[BONUS Plug-In] Advanced Trade Command Software MK1

[Graphil]

That's really great on the selling side. Yet another reason to use them on every ship.
I look forward to the rest of the undocumented tolerances.

[Aro]

Will your Universe Traders buy from your trading stations?

They do.

The buy price is 1684.

I read in the readme that products bought should have +1 cr.
Like crystals at 1685 instead of 1684.


Wonder what would happen if a lvl 25 universe trader is used for the BPH. They are interesting as sector traders.

[gasman]

Am I missing something? How do I know what level my pilots are, so I know when they will start selling?

[sq_paradox]

The level is displayed the same way as it is with Trade Mk.3 pilots, ie. at the end of there name is a number. They start at level 0 so there will be no number untill the reach level 1. This was a bit confusing to me at first, but I kind of figured it out from the fact that an ability is added at level 1, and how could that be added unless there was a level 0. I can't be sure but I think remember Trade Mk.3 pilots have a level 0 too, but I could be wrong.

[DemaeRamen]

What is it that the BPH pilots accumulate in order to go up levels?

I know they charge per run. Is it when those fees = x Cr they go up a level? I read they go up when they make profit but how do you make profit supplying but not selling.

And, while I'm at it, they don't half take a long time to level up, eh?

[Dgn Master]

Well i didn't want to have to go modified, but with 12 uni traders (easy to level if you move them around) making me alot of profits, i can't see why i would want to wait for level 6 in order to have 1 trader not be so stupid as to not sell the factories output.

I think i will install fate again (even though i get the lovely modified tag), as i can buy one ship and it is smart enough to know right off the start that it should sell things in stock.

Don't get me wrong i don't mind a bit of micro managing, but if i have to keep an eye on over 20 ships in a loop until one makes it to level 6 then have a free ship to move on whilst being bombarded by khaak and pirates in random places, this is not only tedious but quite painful. Alos i am left with no free time to take missions etc from the bbs.

Thanks for this script and for getting it signed, but i will go with a more logical alternative that actually give me time to enjoy the universe and not have to sit in my TL for hours on end waiting.

[Burianek]

Don't get me wrong i don't mind a bit of micro managing, but if i have to keep an eye on over 20 ships in a loop until one makes it to level 6 then have a free ship to move on ...

wouldn't you use sds for a loop?
bph isn't really designed for loop management.

[Dgn Master]

SDS supplies to only 3 factories, whereas there are 4 in a loop and it only delivers. I did figure out that you could reduce your ships down by using SDS, but even this isn't as economical as a single ship to run a factory (or as easy to track the ships). Once i have bought protection for the sector i plan to seed then the cost gets to be to much to bear if you also have to buy so many ships.

But as i said it is just a personal preferance that i should only need 1 ship per factory as keeping track of more than 1 in a hostile universe is just insanity in the micromanagment department.

[Burianek]

I see your point. I suppose the purists would tell you not everything is supposed to be easy But I hear you, the game should be about doing what you think is fun.

I think i will install fate again (even though i get the lovely modified tag)

*cough* check the site in my signature. *cough*



P.S. there's a newer version of FATE, it's called Xai Trade Command Software Mk1.1a, get it at www.xai-corp.tk

[Burianek]

I've tried to answer some questions I felt might have been missed....

Okay, I'll be as brief as I can. So, I have a total of three ships in my SPP loop. Two ships are selling EC's, and one ship is buying crystals. After I start using the new script, do I need to prohibit the two EC selling ships from trying to sell crystals? If the answer is yes to that, do I also need to prohibit my one crystal buying ship from trying to buy EC's then?

Nope BPH freighters will only buy resources and only sell products. You don't have to worry about them doing anything silly like selling all of your crystals so that your SPP can't produce.

Ok if I read everything correctly this is how it works in practice, I'll use a SPP with 1 buyer and 2 sellers as an example.
1. Buy the upgrade for my buyer and activate it and he will buy until reaching lvl 6.
2. Once he has reached lvl 6 Transfer the Pilot and upgrade to one of the sellers as he can now sell.
3. Repeat steps 1 & 2

A kinda weird way of doing things ( with well over 150 resource ships this would be way too painful)
If the pilot can only go up in lvls by making profit how is any of this possible when you can only buy from levels 1 - 5 (as far as I know just buying isn't considered profit)?????

2. I'm not sure if you can transfer pilots from one ship to another. I've never tried it, but the transfer pilot script is part of the universe trader package. I'm not sure it will work on BPH pilots. Perhaps ticaki can clarify, but I think the answer is no.
Your pilot will go up in level even if he's only buying, have no fear. The definition of profit isn't the literal (sell price - buy price), but rather buying for a "good deal" is considered profit.

But why do I only get Argon pilots? I want Teladi's.

The pilot is hired from the local bars / stations. If you want a teladi pilot, activate the BPH software in teladi space. (this is true for the universe trader as well) Note that in the readme it mentions that different races pilots may behave a bit differently ....

Wonder what would happen if a lvl 25 universe trader is used for the BPH.

BPH equipment is very different from universe trader extensions, and requires the pilot to learn a completely new set of skills. Knowledge in one area does not translate over to the new area.


General thoughts:
Yes this software will require some extra management of your frieghters. You'll have to train pilots and watch them, moving them from factory to factory to reflect their skill levels. I've actually grown quite fond of some of my pilots, and I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that they've finally made level 6 and can be used more or less to manage a factory all by themselves. This script is not intended to completely eliminate all of the trading management aspects of the game. It won't solve all of your problems. It actually will require more effort and thought to use optimally, but the payoff is that when you do get your new traders up and running, they are infinitely more efficient than the standard "robotic / automated" AI alogrithms that remotely control your ships under the standard buy/sell for best price routines. Humans need a little love and care, but there are some instances where you just gotta have a guy in the cockpit

[ticaki]

Ok if I read everything correctly this is how it works in practice, I'll use a SPP with 1 buyer and 2 sellers as an example.
1. Buy the upgrade for my buyer and activate it and he will buy until reaching lvl 6.
2. Once he has reached lvl 6 Transfer the Pilot and upgrade to one of the sellers as he can now sell.
3. Repeat steps 1 & 2

A kinda weird way of doing things ( with well over 150 resource ships this would be way too painful)
If the pilot can only go up in lvls by making profit how is any of this possible when you can only buy from levels 1 - 5 (as far as I know just buying isn't considered profit)?????

... but I think the answer is no.

nope the answer is Yes

Greets ticaki

[DuncanMc]

Hi,

my appreciation, the (signed) "intelligent" pilot scripts are are a real boon for those of us who want to keep the plot active during empire building...

Thank you.

Cheers,
Duncan

[DemaeRamen]

I think BPH is great.
It does take a while to level up but they're worth it.

But doesn't it mostly negate SDS? Unless you want to sell Energy or Ore/Silicon while delivering some to a factory your needy fabs BPH freighter will be picking up what SDS would be deliering anyway.

Also SDS would only be worthwhile with high yield mines and energy. Is that correct? Because, for example, I have Cahoonas with SDS: there's only enough made to support one fab so either all the recipients get partial requirements and produce more slowly or only one gets enough.

I guess that's cool if you have say a weapon forge that stops producing and requiring then SDS can give resources to the next. But if you check up a lot then it's unnecessary, no?

[frymaster]

they are designed for different needs

SDS is useful when you own a chain of factories (or a loop) where you basically want to supply yourself with specific goods from specific factories - high-yield silicon roid x supplies crystal fabs a and b, roid y supplies b and c, crystal fabs supply solar plants m,n and o, and one of them supplies everyone else while the rest sell for profit, or some similar (more efficient) setup.

BPH is useful for when you have a factory interacting with the NPCs - a standalone SPP couldn't use SDS and would be more efficient with a BPH supply ship and a seller ship (which could be replaced by a BPH ship once it levels up). In the above example, the crystal fabs still need food so you could use BPH food buyers (soja husk, cahoona bakeries or similar)

As such, BPH is more useful in the beginning, for smaller empires. Its main use in my empire will be (once they've leveled up at my standalone SPP and standalone wheat farm) buying for my equipment dock using the jumpdrive, but I need to wait for them to level up first

[ticaki]

*update*

only a small bugfix...

1. Goods prohibited - fixed
2. Teladi pilots - fixed

Greets ticaki

[frymaster]

(most of post edited as problem solved itself)

does the updated version of the script need restarting, or will the scripts automatically upgrade?

[frymaster]

hmm

I have a BPH ship (TS) that has been happily buying crystals for an SPP. as it has reached level 4 I have transferred it over to a TS for use in my equipment dock. The moment after I start the BPH script going, the game CTDs. If I reload and leave the computer on SETA without starting BPH, no crash. Whenever I enable BPH, crash.

I am uploading a save game file to my webspace as we speak.

anyone else had problems with trading stations?

EDIT: http://www.pgc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/X15.rar is my save if anyone knowledgable wants to have a look. The ship in question is in the current sector, in the station TSED-Frymaster Chandlers and is called TS-Chandlers-BPH

[Freggel.Doe]

hmm

I have a BPH ship (TS) that has been happily buying crystals for an SPP. as it has reached level 4 I have transferred it over to a TS for use in my equipment dock. The moment after I start the BPH script going, the game CTDs. If I reload and leave the computer on SETA without starting BPH, no crash. Whenever I enable BPH, crash.

I am uploading a save game file to my webspace as we speak.

anyone else had problems with trading stations?

EDIT: http://www.pgc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/X15.rar is my save if anyone knowledgable wants to have a look. The ship in question is in the current sector, in the station TSED-Frymaster Chandlers and is called TS-Chandlers-BPH

tried your savegame with my german version and got a ctd too. next try worked though and half an hour after restarting the bph the ship took off to buy some beta pacs.

greetings freggel

[ticaki]

(most of post edited as problem solved itself)

does the updated version of the script need restarting, or will the scripts automatically upgrade?

The script restarts automatically!

@frymaster
tonight i will take a look at your savegame, but i need your scriptfolder too!

Greets ticaki

[frymaster]

ok, will upload my script folder but it's basically all signed scripts (apart from the TP rename script)

EDIT: http://www.pgc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/scripts.rar