CAG standby a lot while CLS2 has almost no breaks?

[fireanddream]

I have a E-cell storage complex where I assigned 5 max level CAGs to buy E-cells at 12 cr worldwide.
For the most part, they work. Usually I open up the property menu and see 2/5 landed (on standby), which means the majority of them are out there working.
However, they also spend a woeful lot of time on standby. I'm sitting right next to two fully loaded SPPs while 5 out of 5 CAGs are on standby for over a 30s on seta is infuriating.
Because of this, my buying center never seems to catch up with my selling center, despite the universe have a lot of full SPPs and I have 5 buyers and 4 sellers.

Out of frustration I switched to CLS2 and manually generate SPPs. They are almost never on standby. Why?

[fireanddream]

Here's the full log I really can't see anything wrong with it.

Spoiler

Show

Commercial Agent

Script version: 3302
Libraries version: 3409
Pilot Union version: 3307

Pilot: Aron Kayean
Pilot rank: Major Dealer
Flight time: 21:30 hour
Employ time: 34:24 hour
Payment: 40,060 credits
Profit: -18,321,466 credits
Expenses: -3,360 credits

Promotion: Yes
Payment: Global account
Agreement with colleagues: Yes

Ship name: E-cell Buyer 00 Drake
Ship class: TS
Ship type: Drake
Transport class: Extra Large Containers XL
Cargo bay size: 12850 units
Cargo bay volume: 479 units

Relation to Argon: Neutral
Relation to Boron: Neutral
Relation to Split: Neutral
Relation to Paranid: Neutral
Relation to Teladi: Neutral
Relation to Xenon: Foe
Relation to Kha'ak: Foe
Relation to Pirates: Neutral
Relation to Goner: Neutral
Relation to ATF: Friend
Relation to Terran: Friend
Relation to Yaki: Neutral

Fight Command Software MK1: installed
Fight Command Software MK2: installed

Supply Command Software: not installed

Jump Drive: installed
Jump Drive: activated
Jump Drive: allowed
Jump Drive energy: 500 energy cells
Jump Drive minimum jumps: 1 jumps

Home base: E-cell Buying Center (Freedom's Reach)
Home base class: Complex Hub
Home base type: Boron Complex Hub
Trade jumps: 50 jumps
Station account: 1,701,092 credits
Global account: 86,286,159 credits

Black list stations: -
Black list sectors: -

Only trade with satellite network sectors: Yes
Only trade in sectors with a jumpgate: Yes
Only trade with non-player bases: Yes

Trader job: Shopper
Purchase resources: 80 %
Sell products: 20 %
Sell products freighter cargo bay: 30 %
Purchase intermediate products: 50 %
Sell intermediate products: 80 %
Purchase stations credit balance: 1,000,000 credits

Home sector: Freedom's Reach
Home jumps: 50 jumps

Ware list type: Trade list
Ware list: Energy Cells

Tradeable ware from home base:
P Ore: price 66 credits, cargo bay 0 units, cargo bay 0 %
P Silicon Wafers: price 292 credits, cargo bay 0 units, cargo bay 0 %
P BoGas: price 293 credits, cargo bay 0 units, cargo bay 0 %
R Crystals: price 1,495 credits, cargo bay 664 units, cargo bay 100 %
I Energy Cells: price 13 credits, cargo bay 23,601 units, cargo bay 12 %

Ore (Product (Standard search engine))
Flail Missile Production Facility alpha (Patriarch's Keep): price 206 credits, cargo bay 0 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )

Ore (Product (CAG search engine))
Flail Missile Production Facility alpha (Patriarch's Keep): price 206 credits, cargo bay 0 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Particle Accelerator Cannon Forge alpha (PTNI Headquarters): price 205 credits, cargo bay 7 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Particle Accelerator Cannon Forge alpha (Depths of Silence): price 205 credits, cargo bay 7 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Weapon Component Factory alpha (Priest Rings): price 205 credits, cargo bay 4 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Light shield Production Complex alpha (Rolk's Fate): price 205 credits, cargo bay 4 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Impulse Ray Emitter Forge alpha (Rhy's Desire): price 205 credits, cargo bay 7 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Plasma Burst Generator Forge alpha (Void of Opportunity): price 205 credits, cargo bay 7 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Quantum Tube Fab beta (Greater Profit): price 205 credits, cargo bay 3 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Gauss Cannon Ammunition Forge alpha (Profit Center Alpha): price 205 credits, cargo bay 3 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Weapon Component Factory alpha (Seizewell): price 205 credits, cargo bay 1 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Concussion Impulse Generator Forge alpha (Wretched Skies): price 205 credits, cargo bay 32 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Cluster Flak Array Forge alpha (Ore Belt): price 205 credits, cargo bay 12 units, cargo bay 1 % ( Free )
Dumbfire Missile Production Complex alpha (Ceo's Sprite): price 205 credits, cargo bay 19 units, cargo bay 2 % ( Free )
Light Weapons Complex alpha (Great Reef): price 205 credits, cargo bay 18 units, cargo bay 2 % ( Free )
Low-yield Sidearms Fab alpha (Veil of Delusion): price 205 credits, cargo bay 13 units, cargo bay 1 % ( Free )
Medium shield Production Complex alpha (Legend's Home): price 204 credits, cargo bay 26 units, cargo bay 3 % ( Free )
Light shield Production Complex alpha (Elena's Fortune): price 204 credits, cargo bay 33 units, cargo bay 3 % ( Free )
Light shield Production Complex alpha (Ministry of Finance): price 204 credits, cargo bay 26 units, cargo bay 3 % ( Free )
Flak Artillery Array Forge alpha (Midnight Star): price 204 credits, cargo bay 32 units, cargo bay 3 % ( Free )
Medium shield Production Complex alpha (Rhonkar's Fire): price 203 credits, cargo bay 47 units, cargo bay 5 % ( Free )

Silicon Wafers (Product (CAG search engine))
Crystal Fab M alpha (The Vault): price 694 credits, cargo bay 96 units, cargo bay 23 % ( Free )
Satellite Factory alpha (Kingdom End): price 665 credits, cargo bay 58 units, cargo bay 27 % ( Free )
Crystal Fab M alpha (Ianamus Zura): price 665 credits, cargo bay 116 units, cargo bay 27 % ( Free )
Crystal Fab M alpha (Legend's Home): price 665 credits, cargo bay 116 units, cargo bay 27 % ( Free )
Dumbfire Missile Production Complex alpha (Cloudbase North West): price 643 credits, cargo bay 65 units, cargo bay 31 % ( Free )
Computer Plant alpha (Rolk's Drift): price 592 credits, cargo bay 80 units, cargo bay 38 % ( Free )
Computer Plant alpha (Profit Center Alpha): price 570 credits, cargo bay 86 units, cargo bay 41 % ( Free )
High Yield Production Complex alpha (Rhonkar's Might): price 563 credits, cargo bay 88 units, cargo bay 42 % ( Free )
Seeker Missile Production Complex alpha (Great Reef): price 563 credits, cargo bay 88 units, cargo bay 42 % ( Free )
Drone Factory alpha (Family Pride): price 552 credits, cargo bay 91 units, cargo bay 43 % ( Free )
Computer Plant alpha (Hila's Joy): price 541 credits, cargo bay 94 units, cargo bay 45 % ( Free )
Crystal Fab M alpha (Greater Profit): price 539 credits, cargo bay 189 units, cargo bay 45 % ( Free )
Chip Plant alpha (Cloudbase South West): price 526 credits, cargo bay 98 units, cargo bay 47 % ( Free )
Crystal Fab M alpha (Home of Light): price 526 credits, cargo bay 196 units, cargo bay 47 % ( Free )
Drone Factory alpha (Queen's Harbour): price 526 credits, cargo bay 98 units, cargo bay 47 % ( Free )
Advanced Satellite Factory alpha (Third Redemption): price 526 credits, cargo bay 98 units, cargo bay 47 % ( Free )
Swarm Missile Production Complex alpha (Argon Prime): price 511 credits, cargo bay 102 units, cargo bay 49 % ( Free )
Crystal Fab M alpha (Emperor's Pride): price 507 credits, cargo bay 206 units, cargo bay 49 % ( Free )
NMMC Headquarters (PTNI Headquarters): price 504 credits, cargo bay 0 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Tomahawk Missile Manufacturing Plant alpha (Rhy's Desire): price 489 credits, cargo bay 108 units, cargo bay 51 % ( Free )

BoGas (Product (Standard search engine))
BoFu Chemical Lab L beta (Ocean of Fantasy): price 477 credits, cargo bay 200 units, cargo bay 14 % ( Free )

BoGas (Product (CAG search engine))
BoFu Chemical Lab L beta (Ocean of Fantasy): price 477 credits, cargo bay 200 units, cargo bay 14 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab M alpha (Menelaus' Paradise): price 473 credits, cargo bay 92 units, cargo bay 16 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab L alpha (Bluish Snout): price 471 credits, cargo bay 244 units, cargo bay 17 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab L gamma (Atreus' Clouds): price 449 credits, cargo bay 374 units, cargo bay 27 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab M beta (Reservoir of Tranquillity): price 432 credits, cargo bay 184 units, cargo bay 33 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab L alpha (Great Reef): price 403 credits, cargo bay 590 units, cargo bay 42 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab M alpha (Rolk's Drift): price 391 credits, cargo bay 256 units, cargo bay 46 % ( Free )
Royal Boron Trading Station (Getsu Fune): price 380 credits, cargo bay 0 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab L gamma (Menelaus' Frontier): price 381 credits, cargo bay 684 units, cargo bay 49 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab M beta (Queen's Harbour): price 381 credits, cargo bay 274 units, cargo bay 49 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab M alpha (Shore of Infinity): price 378 credits, cargo bay 278 units, cargo bay 50 % ( Free )
BoFu Chemical Lab M alpha (Shining Currents): price 361 credits, cargo bay 308 units, cargo bay 55 % ( Free )

Energy Cells (Intermediate products (Standard search engine) Sell)
Soyery L alpha (Priest's Pity): price 19 credits, cargo bay 3,009 units, cargo bay 12 % ( Busy )

Energy Cells (Intermediate products (CAG search engine) Sell)
Massom Mill M alpha (Thyn's Excavation): price 19 credits, cargo bay 5 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Ore Mine M gamma (Ocean of Fantasy): price 19 credits, cargo bay 41 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Bio Gas Factory M alpha (Menelaus' Paradise): price 19 credits, cargo bay 28 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Space Jewellery M alpha (Cathedral of Xaar): price 19 credits, cargo bay 14 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Space Fuel Distillery M alpha (Nyana's Hideout): price 19 credits, cargo bay 2 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Sun Oil Refinery L beta (Scale Plate Green): price 19 credits, cargo bay 31 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Ammunition Factory alpha (Enduring Light): price 19 credits, cargo bay 14 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Wheat Farm M alpha (Getsu Fune): price 19 credits, cargo bay 24 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Crystal Fab M alpha (Rolk's Drift): price 19 credits, cargo bay 37 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Quantum Tube Fab alpha (Light of Heart): price 19 credits, cargo bay 20 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Drone Factory alpha (Twisted Skies): price 19 credits, cargo bay 32 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Flower Farm M alpha (CEO's Wellspring): price 19 credits, cargo bay 10 units, cargo bay 0 % ( Free )
Seeker Missile Production Complex alpha (Company Strength): price 19 credits, cargo bay 80 units, cargo bay 1 % ( Free )
Flower Farm L beta (Eighteen Billion): price 19 credits, cargo bay 1,535 units, cargo bay 6 % ( Free )
Rehabilitation Facility M alpha (Void of Opportunity): price 19 credits, cargo bay 130 units, cargo bay 1 % ( Free )
Drone Factory alpha (Home of Opportunity): price 19 credits, cargo bay 200 units, cargo bay 4 % ( Free )
Rastar Refinery L beta (Family Zein): price 19 credits, cargo bay 3,993 units, cargo bay 15 % ( Free )
Stott Mixery M alpha (Menelaus' Frontier): price 19 credits, cargo bay 1,500 units, cargo bay 15 % ( Free )
Silicon Mine M alpha (Clarity's End): price 19 credits, cargo bay 921 units, cargo bay 9 % ( Free )
Rehabilitation Facility M alpha (Veil of Delusion): price 19 credits, cargo bay 500 units, cargo bay 5 % ( Free )

Energy Cells (Intermediate products (Standard search engine) Buy)
Solar Power Plant L beta (Third Redemption): price 12 credits, cargo bay 24,737 units, cargo bay 98 % ( Busy )

Energy Cells (Intermediate products (CAG search engine) Buy)
Solar Power Plant M gamma (Emperor's Wisdom): price 12 credits, cargo bay 9,108 units, cargo bay 91 % ( Busy )
Solar Power Plant M beta (Family Rhonkar): price 12 credits, cargo bay 8,605 units, cargo bay 86 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L alpha (Consecrated Fire): price 12 credits, cargo bay 20,858 units, cargo bay 83 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant M gamma (Light Water): price 12 credits, cargo bay 9,636 units, cargo bay 96 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant M beta (The Wall): price 12 credits, cargo bay 9,132 units, cargo bay 91 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant XL alpha (Thyn's Abyss): price 12 credits, cargo bay 41,709 units, cargo bay 83 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant M delta (Shareholder's Fortune): price 12 credits, cargo bay 9,051 units, cargo bay 90 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L beta (Twisted Skies): price 12 credits, cargo bay 24,689 units, cargo bay 98 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant M delta (Akeela's Beacon): price 12 credits, cargo bay 9,899 units, cargo bay 98 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L beta (Power Circle): price 12 credits, cargo bay 24,860 units, cargo bay 99 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L gamma (Queen's Harbour): price 12 credits, cargo bay 23,372 units, cargo bay 93 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant M alpha (Preacher's Void): price 12 credits, cargo bay 9,900 units, cargo bay 99 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L beta (Third Redemption): price 12 credits, cargo bay 24,737 units, cargo bay 98 % ( Busy )
Solar Power Plant L alpha (Distant Clouds): price 12 credits, cargo bay 24,983 units, cargo bay 99 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L delta (Homily of Perpetuity): price 13 credits, cargo bay 20,641 units, cargo bay 82 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L alpha (Patriarch's Conclusion): price 13 credits, cargo bay 19,379 units, cargo bay 77 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant L alpha (Two Grand): price 13 credits, cargo bay 18,458 units, cargo bay 73 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant M alpha (Blue Profit): price 13 credits, cargo bay 7,116 units, cargo bay 71 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant XL alpha (Avarice): price 13 credits, cargo bay 38,557 units, cargo bay 77 % ( Free )
Solar Power Plant XL delta (Priest Refuge): price 13 credits, cargo bay 38,466 units, cargo bay 76 % ( Free )

[X2-Illuminatus]

It's been a while for me, but "Only trade with satellite network sectors: Yes" probably means that they will only trade in sectors where you have own satellites. Is this the case for the Power Plant sectors?

Also the CAG version number looks a bit outdated. There should be a newer version available.

[Timsup2nothin]

It appears that the CLS script is more efficient, but I will say straight out that running in SETA makes everything less efficient. CLS or CAG, you get a bunch of ships running those scripts and the checking they do has to "get in where it fits in." So some time may pass before a particular ship runs deep enough through the checks to get a positive result. That's just part of life with a large network of traders. But that "some time" that may pass can be ten times as long if you are at 10X SETA. Which is part of why I actually never run on SETA any more.

As to why the CLS script is more efficient...it is a list; check this station, then this station, then this station... CAG is checking every station in the designated range, even the stations that do not carry any product the CAG has an interest in. The result of that check is "no products" and it moves on to the next station, but it still checks them all every time. So when you give a CAG full universe range and it checks an SPP selling for thirteen it is going to check every station in the universe before it checks that station again. If the price drops to twelve shortly after that check it may sit at twelve for a long time before it gets checked again.

Your best bet for what you are trying to do is to use several CLS ships with smaller overlapping regions. That gives them shorter lists to work through. You have to keep in mind that NPC SPPs are producing all the time. An XL SPP produces hundreds of cells every minute. So if you have a big freighter, say a maxed out Mistral SF that can haul off almost 15,000 e-cells, that happens to buy very shortly after the price hits twelve, that price is going to hit twelve again in about twenty minutes. Depending on the round trip transit time of your freighter you might have a CLS that is busy full time just picking up from a couple of stations if they are L or XL SPPs.

Here's how I would do what you are trying to do, based on a prerequisite that I have as many big freighters as I will need just waiting around and they have jump capable pilots (logisticians aren't really necessary).

Take a handful of ships, say ten, and use generate waypoints one each one to target different "known source sectors" for e-cells; sectors that have multiple SPPs. Reset their tracking. Let them run for a couple hours (not on SETA...go find something to do...shoot some Xenon). After a couple hours check to see how much they have spent, which will give you an indication how many loads they have picked up.

The ones that have picked up a lot of loads...look at their target sector and see if there is too much production for them to keep up, which will show as more than one SPP just sitting at 12 Even one SPP at twelve, if it is at production stopped because it is full, means that that freighter is maxed. Note that sector as possibly needing additional coverage, but that freighter never needs any attention again.

The ones that haven't picked up so many loads, figure out why. There are a few possible reasons and you need to look at their target sector to see which is responsible.

Are there a bunch of SPPs sitting full, and SPPs in the sector that are very far from the gates? That means this freighter has a transit time problem and needs help.

Are no SPPs on the route at the minimum price and the freighter is just waiting? Check for sequence. If your freighter is actually servicing them all you will be able to see "he just did that one, it's empty...and that one there he did a while back, it's just about ready to pop again, and that one was probably the one he did next because it isn't close to popping but it's definitely been filling for a while, etc." If all or most of them are nearly empty you know your one freighter didn't do that and the problem was NPC energy haulers, which travel in packs like locusts and screw up everything. If there was an NPC swarm that's the breaks and you need to just let things settle out to see where you are, but if it is a transit time problem the sector needs additional coverage. If your one freighter has things sequencing nicely but is not getting many loads you should give him a couple more stops in a nearby sector.

So, now you have information and can add more freighters Maybe give one a range that includes a sector that needed a little help, but also includes some SPPs scattered in nearby sectors. Maybe give one a list that includes two of the sectors that needed help, so he is splitting time between them and helping both. Maybe theres an area that doesn't have one major supply sector but has three or four SPPs scattered one to a sector that is worth targeting.

Reset tracking on all the freighters that weren't satisfactory, and all the newly assigned freighters, and go find something to do for a couple hours. Rinse and repeat. I won't try to tell you how many freighters you will need to efficiently collect the entire universe worth of SPP production, but I can tell you that five is not even close to a good start. Transit time is a real limiter, and there are a whole lot of e-cells being produced every minute unless SPPs get full and stop. Thousands, probably tens of thousands.

[SirNukes]

CAG is checking every station in the designated range, even the stations that do not carry any product the CAG has an interest in. The result of that check is "no products" and it moves on to the next station, but it still checks them all every time. So when you give a CAG full universe range and it checks an SPP selling for thirteen it is going to check every station in the universe before it checks that station again. If the price drops to twelve shortly after that check it may sit at twelve for a long time before it gets checked again.

I took a look at the code, and it doesn't match this description. CAGs select the list of wares to check based on homebase tradeables and their own white or black list, filtered by what the homebase needs. The station lookup filters based on the price check. The station list that is left does indeed have waits between checks, but only of 100 ms. You can see how many such stations the OP's setup is finding: 20 ecell sellers in the printout, which would take just 2 seconds to iterate through. (There may be a concern about script overhead for station lookups, but that affects framerates, not CAGs being stuck idling.)

One big hiccup with CAGs is the colleague system. Firstly, only one CAG (from any of your homebases) can be heading to buy from a given station at a time (visible in the Busy/Free status in the printout). Secondly, only up to 4 CAGs from a given homebase can be attempting to purchase the same ware at a time. This also appears to have another hiccup due to how it's coded: if a 4th CAG starts working on a given ware, it needs to complete its trades before the other CAGs can start taking new deals with that ware (since they just check if the 4th slot is taken as a proxy for no slots being available). Note: selling does not have the 4 CAG limit, but is still one seller per destination.

CAGs also have additional waits for enemies on a route (5 minute wait), and a 10 minute wait if they fail to find a task after five iterations of the logic (eg. due to colleague obstructions), plus other scattered micro-waits.

Note: observations are made on the script versions in the Bonus Package.

CLS2 skips these hazards, relying on the player to set up any wanted delays and such.


One possible solution I enjoyed using: spread extra, cheap stations around as collectors which buy the desired ware (with disabling production), assign 3 CAGs per such station to handle purchasing, and then set up CAGs or CLS at your actual production stations to pick up from the collector stations.

[Timsup2nothin]

Thanks for the info! I don't peek the code myself, since I wouldn't know what I was seeing if I did, but I always appreciate getting the straight skinny from people who do!

One possible solution I enjoyed using: spread extra, cheap stations around as collectors which buy the desired ware (with disabling production), assign 3 CAGs per such station to handle purchasing, and then set up CAGs or CLS at your actual production stations to pick up from the collector stations.

This is a good move also. For myself, the universal approach to e-cells is too big of a headache so I usually break the whole thing into regional operations, but everyone should try the monstrous "all cells must pass this way" plan at least once.

[fireanddream]

One big hiccup with CAGs is the colleague system. Firstly, only one CAG (from any of your homebases) can be heading to buy from a given station at a time (visible in the Busy/Free status in the printout). Secondly, only up to 4 CAGs from a given homebase can be attempting to purchase the same ware at a time. This also appears to have another hiccup due to how it's coded: if a 4th CAG starts working on a given ware, it needs to complete its trades before the other CAGs can start taking new deals with that ware (since they just check if the 4th slot is taken as a proxy for no slots being available). Note: selling does not have the 4 CAG limit, but is still one seller per destination.

CAGs also have additional waits for enemies on a route (5 minute wait), and a 10 minute wait if they fail to find a task after five iterations of the logic (eg. due to colleague obstructions), plus other scattered micro-waits.

Oh god that's why... I now have TWELVE buyers at the same station and most of the time they go 7~9/12 landed, so that's why. The buyers, however, go 2/9 regularly and are far more efficient.

The thing is, CAGs are much more micromanagement free. With CLS2 I have to flush out the war sectors, the xenon adjacent sectors, the useless military posts, etc. Not to mention every pilot has to be a logistician for the number of waypoints, and every time GOD builds a new SPP XL somewhere it gets completely ignored by my trading network.

Change of plan then. I will build three buying centers and one gigantic selling center. With Gate hub it's hard to decide a proper jump range so buyers from different stations don't compete against each other (UTs are already messing up a considerable number of runs).

It's been a while for me, but "Only trade with satellite network sectors: Yes" probably means that they will only trade in sectors where you have own satellites. Is this the case for the Power Plant sectors?

Also the CAG version number looks a bit outdated. There should be a newer version available.

But, but, shouldn't a clean install from steam gives me the latest everything?

Reset tracking on all the freighters that weren't satisfactory, and all the newly assigned freighters, and go find something to do for a couple hours. Rinse and repeat. I won't try to tell you how many freighters you will need to efficiently collect the entire universe worth of SPP production, but I can tell you that five is not even close to a good start. Transit time is a real limiter, and there are a whole lot of e-cells being produced every minute unless SPPs get full and stop. Thousands, probably tens of thousands.

God damn that's a lot of work for a few millions... I could snap my finger at any time and break the system with boarding and microchips, but this time let's babysit the universe.

[Timsup2nothin]

God damn that's a lot of work for a few millions...

It's harder to describe than it is to do. Takes about five minutes every couple hours, and after about twelve hours it's done and will run unattended more or less forever. Maybe once a day check for SPPs that have been destroyed and rebuilt. If all you do is harness ten NPC XLSPPs that's over 400,000 cells per hour; at a six credit margin that's 25 million per hour, forever, on a minimal setup cost.

[jlehtone]

Lucike did recommend* to keep range short for CAGs, because the algorithmic complexity of the station search is high; ok with small numbers, but explodes with more sectors. Hence the "multiple centers" is a good strategy.

@SirNukes: Thanks.


*Could have been for X3R. I ain't gonna find that thread.


[Edit]
I have these too. The latest X3AP Bonuspack, AFAIK.

Code: Select all

Script version: 3302
Libraries version: 3409
Pilot Union version: 3307

X2-Illuminatus did probably refer to the latest versions from Lucike.