New to the X series. Question about complex hubs and other such complexities

[ArtemisShanks]

Hello All,

First post here. I've been playing X3 for about 25 hours now, and I've got 5 stations connected to a complex hub. I've got CAG setup on one trade ship attached to the hub.

The problem I'm having (beyond it not making any money), is that it seems to be spending money like no one's business, and never earning any revenue.

I've got 2 cattle ranches, 2 bakeries and a solar plant M attached to my hub, and they seem to burn through the money I assign to the station very quickly. (I assume from buying crystals for the solar plant).

I've loaded the complex with 250K CR twice now. Both times when I return the CR value of the complex is near 10. Just 10 CR. I put my station in Home of Light (or whatever the sector is called, the one with Terracorp HQ).

Additionally, I'm having trouble finding the setting "when over X credits, transfer money to player account", not that the hub or it's stations are making any credits.

Subsequently, I sent a fully-upgraded, Demeter Superfrieghter, that I've made a sector trader in Cloud Base SE. He never really does anything, after I send him to a sector. He buys up quite a bit of inventory, then idles at whatever station within that sector. He doesn't seem to be interested in selling his goods. I thought sector traders you could send off, and forget about for awhile while they level up?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Edit: I forgot to mention, I'm playing X3:AP, with the bonus package installed. (I've read some regarding the CAG and other bonus scripts that help trade)

Edit: Couldn't reply to the thread, I keep getting 'Invalid Session, please resubmit the post' or some such error whenever I try. Please see below:

Thanks for the quick response. When I look at the hub's 'more info' tab, it does look like all the stations are creating their resources consistantly, why aren't they being sold? All of them have the resources to produce their goods, so why wouldn't they sell?

[Gazz]

It's practically impossible to lose money on a complex unless you set the selling price very low.

Maybe your CAG is still piling up resources in the complex.

Additionally, I'm having trouble finding the setting "when over X credits, transfer money to player account"

Does not exist in vanilla X3. You need to find a script for this.

[Crezeh]

It takes a lot of money to give the complex its initial resources. It could take millions of credits before the complex quits buying.
500k credits won't even come close. You'll need maybe 1,5 million before the complex has filled its hold.


As for the credit transfer, select the complex, hit advanced, commands, empty slot.
The transfer option should be there.

A sector trader can't make profit where there is none. Once it's gotten some experience in can become a local trader, and eventually a universal trader. That's when you can "send and forget".

Until then, you might consider moving your sector trader to another sector.

I seem to recall that UTs won't unload/sell any resource they have on them when you start the UT script. I suppose that would go for sector traders aswell. Don't quote me on that one though.

Try emptying your sector traders cargo hold manually, and then restarting the trading.

[StarSword]

Additionally, I'm having trouble finding the setting "when over X credits, transfer money to player account"

Does not exist in vanilla X3. You need to find a script for this.

It does in TC, so probably also in AP. Go to the command console for the complex hub, then click a blank command slot and hit "auto transfer yadda yadda". A prompt for an amount will pop up; type the amount of credits to cap the station at.

It can take a while for a complex to turn a profit. And honestly, you'd have been better off not having a solar plant attached to this one (ecells are cheap and fairly plentiful; crystals aren't).

[ArtemisShanks]

Thanks very much for the replies.

My complex hub seems to be storing goods (2 large bakeries, 2 M Cattle Ranches, and 1 M Solar Plant) but not selling them. My hub is in Home of Light, and there are no competing bakeries, with quite a few factories that use the meatsteaks, so why wouldn't they buy them from me?

I'll try lowering my prices to find out if that helps. Any other suggestions for Factory/Sector Trading and/or tips would be much appreciated!

I hate having to use the stock market to get additional credits.

I've got one sector trader (Demeter Super Freighter, bought used) sector trading in Empire's Edge (which I've read is the best to train up)

[ArtemisShanks]

Also, what about adding a crystal Fab M to my complex to help with the crystal supply? The only resource I'd be missing are the Silicon Wafers.

[Crezeh]

That would obviously help. If you added a silicon mine on top of that, your complex would never need to buy supplies again.

Selling prices generally need to be atleast below the average line. Also, make sure your complex allows NPCs to trade at the station.

If you do build a crystal fab, this will make meatsteak cahoonas into an intermediate resource in your complex. Be sure to set intermediate resource trading setting to "sell".
Alternatively, click advanced, orders, empty slot, administration, complex, then click meatsteak cahoonas on the list that pops up. This will instruct your complex to treat meatsteaks as products, rather than intermediates, so NPCs can buy them regardless of your intermediate resource trading settings.

Finally, having your CAG sell resources from your complex instead of having the NPCs come buy, often brings back a greater and more reliable profit, at the expense of having to put your own freighters to work.

[ArtemisShanks]

That would obviously help. If you added a silicon mine on top of that, your complex would never need to buy supplies again.

Selling prices generally need to be atleast below the average line. Also, make sure your complex allows NPCs to trade at the station.

If you do build a crystal fab, this will make meatsteak cahoonas into an intermediate resource in your complex. Be sure to set intermediate resource trading setting to "sell".
Alternatively, click advanced, orders, empty slot, administration, complex, then click meatsteak cahoonas on the list that pops up. This will instruct your complex to treat meatsteaks as products, rather than intermediates, so NPCs can buy them regardless of your intermediate resource trading settings.

Finally, having your CAG sell resources from your complex instead of having the NPCs come buy, often brings back a greater and more reliable profit, at the expense of having to put your own freighters to work.

This is very helpful, thank you! Could you illustrate how to direct the CAG to sell goods made at the complex? I'm still rather novice, when it comes to configuring scripts.

[Nanook]

Thanks very much for the replies.

My complex hub seems to be storing goods (2 large bakeries, 2 M Cattle Ranches...

This will eventually develop into a problem unless you fix it. The game is designed so that one 'M' bio factory produces just enough to 'feed' one 'M' food factory, and so on. 'M' factories are classed as size 2, whereas 'L' factories are size 5. In your complex, you have '4' Argnu Beef trying to create '10' Meatsteak Cahoonas. In other words, you're not producing enough Argnu Beef by two and a half times, and your complex will be continually flashing yellow indicating insufficient resources.

Two ways to fix this. The best, but not the cheapest, is to build three more Cattle Ranches. The cheapest and easiest is to have your CAG buy Argnu Beef as well as crystals (which it may already be doing, and hence your credit drain).

You might also want to check out the ultimate guides sticky near the top of this forum. In there, you'll find a number of complex calculators that will help you design your complexes.

Also, the problem you're having selling Cahoonas is that the CAG does not see them as a product, but as an intermediate resource. You should be able to go into the CAG settings and set it to sell intermediates. Note that your CAG will have to be a certain level before it can do so. Again, there are guides for dealing with CAG's, too.

Good luck and many profitsssss.

[donzi]

FYI: Flush money to player account (AMTPA) is rolled into all the X3 (R,TC,AP) base games now. No need to even use the bonus pack if desired.

It's presence, although already pointed out, I'm just confirming it for all three games.

[Crezeh]

Could you illustrate how to direct the CAG to sell goods made at the complex? I'm still rather novice, when it comes to configuring scripts.

It should do so with its default settings, unless you changed it.

The CAG must first gain enough experience, but I'm guessing yours already did.

Besides that, there's a lot of settings for the CAG, most of them already set to handle itself, unless you want a more specific behavior.

Take a look at this thread for info about the CAG's settings: http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=275924

[ArtemisShanks]

Thanks, to everyone who responded.

I can't figure out (still) how to get my CAGs to not be quite so stupid.

I've now got, on my only complex hub, 5 Cattle Ranch M, 2 Crystal Fab M, 2 Solar Plant M and 2 Bakeries L.

The ONLY resource my complex needs brought to it, are Silicon Wafers. My CAGs however, refuse to purchase them (Home of Light is where the complex is, and home base set for all ships) and seem content to always want to purchase Energy Cells.

I have to manually tell the CAG to manual best buy for wafers, send him out to buy them, manually tell him to come back, then start commercial trader (so he'll transfer the wafers to the complex).

Additionally, I couldn't figure out how to transfer freight from a ship to the complex, (so I simply had him dock at the complex, then started commercial trader, voila, the wafers are aboard the complex now).

I can transfer freight from ship to ship easily, as there is an option to do so from the advanced menu when giving a ship orders, but there the complex does not appear when selecting who to exchange frieght with.

Any suggestions would be most welcome, I am getting very frustrated with my complex. I will, most assuredly, be making weapons factories from now on, as the complex never seems to make money, even when I have 10-15k steak cahoonas (which are set to product) within it. Once it makes any profit, it's immediately gone. I keep noticing the CR for my complex spike up to 250k CR, then usually immediately back down to a couple. Rince and repeat.

TL;DR Problems with Complex and CAG scripts?

[Crezeh]

Are you sure there are NPC silicon mines inside your CAGs max travel range that sell for a low enough price? Check how long your complex's trade range is in its configuration menu. The bar should be at the bottom of the complex configuration menu.

Also, check your silicon wafer price settings. If you look at the bar detailing silicon wafers, there should be a number all the way to the right.
If you set your silicon buying price to minimum price, this number should turn to "none", use this to find where this number is.

Then, change the price of silicon in your complex to what you had it as before. If the number says "none", or is a high number, you need to lower your price.

To be clear, the number tells you how many gates away the nearest silicon mine that is willing to sell to you for this price is located. Your CAGs can only travel a limited distance. (This distance can be adjusted, see my first paragraph for that)


To transfer resources between a complex and a docked ship, select the complex, hit landed ships, hit the button just under info, complex configuration I think it's called. It's right where "orders" usually would be.

A list of resources should show up, transfer the same way you buy or sell wares elsewhere.

Go to your CAGs settings, hit trade duties, and decrease the "purchase intermediates" percentage, to instruct your CAG to deprioritize purchasing intermediates, so it can spend more time buying needed resources, like silicon.

[ArtemisShanks]

Thanks very much. When I get home from work, I'll check the pricing and such.

[ArtemisShanks]

A thousand times, thank you!

I still have yet to setup my 2nd complex (the one I intend to have a few ore mines, a few silicon mines, and quite a few weapons production facilities.)

I have a few more questions, if you'll indulge me.

Can I use a tractor beam (sold in Third Redemption) to move the asteroids closer together, in the unknown sector, directly east of Legend's Home?

Whenever I use the tractor beam on an asteroid, it just sits there, seemingly taking damage. Will the tractor beam only work on moving stations (ie: the mine, once it's placed on the asteroid)?

Additionally, I'd like to setup a huge complex in the Unknown Sector, but I'm unsure if I setup a huge complex, will other races venture into the unknown sector to buy from me? I'd rather not split the complexes between Legend's Home and the Unknown Sector, when I'd rather just make a giant complex (where I can setup Space Weed/Fuel stations without having to worry about being scanned.

Thanks in advance!

[Crezeh]

Can I use a tractor beam (sold in Third Redemption) to move the asteroids closer together, in the unknown sector, directly east of Legend's Home?

Tractor beams can only be used on objects you own. Thus, in order to move an asteroid, you first need to build a mine on it.
Once you've done that, you can move it anywhere you like within the sector.


NPC races will come to trade with you so long as they can reach you. The unknown sector east of Legend's Home should get plenty of business.

Space Weed and Space Fuel, being illegal goods, get the best business near pirate sectors where the buyers are. But a Fuel/Weed production in the unknown sector east of Legend's Home should still sell just fine. It's not that far from pirate space anyway.