Universal Explorers Continued 2.5.Beta1-XRM (18APR2012)

[g_BonE]

looks like i found the issue.

i also have salvage command suite v4.06 installed and for some reason it seems to overwrite the settings menu of UX. as i dont know how to fix this myself i uninstalled UX until anybody picks this project back up.

also it'd be nice to have this script "explore only", that is, not placing any satellites.

thanks tho !

[Keomars]

No longer new update since Nov 2011？

Waiting for it！！

[Legionos]

this would be great for AP

[faberdonax]

Update to last XRM version, please! We need this script! We love it!

[Probe1]

It'd be fantastic if you came back to this and gave it an update. Definitely needs the nav beacon rewritten to go stealth for a while as well as a new experience gaining check for when most of the universe is already known.

[FalconGrey]

Hey guys. I'm back (and having to download my own script! )

Anyways, after some time without my internet then getting it back... going through my poor computer and now with a new one I'm going to try to jump back where I left off and get things going again!

A lot I've missed.

BTW, currently installing TC w/ AP. Should be done installing tonight through steam and then I'll need to reinstall all the scripts and such.

Sorry for the long wait.

Edit: Updated version for XRM 1.19e. Original non-XRM version should still be ok.

***** I have not tested this with Albion Prelude so any and ALL feedback would be appreciated to find if there are any conflicts that need to be hammered out.

[FalconGrey]

I have temporarily removed the ship modification part. I have done this for a couple reasons.

1st reason is due to some instabilities the changes to the truelight seeker caused.

2nd reason due to ease of updating. I don't have to keep monitoring mod A and mod B and mod C for changes to their ship file list and try to keep it updated AND focus on this script and making it work hand in hand with salvaging scripts and so on. Now I can simply focus on the scripting side.

At the very least, I may bring back the modification to the Mobile Repair Ship as it needs to have some kind of point defense to give it some chance to escape a missile bombardment and fighter assault. My hope is that Paul might add the flack/light gun changes to the MRS in his ship file so that it is permanently part of the package.

Additionally, version 2.4b has been removed due to there is no need for that version now. 2.5.b1 is the current updated version of it without its ship mods.

[jerry7890]

Hi,

tnx for the good work!

Now to the real question the wishlist :
1) Option to drop {JumpBeacon(deploy beacon) or SAT(deploy sat) (like Deploy Danger NavBeacon)} near (~5km)
discovered claimable (config options) a)crates; b)Hyperion crates (tunings 4 player ship); c)Fighters (M5-M3); d) Medium
class (TM, TS, TL, M6-M7) ; e)Big Ships(M0,1,2);
Reasons: just one immersion in game!!!!!
For now i dont now for close to Vanilla (~balanced) Salvager type of game, and this options combined with SCS Light
version of TECSG (eventually with reduced range for Detect Crates) will create ~that.
For me Salvaging should be:
1. Explorer explore, now sectors ~100% >100km, SEWN coverage ~50km = >1/2 of the sector is Black Zone
w/out cheating. Besides after discovery of sectors no job for Explorer (-> fired) and its illogical Explorer to salvage

- its derelict, there should be Engineer or Technician(Lucikes crews), or Marine w Eng/Mech skills (SCS=Hacker skill);
- its WAR (Yaki vs Pirates, Terran vs everybody, Argon/Boron vs Paranid/Split, Pirate Guild ......) Explorer don't have
time to escort to SY;

He should Deploy Beacon/Sat with Self Destruct timer = 1,2,..n h if not collected,send a message (variants) and collect
finder fee 5-10% after sale, get some !exp. points! for discoveries outside SEWN coverage (~50-60km from 0,0,0 w some
exceptions)(few reasons for rank upgrades after all sectors discovered) and go Exploring and updating Sector Blacklists &
deploying Danger NavBeacons for traders , passengers ....

2) Option for using MARS Goblins (if MARS on board) for SAT deployment (easier: calling hotkeys) or adaptation of MARS
SAT deployment patterns (calculations for deployment!!! + SAT patterns: 1,(G)ate only,G+4,G+4+trade roads, G+8, ...
128 was a max i think) (covers everything w 2-3 SATs in 90-99% of sectors + 1 Explorer/3-4 sectors = Full coverage)
(Less SAT => less CPU load => more ships for Player)

3) Option "Supply from Home Base Only - On/Off" (ecell,sat,... everything) it will allow TM based Explorer Flotilla supplied
by Tender (Lucike) + supply M3s;

4) After reading for your future SCS Stealth Sat deployment plans: option "Deploy Sats in Argon, Boron,... sectors On/Off"
for every race separately (for future some corporations i think i sow somewhere ~Corp.War mod)= Blacklist for SAT w
templates for easy configuration.
Every CAG, EST, CLS, Prospector use "Trade in SAT covered sectors only Yes/No" option and will start dying!
Probably create some "Super Scaner" ware w AL for use from AI ships = 3-5% chance/h of discovery & destroy + RRF
or MBResponse Flotilla punishing Player specifically for x h, for spying on them.

Sorry for the long post, got immersed.

So out out of >15 ideas/wishes for options, how mach was i successful in talking you & probably TECSG in ?
tnx again for the work!

[FalconGrey]

Hi,

tnx for the good work!

Now to the real question the wishlist :
1) Option to drop {JumpBeacon(deploy beacon) or SAT(deploy sat) (like Deploy Danger NavBeacon)} near (~5km)
discovered claimable (config options) a)crates; b)Hyperion crates (tunings 4 player ship); c)Fighters (M5-M3); d) Medium
class (TM, TS, TL, M6-M7) ; e)Big Ships(M0,1,2);
Reasons: just one immersion in game!!!!!
For now i dont now for close to Vanilla (~balanced) Salvager type of game, and this options combined with SCS Light
version of TECSG (eventually with reduced range for Detect Crates) will create ~that.
For me Salvaging should be:
1. Explorer explore, now sectors ~100% >100km, SEWN coverage ~50km = >1/2 of the sector is Black Zone
w/out cheating. Besides after discovery of sectors no job for Explorer (-> fired) and its illogical Explorer to salvage

- its derelict, there should be Engineer or Technician(Lucikes crews), or Marine w Eng/Mech skills (SCS=Hacker skill);
- its WAR (Yaki vs Pirates, Terran vs everybody, Argon/Boron vs Paranid/Split, Pirate Guild ......) Explorer don't have
time to escort to SY;

He should Deploy Beacon/Sat with Self Destruct timer = 1,2,..n h if not collected,send a message (variants) and collect
finder fee 5-10% after sale, get some !exp. points! for discoveries outside SEWN coverage (~50-60km from 0,0,0 w some
exceptions)(few reasons for rank upgrades after all sectors discovered) and go Exploring and updating Sector Blacklists &
deploying Danger NavBeacons for traders , passengers ....

2) Option for using MARS Goblins (if MARS on board) for SAT deployment (easier: calling hotkeys) or adaptation of MARS
SAT deployment patterns (calculations for deployment!!! + SAT patterns: 1,(G)ate only,G+4,G+4+trade roads, G+8, ...
128 was a max i think) (covers everything w 2-3 SATs in 90-99% of sectors + 1 Explorer/3-4 sectors = Full coverage)
(Less SAT => less CPU load => more ships for Player)

3) Option "Supply from Home Base Only - On/Off" (ecell,sat,... everything) it will allow TM based Explorer Flotilla supplied
by Tender (Lucike) + supply M3s;

4) After reading for your future SCS Stealth Sat deployment plans: option "Deploy Sats in Argon, Boron,... sectors On/Off"
for every race separately (for future some corporations i think i sow somewhere ~Corp.War mod)= Blacklist for SAT w
templates for easy configuration.
Every CAG, EST, CLS, Prospector use "Trade in SAT covered sectors only Yes/No" option and will start dying!
Probably create some "Super Scaner" ware w AL for use from AI ships = 3-5% chance/h of discovery & destroy + RRF
or MBResponse Flotilla punishing Player specifically for x h, for spying on them.

Sorry for the long post, got immersed.

So out out of >15 ideas/wishes for options, how mach was i successful in talking you & probably TECSG in ?
tnx again for the work!

Hi Jerry and thanks for the ideas. Of all of them that could possibly be put into the script reasonably is the idea of the beacon that would expire after so long in game. Right now, the ability to salvage a ship is level dependent. If the explorer isn't skilled enough to capture the ship and sit the salvaged ship's computer to autopilot to nearest shipyard, he/she simply ignores and continues on. The idea of dropping a beacon and letting you know of the discovery has crossed my mind, but again it would need to be experience driven as someone new to exploring would really be looking for ships. Once say at level 5, having gotten their feet wet and a good feel of what they are doing and 'oh hay! An abandoned ship that's functional!' drop a beacon and send a message to my boss to come get it kicks in and moves on. At level 8 -10 now understand some basic engineering to keep their own ship running good and 'Hey! An abandoned and functional ship. Let me pop over there and set that auto computer to fly to the nearest base/shipyard!' As for Wares floating in space, I think simply dropping a beacon and sending a message that dropped wares are found in 'x' sector would be good enough for that. Most people forget, that these ships aren't today's technology. They have simi-smart computers that can fly the ships on an auto pilot to a base easily, even if damaged. As long as the person who is capturing the ship understands the basic of flight controls and a little of basic engineering to set the controls there shouldn't be any loss of 'realism' to that.

When I personally set up the SCS software settings, I tend to tone a couple things back to my personal taste so that when I start I struggle. Once I get an explorer going it helps, but it's still a struggle. Once I start getting a small fleet amassed with say a Mammoth and a couple repair/salvage magnatars with a marine crew trained in engineering and maintenance and 2 forward repair lasers to repair larger ships... that's when the real beauty of the SCS combined with Explorer software comes out. I actually never use the 'call repair ship' features of the scs software, not because a repair/towing company isn't realistic in the future (quite the contrary) because I have the price rather steep to make it feel more realistic to cover operation costs of that said company! The Argon Magnatars can hold 4 fighter craft while marines repair them and in addition the repair lasers can repair the larger crafts. What I might do in the future for my 'humble salvager' scripts is add scripts to use the marine repair scripts to a new level. Instead of using the repair lasers to repair ships, kinda no realistic in my opinion, the repair ships would beam over the marines and they would repair the ship. Once the repairs are done they would beam back. Now you know some future plans for my other mod that has taken a back burner to this one for now. The humble salvager will incorporate and work hand in hand with this exporer mod, the SCS scripts, and XRM scripts. The idea is to give the game a immersed feel to a person who wants to make their living off the waste and abandoned junk and scraps the that X-Universe leaves behind.

But back to this explorer script, wish list 2 through 4 are great ideas. Wish 2 is a whole lot of work so if it IS done, will be a long time coming. Wish 3 has actually crossed my mind but before I get to that I would like to get the salvage basics down. The beacon idea from wish 1 is a good idea for a pilot that doesn't have the ability or skill to remotely capture the ship's computer. Would also solve the 'I've lost my ship' problem that occasionally happens with unskilled pilots trying to capture something they found by a space walk. Wish 4, like 2 is an idea for the future but not for now.

So in basic, all great ideas! Wish 1 will be looked into sooner than later. Wish 2 through 4 will on the back burner ideas list but still kept in mind.

Grey

[jerry7890]

Hi FalconGrey,

tnx for the replay, waiting for next V.

[FalconGrey]

Will keep you updated Jerry.

Will let you know, for what ever reason having an issue that seems to be centering around the plugin manager. Once it runs (even once) to install the libraries TC becomes unstable and either crashes to a blue screen of death or locks the entire computer up.

No explanation as to why this is happening yet. Once this issue is resolved, I'll proceed to continue with the mod. So hopefully soon.

[FalconGrey]

Status update, the issue with my frequent crashes and lockups seem to be some sort of compatibility issue with my model of computer and TC/AP. There is a thread on it in tech support that I've found and have added to it.

As more information becomes available I'll let you all know. It's a great Acer model... just don't understand why TC is having an issue and no other programs are.

[FalconGrey]

Ok, have a stable installation. Just want to run with the install for now to make sure all the scripts and mods work fine together.

One note, I've found NPC Bailing add on seems to destabilize and crash TC to desktop so need to run without it for now. If someone else can confirm the same issue or if they have no issues it would be greatly appreciated. Even if that's the only script (along with the needed libraries) it crashes.

As long as it plays fine for the rest of today, I'll continue my work on UEC (Universal Explorers Continued).

[TECSG]

Good luck, hope the CTD issue is finally sorted!

[FalconGrey]

Other than a couple mods, it's playing fine. NPC Bailling is one of those... not sure why and just added a couple more that I normally use that is killing it so need to back them off 1 by 1 until i find the second one doing it.

Edit:

The problem has been finally tracked down to a BIOS problem with its programing. No new update is available or expected to be available soon. Acer Technical support's only suggestion is for me to ship my desktop PC to their repair department ($42 roughly in shipping as USPS is all I have available) for them to tinker with it until a fix is found.

My final solution to this issue is I have ordered an Asus F1A75-M Pro (for $64) to replace the Acer board which is glitched until they patch the BIOS.

The new board is scheduled to arrive by the end of next week from Newegg.

[FalconGrey]

Sorry for the late update, system is running stable and fine. Working on getting the UE to work hand in hand with Salvage Suite. So far so good on basic explorer functions without salvaging.

[Turnus]

I like this explorer but they seem to go WAAAY off the map in small sectors, wasting valuable time... Is there a way to fix that, I am more focused on mapping the universe not single sectors.

[FalconGrey]

I like this explorer but they seem to go WAAAY off the map in small sectors, wasting valuable time... Is there a way to fix that, I am more focused on mapping the universe not single sectors.

Unfortunately, with the way the sector explore is integrated it is really difficult to have an option to turn that off without a total re-write of the entire code. The original author once tried to tackle a more optimized script for the sector explorer but quickly stated it wasn't possible due to the ever changing sizes of the sectors so made an 'average' explore size for the explorer.

I'm already having a head banging time trying to do simple things... and on the edge of giving up with the impending release of Rebirth coming up. I try to add a simple thing and break the whole of the script or the game...

I will look into trying to find a way to bypass the sector explorer with the explorer 'marking' each sector it passes through instead of exploring but no promises.

[veryinky]

I like this script, mostly for the satelite deployment and asteroid scanning. I have noticed that sometimes explorers get "stuck" switching between deploy satelite and move to sector repeatedly. The other problem I've had is when they eject to capture a ship and the ship is destroyed/taken by someone else before they finish capturing. Saw one explorer just give up in his spacesuit and fly to the nearest station after I captured a ship he was apparently wanting to capture. His Explorer Saber was blue, non capturable, and later destroyed and only then did he fly out of the station to complain about being marooned. I've had this happen 3 times now so had to turn off ship capturing for them, can't trust them to figure out how to get back into their own ships.

I would like it if explorers could use larger ships, at least M6s if only for survivability. The springblossom/winterblossom was the main exploration ship for Terrans afterall. That and TP's, TM's and TS. Exploring the galaxy in style in a Mani or Phantom, Mistral, with adequate defenses in a TM. Don't care about speed, I just hate replacing the things.

[Cascinova]

I could not find this mod posted anywhere in the pasted Community Scripts, Mission Director, and Mods Library, it should be pasted there.