"Already towing an object" Erm, no, that's not right.

[Scoob]

Hey all,

Combat generated some wrecks. Cool. However, they're out of range of my fledgeling scrapping operation. So, I selected some idle Manticore Tugs and ordered them to "Salvage at position". They arrive, find a wreck then immediately generate a "failed" order of "Already towing an object". Erm, right, ok. Idiot lol. They then proceed to deliver the wreck just fine. However, they now of course have a "failed" order against them. This is a problem as I was waiting to them to get a legitimate "no wrecks in range" failure, when this happens I then CLEAR that fail marker and again manually order them to "salvage at position" once more. I'm just doing this to extend their operational range manually, until the Manager levels up. They're currently not quite two Stars, and need three Stars to reach this wreck-generating (Xenon border) sector.

As an aside, the Manticores reporting to this station have salvaged dozens and dozens of wrecks - likely approaching 100 by now. However, the Station manager just does not level up. Does stuff have to be actively bought / solid for the Manager to level? This scrapping operation is just building up, it's consumed some of its own product building its self, but that's about it. It's not supplying my wider economy yet.

[Alan Phipps]

Just a theory, but do the idling Manticores also have other pending task orders/behaviours, a repeat 'salvage at' or a 'mimic' for example, running in the background? If so it might be that background order/behaviour that is failing and generating a failure report because you ordered it directly to go fetch and tow a wreck from a different area.

As to the station Manager, I think they might have to actually trade with other stations to gain skills. Just an opinion though.

[Scoob]

Nope, nothing like that. They're simply idling as there are no wrecks / cubes within their active range. I then issue a manual "Salvage at Position" command, which "fails" after it's collected a wreck.

So, here's the event sequence for clarity:

- Idle Station-assigned Manticore Tug.
- Failed collection order due to no wrecks in range.
- Manticore issued Manual "Salvage at Position" command, where there are of course wrecks, and prior failed order cleared.
- Manticore arrives at target location.
- Manticore collects a wreck.
- Manticore issues "failed" order due to "already towing an object".
- Manticore returns to the station and offloads just fine.

It's the "already towing an object" message that's spurious. Of course it's towing something having just been told to do exactly that. It's not a failure of any kind, it's a SUCCESSFUL execution of the order. Now sure, it can't "Salvage at Position" any more once it's towing something, but at that point it's successfully obey the order. There is no failure here.

Seeing lots of orange on ships, suggesting they need attention from the player to see what's going on, is annoying when there's no valid reason for it.

This issue is akin to ordering a manual trade, then having it "fail" after it's successfully completed that trade. After all, it cannot complete it again if it's just done it lol.

[Alan Phipps]

If they are station-assigned then (even when idle) they have a standing order or behaviour (from the Station Manager) to salvage within a range and I suspect it is that which fails with the orange flag when they pick up something you ordered them to go and fetch outside that range. At that time when towing they cannot go and do their 'assigned' job and don't know when they'll be free again. Again though, just a theory.

Yeah, I don't find the orange flags that helpful/wanted either.

[Scoob]

If they are station-assigned then (even when idle) they have a standing order or behaviour (from the Station Manager) to salvage within a range and I suspect it is that which fails with the orange flag when they pick up something you ordered them to go and fetch outside that range. Again though, just a theory.

Yeah, I don't find the orange flags that helpful/wanted either.

Yeah, that makes sense. They've been manually given an order, but revert to their station-assigned behaviour once that wreck is in-tow. So, even though there are no wrecks in station-assigned range, they already have something in tow, so cannot execute their standing order so to speak. It does make sense in that regard, but it's still not a useful message, and just adds to the "Failed order" clutter.

Usually, these ships would be fully station controlled of course. However, as local wrecks had dried up, I was issuing manual orders for them to collect stuff from outside of the station's operational range. A bit micro-management heavy, but I was just doing empire management stuff anyway.