[TC] Where To Buy/Train Boarding Troops [Spoilers] {Ver. 1.0.3} (Updated May 31st, 2010)

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[TC] Where To Buy/Train Boarding Troops [Spoilers] {Ver. 1.0.3} (Updated May 31st, 2010)

Post by Deadbeat_Spinn » Wed, 19. May 10, 21:39

Once again I find myself with some free time on my hands......So you want to buy/train your Marines/Mercenaries and want to find a close location for convenience without the tedious searching for a suitable place to buy/train your new aquisitions......and now you can. Oh and other than the name there is absolutely no difference between a Marine and a Mercenary, they serve the same exact function (i.e live, fight, and die the same for the glory of the player). And so I present,

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Table of Contents

I. Military Outpost Buying/Training Locations
  • Argon
  • Boron
  • Paranid
  • Split
  • Teladi
  • Terran
II. Trading Station & Equipment Dock Training Locations
  • Argon
  • Boron
  • Paranid
  • Split
  • Teladi
  • Terran
III. Other Buying/Training Locations
  • Argon
  • Boron
  • Paranid
  • Split
  • Teladi
  • Terran
  • Pirate
  • Yaki
  • Ships
IV. Additional Information
  • Necessary & Advised Tools
  • Refresh/Replenish Troops
  • PDF Version of Guide (Downloadable)
V. Acknowledgements
  • Credits
  • Version Number with Update Information
[ external image ]

Military Outposts are the most common places where a player can purchase and train Marines/Mercenaries, but not all Military Outposts in the X-Universe sell/train boarding troops. Most often Military Outposts have a protection fleet to safeguard the station but keep in mind, like any other station in the universe, it can be subject to destruction by hostile forces. With the exception of one Commonwealth race and the Terrans, all races have at least three Military Outposts that sell/train Marines/Mercenaries. The following list of Military Outposts sell/train boarding troops,

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(Click image to enlarge)

Argon
  • Aladna Hill
  • Argon Sector M148 (2 Military Outposts are in this sector)
  • Black Hole Sun
  • Elena's Fortune
Boron
  • None, all Boron Military Outposts do not sell nor train Marines/Mercenaries (Boron boarding troops can only be found via Pirate facilities)
Paranid
  • Empire's Edge
  • Pontifex' Seclusion
  • Preacher's Refuge
Split
  • Contorted Dominion
  • Ghinn's Escape
  • Rhonkar's Fire
  • Rhonkar's Trial
Teladi
  • Ceo's Sprite
  • Eighteen Billion
  • Merchant Haven
Terran
  • None, all Terran Military Outposts/Military Bases do not sell nor train Marines/Mercenaries (Terran boarding troops can only be aquired once during the Terran plot)
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Select Trading Stations and Equipment Docks throughout the X-Universe can train Marines/Mercenaries that have been purchased by the player. Trading Stations and Equipment Docks however can only train boarding troops, they do not sell Marines/Mercenaries. Like Military Outposts, Trading Stations and Equipment Docks can be subject to destruction by hostile forces. The following list provided means both the Trading Station and Equipment Dock found in the sector can train boarding troops unless stated otherwise.

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(Click image to enlarge)

Argon
  • Argon Prime
  • Argon Sector M148 (This is the only one of two sectors where the Trading Station doesn't train boarding troops because no Trading Station exists in this sector)
  • Cloudbase Southeast
  • Red Light
Boron
  • None, all Boron Trading Stations and Equipment Docks do not train Marines/Mercenaries (Boron boarding troops can only trained at other listed training facilities)
Paranid
  • Cardinal's Domain
  • Emperor's Ridge
  • Paranid Prime
  • Trinity Sanctum (This is the only one of two sectors where the Trading Station doesn't train boarding troops despite a Trading Station being present in the sector)
Split
  • Cho's Defeat
  • Family Pride
  • Thuruk's Beard
Teladi
  • Home of Opprotunity
  • Ianamus Zura
  • Seizewell
Terran
  • None, all Terran Orbital Support/Defense Stations do not train Marines/Mercenaries (Terran boarding troops can only be aquired once during the Terran plot)
[ external image ]

There are a few other places in the universe where the player can purchase and/or train Marines/Mercenaries. For the main races (Commonwealth/Terran) the following list is for Marine Training Barracks which only sell boarding troops. For the outlaws (Pirate/Yaki) the following list is for Pirate Bases first (sell & train) then Mercenary Fabs second (sell only). Keep in mind Pirate owned stations are subject to destruction often and where the station respawns is random (a respawned Pirate base may or may not sell and train Marines/Mercenaries). The Pirate Base listings are only accurate at the very start of the game and will respawn in a different sector. So no posts saying "I'm X amount of game hours/days in and I can't find the Pirate Base in sector X, where is it?".

[ external image ]
(Click image to enlarge)

Argon
  • Home Of Light

Boron
  • None, the Boron have no Marine Training Barracks
Paranid
  • Pontifex' Seclusion
Split
  • Ghinn's Escape
Teladi
  • Ceo's Sprite
Terran
  • None, the Terran's have no Marine Training Barracks
Pirate

Pirate Base
  • Aquisition Repostitory
  • Brennen's Triumph
  • Bright Profit
  • Hatikvah's Faith
  • Spring Of Belief
  • Unknown Sector (East of PTNI HQ)
  • Veil Of Delusion
  • Vestibule Of Creation
Mercenary Fabs
  • Danna's Chance
  • LooManckStrat's Legacy
  • Mi Ton's Refuge
  • Unknown Sector (East of PTNI HQ)
  • Veil of Delusion
  • Vestibule Of Creation
Yaki
  • None, the Yaki have no Bases nor Mercenary Fabs
Ships
  • TP or M6, ships have to be bought second hand by the player and any boarding troop/s that come with said ship are likely covered by part of the ship cost
  • Sidenote I: Marine Training Barracks are also known to be removed by the universe by GoD, unless the player has a ship docked at a given MTB. Having a ship at a given station will not make it immune to destruction by hostile forces.
  • Sidenote II: In regard to the purchase of second hand TP's/M6's the best chances of buying one with troops on board are where the ship cost is overpriced/ridiculous (i.e. more than the ship in question would cost from a shipyard)
[ external image ]

Tools of the Trade

This section is for what you, the player, will be required to own in order to be able to buy Marines/Mercenaries. After a Marine/Mercenary has been purchased if no ship is present at the station in question when a given Marine/Mercenary has been finished being trained (any stage), they will wait for a pick up from one of the ships listed below.

1. A ship capable of carrying Marines/Mercenaries.
  • M1, M2, M6/Heavy M6, M7/M7M, TP/TM/TL
  • Keep in mind this is for what ships can carry boarding troops, not which ships can conduct boarding operations
2. A Cargo Lifesupport System (CLS) which can be found at (TP's come equipped with a CLS upon purchase),
  • Pirate Bases
  • Anarchy Ports
  • Teladi Trading Stations (certain stations)
  • Boron Trading Station (only one)
  • Terran/Aldrin facilites (certain stations)
  • Royal Boron Research Station
  • Duke's Haven (HQ)
  • Strong Arms HQ
A full list of the sector names where the Cargo Lifesupport System can be found at this link.



3. A Bioscanner which is entirely optional but a useful device to have when it comes to buying Marines/Mercenaries. It allows the player to see a overall rating (in stars, usually 0 or 1 star) of a given Marine/Mercenary prior to purchase. The Bioscanner cannot see individual stars (if any are present) for any of the four skill levels. Bioscanners can be purchased at,
  • Jonferco HQ (Belt Of Aguilar)
  • TerraCorp HQ (Home Of Light)
  • That's it, only two places in the whole X-Universe sell this particular piece of ship software/equipment
Replenishment of Troops
Once a player begins the purchasing of Marines/Mercenaries the available slots that open up will begin to be refilled by new troops over time (minutes to hours, it's random as far as I can tell). And since the bulk boarding troops that a player will buy are junk/cannonfodder, it always pays to check up on the selling locations from time to time and some times it can pay off very well (though a high payout is rare). Like the original group of boarding troops that can be purchased at a given location, new troops are subject to the same randomization factor in terms what experience/skills they will receive when they appear.



PDF Version

You will need Adobe or an equivalent progam in order to view the PDF, all credit for the PDF version of the guide belongs to Alex Vanderbilt.

Locator Guide (PDF Version) ----> [ external image ]



[ external image ]
The people of the X Universe forums, for providing all the additional information that I did not know.
EgoSoft, for making the game.
Carlo the Curious, for errors/typo's needing to be fixed.
dillpickle, for pointing out Pirate Bases should have a little more info to them.
vro1, for reminding that GoD can be very mean.
sleepy_head, for the refeshing/replacing of purchased boarding troops.
Alex Vanderbilt, for creating the PDF version of the guide.
Myself, Deadbeat_Spinn, for having the patience to write this.
.......Yes the credit list is far shorter for this guide as opposed to the Corporate Guide......for now




Version 1.0: Completion of Guide Ver. 1.0.
Version 1.0.1: (Some?/All?)typo's/errors fixed and some info added.
Version 1.0.2: Additional information added.
Version 1.0.3: Downloadable PDF version of the guide has been added.
Version ?.?: ?.



© 2010 Property of Deadbeat_Spinn & DBS Industries™
Last edited by Deadbeat_Spinn on Wed, 7. Dec 11, 05:06, edited 12 times in total.


dillpickle
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Post by dillpickle » Wed, 19. May 10, 21:54

Nice guide - you may want to point out that the pirate bases listed are at game start, and are subject to being destroyed, and will probably re-spawn in a different sector.

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Lord Dakier
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Post by Lord Dakier » Wed, 19. May 10, 21:57

goodstuff :D

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Post by Deadbeat_Spinn » Wed, 19. May 10, 22:34

Well it hasn't taken long for my fellow forum members to start poking holes in my guide. :roll:

But I take it in good grace since it can only improve my work.


D.S.

......Oh and the first set of holes is fixed, feel free to point out anymore.
And I should stress that this is not a how-to guide, it is strictly a locater guide.

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Post by vr01 » Thu, 20. May 10, 13:55

It's probably worth noting that the Marine Training Barracks will probably get taken away by GOD. In my game (vanilla), the only one I can find is in Ghinn's Escape. I used to have one in Home of Light, but it's not there any more. :(

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Post by sleepy_head » Thu, 20. May 10, 16:17

Since part of this guide is about buying troops, you may want to mention about a way to get more marines. The game stupidly made it so the list of marines never refresh. Meaning, unless you hire them or the military base gets destroyed, all those recruits that you see in day 1 will be there in day 5000. Ignoring the fact that recruits never graduate makes no sense, this makes Argon Sector 148 invaluable, because there is a shipyard right there. You can buy a few Express, send them to the Military Base and load up the TP and sell them back to the shipyard. You'll lose some money in the process but buying them is the only way to get new marines (short of destroying the base and wait for it to respawn). A player can manually jump there and buy the marines, then eject them into space as well. But I have found that sometimes that causes nearby ships to turn hostile for some reason. Since there is a fixed number of locations that sell marines, readers may want to know a way to get their list of recruits to refresh.

A side note on a (non scientific) observation on troop quality : I have been buying and dumping marines for a long, long time. If you want five star fighting marines, you will need to waste a LOT of money. On average, for every 100 marines I dumped I got a single 5 star guy, but sometimes it can go on forever with not even a four star. You'll get a whole mess of useless 0 or 1 star fighting guys over and over and over.

Lastly, you may want to include a spoiler where the O:FF plot would put one or both of the military bases in 148 in danger where there is a fair chance of it getting whacked causing the players to lose all marines in training inside. Why you can't pull a guy out of class when the school is being bombed is beyond me.

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Post by Deadbeat_Spinn » Thu, 20. May 10, 16:37

vr01 wrote:It's probably worth noting that the Marine Training Barracks will probably get taken away by GOD. In my game (vanilla), the only one I can find is in Ghinn's Escape. I used to have one in Home of Light, but it's not there any more. :(
Good point, in my current game all Marine Training Barracks have vanished from the universe (I had to start a new game to get a screenie of an MTB), and I have only one Mercenary Fab left as well.

I'll address this in the next update.
sleepy_head wrote:Since part of this guide is about buying troops, you may want to mention about a way to get more marines.....<Snip>....Since there is a fixed number of locations that sell marines, readers may want to know a way to get their list of recruits to refresh.
This will also be addressed in the next update, I should also mention that TP/M6 ships that are bought second hand can also come with troops on board.
sleepy_head wrote:A side note on a (non scientific) observation on troop quality : I have been buying and dumping marines for a long, long time. If you want five star fighting marines, you will need to waste a LOT of money. On average, for every 100 marines I dumped I got a single 5 star guy, but sometimes it can go on forever with not even a four star. You'll get a whole mess of useless 0 or 1 star fighting guys over and over and over.
Sounds like you're just having bad luck, I've been getting a single 5 star guy for every 25-30 troops that I buy. I had on one purchase at a Pirate Base where there were eight troops I could buy. Bought them all and checked their stats. I got two 5 star, two 4 star, and four 3 star fighters.....best haul I've ever gotten.
sleepy_head wrote: Lastly, you may want to include a spoiler where the O:FF plot would put one or both of the military bases in 148 in danger where there is a fair chance of it getting whacked causing the players to lose all marines in training inside. Why you can't pull a guy out of class when the school is being bombed is beyond me.
This has been mentioned,
From the guide:
Deadbeat_Spinn wrote:Most often Military Outposts have a protection fleet to safeguard the station but keep in mind, like any other station in the universe, it can be subject to destruction by hostile forces.
In the early days of my current game the Military Outpost in Elena's Fortune was dusted seven times by Pirate forces. As to why you can't pull them out when the station is under attack, one word: Dedication.


Since I'm currently in the middle of doing a fix (to avoid some confusion on a certain issue) on my Corporate Guide, the update for the Locater Guide may take a little while.

D.S.
Last edited by Deadbeat_Spinn on Tue, 27. Jul 10, 01:22, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Bothersome » Thu, 20. May 10, 17:34

Really good info here. Thanks for posting it.
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Post by Kryten » Thu, 20. May 10, 19:59

In the early days of my current game the Military Outpost in Elena's Fortune was dusted seven times by Pirate forces. As to why you can't pull them out when the station is under attack, one word: Dedication.
Stations are imune from destruction if you have a ship landed as far as I know. I allways have a ship landed in elana's fortune military outpost and have never seen its destruction even with a pirate m2 destroying everything else.

I allways use Elena's Fortune as its the quickest to bring up from the universe map. If you can't bring up an outpost in 2 keystrokes, its not worth using, they all do the same job so its down to how efficient they are :wink:
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Post by brucewarren » Thu, 20. May 10, 20:02

Immune from GoD, but not hostile forces.

I recently lost a Cobra with 20 fully marines docked at a pirate station. :x

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Post by Deadbeat_Spinn » Thu, 20. May 10, 22:40

{Update}

Additional information pertaining to stations & GoD and replacement troops has now been added.

brucewarren wrote:Immune from GoD, but not hostile forces.

I recently lost a Cobra with 20 fully marines docked at a pirate station. :x
Quite. I've lost 10 Angels with fully trained troops that were at an SPP and 4 other Angels with recently purchased troops at a Pirate Base. Needless to say I was more than just a little pissed off about that, especially the first time it happened. You spend all time getting troops trained and they get killed on shoreleave.

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Post by RyuKazuha » Wed, 26. May 10, 10:46

Nice guide.

Wasn't there someone testing about where marine-training is most efficient? Would be a quite valuable piece of knowledge.

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Post by frickenmoron » Wed, 26. May 10, 13:02

I noticed that Rehabilitation centers restock their Marines very, very quickly. But they never seem to have anyone with fighting above 40.

I always train my Marines at one station because of convenience.

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Post by Deadbeat_Spinn » Wed, 26. May 10, 16:39

RyuKazuha wrote:Wasn't there someone testing about where marine-training is most efficient? Would be a quite valuable piece of knowledge.
I do recall that post, except the person in question wasn't telling where.

But on the subject of training (the old school training, not that advanced BS), though I'm not 100% on this since I wasn't looking too closely at the timeframe, I think that if a Marine/Merc is trained at a station belonging to the race that they are part of (i.e. Paranid Marine-->Paranid Military Outpost), they train faster than a fellow Marine/Merc that isn't part of that race (i.e. Boron Marine-->Split EQ). I only bring this up because two of my main training centers, the Military Outposts in Pontifex' Seclusion & Eighteen Billion, seemed to be training Paranid/Teladi boarding troops (respectively) faster than any of the other races that were being trained at those locations.

frickenmoron wrote:I noticed that Rehabilitation centers restock their Marines very, very quickly. But they never seem to have anyone with fighting above 40.

I always train my Marines at one station because of convenience.
So do Marine Training Barracks, assuming the player has any left in their universe. When buying from MTB's or Merc fac's/Rehab centers I'm lucky if I can get a 2 star fighter but some people have better luck from those places. Think it's up to the RNG on just what sort of skills a given trooper has.

I would train my guys at one place but trying to train 300-400 troops at one station is a bit of a pain (in terms of docking ships). I'm currently using 5 Military Outposts ATM for one main reason, a massive supply of Boarding Pods.

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Post by Gruber1232002 » Wed, 26. May 10, 22:40

AFAIK the training time for each marine has a RNG element to it. Someone once posted that some training locations are inherently faster than others. However they posted it in a 'it's my secret and I'm not telling because I'm special' kind of way. I call BS on it but since this seems to be a nexus of marine acquisition and training I'm wondering if anyone has noticed a significant difference between stations.
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Post by Nanook » Wed, 26. May 10, 22:52

No, you're right to 'call BS' on it. And you're also right about the RNG playing a role. Most likely, that someone who claimed to notice a training difference was just a victim of the RNG playing games. :mrgreen:
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Post by EnderIII » Wed, 26. May 10, 23:15

I recently purchased 10 TPs and sent then to the first 10 military bases on the OPs list (except for the ones in Argon M148, already got stuff there).

I bought marines fight rank 40 and above and started training them at all about the same time.

The first to finish was a marine in Ghinn's Escape, which is odd, because he was far from the first one who I started training.

I do think RNG has a lot to do with it, because multiple marines at the same outpost come out at different speeds.

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Post by Deadbeat_Spinn » Mon, 31. May 10, 18:22

{Update}


A PDF version of the Locator/Marine Guide is now available for download, all credit for the PDF belongs to Alex Vanderbilt. The download link can be found at the end of Section IV (Additional Info), so you can retain access to it's information at any given time.

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Post by strude » Tue, 3. Aug 10, 16:48

Does the bioscanner only provide the marine stats when the player ship is purchasing the marines? I have a TP docked at the military base in Black Hole Sun, and the box showing the marine skills is empty. The ship is equipped with a bioscanner and freight scanner (former bought specifically to see stats, latter just in case it made a difference). I can see the stats for the marines I have on board the TP, but not the marines available to purchase. Using Steam V2.7.1
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