Why is the selling of ships so unintuitive?

[Socratatus]

I saw someone post about selling ships and I thought it has to be simply a case of going to the place where you can BUY ships and sell yours... Logical, yes? simple?

No.

I finally discovered I have to do it through the map screen. I wasted far more time than I should`ve on this.

Why? What on Earth possessed the Devs that this was a better idea than just going to the place you normally buy ships? I mean I don`t mind that there`s an alternative map system, but why is it the ONLY way?


I like this game a lot, but some decisions made by the Devs make no logical or intuitive sense at all.

[bl3ek]

I assume it's because all other ship commands are based on the right click; do this, do that there, go and get sold here.

I found it without issue, but then I'm using the right click commands quite a lot - so perhaps it felt more logical to me?

You're right though, there should also be an option to sell ships at the ship dealer. Having both options makes sense.

[Socratatus]

I assume it's because all other ship commands are based on the right click; do this, do that there, go and get sold here.

I found it without issue, but then I'm using the right click commands quite a lot - so perhaps it felt more logical to me?

You're right though, there should also be an option to sell ships at the ship dealer. Having both options makes sense.

Maybe this is the difference between some of us newer users and the experienced guys (and Devs). You guys seem to play from a much more technical perspective so that`s how you think in game, but I tend to think from a more `people`perspective or ìmmersion`perspective, so when I want to buy or sell something, I first run to a store, expecting it to be obviously there. It`s very unintuitive for me to think, "It must be in this menu on my map not in a store."

Oh well, at least now I know.

[Gregorovitch]

Yeah, this one and the fact that you can't transfer goods between ships if they are sitting next to each other on a dock. They have to both go out is space, one of them drops the items and the other one has to pick them up. I mean WTF?

I watched the AI conduct this maneuver by putting my pilot in charge of my player ship whilst it happened, watched it all over her shoulder. My ship headed out maybe four or five Km from the station and after a bit weaving about for reasons too deep to fathom duly dropped the specified items. The other ship ran round in circles for a minute or so and then it was like a light bulb went off, he stopped, then took off at full throttle on a beeline to the items. He missed them of course. Turned, tried again. Missed again...... He was like a dog chasing his tail for two or three minutes trying to pick them up and I was like "Go on, my son! You can do it!"

Eventually he stopped, thought about it for a bit, and then retreated quite some distance to get a decent run up at it. To my utter amazement by this stage he actually managed to pick up the items this time.

I mean it was hilarious watching this procedure for the first time but a repeat performance? I don't think so. With all due respect Egosoft, I think it more than reasonable to expect items to be swapped between your own ships as they sit next to each other in a bloody station dock rather than go through this slapstick rigmarole, and just the same way you should be able to park up a ship at Argon Warf, wander over to the ship shop and simply say "How much for that one, mate?"

[Perahoky]

I dont see the problem... To sell a ship, u'll try to dock it on station, and there it is “sell ship“.

I mean, yes there could be boooth options (in station “sell ship“ and per command), but its a bit stupid to waste time in “first dock ship .... Wait.... Click something and sell“
Where is the advantage to seperate 1 simple operation into 2 operations?
Look to other games, it isnt different...

And it's easier and faster. You just need to learn it 1 time. Why should we choose a worse feature (2 commands instead of 1) over a easier?

And as far as i can see, only the veteran (like me) players have this issue cause it changed from other x games. The old design/concept isnt always the best DESPITE
We feel so.
I had luck, the first thing i tried as i started x4 was to do everything with the map....
No Offense

Edit “why is it the only way“ - i assume, no waste of dev time (20 people) to implement a feature 2 times which gets obsolete after first learn.

[Socratatus]

Yeah, this one and the fact that you can't transfer goods between ships if they are sitting next to each other on a dock. They have to both go out is space, one of them drops the items and the other one has to pick them up. I mean WTF?

I watched the AI conduct this maneuver by putting my pilot in charge of my player ship whilst it happened, watched it all over her shoulder. My ship headed out maybe four or five Km from the station and after a bit weaving about for reasons too deep to fathom duly dropped the specified items. The other ship ran round in circles for a minute or so and then it was like a light bulb went off, he stopped, then took off at full throttle on a beeline to the items. He missed them of course. Turned, tried again. Missed again...... He was like a dog chasing his tail for two or three minutes trying to pick them up and I was like "Go on, my son! You can do it!"

Eventually he stopped, thought about it for a bit, and then retreated quite some distance to get a decent run up at it. To my utter amazement by this stage he actually managed to pick up the items this time.

I mean it was hilarious watching this procedure for the first time but a repeat performance? I don't think so. With all due respect Egosoft, I think it more than reasonable to expect items to be swapped between your own ships as they sit next to each other in a bloody station dock rather than go through this slapstick rigmarole, and just the same way you should be able to park up a ship at Argon Warf, wander over to the ship shop and simply say "How much for that one, mate?"

Interesting. Well I guess at least they tried to make the Ai do it by itself, but I agree with you, just having them sidle up close and transfer that way might be wiser.

[BlackRain]

There are more options for buying ships. Land at a shipyard and a menu opens up, isnt ther a buy ship option there? I forgot. Also isnt there a shiptrader on board the shipyrd u can talk to, to buy ships?

[A5PECT]

You can right-click on a shipyard and select Buy ships, land at the shipyard and select Buy ships from the quick menu, or go talk to the ship dealer in person to buy ships.

The only way to sell a ship is to select the ship, then direct it to a shipyard and order the ship to sell itself.

So yeah. Pretty unintuitive.

[mamastoast]

I think selling should should be part of the "buy ship" menu. A simply tab to switch to "sell" mode where you'd have a list of your docked ships and the price the station is willing to pay.

[Graaf]

Well, I managed to get 3 pirates to bail, so I send all off them to the shipyard/wharf to see which one I should use in a mission concerning 3 antimatter. Once your ships are already at the shipyard/wharf it is very unintuitive to go to the map and tell the ships already docked at the shipyard/wharf to fly there to sell the ship.