When do we get working trade routes?

[KopiG]

So im curious when is the patch coming with working trade routes. I.e. a normal working repeat orders with either buy/sell or transfer wares. Id like to define how many wares Id like to load from point A and then unload them to point B. What I define here must be absolute. The system shouldnt be a a smartass anyway altering the configuration I setup before. This MUST work without any credits stored at either stations WHEN doing this in faction. Id like to play X4 again but stopped for the last 2 weeks as its impossible to continue to micromanage my stations' supply chains.

[JoeVN09]

I'm inclined to agree; a basic repeatable trade route function would go a long way to making station-building viable earlier on, and be an elegant way to balance early-midgame moneymaking opportunities away from automining. Currently the obstacle is that it's fiddly rather than simple, which isn't a good reason to do or not do anything in a game like X.

[Midnitewolf]

You get them when you download and install the mod "Mules, Supply and Warehouses Extended" from steam. That mod has been a godsend and has literally meant the difference of me quitting the game in frustrations 100 hours into my first play through instead of enjoying my 540th hour and counting.

Egosoft really doesn't understand how much it is shooting itself in the foot by not really focusing hard on the user experience by adding QoL features and totally re-working its UI and command structures. My friend was really interested in the game because I have been telling him how addicted I am and how much I am loving it, but when he watched me play and I started explaining how to use the commands and interfaces, he stopped me flat and gave me a big flat, NOPE. His exact words were, "That is so Stupid?". "Are you kidding me?" "What you can't do that?" when I started explaining the trade system and even basic fleet combat. Then when I told him I had to download a ton of mods to "fix" things or "add" missing basic features, just to make things work, he was like, "Too bad, it looks like it could be a great game but I am not going through all that."

I know that is one example, but I will still point to a simple statistic that shocked me when I got the achievement for it on steam. Only 32% of players who purchased this game, over the course of 3 years, actually got to the point they owned a fleet of 20 ships and yes you still get steam achievements if you mod your game so that isn't skewing the numbers. If 68% of people who purchase your game are quitting that early in a game where you aren't even at the midpoint until you have at least 100 ships under your command, something is wrong. In my eyes it is the UI and command structure that is driving people off.

[naisha]

...

I have to agree with you. That is exactly the reaction my brother had when i showed him the game. I know he would love to play this game but he wont touch it because of this.

I also told a friend of mine whom i play mp games with a lot and he also said he's not interested in the game after i explained a few things.


For me its not an issue, i played all x games and got used to these issues, i learned to tolerate them.

Whenever i start explaianing workarounds and mentioning that you HAVE to download a bunch of mods to fix the game, my friends/brother just say no to that.

[KopiG]

You get them when you download and install the mod "Mules, Supply and Warehouses Extended" from steam. That mod has been a godsend and has literally meant the difference of me quitting the game in frustrations 100 hours into my first play through instead of enjoying my 540th hour and counting.

I cant seem to make these Station Mules work. I just want to transfer Energy Cells from point A to point B. Its 2021 and in a game like this I cant transfer ONE ware from point A to point B. I give up. This is beyond stupid. Back to Anno series where the most basic things as a SIMPLE trade route exists.

[duncan idaho]

Could you explain what the problem is? I use the repeat order function to move raw materials from outposts to my production regions and have not had any issues. I just set a buy order with a max price at the upper limit (so it always buys) and a sell order at the lowest limit (so it always sells), and off they go, uncomplaining and forever. I have this setup running for ice (10+ large traders) and ore (5+ large traders).

[Midnitewolf]

Could you explain what the problem is? I use the repeat order function to move raw materials from outposts to my production regions and have not had any issues. I just set a buy order with a max price at the upper limit (so it always buys) and a sell order at the lowest limit (so it always sells), and off they go, uncomplaining and forever. I have this setup running for ice (10+ large traders) and ore (5+ large traders).

The repeat order thing is just so limited. Let me give you an example of the way the Mules mod works.

Lets say I set up a trade station and want all my ware to come into that trade station, then I want to sell all the wares from this one location. You can set up a mule to trade ALL the wares as they become available. Run out of hull parts to sell, no worries, it will just automatically change to the engine parts you have in stock.

Or lets say I have Factory A producing Hull Parts, Engine Parts and Turret components and they are being used by my Wharf. Set up a mule and they will transport all 3 as they are available and demanded by the Wharf...automatically.

Or the Mule I use the most. Supply Mule. This one is great.

Lets say I have 10 stations in a system all needing different things. I can just set up a Supply Mule. Assign the Mule to the entire Sector and it will go out and get whatever the hell any and all the stations in that sector needs, EVERYTHING, every ware, components, you need it....oh and it will also service both trade storage and build storage AT THE SAME TIME. Of course you can assign the mule to just service a single station as well if that is all you need.

One of my favorite uses of the Supply Mule is to actually set up transports to service different factions Wharfs, Shipyards and Trade Stations. You can actually ASSIGN you own transport to that factions station and it will automatically get any and all items needed, but them from wherever and sell them back at the Wharf, Shipyard or what ever. OR you can just set up your transports to help supply the entire sector for the NPC faction.

So can you do that with a repeat order?

Honestly playing the game is a night and day experience playing it Vanilla vs playing with Mules. It simplifies everything and is 100 times more capable to doing what needs doing that anything that exists in Vanilla and makes the game so much more fun and enjoyable.

Honestly I could never go back to playing without QoL mods like this. Playing Vanilla is painful and frustrating, honestly that is all I can remember about it and that was only about a month ago that I was playing Vanilla. I literally was about to quit when I found out the game had fairly extensive mod support. With mods the game is one of the most enjoyable, engaging and addictive experiences I have had in a game, without it is nearly trash.

[Midnitewolf]

You get them when you download and install the mod "Mules, Supply and Warehouses Extended" from steam. That mod has been a godsend and has literally meant the difference of me quitting the game in frustrations 100 hours into my first play through instead of enjoying my 540th hour and counting.

I cant seem to make these Station Mules work. I just want to transfer Energy Cells from point A to point B. Its 2021 and in a game like this I cant transfer ONE ware from point A to point B. I give up. This is beyond stupid. Back to Anno series where the most basic things as a SIMPLE trade route exists.

Nothing is basic in the game. Seriously, do yourself a favor and just quit trying to play the game in its vanilla format. The game is amazing modded, not so much otherwise. The good news is you can get most of the mods you would wan right through the Steam Workshop with just a simple click and so far it has loaded the mods nearly flawlessly at least if you read the comments and make sure it has been kept updated before hitting the subscribe button. There are probably a few mods on Nexus you might want as well and those I recommend manually installing which is just a matter of unzipping and copy and pasting the unzipped file in extensions directory of the game. The game also manages these mods very well making it easy to turn them on and off as needed or desired right from the game options menu. With modding the game being so easy most of the time, just mod, it will make a huge difference.

[naisha]

For simple tasks like hauling stuff from point A to point B, repeat orders are perfect. I have over 15 ships hauling stuff around with just repeat orders and they've been doing that for a couple of days in-game, no issues so far, everything is supplied properly.

For the more complicated things, I use the mules mod. (yes, it would be awesome to have something like that in vanilla but alas we do not ... among many many things)

I personally dont have ships actively selling stuff from my trading stations, i let the AI do that for me. It makes plenty of money even so, i always have npc ships inbound to trade with me

I am still hopeful someone can make a proper mod like Commercial Agent was in X3. Sadly, we cant count on Egosoft to make stuff like this (no offense intended)

[Newinger]

If 68% of people who purchase your game are quitting that early in a game where you aren't even at the midpoint until you have at least 100 ships under your command, something is wrong. In my eyes it is the UI and command structure that is driving people off.

Well, different play styles. I play X4 regularly, I never had more than 10 ships. Don't need them for what I do.