[Bonus Plugin] Station Manager

[Ruut]

The jumprange is set to 2 sectors. Can't get much shorter than that. And all the surrounding sectors have advanced satellites in them. I'm wondering if, for some weird reason, I need one in the same sector as the factory also (although I shouldn't, since the factory itself being there allows you to see prices).

Yess factories sector need satelite too.

[jlehtone]

One more gripe:

The Station Manager ignores the Intermediates setting of a complex.

So if one has a closed-loop complex, which is supposed to not let anyone touch its intermediates and a Station Manager from another station in range, then that SM ship can devastate the delicate balance of that complex. Sure, one can play with the prices, but that is only a workaround.

I can understand that the SM was made "early", when the Complex interface was still a moving target.

So I see three issues:
1. Automatic selling to EQdock that does not stock. Exploit.
2. Intermediates setting ignored. Closed loops in danger.
3. Astar lacks a configuration command. One cannot modify weights without script editor.

[Graxster]

What is the Scale of those factories?

If the Stott is L and the Farms are M, then the Stott can buy up to 2.5 times more than one Farm. More credits, more profit.

That would be great, except that the Freighter can't hold enough to fill up even a medium factory.

Yess factories sector need satelite too.

I placed an advanced satellite in the home sector and it didn't make any difference.

So in conclusion, this script is flawed a bit. It's been continuing no matter what I do. I just watched the following happen:

There's a Plankton Farm so close to my wheat farm that you can practically shoot it with your lasers from my factory's dock. It was completely empty of wheat. SM loaded up one of the freighters with wheat and sent it to Rolk's Drift (1,750 units of wheat, when the Plankton farm can hold over 3.000 units). So far neither of the two freighters has ever sold to the two plankton farms that are right next door to the wheat farm, even with the advanced satellite in there. The only thing that they do do in the home sector is purchase energy cells (which I can't tell if it's working properly or not, since there are no SPP's in the adjoining sectors, for all I know, if there were, it would send them there instead of buying close).

Anyway, if the market is tight, then this script needs babysitting to sell in the same sector (at least for me). Luckily there's such a shortage of wheat up there that even with a Large wheat farm it's always empty and there's always some other factory that needs it that's empty of it. So far I've had it set so that no other races can trade with it (so I can sell for the highest profit). I'm going to change that and although I won't be making as much money, I won't have the problem anymore, since other shippers will come and buy up all the wheat, forcing my freighters to simply buy and transfer energy cells.

I just had an idea. I'm going to put one of the pilots on Commercial Agent (CAG) and see if he'll sell to the in-sector plankton farms. I'll post the result here.

[Ruut]

I really don’t understand what you are talking about.
In my game, I have no problem with this interface.
Maybe you have a script that make this SM bug.

In my game if my Complex need a product my SM ship will go buy it and when my Intermediate product is full my SM ship will sell it at max price and all under Station settings and in moving to never been in range of enemy ships.

In my game this scripts is simply perfect.

One more gripe:

The Station Manager ignores the Intermediates setting of a complex.

So if one has a closed-loop complex, which is supposed to not let anyone touch its intermediates and a Station Manager from another station in range, then that SM ship can devastate the delicate balance of that complex. Sure, one can play with the prices, but that is only a workaround.

I can understand that the SM was made "early", when the Complex interface was still a moving target.

So I see three issues:
1. Automatic selling to EQdock that does not stock. Exploit.
2. Intermediates setting ignored. Closed loops in danger.
3. Astar lacks a configuration command. One cannot modify weights without script editor.

[jlehtone]

I really don’t understand what you are talking about.
In my game, I have no problem with this interface.
Maybe you have a script that make this SM bug.

In my game if my Complex need a product my SM ship will go buy it and when my Intermediate product is full my SM ship will sell it at max price and all under Station settings and in moving to never been in range of enemy ships.

that is different.

Have station A run Station Manager. Have Complex B with Intermediates set to None. The ship from A will go to B and buy/sell the intermediates of B. That is simply wrong. If anything approaches the intermediates of B, my fleet has orders to shoot to kill. Anything.

Of course the ship of A should trade the intermediates of A, as it does for you, but it has no right to even look at the direction of B. Not in my game.

Is the problem more clear now?

[Ruut]

I think you’d better install the x3_bonus_package_3.1.03.exe.
In this version Station manager follow order of intermediate product.
If buy mode, it will never sell if none mode, it will never use intermediate products.

[jlehtone]

I think you’d better install the x3_bonus_package_3.1.03.exe.
In this version Station manager follow order of intermediate product.

I do have 3.1.04, and I apparently still failed.

Station Manager may very well decide how it trades the intemediates of its homebase based on the setting of its homebase. Fine and dandy and I don't give a damn about it (although it is important too).

Example of my gripe:
Station A:
- Silicon Mine
- Station Manager TS
- Buy resource (Energy) at 20 cr

Complex B:
- SPP + energy consuming factory
- no ships
- Intermediates: None
- Intermediate ECells price 12 cr

The TS from A will fly to B and buy ECells (because no other SPP is in range). Station Manager of A clearly ignores the Intermediates setting of B. It harshly rapes and blunders the innocent Complex B against her will.

If I would like the B to sell its energy to outsiders, I would either assign a ship into B, or set Intermediates to 'Sell'. But I don't. Every ECell of B is needed by B. B is a closed loop.

For comparison, the Trade Mk1 would not violate the wishes of B. And Commercial Agent has two settings of its own to honour the privacy of B. But Station Manager is like ignorant bully.


It seems I have extra steam today.

[Ruut]

Have you try to put intermediate of B in buy mode only?

I have a complex with intermediate in buy mode and I never a violation of the rule.

[jlehtone]

Have you try to put intermediate of B in buy mode only?

That is not a solution. None should really mean none. I might as well have station C too, so one of A and C would buy and the other sell, and neither should touch B.

At current situation, I simply do not use Station Manager at all. I would like to, but I rather build a 100 mil of work-around stations with other scripts.

[blacktoe]

I just installed this bonus pack and can not find this option. I have all the other Station Manager related commands under the Ship>Commands>Additional Commands slot.

What am I missing?

Thanks,
BT

[jlehtone]

I just installed this bonus pack and can not find this option.

Which option?

[blacktoe]

The one that isin the subject: "Display Status"

I just installed this bonus pack and can not find this option.

Which option?

[henchman]

Noticed in earlier posts that apogee was having some lock up issues. I too have just experienced these and can't get past them. I don't know if this script is causing them or not but I have set all my autotraders to the 'none' command and cancelled the station manager on all stations but it still freezes at the same point, everytime.

I checked the global script tasks page from the script editor and noticed that even after cancelling station manager, it still appears in the list even after a few minutes have gone by. Is this normal?

Anyway, if anyone has any idea how to get past this issue I would be grateful.

edit: By the way, I was using version 3.1.02 of the bonus pack initially and just upgraded to 3.1.04 but this has made no difference.

[iniochos]

I do have a question here.

Does the script " Station Trader " by Naffarin is included in this bonus pack ?

If not, can be installed as well, without causing problem?

[Computertech]

I can get the option to have the station manager running on a factory, but when choosing a TL/TS (add ship option) the station manager will dissappear, have to choose it again, but will not keep the ship in the settings.

[blacktoe]

Did you run the "add/remove ship" command from the same slot as the "Station Manager" was running? If so, try running the "add/remove..." from an empty command slot.

Good luck!

I can get the option to have the station manager running on a factory, but when choosing a TL/TS (add ship option) the station manager will dissappear, have to choose it again, but will not keep the ship in the settings.

[Graxster]

IIRC, the "extra" commands such as Display Status, Prohibit Ware, etc are accessed by selecting one of the ships assigned to the factory, and from that ship's command console you can find those options, not from the factory's command console.

Any chance of this script ever utilizing jumpdrives?

[Jakesnake5]

No jumpdrive. It's not meant to be a sector trader (there's a script for that you know)

[jlehtone]

What is the maintenance status? I haven't noticed Burianek nor AalaarDB on the forum for a while.

[blacktoe]

I have the "Prohibit Ware" and "Set Jumprange" commands but no "Display Status" command. It's not relly a big deal, although I'm sure it would be useful.

IIRC, the "extra" commands such as Display Status, Prohibit Ware, etc are accessed by selecting one of the ships assigned to the factory, and from that ship's command console you can find those options, not from the factory's command console.

Any chance of this script ever utilizing jumpdrives?