I have a few basic questions. I realize the answers to some of these are probably elsewhere but I don't have time to search anymore.
Questions:
1) Topic: Tractor Beams
With vanilla (plus official bonus pack) game client, is it possible to move asteroids? How do I use the tractor beam? I tried it but only succeeded in damaging the ships and stations I used it on. I wasn't able to move either. What is the advantage to using more than one tractor beam? Is more than one only useful for moving more than one object at a time or is more than one needed depending on the side of the obect?
2) Topic: Solar Plants
Does the location of the solar plant have an impact on the amount or speed of energy cell production? If location does matter with respect to production efficiency or magnitude, how does one determine if a particular location is good or not?
3) Topic: Profitability
What are the most profitable factory/station types? For example, are missiles the most profitable because they sell easily and in very large quantities? Obviously the profitability of a particular ware is based in part on the location (where the demand exists), but in general which type of product or specific product(s) offer the most potential for the largest profits?
Note: Energy cells are one of the most commonly sought after items, but they are also very cheap and very widespread. Please consider which items offer the best balance between demand and profitability when determining the highest profit potential.
Tractor Beams, Solar Plants, and Profitability
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1) A tractor beam can only be used to move stations and ships that you own, so if you're trying to use it to move something else, that's why it's not working. It can't be used on asteroids. There is no advantage whatsoever to using more than one.
2) The "sun level" given in the sector description affects how fast an SPP produces cells, although it doesn't change the efficiency. There are very few sectors which have a different value here--Loomanckstrat's Legacy is one (it has 0% sun, so it's not a good idea to put an SPP there).
3) Depends largely on your universe--the station with the highest theoretical profit may not be able to find buyers for its goods. Missiles and the like have to be sold manually to have infinite demand, because automated ships will only sell them to equipment docks that have them in stock, and those will fill up quickly.
If you want a good that is pretty much guaranteed to sell for a profit then Space Weed and Space Fuel are your answers, but you have to build them in unknown or pirate sectors since they're illegal most other places. (Space Weed is legal in Teladi space, IIRC).
Anyway, I don't see any spoilers here so I'm moving this to the main forum.
2) The "sun level" given in the sector description affects how fast an SPP produces cells, although it doesn't change the efficiency. There are very few sectors which have a different value here--Loomanckstrat's Legacy is one (it has 0% sun, so it's not a good idea to put an SPP there).
3) Depends largely on your universe--the station with the highest theoretical profit may not be able to find buyers for its goods. Missiles and the like have to be sold manually to have infinite demand, because automated ships will only sell them to equipment docks that have them in stock, and those will fill up quickly.
If you want a good that is pretty much guaranteed to sell for a profit then Space Weed and Space Fuel are your answers, but you have to build them in unknown or pirate sectors since they're illegal most other places. (Space Weed is legal in Teladi space, IIRC).
Anyway, I don't see any spoilers here so I'm moving this to the main forum.
1 tractor-beams
With vanilla it's possible to move roids, however, they have to be your property. In other words, drop a mine on them and their your property. Your mines will get damaged and susequently destroyed if you houl them through debris fields (the small rock formations). More than one tractor beam is not advisable. As you are houling stuff through space the stations/mines will allighn behind your ship(considder it a big-rig with a trailer behind it). Houling more than one station at a time will make the stations meet up and collide behind your ship. How to use the TB? Mount the TB in a turret, doesn't matter if it's front or rear turret, doesn't matter where since the structure will alwais settle directly behind your ship's flying direction. Fly up to your station/mine and shoot. You only need one TB for what ever size of station. When you are houling stuff throug a roid field, be sure to click on the station (select as target) and keep an eye on all dimentions. Don't rush when there is stuff around you. When you suddenly see your station migh collide with something, your ship might be in time to break, but don't forget your stations are a lot larger, they actualy need room to slow down and come to a halt. Trust me, you would not be the first one to die when your houling a mine or station around space with 80 meters per second and have the darn thing crash in your hind side due to the "roll-out" distance of the structure. Oh, and TB's don't damage structures, however when you build two stations to close to each other and they overlat they will blow up when you try to pul them out of each other.
With vanilla it's possible to move roids, however, they have to be your property. In other words, drop a mine on them and their your property. Your mines will get damaged and susequently destroyed if you houl them through debris fields (the small rock formations). More than one tractor beam is not advisable. As you are houling stuff through space the stations/mines will allighn behind your ship(considder it a big-rig with a trailer behind it). Houling more than one station at a time will make the stations meet up and collide behind your ship. How to use the TB? Mount the TB in a turret, doesn't matter if it's front or rear turret, doesn't matter where since the structure will alwais settle directly behind your ship's flying direction. Fly up to your station/mine and shoot. You only need one TB for what ever size of station. When you are houling stuff throug a roid field, be sure to click on the station (select as target) and keep an eye on all dimentions. Don't rush when there is stuff around you. When you suddenly see your station migh collide with something, your ship might be in time to break, but don't forget your stations are a lot larger, they actualy need room to slow down and come to a halt. Trust me, you would not be the first one to die when your houling a mine or station around space with 80 meters per second and have the darn thing crash in your hind side due to the "roll-out" distance of the structure. Oh, and TB's don't damage structures, however when you build two stations to close to each other and they overlat they will blow up when you try to pul them out of each other.
2 Solar Power Plants (SPP's)
Sharp observation on Loomancckstrat's Legacy, as you've already stated, solar output of a sector determens the efficiency of the SPP. 0% meaning they don't do squad and 400% meaning the single SPP produces 4 times as many e-cells as a SPP built in a sector with 100% solar output. Do remember one thing when your building a complex in a system with 400% solar output. the SPP will produce 4 times it's normal production, but this also means it will gobble up 4 times the normal amount of crystals. Not realy a bad thing though if you considder you just saved your selve the cost of three more SPP's.
Sharp observation on Loomancckstrat's Legacy, as you've already stated, solar output of a sector determens the efficiency of the SPP. 0% meaning they don't do squad and 400% meaning the single SPP produces 4 times as many e-cells as a SPP built in a sector with 100% solar output. Do remember one thing when your building a complex in a system with 400% solar output. the SPP will produce 4 times it's normal production, but this also means it will gobble up 4 times the normal amount of crystals. Not realy a bad thing though if you considder you just saved your selve the cost of three more SPP's.
3) Topic: Profitability
It depends if you consider selling in bulk weapons/missiles inside a TL/TS an exploit or not.
If the answer is no, than the more profitable fabs are some of the missile ones. Especially Tomahawk forges (or even better Phantom, if you can already build them): cheap fab, very good minimum price for the product, and, the more important, little storage space needed (18 per fab per hour for Tomahawks and 9 for Phantoms). An Orca full of Tomahawks can be sold for 520 millions.
If the answer is yes, the more profitable fabs are 1mj shield and chip plants. In TC I don’t build illegal fabs anymore, for each Ecell invested, they are about 30% less profitable then 1mj shield, and 50% (!) less profitable than missiles.
2) SPP
For sure a SPP under 400% sun don’t produce 4x more Ecells. At 150% sun, the gain is only about 11%. So, if the ratio is the same, under 400% sun the production of Ecells should be about 60-70% higher.
EDIT: @Pr0wler. Yes, that's sound correct
It depends if you consider selling in bulk weapons/missiles inside a TL/TS an exploit or not.
If the answer is no, than the more profitable fabs are some of the missile ones. Especially Tomahawk forges (or even better Phantom, if you can already build them): cheap fab, very good minimum price for the product, and, the more important, little storage space needed (18 per fab per hour for Tomahawks and 9 for Phantoms). An Orca full of Tomahawks can be sold for 520 millions.
If the answer is yes, the more profitable fabs are 1mj shield and chip plants. In TC I don’t build illegal fabs anymore, for each Ecell invested, they are about 30% less profitable then 1mj shield, and 50% (!) less profitable than missiles.
2) SPP
For sure a SPP under 400% sun don’t produce 4x more Ecells. At 150% sun, the gain is only about 11%. So, if the ratio is the same, under 400% sun the production of Ecells should be about 60-70% higher.
EDIT: @Pr0wler. Yes, that's sound correct
Last edited by Choublanc on Fri, 19. Nov 10, 15:51, edited 2 times in total.
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MarvinTheMartian
- Posts: 1561
- Joined: Wed, 5. May 04, 19:52
This site is a good source of sector information and can help plan station/complex placement.
It does contain information that you may consider spoilers so proceed with caution
http://home.wolfsburg.de/kprohrbeck/eng/x3tc.html
It does contain information that you may consider spoilers so proceed with caution
http://home.wolfsburg.de/kprohrbeck/eng/x3tc.html
Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!
X3AP 3.1 Printable Universe Sector Map
X3AP 3.1 Printable Universe Sector Map