[TC] Transfer via Freight Drones broken?

guedez · Post by **guedez** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 02:07

So... i brought an Elephant, since it's the faster TL although have only half of what an Mamoth got for cargo space...

Anyways, it won't dock at anything smaller than a Military Base it got Freight Drones, YAY!

the problem is, i select Autopilot -> Trade -> Transfer Via Drones -> Select a Station -> i then select a sector and... nothing, there is NO stations on that sector. For some reason i can't select then, their icon appear on the minimap,but none appear on the right list, when i select to transfer to a ship, then all appear (even my satelite) but that's rather silly D:

thx in advance!

RandomBandit · Post by **RandomBandit** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 02:38

Eject the freight drones. You will get a freight-transfer screen the moment you do, close it. Then you will get the drones command console, use the "Trade" menu to get them to do what you want. If you eject two, you will get the freight-transfer screen of the first one, then the command console of the first one, after closing that you will get the freight-transfer screen of the second one...etc.

I think the transfer via drones only works with YOU stuff, not sure though as I do not use it.

guedez · Post by **guedez** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 02:45

yeah that works but... if there is a Transfer Freight via Drones command that works perfectly as far as i saw to tranfer things from ship to ship, why it won't work from ship to station? D:

it realy won't work or i am doing something wrong?

oh yeah, and if this is the only way to do it, won't it blow's the meaning of having 30k+ freight space for trading porpuses?
i mean, it's diferent to buy 1600 ores for 50 and to buy 100 ores for 50 16 times, because they will not cost 50 all the times....
making ALL TL useless for trading...
at least i can make bases and they do not depend on drones... i hope

necxelos · Post by **necxelos** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 03:45

Got this problem as well. Only solution <which I used> is having one Super Freighter <pick one> to follow Your Big Daddy Mega Elephant and make trade runs station-Elephant for him via Transportation Device <can be bought for example in Heretics End if You started as Terran it is closest choice>.

P.S. "Transfer via Drones" not "Trade via Drones". Kinda suck but it's true. Drones are crap for bigger trades - You need TS to do it for You

Or you can Eject right about 60 Freight Drones and command manually each one of them, one after another

SIXVI06 · Post by **SIXVI06** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 03:54

last I heard- you can't use freight drones to move purchases to your TL. It's only for moving things between your OWN space stations and ships.

Quite a pain really. I really don't see the point of freight drones.

ivak · Post by **ivak** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 09:37

SIXVI06 wrote:last I heard- you can't use freight drones to move purchases to your TL. It's only for moving things between your OWN space stations and ships.

You heard wrong. Nothing prevents you from ejecting a freight drone and manually commanding it to make purchase for your TL. I am using it constantly to resupply my lifters with energy.

SIXVI06 · Post by **SIXVI06** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 12:27

ivak wrote: You heard wrong. Nothing prevents you from ejecting a freight drone and manually commanding it to make purchase for your TL. I am using it constantly to resupply my lifters with energy.

Ah... yes- that does sound like a way to do it. Troublesome though - hm, if it is possible to organise the drones into a wing and send them to trade with a sweeping command- that might work better.

I hear that so long as your ship has a dock, the freight drones will return and won't expire on you.

Post by **Alan Phipps** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 12:43

@ SIXVI06: As long as the ship has a ship docking bay that is empty, freight and fighter drones will autodock when finished, otherwise you may have to pick them up manually.

AL'42 · Post by **AL'42** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 12:47

I couldn’t get my freight drones working either.

Simple solution was to use a Falcon Hauler, good cargo space XL, homebased to the elephant, with trade command software mk1 mk2 and use that for buying from the station. Works even better OOS, get the elephant to move to station position, transfers then happen very quickly.

SIXVI06 · Post by **SIXVI06** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 13:03

AL'42 wrote:I couldn’t get my freight drones working either.

Simple solution was to use a Falcon Hauler, good cargo space XL, homebased to the elephant, with trade command software mk1 mk2 and use that for buying from the station. Works even better OOS, get the elephant to move to station position, transfers then happen very quickly.

The Blastclaw Prototypes have very ample storage space - except you have to find one, and well- RE it to get more than 1.

AL'42 · Post by **AL'42** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 13:58

SIXVI06 wrote:The Blastclaw Prototypes have very ample storage space - except you have to find one, and well- RE it to get more than 1.

True. 650 cargo, size L cargo and 4x 25M shields though. Rather a special ship to be using for trading duty ?

The falcon hauler 353 cargo is low cost, easily available, 200M shields XL cargo. I keep a 14 these fighters on my elephant, each with 4x HEPT (default buying config) set to protect elephant, very effective in this dual role.

SIXVI06 · Post by **SIXVI06** » Fri, 19. Feb 10, 15:37

AL'42 wrote:
SIXVI06 wrote:The Blastclaw Prototypes have very ample storage space - except you have to find one, and well- RE it to get more than 1.
True. 650 cargo, size L cargo and 4x 25M shields though. Rather a special ship to be using for trading duty ?

The falcon hauler 353 cargo is low cost, easily available, 200M shields XL cargo. I keep a 14 these fighters on my elephant, each with 4x HEPT (default buying config) set to protect elephant, very effective in this dual role.

At the end of the day- it just doesn't seem worth the trouble lol. I just use my TL's as station builders and mobile resupply vessels.

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[TC] Transfer via Freight Drones broken?

Transfer via Freight Drones broken?