Where can I find tractor beams? I screwed up my stations

zanex09 · Post by **zanex09** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 01:44

I finally saved up 40mil so I could start building. I bought me an argon mammoth along with an ore mine m, crystal fab m, and an spp m. I placed the ore mine on a yield 25 roid then was going to place my spp beside it, I don't know what I did but it ended up 13km away. I decided to leave it there and put the crystal fab beside the spp and join them then ship the e-cells with a cag. I had set the crystal fab 2km west of the spp but after building I found it on the other side of the ore mine so it's now 15 km away from the spp :facepalm.

I figure the best thing to do since I have little money left is find a tractor beam and tow it where I want them. Only problem is I can't find a listing for tractor beams in my encylopedia. I know I saw a tractor beam station somewhere in my travels so I don't know why it's not listed unless it got blew up.

Where can I find a tractor beam? And also how long does it usually take for npcs to notice your stations? All my stations have money just no resources.

Allan F · Post by **Allan F** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 03:26

Third Redemption - there's 2 stations making them. Also you can buy your own factory at the shipyard.

Joe McCracken · Post by **Joe McCracken** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 04:10

Always save before you place your stations. I've learned that the hard way myself. More than once, I might add

. Salvage Insurance is priceless when it comes to saving time.

Triaxx2 · Post by **Triaxx2** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 04:55

A few tips for building complexes:

Number Pad 5 will center a new station on an old one.

Ejecting an Advanced Nav Sat will help. Press 'k' when you're building for a wire frame view of your stations.

If the station icon is jumping around, it's too close to another station. Don't place it until you get the icon to stop jumping.

Do NOT leave the sector until the entire complex is completed. That's probably why the Crystal Fab moved.

ach0533 · Post by **ach0533** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 16:59

How do you suggest the line-up to be for a complex? I've tried a 5-station complex (FAR from any sort of traffic) in Argon One and some Argon ships bumped into 3 of the 5 stations that created the complex, and next thing I know the Argon Military blows up 2 stations and heavily damaged a 3rd..

I can't seem to find a good way to build a mega-complex without AI flying into it

And yes, I do use the INSERT key to level everything. I've tried a "reverse-pyramid" line-up, making 5 stations next to each other, link them with a complex, then linking complex with complex until I had 1 complex on the lowest Y axis.

martimus · Post by **martimus** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 17:35

ach0533 wrote:How do you suggest the line-up to be for a complex? I've tried a 5-station complex (FAR from any sort of traffic) in Argon One and some Argon ships bumped into 3 of the 5 stations that created the complex, and next thing I know the Argon Military blows up 2 stations and heavily damaged a 3rd..

I can't seem to find a good way to build a mega-complex without AI flying into it

And yes, I do use the INSERT key to level everything. I've tried a "reverse-pyramid" line-up, making 5 stations next to each other, link them with a complex, then linking complex with complex until I had 1 complex on the lowest Y axis.

I had good luck by placing the stations centered within each grid at the first zoom level on the map. Other than SPPs, they will all end up seperate, yet close enough to connect to each new other. For SPPs, put them on a different Z plane since they are really wide but not very tall.

AshToDust · Post by **AshToDust** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 17:47

Limit your complex to twins and use a nice fleet of cags... it brings life to sector and your game does look like the AI's one ^^

Kirlack · Post by **Kirlack** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 18:01

I use the advanced satellite method to build my complexes. With a bit of practice doing so I can put stations so close together now you wouldn't be able to fit a Kestrel between the two closest points

I typically build the SPP directly above or below one of the mines. Then place the bio and food fabs above/below the SPP and the crystal fabs above them. The complex hub is usually a few km off the middle layer of the complex.

delray · Post by **delray** » Tue, 27. Mar 12, 18:54

I just drag a couple mines so they are fairly close together, and then let Hephaistos do the rest.

zanex09 · Post by **zanex09** » Thu, 29. Mar 12, 05:22

When building a complex do all stations have to meet the hub or can you connect stations to other stations? I ask because when i started my 1mj shield complex i started with an ore mine and an spp, i then set the hub above and to the side a bit from the ore mine and when it build the connections it went from the hub to the mine then to the spp. Then i added in all the other stations and when i connected them it went from the new station straight to the hub, now im afraid to add more stations to it if i decide i need them for fear of blocking the docking lanes.

Joe McCracken · Post by **Joe McCracken** » Thu, 29. Mar 12, 07:23

In my experience it will go to the nearest station. If you build farther away from the hub it will start to connect to the closest station and the hub should stay in the same place.

Allan F · Post by **Allan F** » Thu, 29. Mar 12, 07:46

zanex09 wrote:When building a complex do all stations have to meet the hub or can you connect stations to other stations? I ask because when i started my 1mj shield complex i started with an ore mine and an spp, i then set the hub above and to the side a bit from the ore mine and when it build the connections it went from the hub to the mine then to the spp. Then i added in all the other stations and when i connected them it went from the new station straight to the hub, now im afraid to add more stations to it if i decide i need them for fear of blocking the docking lanes.

Max distance from the hub is 20 km. If your stations are farther away, you need to connect the stations farthest from the hub to each other, creating a new hub. Place this hub as close to the original hub as possibe. If it's within the 20 km radius, you can connect the two hubs. Just select the hub you wish to keep first.

zanex09 · Post by **zanex09** » Thu, 29. Mar 12, 07:47

Thank you sir, i will give that a try and see what procures.

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Where can I find tractor beams? I screwed up my stations

Where can I find tractor beams? I screwed up my stations