BUG? UT/LT/ST traders not jumping in AP

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Wed, 14. Mar 12, 09:40

I've been playing AP for a bit now (just completed the hub mission) and have 50 or so UT/LT/ST ships trading.
However, regardless of each of them having jump drives, and being lvl 25, I havent had one ship jump when attacked.
I always get the message "your ship in such and such a sector is being attacked", I'll check on the map, and sure enough, there he is trying to flee the sector, having ejected his drones. They usually dont make it, as often I dont get the message until they are mostly dead.

I know they dont jump when attacked because I havent seen any messages at all since starting AP "so and so trader was attacked and jumped to xyz sector". I used to get those message all the time in TC. I've gone back thru the logs and not found a single message.

They jump just fine to go about their trading though...just not when attacked. (and yes they do have energy cells on board)

Is there an option or setting that I'm missing? Or do traders not jump in AP when attacked?

When I first started AP I noticed this, but figured the traders were just too low of a level. I know that's not the case now.

Thanks for any help!

--EDIT-- been digging for a while and found this in the FAQ:

Note: MK3 traders (Sector Traders, etc.) have their own rules for using jumpdrives, and ignore the Advanced Jumpdrive Configuration.

This just makes it more curious why my traders wont jump when attacked....though they will dock at a port and send me a message that they are done with their command when they have taken hull damage (but still no message that they were attacked in the first place, or that they jumped away from danger)

lubnius · Post by **lubnius** » Wed, 14. Mar 12, 14:18

Emergency Jump <<< Yes >>>
Emergency Jump Shield Treshold <<< 100% >>>

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Wed, 14. Mar 12, 18:51

Thanks, I'll give that a try.
I was thinking that this was an AP bug, because in TC I dont recall ever making those two adjustments to my dozens of traders.

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 03:44

No, that doesnt work, as The TS ships dont have that option to emergency jump. One thread said only m6 and bigger ships get this.

So is this an AP bug then? There's no way to get the ST/UTs to jump away if they are being attacked? That's a deal breaker for me....

TC had this, so what happened to AP?

jkjklkl · Post by **jkjklkl** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 03:48

Is it the bug where your ships do nothing when attacked? I thought that was patched out

Jumee · Post by **Jumee** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 03:51

mine do jump, so it is not a bug, also emergency jump might only work on M6's but UT/ST use their own algorithms so it does not matter what you set in the ship commands

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 03:57

Well that's odd then.
I went through all the messages since I started AP, and not even one message stating "trader X was attacked and jumped to sector Y". However, they jump just fine to do trading, and they are all equipped with the necessary stuff (mk 1,2, 3 trading software, commodity software 1 and 2, fight command mk1 and 2, explorer command, carrier command, nav command mk1, patrol command, special command mk1, trading extension), just to be sure.

I've lost probably 30 or so traders, and have at least 30 current LTs at lvl 20 and 20 UTs at lvl 25.

It worked great in TC, and if someone has it working in AP, then what am I missing?

Jumee · Post by **Jumee** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 04:26

ReadyMan wrote:It worked great in TC, and if someone has it working in AP, then what am I missing?

no idea, sorry :/

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 04:35

Jumee wrote:
ReadyMan wrote:It worked great in TC, and if someone has it working in AP, then what am I missing?
no idea, sorry :/

You're playing AP, right?
Are you SURE they jump when attacked? Do you have any messages in your message log stating "Trader X was attacked and jumped to Sector Y"?

If so....hrm.
Would you mind typing in all the equipment the trader who left the message has on board, his lvl, and any settings you might have changed for him?

That's the only way that I can think of to uncover this problem.
I'll fire up TC and check there for what the ships have that are jumping when attacked.

Thanks for any help!
(I've spent so much time on this and am supremely frustrated with X3

)

Jumee · Post by **Jumee** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 04:38

ReadyMan wrote:
Jumee wrote:
ReadyMan wrote:It worked great in TC, and if someone has it working in AP, then what am I missing?
no idea, sorry :/
You're playing AP, right?
Are you SURE they jump when attacked? Do you have any messages in your message log stating "Trader X was attacked and jumped to Sector Y"?

of course, have seen them jumping many times and have the messages, out of equipment its really just the basic JD trade mk3 and nav software and etc (not bought for any particular reason) most of them were lvl 20/25 but they used to jump on lower levels too

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 04:58

very discouraging.

I've got all that, and just watched a lvl 25 get attacked by 4 pirates, dump his drones, dock at a port, trade, then jump out of sector, with 100 energy cells left. No message whatsoever.

There must be a logical reason. I'm not using any mods, but am using the bonus pack for AP. I am using the blacklist (Ihave 30 or so sectors blacklisted since the traders wont jump when attacked)....which is the only thing I can think that I've changed.
I tried changing the Autojump settings, but that didnt work (and I didnt think it would).

I'm using all mistral freighters.

I'm thinking it's an odd bug for AP.

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 05:33

As far as I can tell, the settings in TC are the same as in AP.
All the foes are the same (which was a hunch).

Finishing the main plot and the hub plot in AP and having not even ONE trader (out of over 100) use his jump drive to escape shows that it's a bug.

Jkjklkl: This isnt the "do nothing when attacked" bug, as the traders dump drones and dock during an attack.

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 08:13

Does anyone else have UTs and/or STs that will jump when attacked and post a message that they were attacked and escaped to sector X (in AP with the bonus pack)?

Kapakio · Post by **Kapakio** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 09:47

Well ReadyMan, you've got another one.

Yesterday I saw one of my UTs running from a pirate attack to dock to a nearby station instead of jumping. He released the drones and fortunately he made it to the station before loosing the shields.

There's definitely something happening here.

ThommoHawk · Post by **ThommoHawk** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 12:10

I have noted a change too. I have always been a heavy user of UT's, in all games since X2 The Threat.

One of my UT's refused to jump while under attack and died under the guns of a Xenon Q. I reloded to observe the OOS replay and watched as my UT came out of the sector gate - that it was soon followed by the Q. The Q closed in on it and the the UT (just a humble Mercury Super freighter) released its fighter drones but made no attempt to jump, and was killed. I reloaded again for a second replay to check out the actions of the UT as it tried to escape the Q.

I was astonished and astounded to find that while the control panel info said sell wares; energy cells... the action was saying 'killing ... Xenon Q'

Very mad UT behaviour. Obviously the pilot is insane, or crazed by spaceweed.

but since have noted that all my UTs do the same when under attack instead of jumping so I suspect is is some sort of change made to the fight command software mark 1 and 2 ... which as far as I know from all my other experiences they need as part of their defence routine.

UT behaviour notes.

1) UTs should never need emergency jump enabled to jump out on being attacked. They are supposed to jump asap and in past versions only failed to do so if out of energy cells.

Question; in TC all my UT's sold their mosquito missiles which I thoughtfully tried to equip them with for mosquito missile defence mosquito enabled (as 'missiles are now a major part of the XUniverse experience'). Has anyone noticed this to change in AP yet? Do they still try making money on the side by selling off their defence assets?

Edit adding:

ReadyMan wrote:Does anyone else have UTs and/or STs that will jump when attacked and post a message that they were attacked and escaped to sector X (in AP with the bonus pack)?

so far no. they all seem to die attacking their agressors. Or just quielty go on (I only have 10 operating atm.). So far I have only recieved a message when one is destroyed. I do receive the verbal computer message during an attack, but not follow up message for them jumping out, probably because they have not been jumping.

Edit adding: I vote that it is a bug or an overlook with some not-obvious-change made to AP, by someone who forgot about how it may affect UT behaviour... (Maybe in this AP war everyone has to fight, including UTs

hope not..)

martimus · Post by **martimus** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 12:38

It definitely works for me. I think you need special command software or fight command software to get them to jump though. It might just be that your UTs dont have enough shields to survive long enough to jump?

If you want to test it out, install Trade MK3 on your player ship and try to get into a fight with someone. You should automatically jump out as soon as you get shot at.

Keel Verezy · Post by **Keel Verezy** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 15:29

I try to keep my traders away from any major dangers, but I have noticed something like this once or twice. I only use fully armed hayabusas for my trading so the only one I've ever lost before I could respond was to a full fleet of xenon ( 4 Qs and at least a dozen fighters) that caught it at the gate.

The few times I have caught one limping away from something that was able to (slowly) kill it the fighter drones seemed to be the problem. I would watch the shield slowly going down and wonder why the heck it wasn't jumping. So I would issue a command for it to just dock a sector away (autojump enabled) and they still wouldn't go. At this point I would try to manually issue the jump to sector order and get a confirmation pop up warning me that not all followers could follow on the jump. I click yes and it finally goes off on it's way without the fighter drones.

Kapakio · Post by **Kapakio** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 15:40

Keel Verezy wrote:The few times I have caught one limping away from something that was able to (slowly) kill it the fighter drones seemed to be the problem. I would watch the shield slowly going down and wonder why the heck it wasn't jumping. So I would issue a command for it to just dock a sector away (autojump enabled) and they still wouldn't go. At this point I would try to manually issue the jump to sector order and get a confirmation pop up warning me that not all followers could follow on the jump. I click yes and it finally goes off on it's way without the fighter drones.

You may have the answer there. The warning from jumping with followers should no be applied to drones, and in fact I made the same test as you and had to issue manually the jump command and confirm the warning.

ReadyMan · Post by **ReadyMan** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 17:40

I'm up to about 75 traders now, most of them maxed out at 20 or 25.
I have all software available, and all upgrades except bioscanner and transporter (shouldnt matter at all).
I've been purchasing Mistral Ls at Legend's Home, loading them up at the OtasHQ there, then jumping them to Seizewell, where I get the rest of what's available at the Teladi equipment dock.
In TC I used to jump them to Argon Prime, get what I could there, then jump to Home of Light and get what they had there.
Thinking that I was missing something between these two paths of setup, I made a list of all equipment offered at OtasHQ, Argon Prime EQ dock, and Home of Light HQ, then compared it with the OtasHQ and Seizewell list.
The same equipment is loaded, with the addtion of explorer software and carrier software (and they are missing the bioscanner and transporter).

So equipment is not the answer. They have what they need.
Level is not the answer. They are maxxed out at level.
Auto jump on/off is not the answer. I have tried it both ways (with jump set to 3 and also zero).
Not enough energy cells is not the answer. They have loads but refuse to escape.

I've been using sata just to watch for traders being attacked, and have watched multiple times as the trader is attacked, dumps his drones, limps to a nearby dock, trades, THEN jumps.

I too have tried to save the trader by a quick jump, and see the message that not all followers can follow (the drones).

If this is a bug, and it sure appears to be, then hopefully it'll be addressed, or a dev. will pop in and confirm the issue.
If not, then the majority of TS are useless fodder, and it's a waste of money to purchase Mistrals/Dolphins etc. More powerfully shielded (and with smaller cargo bays) UTs/STs are the only option.

BTW, I'm 6 days into AP and still not even one jump message from a trader (which is the primary way I make credits).

Thanks for all the input and data! (I think the drones are the key to the bug....)

Post by **Nanook** » Thu, 15. Mar 12, 22:20

martimus wrote:...
If you want to test it out, install Trade MK3 on your player ship and try to get into a fight with someone. You should automatically jump out as soon as you get shot at.

Don't think that will work. In order to get the emergency jump feature of the MK III software, the script has to be running. And you can't give the ST/UT command when you're in the ship.

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BUG? UT/LT/ST traders not jumping in AP

BUG? UT/LT/ST traders not jumping in AP