X3TC: If I had to cheat...

[Shadow86]

...I'd do so with marine stats, but I can't seem to find any scripts that deal with that. As it is, marines can get killed quite easily (at least in space, when they're trying to reach their targets), and could've literally spent days training them up to that point.

The vast majority of them suck right off the bat, so extensive training is pretty much mandatory. And even with the Marine Trainer script (which halves training times), it just takes too long, considering they can be KIA in the blink of an eye.

Sorry for the rant, but I'd pay over a million to get decent marines right off the barracks, as opposed to 40-90k for (mostly) total greenhorns.

What are your thoughts on this, guys?

[Ozkar]

Its annoying to train them for sure, but 2.5 helps that (even if it makes boarding quite a bit harder, at least the training is easier )

I think that boarding wasn't intended by Egosoft as a primary way to make money in X3TC, but more of a way to collect rare ships (i.e. Hyperion Vanguard) or achieve plot goals. But I agree it would be nice if the chances of a better trained marine were higher, even if the other skills were capped at say 3 star level.


***Disclaimer***
I do not know what Egosoft intended, I am just inferring from their changes and game play on how they intended boarding to be used.

[Technojerk36]

Actually I think 2.5 introduced the ability to buy marines with 4 star fighting. I've seen (and bought) like 3 of these marines. I think that the ability to buy marines that have a high stat in the only untrainable skill kinda balances out how hard it is to board. Besides you can always reload.


Of course everything above could just be complete nonsense and proves that I wasn't very observant while playing 2.1

[Gazz]

...I'd do so with marine stats, but I can't seem to find any scripts that deal with that.

Maine commands are under pilots.

But instead of creating marinus superior you could
001 $Ship = get player tracking aim
002 $Ship set owner to Player

That would have about the same effect and be far easier to script.

Actually I think 2.5 introduced the ability to buy marines with 4 star fighting.

These were always for sale. I always used to buy every marine and dump all the losers into space afterwards.
That saves a lot of hassle in training up those 1-star cooks and clerks who'd die in the first real fight anyway.

[mrbadger]

I've found a few marines with 4 or 5 stars in fighting. That's such an important skill that I ignore any marines that don't have stars in it regardless of how many stars they have in other skills. Many of the marines I buy have no stars in any other skill when I buy them.

My aproach is to send a TL round to each barracks and buy up all the worthless marines, then space them. That causes the barracks to refill, refreshing the selection available and making it more likely that I will find marines worth buying. It means a lot more work, but I have 60 marines now all fully trained with decent fighting rank, and I'm close to another 20 ready for training.

A lot, yes, but I seriously don't like training marines, so I decided to get it over with asap and have a stockpile I can draw on for the next few months of play.

I can't see the point of scripting in marines. Since they can only be used to board ships, why not script in the ship and save the effort?

[Gazz]

I can't see the point of scripting in marines. Since they can only be used to board ships, why not script in the ship and save the effort?

While the cheatiness is the same, some people just like to play the boarding action.
That anyone else agrees with or understands it is not necessary. =P

Not sure if you can truly alter the skill of a marine but you can definitely replace a marine with one of the same name that just happens to have... 8* fight skill or whatever.

[Shadow86]

I can't see the point of scripting in marines. Since they can only be used to board ships, why not script in the ship and save the effort?

Everyone knows boarding actions begin way before the marines are at the enemy ship. And besides, it wouldn't be cheating if it's balanced by another factor (in this case, a suitably increased cost).

I wouldn't like invincible marines, but ones who can do their job decently without having to spend literally hours on SETA to get them ready. Despite being better off the bat, even if they're considerably expensive, they'd actually be more expendable than some random idiots you spent 50 game hours training (which on SETA x10, is still five real hours).

Well, I guess that'd downplay training quite a bit, in the end. But on the whole, what annoys me is the gargantuan amount of time it takes to get them ready. Another option would be keeping the recruitment as it is, but drastically reduce training times (proportionately increasing costs as well).

[Spychotic]

How do you dump Marines into space without them zipping to the nearest station and clogging it up?

[Technojerk36]

How do you dump Marines into space without them zipping to the nearest station and clogging it up?

Xenon sector, UFJD sector, shooting them, unknown sector or you could jump to a sector you won't be visiting for sometime and dump them there. They disappear from the station in like a hour (I think). You could just sell them also.

[mrbadger]

How do you dump Marines into space without them zipping to the nearest station and clogging it up?

They don't, the ones I dump just sit there. I have taken them to dangerous sectors to be killed off in the past, but it's not worth the bother usually.

I think it's only ejected pilots and marines that abandon a captured ship who seek a station.

[Cycrow]

u can enslave them and sell the slaves are the pirate base

[Technojerk36]

How do you dump Marines into space without them zipping to the nearest station and clogging it up?

They don't, the ones I dump just sit there. I have taken them to dangerous sectors to be killed off in the past, but it's not worth the bother usually.

I think it's only ejected pilots and marines that abandon a captured ship who seek a station.

That's not true. (Unless it was changed in 2.5) I once accidentally bought a really bad marine. Threw him outta the airlock and waited to see where he would go. He turns around and docks back at the Marine training barracks (or whatever it's called; the one in Home of Light).

[Gazz]

How do you dump Marines into space without them zipping to the nearest station and clogging it up?

Any such space suit docking with a station automatically self destructs.