X3/TC 1.4 deploy satellite network ?

[freddiel]

Hi all

I have recently formatted my hard drive and so lost all my game saves for X3. Not a problem though because a new game will begin as soon as 2.0 is availabe. Anyway I digress.

I have been drawn back to X3 TC 1.4 and found something odd or something I was really unaware of, that is, in the deployment of advanced satellites.

After claiming the Toucan from Menelaus Frontier, I used it for a few E cell runs, then after making enough credits I decided it would be useful for deploying advanced satellites in sectors I wish to trade in.

What I have noticed though is that if left to its own devices after giving it this instruction, it will deploy satellites in areas exlored without any satellites in it, then, resupply itself with more satellites without instruction from me!!!

Is this a feature of 1.4 ? or, has this always been the case?

I am aware that previously 2 or more satellites could be deployed in the same sector, but as yet that hasn't happened, it has deployed them singularly in the same co-ordinates in different sectors.

[Teebor]

It was like that before 1.4 iirc as I had my satellite network well before then.

It is a great feature, although it slightly annoy me that it doesn't place them in pirate sectors unless you are in them, and you cannot change that. Unless the friend/foe settings defines that, but I have seen my ship fly through a pirate sector to get to another whilst deploying them

[Al]

I've defintiely had satellites deployed in pirate sectors but I'm on fairly good terms with them and they are set to friendly in my friend/foe settings.

[amtie]

1. Do they use jumpdrive if they have an autojump/refuel setting set?

2. Do they try to deploy adv sats only?

3. Do they deploy sats in enemy sectors (not just pirate, but xenon, enemy commonwealth races, etc)?

4. Do they deploy sats off-ecliptic, or can you (pre)set the co-ords of deployment?

(Questions, not rhetoricals )

[Al]

1,3. No idea

2. I know if you start them with a adv sat then they only drop adv sat so it could be they only drop adv sat or they drop what thye start with.
4. You set the location it should be dropped at.

[ephemeron]

1. I haven't tried it myself (I use Kestrels for satellite deployment), but they should if you have Autojump set to 1 jump. From what I've seen, they never think about anything more than one sector away, so longer-distance jumps probably won't happen.

2. They'll only use the kind of satellite you gave them to start with. So, if the ship has been deploying advanced satellites but can't find any more, it won't switch to regular satellites unless you give it one and reissue the command.

3. They won't deploy satellites in a sector that's set as "Foe" to them.

4. The coordinates you gave when you started the command are the coordinates satellites will be deployed to. If there's something already there in a particular sector, they'll move to a safe distance from it before deploying. (Most of my satellites are at 0,15,0, but some of the ones in Terran space have really odd coordinates because 0,15,0 is inside a huge station.)

[freddiel]

Thanks for the response guys. I think Ihave only deployed satellites in X3/R and not TC before so it is a nice touch really.

The point about jumpdrives though I cant be sure, is I think the Toucan jumped to Kindom End from Teladi Gain to buy 16 more sats. Either that or time is flying by quicker than I thought. However it didn't jump to Seizewell which was the next point.

[freddiel]

1. Do they use jumpdrive if they have an autojump/refuel setting set?

2. Do they try to deploy adv sats only?

3. Do they deploy sats in enemy sectors (not just pirate, but xenon, enemy commonwealth races, etc)?

4. Do they deploy sats off-ecliptic, or can you (pre)set the co-ords of deployment?

(Questions, not rhetoricals )

So far, they have deployed sats in sectors I have explored, but not pirate or Xenon.

I originally set the co-ordinates to X.0, Y.42, Z.0 give a few m's either way and this is the same for all the sectors placed. (often off ecliptic)

Q1 not sure.

Q2 not sure what else it can deploy with the instruction Deploy Satellite Network.

[donotdespisethesnake]

The script will use jumpdrive, if autojump is set.

[andymac]

Q2 not sure what else it can deploy with the instruction Deploy Satellite Network.

They could delpoy standard sats OR advanced stats.

The ship will deploy whatever you start it off with in the cargo bay. Once exhausted, it will then go and buy more of the same type.

I've no idea what happens if you load it with one of each. I only ever use advanced sats.

[Zloth]

If you have some of each, it asks you which to use.

Thing is, the script will still deploy sats even if you already have one in the sector. And guessing which sectors it will decide to go to next is tricky.

[dubnium]

If you have some of each, it asks you which to use.

Thing is, the script will still deploy sats even if you already have one in the sector. And guessing which sectors it will decide to go to next is tricky.

it won't if the positions are sufficiently close.