RainerPrem wrote:
My architect still didn't start to build the station, although only fusion reactors are missing, and I have no idea where to find them. At the moment, I'm touring Albion, putting down trade agents in every station that might have influence of the construction chain for those reactors, and my two freighters are constantly hauling technical goods.
Is that the right way to achieve that? Should I buy another freighter?
Yes, those fusion reactors are infamous, hehehe. The thing with those is that they are in high demand, so as soon as they go on the market, they get snapped up by NPC buyers, so you have to be on your toes. They are manufactured at
two Ship Tech Fabs, both in Ascendancy sector (one in Buried Treasure, the other in zone 3, whose name I forget), both owned by Ledda Industrial, so you are free to trade with them.
As for trade agents, big YES to doing this - it's crucial, so you can see what's available and who's willing to pay well for what you can peddle. In addition, you will want to scan at least the production modules on the stations mentioned in the spoiler above, so that you can remotely keep an eye on the state of production cycles - that way, you can identify when the station is short of a needed resource and supply it to keep production as smooth as possible (and at a profit too - bonus!), as well as being able to anticipate when the production cycles complete, so you can be ready to jump on the sale order as soon as it becomes available (often for less than a minute before some NPC snaps it up.)
As for your next question: yes, hauling stuff around lubricates the economy; once you have scanned the correct stations, you will have an idea of the other resources involved in FR manufacture, and you can then decide what other freighter types to get, so that you may move those goods. To put it simply, though, make sure you can move containers, energy, and bulk goods at least, with liquids generally being a low priority speciality (except water, all these are harvested gases that are not normally sold at stations, in any case.) Your freebie Rahanas from the early game sorts you out on container and energy, so before expanding those cargo types, consider getting a bulk hauler first, which will allow you to move agricultural goods and refined minerals and the like.
RainerPrem wrote:And, btw, the Mercancias (M) is damaged from some encounters with Reivers and/or PMC. How can I repair it or have it repaired? Do I need to find a shipyard selling that type?
Yes, you can have it repaired and yes that's at a shipyard that handles S/M size ships. There's one in the same sector, I'll leave it to you to discover it (it's not hidden or anything), as it's an EXTREMELY important location for you. Repairs aren't cheap: the cost is directly proportional 1:1 to the damage - half-damage costs half the ship's purchase price to repair, for example. Keep this in mind when you decide whether to repair or to sell it. If you do keep it, I recommend giving it a good pilot, to improve its survival chances and its efficiency. Now here's a quirk of this game: unlike other crew types, pilots can ONLY be assigned to owned ships from the rear compartment of the Skunk, with option 4 (Work Somewhere Else, or something along those lines.)
[The pilot's navigation skill will influence how quickly he/she gets around, so reducing idle times reduces overall exposure; the combat skill improves responses while in combat, so for example the pilot is more likely to boost to gain distance when it's appropriate; morale affects braveness, and while many people will recommend a low morale for freighter pilots on the assumption that that will make the pilot more prone to run away, I suspect that a high morale is not going to make the pilot stick around dangerously, but will help the pilot make the correct decision (ie. keep cool and not freeze up) in a hot situation, ie. bolt if appropriate - however, this last (morale) is purely speculative on my part, I can only say that my high-morale pilots APPEAR to do better, but my sample size is far from statistically significant.]
Incidentally, Plutarch won't attack your freighters (including M-size ones) unless your reputation drops to below -20 but it's locked at that value until you complete the campaign, so it's only pirates (Reivers in DeVries, Sovereign Syndicate in Albion) that your freighters need to worry about (so long as defense officers on your large freighters are kept on their default 'defend' setting, so they don't start anything with anyone...)
I then undock if/when I need to visit a station, or get my own hands dirty with something. IMPORTANT: Be careful with your military ships when in Albion, which is now semi-hostile territory to you. Because PMC will now shoot your military ships on sight, it's not a good idea to travel around in/with such (well, other than your Skunk itself) - when moving around Albion, if you want to ride in style, use a capital freighter, such as your Rahanas, for example (later on, a Lepton is a nice alternative - good cargo types, very quick and nimble, and easier to dock with than a Rahanas.)
