable, not difficult. However, some additional idea is necessary to switch order mode (Keep independent, Same as commander, Vanilla, etc). For instance, if the new assignment commands are added to the menu of right click on ship, we can select order mode precisely and your idea will be realized.

Many thanks, good luck and happy coding

[pesoda]

MTF ver0.03 was uploaded. This is almost same as latest X-perimental version.

yes did not report back that I was stupid and the trader was full of left over wares

but when I have them in a wing with tatertrade every so often they put a fly and wait command to a place where the leader is

Full cargo ships often stop their work and should be fixed. And maybe it was serious than I think because it will also happen when many subordinates' trade-wares are changed at same time. Possibly, an efficiency of their trading is degraded by existing wrong cargo (but I unchecked).
Easy way to avoid it is just dropping wrong cargo when their order is changed. But it's not cool. So, I'm going to let subordinates try to sell them at nearest station and start new task quickly.

Edit:
Above expectation is incorrect. Both wrong and right cargoes seem to be processed similarly.

The problem was investigated using a stuck AutoTrade ship (commander) and AutoMining ships. The stuck point was identified by following code and AutoTrade ship dropped cargo which made ship stuck. However, miners were not detected and their cargo is still full.

trade.find.free.xml

Code: Select all

<diff>
  <add sel="/aiscript/attention[1]/actions[1]/do_elseif[1]">
    <debug_text text="'Stuck pos 2: %1 (%2)'.[this.ship.knownname, this.ship.idcode]" />
    <do_if value="this.ship.isplayerowned">
      <debug_text text="'Cargo count=%1'.[this.ship.cargo.list.count]" />
      <do_all exact="this.ship.cargo.list.count" counter="$i">
        <set_value name="$ware" exact="this.ship.cargo.list.{$i}"/>
        <debug_text text="'stuck. cargo %1 (%2) was dropped. %3 (%4)'.[$ware.name, this.ship.cargo.{$ware}.count, this.ship.knownname, this.ship.idcode]" />
        <drop_cargo object="this.ship" ware="$ware" exact="this.ship.cargo.{$ware}.count"/>
        <!-- ** if list size is changed by dropping cargo, use do_all reverse **-->
      </do_all>
    </do_if>
  </add>
  </add>
</diff>

[pesoda]

"Fly and Wait" issue, subordinates frequently do that, was probably solved (thanks to Jebinator in Nexus). Now you can watch your fleets calmly.
The cause was MoveWait order which is called in lib.recall.subordinates.xml. Thus MoveWait order will be skipped if the commander and subordinates have a same default order.

Here, a test version was uploaded.
https://www.mediafire.com/file/lvjubflx ... 04_exp.rar

Behaviour of not MTF wings can also be affected from this change. Maybe some adjustment or restriction are necessary.

* * *

Procedure

1. The language file (t/0001-L044.xml) was searched by using a keyword, "Fly and Wait". The text-id was identified.
2. Full-text search was executed by using the text-id in aiscripts. MoveWait order was identified (order.move.wait.xml).
3. Anyway, all MoveWait orders in aiscripts that related to subordinates were removed.
4. It was confirmed that the problem doesn't occur.
5. Candidates were narrowed down. Consequently, above code was obtained.

Edit:
Added procedure.

[g_BonE]

Testing this currently with the latest TaterTrader release and found that some settings of the "lead ship" are not copied over to the subordinates. "check distance" flag and "scan speed" are reset to default values immediately and do not reflect what has been set in the leader. Also most of the ships seem to be sitting around idle and not do anything while they are subordinates.

[taintedxodus]

Its in need of updating for game version 2.20, orders to mine no longer get set on subordinates.

[Misunderstood Wookie]

Bugger I was about to install.
I am seriously starting to get frustrated with doing it the way base game tells me and only solution to see what is going on is to shove all traders in a wing manually and configure the behaviours ship by ship.

[Vectorial1024]

Seeing that this mod has gone inactive, as a somewhat experienced programmer and modder myself, I have updated this mod to be compatible with vanilla game v2.50. It is available here: viewtopic.php?f=181&t=418144

The <run_script/> XML tag has been heavily abused utilized to simulate function calls inside aiscripts. This allows the internal code to be more modular and tidied.

The update also responded to the original mod's problems:

• Partially solved. Real-time updating of wares and distances. detail

Still adopts the dock-sync approach, but also allowed subordinates to sync with their commanders when they subordinates dock.

• In progress. Subordinates frequently take a coffee break (“Fly and Wait”) between tasks (eventually they return to work, so may not a problem). detail
  - According to the report, “Fly and Wait” may directs the commander’s position.

Subordinates are excluded from the commander's Recall Subordinates if they are part of the "civilian fleet".

• Subordinates can only have same default order as the commander. E.g. They cannot protect ships in the same wing.
  - For now, you can request unassigned ships or different wings to escort them.
  - I think one of the solutions is that adding assignment commands to the right click menu of ships. (Alternative idea is also welcome.)

The updated version utilizes the Right Click API. Subordinates intended to perform trading or mining activities should be assigned to their commanders using the new "form/join [...] fleet" buttons. UI scripts are used to force normally impossible "trade" and "mining" assignments onto such ships. This allows the game to signal fighters to protect the commander as usual, while allowing civilian ships to work in the same fleet doing something else.

• Compatibility with many order mods.
  - In order to solve it fundamentally, the basal framework of this mod should be changed over from aiscripts to UI because the function for enumerating order-params is only provided to UI.

Partially responded; used Right Click API and UI scripts to handle assignments, but still used aiscripts to actually give assignments. I think it is impossible to avoid using aiscripts, as they are the only way for us to intercept certain events without needing to know the event target before hand, compared to MD scripts (and aiscripts work).