[Bug] custom game start: no blueprints and no beacon guidance - improved in upcoming update (1.2)

[dirkf]

EDIT: Topic Title changed to reflect new data
Please read answer #4 below for details, but contrary to my earlier assumptions the bug is only with custom game start, not with regular sandbox starts



I have a problem with the guidance to place relay beacons on hyperspace access points (NOT the plot ones).

Basically I use custom game start with HQ into a sector that can have a HSAP (for example Light Water). If the LFL does not find the HSAP I restart.

However even if the LFL locates the HSAP and I fly there, most of the time upon reaching it the Mission to place relay beacons is triggered but guidance to relay points fails.

in one or two dozen tries, only once the mission triggered with guidance as to where the relay beacons need to be placed, in all other cases there is no guidance even if the mission says "guidance active" (and disabling and re-enabling guidance does nothing either).

This happens with both unmodified and modified games, also the last few times I only tested vanilla to make sure it is not a bug with modifications.

I also can't build relay beacons at the HQ (placed in start sector by custom game start), the HQ has nothing to build at all.


Can anyone reproduce this as a bug in their game, is it a problem on my computer only or am I missing a step to get the mission to activate the HSAP going?

[dirkf]

In the last few days I spent several tries to start a game, always with the same failure as described above.

can someone please spent a few minutes to verify if this behaviour is on any other computer or if something in my installation is damaged?
The exact steps I followed are:


1) custom game start
2) select a starting point with a HSAP, for example "Light Water" or "Maelstrom".
3) Spacelab HQ set to "starting sector"
4) Hub yes, Terran yes
5) add other ships for the start wanted (lately I skipped this to save time)
6) start game

7) repeat until LFL shows an active HSAP as they are randomly set each game
8) fly to the HSAP to trigger the mission of activating it


Problems:
a) the HQ never gets any blueprints, not even the "Relay Beacon" that is needed to activate the HSAP
b) while the mission for activating the HSAP triggers, it never shows the positions or guidance as to where to place the relay beacons, even if using cycrows cheat to get them in cargo


At this point, I can't tell if this is a bug, if I'm missing a step to gain access to relay beacons or if something in my computer files of X3FL is damaged.
And I would really like to know which point it is to prevent spending more hours on trying to get it right.
Thank You

[Ketraar]

its hard to say from your description tbh, maybe a save could help illustrate your point if you could share one.

Unless you have manually disabled guidance, it should point to the location where to put the beacons, why you don't have any blueprint in PHQ is also something that needs investigating.

MFG

Ketraar

[dirkf]

OK - sorry for the delay, but unfortunately when I changed back to vanilla and tried to start the game, nothing worked and Steam suddenly claimed almost 800 files to be damaged and requiring a re-download of 6GB.

Unfortunately that didn't change the problem despite my hope that it would. Still no Guidance and no blueprints with new games after effectively redownloading all files.

Here are a few screenshots of the setting and of the HQ screens where no blueprints are available:

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Here you can see that the message claiming to activate the guidance to the beacon deplayment points is active, but no orange arrows are visible and the target stays at the HSAP

Spoiler

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This is a link to the savefile made in the station before I got to the HSAP - I had no salvage insurance to save in space, and that way you can try to see the effect for yourself by flying to the point.
http://www.avarion.de/download/games/X3FL/X09.sav


I hope this helps solving the problem

[dirkf]

I can now confirm that this is not a bug with my computer somehow blocking the function, because I just got the relay positions triggered and the HSAP regularly active for the first time in about three or four dozens starts of the game.

The one thing that was different to the previous tries was that I just used an expanded start instead of the custom start I always tried before, then used the starburst to fly to Maelstrom. I just had to use Cycrows cheat menu to get the relay beacons as they were not yet produced in the HQ (who does have the ability to produce relay beacons in this start as well).

I'll have to try a few times again to see if this was random chance, or if only the custom start is bugged like described above.


EDIT:
Bug confirmed
It took me several dozen tries with both Jonfero and custom start to confirm that the bug is exclusive to the custom start.
On a custom start the Spacelab Headquarters will have no blueprints, and if you start in a sector with a HSAP and trigger its mission, then the guidance to the beacon position will not activate.
everything works as intended with the regular expanded sandbox starts.
(assuming you start often enough that the random trigger of HSAP is at the one where you start (custom) or can reach (Midnight star for the jonfero start)

I hope this will help getting the bug fixed in a future update

[Hellfire_Daemon]

I have the same bug, is there a workaround? A script maybe that adds the blueprint to your HQ or to other stations? Apologies I'm relatively nooby at the game but ran into the same problem. Being nooby it took me a while to do the research and realise that I will struggle to get through my HSAPs. Nowhere to get relay beacons =/

[dirkf]

I have the same bug, is there a workaround? A script maybe that adds the blueprint to your HQ or to other stations? Apologies I'm relatively nooby at the game but ran into the same problem. Being nooby it took me a while to do the research and realise that I will struggle to get through my HSAPs. Nowhere to get relay beacons =/

Cycrows cheat package can be used to activate the HSAP's without beacon placement and to add ship blueprints to the HQ.
It cannot add station blueprints.
I never played long enough or tested to see if the regular methods of gaining blueprints without cheating work.

[Hellfire_Daemon]

Thank you, appreciate the speedy assistance!

[Hellfire_Daemon]

As an extra on this thread, Cycrow's cheat package does allow you to add the relay beacon blueprint to your HQ. So as long as you don't start in a sector that can have an HSAP then you can fix the custom start with a little scripting. Does mean your game is modified but I'm not really sure what the difference is to be honest...

[X2-Illuminatus]

Relay beacons not being available in the custom start will be fixed in the upcoming version.

[dirkf]

Does mean your game is modified but I'm not really sure what the difference is to be honest...

1) it is a signal that you "cheated", which basically invalidates any bragging rights

2) Steam Achievements are disabled, exactly so that you can't get them by cheating

as far as I know that is the only effect.

[X2-Illuminatus]

The Custom game is modified from the start anyhow.