[IDEA] [WIP] Templates (Fleet Resupply S.. FRS was the X3R wip title)

[s9ilent]

In case anyone has been following what I've been making over the last... well since last year.. A fleet template resupply/template system has been in the works (Since X3R, and was suspended awaiting the cool new menu system of X3TC, then suspended due to extreme lag.. then unsuspended... I dont have a new computer.. it just doesn't lag as much?? guess that 1.4 working??)

Any way... The idea is... I don't like trying to order 50 ships... its annoying, its annoying.. its very annoying. Send 50 here, they all buy that, go here, they all buy this.. oh noe I forogot to buy a jump drive for a few... some don't have energy.. the dock ran out of shields...

Well to facilitate the easy equip of what I've dubbed "resupply fleets" (working title), basically, you create a resupply fleet, you create a template (or load a previosuly used one), and then you order 50 templates.
It'll buy the equiv of 50 small ships, and do something with them (goto centre location? stay docked) I don't know doesn't matter..


The point is, then the resupply fleet goes off and buys ALL of the equipment (except.. maybe not the software, the ships have to physically go and pick that up-wip)
And then it just keeps doing it, keeping your fleet well supplied and ready for a pan-galactic campaign of continued warefare.




Just a Recap:
Allows for ship templates, for easy ordering/equiping of new/old ships
Keeps a fleet well supplied
Designed to reduce micromanaging




Progress so far.
Finished the equipment lib's
finished the modify ship equipment menu + various UI filters

ToDo
Convert/redesign the X3R scripts for TC (Currently, only the maintaining side is done, resupply-actual wasn't done)
Adapt the equipment menu for the template menu
Create the template menus


In the event that you have seen the X3R scripts, I'm redesigning this one to be simpler (after testing from my SFM script).
1. Exit and back buttons aren't really needed, just a back is enough. Most of the time you just end up furiously tapping-esc rather then rpessing them any way)
2. The ability to use a "fleet" or "global" template no longer exists. Now each ship has its own template, but you can "load" a template from a global list.
3. Monitoring installed weapons (specifically, what weapons in which slot of what turret) is no longer done. It may be included in a latter addition as a SEPARATE module.

-And no this isn't going to be SFM re-tasked. It will not be able to interface with the no-2-traders-dock-at-this-place-for-this-ware with SFM either. As SFM traders only do a single ware in large volumes. This will be doing multiple wares of small volume -(and may be restricted to eq docks only)



Any way, Ideas comments suggestions
(Preferably before I finish the script )

[draffutt]

-And no this isn't going to be SFM re-tasked. It will not be able to interface with the no-2-traders-dock-at-this-place-for-this-ware with SFM either. As SFM traders only do a single ware in large volumes. This will be doing multiple wares of small volume -(and may be restricted to eq docks only)

personnel i wouldn't restrict it to just eq docks. i would also allow the resupply from player owned factories as well....

but to recap are you going to only limit this to small ships and say for a assigned wing or individual ships they will go out and try to aquire the necessary items to equip per the template

or.....

you have a carrier with 10 ships needing equipment and you order carrier to equip all ship of a class M5 to aquire all the equipment needed. that carrier flys/jumps to spot to spot sends out the ships, the ships load up, and fly back to the carrier...

or.....

different route?

sorry i hadn't used the X3R version. i may load up on it and see how it worked there to get a better idea.

[s9ilent]

Sorry when I say small ships, I mean you know why you goto a shipyard, you can buy, Nova S configuration, M, or L

When using "order template" I'm going to force you to buy S, simply because there is no way to tell if there is an M/L. (When ordering from templates). Then it does its standard equiping from there on wards.

In essence, its actually going to be buying a .. Tiny? configuration, It'll just use the average price of the ship, adjusted for what ever it has to adjust for (race rep eg.), with out any initial equipment. (As it will just end up selling it all any way, unless its a 1mw shield m5)


w.r.t to Equipment docks/player owned factories
The reason I specifically singled out eq docks, is because the moment I expand the search to include factories, you have to take things into consideration like price, safe routes/dangerous routes, and all sorts of other junk.
The purpose of this script was to make managing large numbers simple, so I'm specifically restricting it to docks. (Initially I was going to limit it to player only docks, or a pre-defined list of docks, but instead I'm just going to open it up to all docks, as its easier to code as well, if you feel the need to internally supply your fleet, just offload all your factories wares to your dock.


-When I say eq docks, I really meant to say just "docks" (any dock type, eq trade military phq etc.)




Further Simplification of the script.
The "flagship" (should probably be called Leadsupply ship), must be able to carry XL class. Similarly, all its resupply ships must be able to carry XL. (if you feel the overwhelming desire to use m6's.. then well.. don't)



quick status update
The trade scripts are being based off the SFM scripts, but with heavy modification.
I am however going to limit the features to these resupply traders. As said previously, XL size ships only (Initially was going to be TM's only)
Won't have as many other tid bit features, eg sector auto blacklisting (mostly because its intended to operate in battlefield situations).


Ok re-status update
I was having ... complications.. when considering, how would I made traders know when to buy stuff, and when to drop stuff off, and then VIOLA! VWAM smack idea!! Freight drones!
(I didn't use them much before as I didn't really know what they did but now I do)
Todo
pause resupply (when in direct combat operations you would naturally want your ships to stop)