Another signed script is ready for download!
Download: your personal downloadpage
Current: 1.40.04
Latest changes:
ship will now sell when trade with other races set to no
script now uses extended ship information add-on, details can be found here
added by Burianek:
[Link to unofficial BPH FAQ]
ReadMe wrote:BPH Upgrade Kit Mk1
How to Install:
Extract all scripts files into the scripts folder
Extract all the speech data (xx0943.pck) into the /t folder.
Extract the ReadMe to the Egosoft folder (eg c:\Program Files\Egosoft). You can create a shortcut to it on your desktop if you wish to review it regularly. We would strongly recommend you do this!
After installation, upon starting a new game or loading a saved game, a new item, BPH Upgrade Kit, will be available for purchase from all Boron equipment docks.
How and Why to Use BPH:
There are a number of reasons why I have created the BPH Upgrade Kit, the main one being that there are some things I feel are wrong with the EGOSOFT scripts (for example buy ware for best price) such as :
1. If you assign two freighters to transport the same product, they will both fly to the same target station.
2. Each freighter may only transport one resource or ware.
3. If two freighters are told to sell the station's product, they may both fly to the same target station. The first will sell for the correct price, but then the second will also sell at this station even though the price has now dropped.
4. You will only notice damaged freighters by accident or by checking your ships regularly.
5. Freighters will sometimes only buy 5 crystals and ignore a factory with 40 crystals in the same sector, because the price at the trading station was better.
6. You have to make a note of the products freighters are carrying incase you need to replace them (because of destruction by Khaak attacks or pirate attacks etc). This is because the message log only carries the name of the freighter and where it was killed.
Taking the above issues into account, I have created the BPH Upgrade Kit Mk1 to do the following :
1. BPH freighters check if the station is already targeted by another BPH freighter with the same homebase. If a factory is already being targeted by another freighter, it will choose another one. Two BPH freighters with the same homebase will never target and fly to the same factory.
2. BPH freighters may transport all of the possible wares at their homebase. They do not need to have individual wares assigned. However, if the player wants to prevent the freighter from trading in certain wares, individual wares can be prohibited. (this has been possible with the help of Gothik’s SDS script. If you find this to your liking, I can code further products based on this!)
3. BPH freighters will check if the ware is still available for the right price after entering each sector. If the ware is no longer available for the right price, they will choose another factory.
4. BPH freighters that have suffered damage during flight and have less than 85% hull will fly to the next Shipyard (Wharf, Showroom, Dockyard etc) and report to you from there.
5. If resources are rare, BPH freighters favour the factory with the greatest number of products. They will not start a trading run for anything less than 4 products available, the reason being by the time the Freighter gets there the factory will more than likely be sold out anyway.
Because of the points above, the freighter name and location/homebase in the Message Log are now enough.
What advantages will you have through using BPH? :
1) Less freighters have to be bought (eg a Mosquito Missile factory will go from using 3-4 to 1-2)
2) All freighters will stay in optimal condition ( No freighter flies around with 20% hull)
3) You always reach optimal profit! Because for example, now that the freighter can change destination mid-trip, EC's are more often sold for maximum.
4) All factories in the vicinity are emptied consistently, remain well stocked and so the demand also stays well balanced.
How to use the BPH extension:
1) Buy the BPH Upgrade Kit for your freighter,
2) Assign a homebase,
3) Open the trading menu,
4) Select (start) BPH extension,
5) Forget it.
Or
To prohibit the freighter from transporting certain wares:
1) Select the BPH - Goods Prohibited menu item.
2) Enter the total number of goods to prohibit this freighter from transporting (e.g. enter 2 if you want to stop the freighter from transporting both Ore and Energy Cells) The input help will read 'Anzahl der zusperrenden Waren' this is German for 'Number of prohibited wares'.
3) Choose the first type of product to prohibit. (e.g. first select Ore) the help line will read 'Gesperrte Ware' this is german for 'Prohibited ware'.
4) The command will finish, but you are not done yet!
5) Repeat several times to prohibit multiple wares (always enter the total number of prohibited wares first, and then choose the next ware to prohibit from the ware list)
6) After all wares to be prohibited are selected, Start the BPH extension
Specific example:
For a freighter assigned to a Mosquito missile factory, if we wanted to prohibit Ore and energy:
1) Select BPH - Goods Prohibited
2) Enter 2 to represent the total of two wares to be prohibited.
3) Select Ore as the first good to prohibit.
4) Reissue the BPH - Goods Prohibited command.
5) Again enter 2 to represent the total of two wares to be prohibited.
6) Select energy as the second and last good to prohibit.
7) Now issue the (start) BPH - extension command.
The freighter will now not attempt to transport ore or energy.
To clear the list of prohibited wares, and allow the freighter to trade all possible wares again:
1) Select the BPH - Goods Prohibited command.
2) Enter 0 to tell the freighter that 0 wares are to be prohibited.
3) Select any ware in the ware list that appears, it does not matter which.
Special Items:
BPH freighters may be assigned to trading stations / equipment docks once they reach experience level 4. They will never sell when working for a trading station / equipment dock, regardless of experience level.
It is advisable to pay attention to which sector the BPH has been activated in because different races pilots may behave differently when confronted with pirates and other enemy threats.
Your pilots are also quite particular about payment of pilots fees and expenses. If you don’t do so, your pilot will leave you after a period of time, which is understandable since he has to earn a living as much as you do.
Should you have no money in your factory account to pay the BPH Pilot, through lack of attention or simply lack of willingness to pay, your pilot will wait with his ship until funds have been deposited into the factory account, -ignoring any lucrative orders that may be available at that time. After payment your pilot will start immediately… well, he might finish drinking his coffee first, ok?
Pilots will not land in stations in sectors containing khaak fighters, except Khaak M5 vessels because these aren't really a threat to either your pilot or your freighter.
Please note:
- Because of the fact that player trading stations / equipment docks have only one price to set buying and selling prices, BPH frieghters will only purchase wares for (selected price - 1). For example, if you want your freighter to buy crystals for 1684, you must set the price on trading stations and equipment docks to 1685. This prevents the station from selling the goods for the same price that the freighter purchases them. This does not apply to regular factories.
- While in the process of a trading run to purchase a ware, the BPH freighter will find a new target station if the price of the ware at the current target rises more than 20% (even if it is still under the acceptable maximum price limit) This is done to insure that your BPH freighters are always seeking to purchase for the lowest possible prices.
- BPH Freighters will never target a factory that has no money or no free cargo space (when selling too that factory). This will usually apply to player owned Factories since stock levels and pricing works differently for the AI.
- BPH freighters will keep buying stock until the Factory has no credits left to buy goods with. At this time the Freighter will send the player a message informing him of the lack of credits in his factory. Once a factory is fully stocked the available credit ballance in the factory stabilizes and behaves normally.
The BPH freighter pilots charge the following for their services:
10cr + level *2 = cost per transit through each gate
50cr + level *4 = cost for each trading run
200cr = costs for each jump using the jumpdrive
Levelsystem
Level 1
The freighter checks all resources that he can buy. Before this, he only checks the resources which are running low in the factory.
Level 2
Prevents multiple BPH freighters with the same homebase from targeting and flying to the same station.
The cargo of all homebase freighters will be taken into account when determining how many wares are needed.
The pilot will respond to demand more urgently and hence a better supply will be provided when resources are rare.
Level 3
The freighter flies to the nearest shipyard if its hull is damaged and sends a message.
Level 4
The pilot will not land at stations in sectors where Khaak are currently active. (excluding M5s)
Can be assigned to a player owned Trading Station or Equipment Dock.
The freighter may make multiple purchases before returning to the homebase.
Level 5
On the way home, stations on the way are visited as well.
Level 6
The freighter will now also try to sell the station's product.
Note: It is possible to use the goods prohibited command to prevent a level 6 BPH freighter from selling the station's product. Simply select the station's product as the ware to be prohibited. This may be useful if you are making weapons, etc. to supply your own fleet and do not want the BPH freighter to sell them!
Level 7
The pilot will respond to more urgent demands with the use of the jumpdrive (if installed).
Level 8
The Pilot will always use a Jump Drive (if installed) when he has to travel distances greater than 1 sector.
Please note: If you would prefer your freighters do not use a Jump Drive then please do not fit one to your freighters.
The cost to use a Jump drive may make some factories unprofitable.
(c) by Ticaki
Original German translation by Ruwen
English revised edition by IvanT, Burianek & giskard
![[ external image ]](http://www.logaans-site.co.uk/x2/gamestats/userimgs/greyhawk1.png){kind=link}