Distribute Wares -> Trade routes?

[grieger]

So, back in X3, even though the interface was a pain, it was great to be able to configure trade routes (or really supply routes) so I could make sure my stations supplied my other stations (e.g. solar power plants supplying stations with EC).

With X4, I haven't seen the option (I figure the station manager AIs are supposed to handle that). Yet there's this Distribute Wares option for trader ships which I found out (the hard way when it ventured into pirate territory to sell some goods) it's just auto-trading really.

Any way we can get trade routes added (i.e. configurable trade routes) or at least have a distribute wares option for a station where I can tell the manager to assign a ship to distribute wares internally only? I know I can tell the manager to never trade with other factions but I think that's impractical (unless I'm really burning through smart chips or something).

For the trade routes option, it could be just about setting that "program" for the trader's idle command and then picking stations. If it's easier, an internal version would be fine (where the menu on the side shows the list of your stations). The simple version could just look at the stations picked and pick up mats from each station for another station on the route.

If you want to go the extra mile, letting us specify an external route (or mixed internal + external) would be awesome.

Just a suggestion.

[Nort The Fragrent]

I still haven't figured out what and how trading ships do what they do ! In X4..
I want them to trade for my station, so it get’s feed the right products it need’s. But NO, the ship loads up with my resources my station needs and go’s and sells them far far away !
Some of my huge ships are carrying 50 units, when they can carry 20,ooo. Then they fill up to the point of bursting, and then meander off into the sunset. Going on some drunken track trying to find enlightenment or something, who knows!

I now just pour cash into the station, and have abandoned any reason to have my own trading ships. ( cant figure it out ) Let the locals do the trading my stations need. Pour enough cash in and they come screaming in.

ES needs to make trading ship assignment clear, easy, and have it work properly. At the moment it is confusing, no logic and frustrating to the point of opening the air lock.

I go through a list of pot luck options till one kind of works, but still have no idea why, what who, or why it is doing what it is doing.

[Imperial Good]

I want them to trade for my station, so it get’s feed the right products it need’s. But NO, the ship loads up with my resources my station needs and go’s and sells them far far away !

Fix coming in 2.50.

From what I could tell they got confused as to who their manager was and started trading as if working for other stations or NPC free traders. For example my semi self sufficient Shipyard trade subordinates loved to buy Spaceweed and Soja Husks, both of which have nothing to do with the Shipyard's operation. Since 2.50 B4 this appears resolved and suddenly traders are working very efficiently, in my case depleting the local area of Hull Parts and other ship building wares.

Some of my huge ships are carrying 50 units, when they can carry 20,ooo. Then they fill up to the point of bursting, and then meander off into the sunset. Going on some drunken track trying to find enlightenment or something, who knows!

The trade logic is not optimized to use L transport ships efficiently. It is recommended you manually control L transport ships to assure optimal storage utilization. S and M traders can be assigned to auto trade and as station subordinates since moving only 1/20th of their storage worth of product is much less of a waste.