[SCRIPT] Auto Prep Ships v1.3 [2010-09-24]

[ThisIsHarsh]

Yet another feature request As I'm using AutoPrep almost as often as Lucike's trading scripts ( = a *lot* ) I feel the need for a tiny bit of automation...more or less like the X3R "sector mother".

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=175572

Set a home sector, jump range and a supply base and the prepper starts working, i.e. delivering shields and ecells. Oh, and talking about supply bases, is it at all possible to make a shield producing complex the preppers supply base ?

I definitely wanna go in that direction, maybe with a combination of this script and my Manual Trade Extension script, to build one higher level of (micro)management. Still fiddling with a couple of other scripts right now, but it's a good idea for a future project.

[Feuerriese]

I definitely wanna go in that direction

A player-owned logistics division ?

[rubberman]

Successfully using the script to prepare fighters for addition to the fleet. It reduces the time & micro management needed to refit a fleet carrier following battle.

[ThisIsHarsh]

Successfully using the script to prepare fighters for addition to the fleet. It reduces the time & micro management needed to refit a fleet carrier following battle.

Oh yeah, and crucially for me, without cheating equipment/upgrades/tunings. Pure automation without game mechanic changes - that was the real challenge writing this plugin.

I actually originally designed it to help me repair and upgrade salvaged ships (i.e. ships capped via NPC Bailing Addon + Salvage Commands). But like you, I've recently been finding it useful for prepping replacement fighters for my "carrier" (*ahem* Elephant). [Really wanna get rep raised enough for a Panther, dammit - so hard to do when avoiding missions]

[LtPinback]

Ok this scripts is so good and useful that I use it in every ship I buy or cap . Thus a problems came up.

1. When running the script to equip and upgrade a big class ship like TL (those that can only dock in ED, Shipyards, Military Outposts and HQs) at the point when the autoprep TM jumps back into the system where the TL ship is in. The TM and the TL are issued with a follow order so they come together. Once they are close the autoprep TM launches a supply ship that docks into the nearest factory or station in order to transfer the wares. At the same time the TL is also ordered to dock at the same station and thus if it is no suitable for big ships to dock the TL stops and the whole this stops working.

So my suggestion is to make the script aware of this so it does not happen and as a suggestion make the Autoprep TM be able to check if the target ship is able to dock ships and if so instead of sending the supply ship to a nearby station make it go and dock directly to the target ship, transfer wares and comeback.


Addendum: I use Falcon Haulers as supply ships so they can transfer the Ore Collector. I am not sure what will happen when issuing a autoprep command including the Ore Collector when the supply ship is not able to buy it. (does it get ignored or does it stop in a buying ware infinite loop?) It will be nice for the script to check this also and warn that the supply ship is not able to comply and suggest to get an abler supply ship or something to that effect.

[ThisIsHarsh]

Ok this scripts is so good and useful that I use it in every ship I buy or cap . Thus a problems came up.

1. When running the script to equip and upgrade a big class ship like TL (those that can only dock in ED, Shipyards, Military Outposts and HQs) at the point when the autoprep TM jumps back into the system where the TL ship is in. The TM and the TL are issued with a follow order so they come together. Once they are close the autoprep TM launches a supply ship that docks into the nearest factory or station in order to transfer the wares. At the same time the TL is also ordered to dock at the same station and thus if it is no suitable for big ships to dock the TL stops and the whole this stops working.

So my suggestion is to make the script aware of this so it does not happen and as a suggestion make the Autoprep TM be able to check if the target ship is able to dock ships and if so instead of sending the supply ship to a nearby station make it go and dock directly to the target ship, transfer wares and comeback.


Addendum: I use Falcon Haulers as supply ships so they can transfer the Ore Collector. I am not sure what will happen when issuing a autoprep command including the Ore Collector when the supply ship is not able to buy it. (does it get ignored or does it stop in a buying ware infinite loop?) It will be nice for the script to check this also and warn that the supply ship is not able to comply and suggest to get an abler supply ship or something to that effect.

Brilliant feedback, thanks. I will look into the docking issue.

I think (don't have script handy to look at) that it will indeed sit in a loop trying to buy the XL Ore Collector.

One of the main things I've been meaning for a while to add to this plugin is warning/error messages.

There are also a couple other fixes I've yet to release, most notably with the System Override Software/Software Signature Scrambler combo, which needs special treatment.

I've had less time than usual to play with X3TC recently, but tweaking this plugin is high on my todo list.

[Zero12345678]

I am trying to use this script to equip all of my freighters with the proper software and get cargo/engine/rudder upgrades. It does not work at all as the ships almost immediately go back into standby. Am i just doing it wrong or is it not supposed to work like that?

i have tried with my freighters in wings and individually to copy another frigate of the exact same model with full upgrades.

[ThisIsHarsh]

I am trying to use this script to equip all of my freighters with the proper software and get cargo/engine/rudder upgrades. It does not work at all as the ships almost immediately go back into standby. Am i just doing it wrong or is it not supposed to work like that?

i have tried with my freighters in wings and individually to copy another frigate of the exact same model with full upgrades.

Does your prep ship have supply drone ships assigned? They are needed in order to buy upgrades for ships that can't dock at the carrier and transfer the upgrades after (I recommend Discoverers, they are cheap and can carry jumpdrives). Purchasing of cargo/rudder/engine tunings should work though. Perhaps you could provide a screenshot of the config menu before you issue the command, then I can check your configuration?

Again, something I keep meaning to add is error messages for situations like this. At the moment the plugin is a bit unfriendly when it gets into a situation it doesnt like. Quite a bit of work though, and got a few other scripts undergoing some major rework at the moment. But this is next on my list.

[MarioBr0]

OMG! this script is amazing.

it took me a vew hours sitting back watching what it does exactly and configurating it correctly, and i must say it was worth the time, this soooo much improves my gameplay. its really to bad egosoft doesnt think to much about such multiple command scripts. i specially love the fact that u can use single tasks in the script as well as do the whole program.

i was wondering tho, in myfirst vew trials i was in a sector without a EQ and it didnt work. elliminating all probable causes i also moved the operation to a sector with an EQ presentthen it worked halfway. (the other half was cheated softwares wich were not buyable at known stations so the autopreparing-ship would not start jumping, after that it 100% worked fine) i am not sure, so does it matter if u have a EQ there or not?

then i found a small bug... configurating the turrets of my mistral super freighter's where the TEMPLATE was set to PROTECT SHIP but all the new ships were set to MISSLE DEFENSE. i have not tryed the other configs yet but thot i let it know.

In case of improvements and new features i could fancy a vew things too:
The ''notify me when command completet'' (set from template) config integrated into the script. thats cause i use it not so much for preparing salvage ships but rather have self-build new vessels to be equipped. The salvage-ships i usually repair and then send to my HQ ro be recycled. they provide the right recources in the right proporsions to build new vessels with. This way i can also reduce the total emouth of scripts i have installed (eg. to run HQ propperly) --> avoiding any possible problems. thats why i would like the option where u can tell the AUTO-PREPAIRING-SHIP to go 'repair any vessels that needs repair in sector' rather then do idle on next station, after its done prepairing assingned ships.


Then theres a administrational issue i am having with the script,
right now i need to send 4 or 8 ships (salvage ship for example) to be prepaired into the sector where the are gonna be prepaired, have them done, send them on a mission and have a new batch freithers comming in to be prepaired. instead i would like to have more prepaired and unprepaired ships in the same sector in the same time as well as maybe have 2 ships carrying out AUTOPREP command on same ship type in same sector, so they can share the Mammouth-Stockship for fetching equipment. point is that all this ships are still having the same NAME (Your Mistral Super Freighter) so i would need to check their cargo or turrent commands to check wheter they are done or maybe still in progress with the auto-prepairing-ship. some automatic renaming for the vessels being processed by the auto-prepairing-ship would be really really usefull (to me).

a last fancy, for now, with the idea of having more ships prepairing multiple ships of SAME type, they would be able to share recourse (shields, guns eg.) but they will gonna need allot of it. therefor it would be great if u could select multiple ''homebases'' to fetch equiptment from.

In terms of automatisation, maybe u if u could tell the auto-prepairing-ship to automatically go upgrade any ship (from template and SAME TYPE AS template) that is in the SAME SECTOR that is NOT carriing aout any command. then u would only have to send in any salvage ship or selfbuild-ship of that SAME TYPE into the sector somewhere and it will be upgraded to ready-to-use-standards. personally i dont salvage to many Mistral Super Freithers but i like the blastclaws and its prototype.

those were my thots about it... and once more, i just using it 2 days and i realy like it! its defenetely somewhere in top of my MUST-HAVE-SCRIPTS-LIST.

keep up the good work, cheerse

EDIT: Death to the Xenon

[MarioBr0]

OFF TOPIC

My HQ is located in unknown sector next to Montelaar, and i am looking for a way to make my EQ sell cargobay extension rudder optimalisations engine tunings and all softwares/equiptments so i can keep the auto-prepairing vessel safely inside that sector and it doenst need to jumpout for any upgrade. the sector he visits to shop probabbly are pretty safe but it would make me feel better.

thx, Death to the Xenon

[Zero12345678]

Alright im not very good with images, so ill just list what i see.

First off, this is what i want to do:

I got 20 mistral superfreighters that i just bought from the OTAS shipyard and i have jumped them all to getsu fune. I want all 20 of them with all of the available software and the upgrades. I have another mistral super WITH all of the software and said upgrades that i could buy in getsu fune.

all of my freighters start out with supply command software, they also have only energy cells and shields in their cargo bay.

Here is what i tried:

i selected a wing of 10 of my mistral supers, went to the wing command console -> special.
Here it displays 3 options 1. Reprovision Wing, 2. Equip Wing Like, 3. Resupply Wing.
I chose Equip Wing Like and then selected the sector my template ship was at, and selected the ship.
After that, all of the mistral supers in my wing just went back to standby.

Next i tried just one mistral super. I went to the command console and see these two commands: Equip Ship Like and Upgrade Ship Like. Im assuming all of the other commands such as the collect wares, and mine minerals and re supply,fuel,arm commands are not part of the script.
I selected the Upgrade Ship Like and then selected my template ship and the mistral super itself. This caused my mistral super to go around getsu fune and buy up all of the software, BUT it would not upgrade its cargo bay,engines,or rudder.
The command was also listed as an unknown command when i checked my property menu and after it finished, it would just sit at the equipment dock.



Those are the only things i have tried so far. What exactly am i doing wrong? I didnt use freight drones or anything, but i assume freight drones cannot transport upgrades. Any help would be appreciated as its a real pain to upgrade the freighters manually and that is only 20 ships. And thats only 20 ships, cant wait till i have a fleet of multiple carriers with 60 fighters each...

[fragma]

Firstly, thanks for this script. Anything that makes micro-managing less annoying is good, and this script delivers!

I noticed just a small error in the "Upgrade ship like..." scripts. The command works perfectly, but it shows "Unknown Command!" on the current command for ships running it. I managed to fix it with the in-game script editor:

File 1. plugin.prep.cmd.upglike

Code: Select all

001   set script command: COMMAND_TYPE_SPECIAL_34

changed to:

Code: Select all

001   set script command: COMMAND_PREP_UPGLIKE

File 2. plugin.prep.upglike

Code: Select all

003   [THIS] -> set command: COMMAND_TYPE_SPECIAL_34

changed to:

Code: Select all

003   [THIS] -> set command: COMMAND_PREP_UPGLIKE

[MarioBr0]

well, the things u trying are not the scripts commands... those are all EGOSOFT-stock commands.

u need a TM (Transport-Mllitary class vessel) to run the auto-prep commands on, with the TM u gonna make a list where u include those 20 OTAS-Freithers.
i would not include them in a wing, u dont need to since the autoprep-script will do it for u if u want him to and u dont need it at all cause u dont need to give the 20freithers ANY command (just leave them in the shipjard,) again the script is gonna do everything for u.

but probably u should ready the frist pages of this theart to get going... (maybe next time read those FIRST before u asking anything)

[fragma]

Like MarioBr0 said, the wing commands aren't part of this script. Only "Upgrade ship like..." and "Auto prep ships..." are added by this script.

In your case what you should use is a TM with the Supply Command Software, and at least 1 small ship for it to use for transferring the upgrades.

1. Select the "Auto prep ships..." under Special commands for the TM.
2. In the Autoprep menu enable "Upgrade:".
3. Under "Target ships" add the ships you want to upgrade.
4. Under "Supply ships" add the small ship. This ship will do the actual buying.
5. Under "Upgrades" add the template ship, all of it's upgrades will then be listed. Options to upgrade Cargo bay/engine tuning/rudder is also here.
6. After checking everything is correct, hit "Start prepping ships".

Really, have a look at the screenshots on the first post and it should be clear.

Note: AFAIK tunings are still bought by the target ships themselves, so it's best to leave them near an equipment dock/trade station. Alternatively, just batch upgrade them manually when you first buy them at the shipyard. The mass equip/upgrade menu after you buy ships is the fastest way to add tunings.

[Zero12345678]

well, the things u trying are not the scripts commands... those are all EGOSOFT-stock commands.

u need a TM (Transport-Mllitary class vessel) to run the auto-prep commands on, with the TM u gonna make a list where u include those 20 OTAS-Freithers.
i would not include them in a wing, u dont need to since the autoprep-script will do it for u if u want him to and u dont need it at all cause u dont need to give the 20freithers ANY command (just leave them in the shipjard,) again the script is gonna do everything for u.

but probably u should ready the frist pages of this theart to get going... (maybe next time read those FIRST before u asking anything)

errrrr, i dunno if im missing something, but ur telling me that egosoft made a stock command thats named the exact same as the command from this script (upgrade ship like) and also decided that it was gonna display unknown command? That seems unlikely to me, though i admit i have never actually used the supply software before and rarely access the special commands menu, therefore, i just assumed the Equip ship like command was some unmentioned part of this script.

I also cannot find where it tells me i NEED a TM, it says the autoprep needs a carrier class ship, but im only using the Upgrade Ship Like command which does not specifically say needs a TM.

And for the record I did read the first post and subsequent update posts many times and skimmed through the rest of the first and second page. However, I wanted to use the Upgrade Ship Like command as i did not want to use a TM or carrier, and from the description of the Upgrade Ship Like command, i assumed it would work fine for me, obviously i was either mistaken or doing it wrong.

Also, can i assume u meant to say "the first pages of this thread" rather than "the frist pages of this theart?" I spent a good 5 minutes trying to figure out if theart was some sort of readme somewhere before i decided it was a typo. However, if that is not the case i would like to enquire about the meaning of "theart."

Like MarioBr0 said, the wing commands aren't part of this script. Only "Upgrade ship like..." and "Auto prep ships..." are added by this script.

In your case what you should use is a TM with the Supply Command Software, and at least 1 small ship for it to use for transferring the upgrades.

1. Select the "Auto prep ships..." under Special commands for the TM.
2. In the Autoprep menu enable "Upgrade:".
3. Under "Target ships" add the ships you want to upgrade.
4. Under "Supply ships" add the small ship. This ship will do the actual buying.
5. Under "Upgrades" add the template ship, all of it's upgrades will then be listed. Options to upgrade Cargo bay/engine tuning/rudder is also here.
6. After checking everything is correct, hit "Start prepping ships".

Really, have a look at the screenshots on the first post and it should be clear.

Note: AFAIK tunings are still bought by the target ships themselves, so it's best to leave them near an equipment dock/trade station. Alternatively, just batch upgrade them manually when you first buy them at the shipyard. The mass equip/upgrade menu after you buy ships is the fastest way to add tunings.

Now it makes alot more sense. thx for the info, however, what exactly does the upgrade ship like command do?

[ThisIsHarsh]

To be honest, I'd practically forgot about the 'Upgrade ship like' command.

It is a much simpler command. I wrote it as a companion command to the 'Equip ship like' vanilla command. You first select a template ship, then a target ship. The host ship will run around buying all the same upgrades (i.e. software, Jumpdrive), then, once finished, transfer the upgrades the target ship. Great to use Discoverers to deliver Jumpdrives, Transporter, etc, early in the game.

@fragma: Thanks a lot for pointing out the command slot issue, I'll get it sorted asap.

[Zero12345678]

Alright, i cannot figure out how to work this thing XD


I got myself a Zephyrus and homebased a spitfyre to it. Both of them have supply drones on them and they are situated in getsu fune. I set the spitfyre as the supply ship and templated a mistral super with all of the stuff i want. All of my freighters are in getsu fune as well.

First i set up the autoprep to buy 100% upgrades and all of the ship equips in getsu fune. I set it to autoprep all 20 of my mistral supers. Once i started the autopreping, all 20 of my mistral supers went off to the teladi station and bought upgrades. HOWEVER, 8 of them did not buy all of the upgrades. I had 1 buy 52 cargo and the other 7 buy nothing. The Zephyrus just sat there with the spitfyre and was just Waiting/Checking. I waited for a while and nothing happened.

Next, i tried to equip just the 8 ships with full upgrades and all of the equips. The only thing enabled was Upgrades, i turned off the Repair,etc options. This time, i started the 8 in space and they proceeded to fly to the nearest station and just sat there. They did not buy any upgrades. The Zephyrus went to the teladi station and the spitfyre just kept flying back and forth from the teladi station to the zephyrus. Im not sure if it bought upgrades, but it was basically on an infinite loop as i had over 30 messages from the spitfyre before i stopped it. No equipment was transfered to anybody.

Next i tried to equip just one ship, which had all of the c/e/r upgrades, but no equips. i tried parking in space and then in a station. Same thing happened as with the 8 ships, the spitfyre just flew back and forth from the teladi station.

Finally i tried to equip one ship with no upgrades. I dumped all of my spitfyre's ship equips onto a fully upgraded freighter so that my spitfyre only had the equips that my unequipped freighters had. The freighter i tried to autoprep, went to the nearest station and bought all of the upgrades. However, the zephyrus and spitfyre just kept doing the same things at the teladi station.

At this point, i noticed that my spitfyre was buying trade software mkIII which is not part of my template ship and it is not a listed upgrade. So i have no idea what is going on.


What am i doing wrong?

[ThisIsHarsh]

Alright, i cannot figure out how to work this thing XD


I got myself a Zephyrus and homebased a spitfyre to it. Both of them have supply drones on them and they are situated in getsu fune. I set the spitfyre as the supply ship and templated a mistral super with all of the stuff i want. All of my freighters are in getsu fune as well.

First i set up the autoprep to buy 100% upgrades and all of the ship equips in getsu fune. I set it to autoprep all 20 of my mistral supers. Once i started the autopreping, all 20 of my mistral supers went off to the teladi station and bought upgrades. HOWEVER, 8 of them did not buy all of the upgrades. I had 1 buy 52 cargo and the other 7 buy nothing. The Zephyrus just sat there with the spitfyre and was just Waiting/Checking. I waited for a while and nothing happened.

Next, i tried to equip just the 8 ships with full upgrades and all of the equips. The only thing enabled was Upgrades, i turned off the Repair,etc options. This time, i started the 8 in space and they proceeded to fly to the nearest station and just sat there. They did not buy any upgrades. The Zephyrus went to the teladi station and the spitfyre just kept flying back and forth from the teladi station to the zephyrus. Im not sure if it bought upgrades, but it was basically on an infinite loop as i had over 30 messages from the spitfyre before i stopped it. No equipment was transfered to anybody.

Next i tried to equip just one ship, which had all of the c/e/r upgrades, but no equips. i tried parking in space and then in a station. Same thing happened as with the 8 ships, the spitfyre just flew back and forth from the teladi station.

Finally i tried to equip one ship with no upgrades. I dumped all of my spitfyre's ship equips onto a fully upgraded freighter so that my spitfyre only had the equips that my unequipped freighters had. The freighter i tried to autoprep, went to the nearest station and bought all of the upgrades. However, the zephyrus and spitfyre just kept doing the same things at the teladi station.

At this point, i noticed that my spitfyre was buying trade software mkIII which is not part of my template ship and it is not a listed upgrade. So i have no idea what is going on.


What am i doing wrong?

Ooo errr... That does sound wrong. The only time I've seen that behaviour is with System Override Software/Software Signature Scrambler, is that part of your upgrade list?

Another possibility, is that there is something on your upgrade list that Spitfyre can't buy. E.g. the XL ore mining software or M sized Jumpdrive (don't know Spitfyre stats).

The Trade MKIII thing is wierd though.

What you describe sounds an awful lot like a bug, I'll investigate asap, but RL doesn't leave me as much X3 time as I would like these days.

If you're feeling particularly helpful, you could edit the top line in the script "setup.plugin.prep" to set debugging to [TRUE]. Then run the command on the ship until it starts behaving badly (maybe do this a couple of times). Then send me your log01000.txt, in your X3TC savegame directory.

[fragma]

Also, it would be a lot easier to help you troubleshoot if you post a screenshot of your Autoprep configuration setup.

Or just do what ThisIsHarsh said and send him the debug log, that'll be the best way if this is indeed a bug.

Also, remember that since this script will do everything the legit way (ie. 1 supply ship can only carry 1 type of upgrade at a time) equipping 20 ships with just 1 supply ship will take a while. You should consider filling that Zephyrus with it's maximum 4 ships to cut down on the time taken.

Also, the supply ships will act like they're under your control so they'll send you a message everytime they finish an action. To keep yourself from being flooded with spam turn OFF "Notify me when order completed" for the supply ships. But keep it ON for the Autoprep ship (ie. your Zephyrus in this case) and it'll send you an action completed message once all the ships are upgraded.

[MarioBr0]

hi

i mentioned a possible bug before, about the config setting (set to missle defence on new ships, but protect ship on the template)

i figure its not a bug. it probably happens because the task to config the ship is done before the ship is been equipped with weapons by the autoprep-vessel.
since it has no guns the config from the template is not available on the new ship (only available after u install guns to it).

maybe if its possible u could change the order of tasks the autoprep does and make him do the config part last. that should solve

cheerse