[TC] Sector Traders and Jumpdrives

[DrATty]

I gather that my sector traders (local traders) can use a jumpdrive when they reach a certain skill level. I have read that there is a setting that must be changed before they will jump. I can't find this and I'm starting to think that it doesn't actually exist, though I can't claim to have mastered TC's menu. I wonder too if my traders will stay within the range set from their starting point or from where they happen to be. I want them to stay near where I set them loose. Any help concerning this would be appreciated, as would any advice on level skills Mk3 traders generally.
Note that I'm referring to local traders, working just a few sectors from their starting point, and not universal traders. Some of the ships they use are very slow and being able to jump would be an enormous help.
I'm playing in an X2-like fashion so these traders are important. I'm avoiding high-paying missions and my fleet consists of a few claimed ships and what I've been able to buy. I need some cash now to equip a fighter before gaining some Paranid reputation with my guns.

[IcarusII]

Assuming you are talking about the mk3 traders (which I think you are) there are three broad levels for them:

Sector trader lvls 1-5
Local trader lvls 6-20
Universe trader lvls 8-25mj (i think).

Once your sector trader hits lvl 6 issue the stop command then re issue the sector trader command. This time after giving the sector in which to trade you will be asked to.specify a jump range. At lvl 6 its only 1 sector but it increases to 10 pretty fast.

You can set them to UT by lvl 8 but i don't. I lvl them safely to 20-25k as local traders (sector traders with a jump.range) and they are self protective.

Hope that made some sense
IcarusII

[DrATty]

Thank you. Your post makes perfect sense.
I have my Mk3 traders working within a range of 2 sectors now. Like you, I like go keep them in a particular area. Being large and slow, they take a long time to travel between sectors. Is there any way I can get them to use a jumpdrive?

[IcarusII]

Good grief yes.

Once they are local traders (sector traders with a range greater than zero) then they should be jumping.

Go to the command console for the ship and check your jump settings.
Auto jump should be yes
Minimum jump.range I set to zero (ie always jump, never fly)
And i.whack.in a minimum fuel level of 10 sectors.

That should get them jumping (so long as they have jumpdrives installed and some initial fuel) which I.always give mine even as a lowly sector trader before setting them off for the first time.

[Alan Phipps]

Mk3 traders running the appropriate command (ST, LT, UT) totally disregard the normal autojump, minimum jump and refuel settings that only apply when running other commands or to non-Mk3 ships. They use the totally separate Mk3 jump/refuel scripts and internal settings relevant to their trader rank. At the right level they will even buy their own (expensive) jumpdrive if you don't give them one and will (usually - best effort at least) get or have their e-cells delivered to them completely transparently as regards to the Player. LTs stay in the set range of their starting sector while UTs will go where they want.

By the way, traders (and everyone else) cannot jump into most Terran space - if that applies to your trading area.

[DrATty]

Thank you. I found the jumpdrive setting near the bottom of the command console and off they jumped once I set auto-jump to 'yes'. I haven't tried setting the minimum jump to zero. I'll do that later, together with the re-supply setting. It makes sense to force them to jump and save some fuel. It appears it won't help from the post above but it won't hurt anything.