[Script][Mar/17/2009] Transfer Freight via Drones - working

[Jaga_Telesin]

Then it flies to the ship to be collected. This now happens automatically. M2 owners now no longer have to collect the drones manually.

My freight drones are having problems with this particular step - they never dock back at the ship they launched from. They'll fly to within transporter range and unload, but then sit there with empty freight (1 shield only, installed), and not move.

Great script, I'd consider it essential to gameplay.. if I could get it working 100%.

Edit: I think I found the bug not allowing this to complete. If you move the ship that the drone is following/transferring to outside of transporter range, it breaks the current action, and the drone simply reverts to "follow" mode. It will never dock correctly. I just tested with two drones, and for the second one my ship didn't move at all. The drone unloaded and docked correctly. Sounds like some error checking is needed in that routine is all. Otherwise, excellent script.

[Jaga_Telesin]

Found another bug just now, separate post so it can be referenced separately..

When the ship sending out a freight drone is within a short distance of the factory the drone is visiting, the drone will dock, load wares, undock, transfer to main ship, and then sit there like in the first bug I found. It never tries to dock with it's main ship.

Note: I'm using a Split Panther for this testing, which being a M7 should be big enough not to have any size or class issues for the script.

[Robert Foster]

I am going to try this.
This is something I am looking for.
I hope it works

Question though., If I suddenly get into a dog fight with the enemies,
Will these drones stay put docked within my ship I am piloting.?

I do not want them to all of a sudden fly out and start fighting.
because then I will have more problems than I really want.

[Tim-O]

Sorry for answering so late. I haven't been playing the game for about half a year now. And as a result I didn't check the forums any more. I don't know if I will have time to fix the bugs in the near future but thank you for pointing them out.

Then it flies to the ship to be collected. This now happens automatically. M2 owners now no longer have to collect the drones manually.

My freight drones are having problems with this particular step - they never dock back at the ship they launched from. They'll fly to within transporter range and unload, but then sit there with empty freight (1 shield only, installed), and not move.

Great script, I'd consider it essential to gameplay.. if I could get it working 100%.

Edit: I think I found the bug not allowing this to complete. If you move the ship that the drone is following/transferring to outside of transporter range, it breaks the current action, and the drone simply reverts to "follow" mode. It will never dock correctly. I just tested with two drones, and for the second one my ship didn't move at all. The drone unloaded and docked correctly. Sounds like some error checking is needed in that routine is all. Otherwise, excellent script.

I had this problem, too. But the reason was this: The drone unloaded its cargo into the ship, which then didn't have enough space left to fit the drone itself into. When I unloaded some wares, the drone docked. Perhaps you checked this already, but you never know...

Found another bug just now, separate post so it can be referenced separately..

When the ship sending out a freight drone is within a short distance of the factory the drone is visiting, the drone will dock, load wares, undock, transfer to main ship, and then sit there like in the first bug I found. It never tries to dock with it's main ship.

Note: I'm using a Split Panther for this testing, which being a M7 should be big enough not to have any size or class issues for the script.

Perhaps the reason is the same? I normally use the drones on other ships while I'm not in the sector. In these cases I let the ship fly exactly to the location of the factory (-hub) and the issue the drone command. In these cases, everything works fine.

I am going to try this.
This is something I am looking for.
I hope it works

Question though., If I suddenly get into a dog fight with the enemies,
Will these drones stay put docked within my ship I am piloting.?

I do not want them to all of a sudden fly out and start fighting.
because then I will have more problems than I really want.

The script has no effect on the behaviour of your drones while they are docked. When they are, they are another ware in your cargo hold behaving exactly in the way Egosoft intended. That means, they won't start fighting because they aren't fighting drones. But this doesn't have anything to do with my script

I didn't see anyone thank you for this yet, so I just want to say thank you SO much for this script! I seriously mean it!

Thank You, man. I really appreciate that!

[california3201]

Were is the download button

[Deadbeat_Spinn]

Were is the download button

In the OP.

[brclancy111]

Plugin .spk file:
http://www.mediafire.com/?5mnwhjnyytn

[Vivicector]

This is the great script! Many thanks to its creator. It works just fine, no serious bugs. However, it would be convenient to add check for cargo space on ship/ships before starting the transfer, so problems with no space for drone and/or cargo never occur again.

[Bishop149]

Question Can this script be used to make repeated runs, I.e.
Can I task a freight drone to: Pick up ware at ship A, Drop of at Ship B, Repeat to infinity.

Would be a really useful feature, especially for mobile mining!

Also, forgive my scripting ignorance but what is classed as a "Big ship", TM's, Superfreighters?

[Tim-O]

This is the great script! Many thanks to its creator. It works just fine, no serious bugs. However, it would be convenient to add check for cargo space on ship/ships before starting the transfer, so problems with no space for drone and/or cargo never occur again.

Thanks! The cargo check was left out deliberately because you never know what happens while the drone is flying around. Also it would add extra complexity which I didn't want to include in my first script (more complexity => more bugs).

Question Can this script be used to make repeated runs, I.e.
Can I task a freight drone to: Pick up ware at ship A, Drop of at Ship B, Repeat to infinity.

Would be a really useful feature, especially for mobile mining!

Also, forgive my scripting ignorance but what is classed as a "Big ship", TM's, Superfreighters?

The drones cant be used to make repeated runs. Sorry.

As for the Big Ship issue: I haven't been scripting or playing for some time now, so I don't exactly remember. But I think a Big Ship was everything that is bigger than a TM. (i.e. M6 upwards. Not sure about M8)

[Playbahnosh]

Hey! I can see you have abandoned this script a long time ago, but if you still read this, here is some feedback:

I installed this script yesterday and it works like charm! I use it to trade stuff from my M7 Griffon, no problems so far!

There is one little thing that might be a bug: I tried to use it to trade with a Military Outpost but the drone just kept on "avoiding", it couldn't dock. Not a real problems since the Military Outpost can dock capital ships, but I thought I mention it.

Is there any chance you come back and tweak this script a little? Maybe add checks for ware and cargo space availability? That would make it totally perfect. It works without those, obviously, but you might wanna add them just for being user friendly

[dpadula]

Here is a bug I recently discovered but is not a big deal to avoid. I noticed it when doing the Fatal Fury missions. If I have a Freight Drone out and about and I dock to finish the mission and get a new briefing it will lock up the game. It will also do it if a drone is left in a system and I jump into a Kha'ak Sector. Like I said it is simple to avoid by just making sure that I have all of the drones in my ship. Just wanted to mention it in case others run into this issue.

Even though this has been long abandoned it is still awesome!! Thanks for the great script.

[Sniper101]

if any one cares this works with X-tended 1.1, has the same lockup / crash dpadula posted but works none the less.just dont leave your drones behind

[LizardCor]

Hi.

Script add modified status?

[Calgor Grim]

Sorry to Necro this but, anyone have this?

[Jaga_Telesin]

Mirror host now up on Unleashed's website: download link

[Playbahnosh]

Mirror host now up on Unleashed's website: download link

You just saved my life (well, sanity anyway). Thanks, man. I've been using this script in TC all the time with my Griffon and bigger ships. I got so used to it, that I was seriously miffed when I wanted to trade with my M7 in AP and the command just wasn't there...

How is this not in vanilla anyway? I mean freight drones are canon and you can already transfer stuff to and from your OWN stations (it was vanilla in TC), it goes without saying you should be able to use drones to trade. It makes life in an M7 and above MUCH easier. Since you still can't dock TS class ships in capitals, drones are the ONLY way of M7 and above to be flying solo. I use to go explore sectors in my Griffon, but since you can't even resupply e-cells without having another of your ships around, it's practically impossible without this script to go on deep-space exploration far from your infrastructure.

To any modders out there:
It seems the original author abandoned this script a long time ago. Someone should pick this up and put the finishing touches on it, like a cargo volume check and a warning not to jump if you have drones lose in the sector (it kills your game if you do). Please?

[Playbahnosh]

(sorry for the double post, but I thought this needed it's own post)
Okay, since nobody even bothered to chime in here, I think I assume correctly that this script is officially abandoned.

With that in mind, I'd like to pick up where Tim-o has left off and continue developing and debugging this script and more functionality. I PM-ed Tim-o to ask for permission.

Failing that, I ask the mods to give the final say on the abandonment on this script. I don't want to take it as my own, but I'd like use it, or rather parts of it, to develop my own version with many added functionality.

Agreed?
________________________

Edit: okay then, since nobody bothered to say anything for 3 days, I take that as a yes. I'll submit my own rework of the script soon. Thanks....I guess

[JACN85]

(sorry for the double post, but I thought this needed it's own post)
Okay, since nobody even bothered to chime in here, I think I assume correctly that this script is officially abandoned.

With that in mind, I'd like to pick up where Tim-o has left off and continue developing and debugging this script and more functionality. I PM-ed Tim-o to ask for permission.

Failing that, I ask the mods to give the final say on the abandonment on this script. I don't want to take it as my own, but I'd like use it, or rather parts of it, to develop my own version with many added functionality.

Agreed?
________________________

Edit: okay then, since nobody bothered to say anything for 3 days, I take that as a yes. I'll submit my own rework of the script soon. Thanks....I guess

Would be nice, but from what I can see it works perfectly fine now for "Buying" goods from a station using your TL and Drones.

That's the primary reason I downloaded it anyways.

[Playbahnosh]

Sure, it does work, but has some flaws, like freezing the game if you jump outta sector while the drones are still out, things like that.

Also, I'm planning to add more functionality to make Freight Drones useful, like the ability to collect dropped stuff from space and a really ambitious one: the ability to ferry wares between stations without the need for TS ships.

I have no ETA at this time, but I will create another thread once I do.