Trading Stations & Space Equipment Docks questions

testpilot_bg · Post by **testpilot_bg** » Tue, 10. Sep 13, 15:51

How these stations for for you?

I just bought an Argon trading stations, but there are very few parameters to adjust. I can put some money in the stations and adjust the number of jumps. What are these two things use for in a trade station?

And how an Equipment dock generates money for you?

BurningMan · Post by **BurningMan** » Tue, 10. Sep 13, 17:44

Trading Docks are pretty useless they can be decent as a base for CAG traders, but just buying Factories of the wares you want to trade with and connecting them to a complex is usually cheaper and will offer more storage space.
EQ Docks are useful to outfit bigger ships like TLs/M7/M2/M1, but also have very limited storage space and are way to expensive so it is often cheaper to outfit them at a NPC station by exchanging wares with a TS of your own.

Infekted · Post by **Infekted** » Tue, 10. Sep 13, 18:10

I think what has escaped you is that you can add any ware to the trade station for selling and buying. Either manually put one in from a docked ship or use the dockware manager, depending on your game/bonus pack status.

Although as burningman pointed out, they do have fairly severe size restrictions.

Sabrina Bergin · Post by **Sabrina Bergin** » Tue, 10. Sep 13, 20:59

I tend to keep a TL packed with what I want to equip my capital ships with after I have had them upgraded at NPC EQ docks.
Docked at my EQ dock then have various Mistral SF's loaded with less space consuming items.

Post by **Nanook** » Tue, 10. Sep 13, 21:06

If you collect fighters, Teladi and Argon trading stations can dock an unlimited number of them internally.

Baratheon79 · Post by **Baratheon79** » Tue, 10. Sep 13, 21:16

In a couple past games I've used equipment docks as resupply points for my ships - basically each battle group would have its own EQD. Though since I can buy military outposts from pirate shipyards in my current game (using Pirate Guild 3), I'm finding myself using those instead.

As for trade docks, I'll sometimes drop a Teladi one somewhere to sell off loot picked up through piracy for me, or to work in concert with a complex and a couple CAGs to supply the IBL forges in Weaver's Tempest.

testpilot_bg · Post by **testpilot_bg** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 12:04

10x guys!
So, I will use my Trade station as a warehouse and a hangar for my fighters. I really like to buy cheaper fighters form NPCs and then repair them with my suit laser.

Oh, btw, does anyone knows where to find a REPAIR LASER for my ships?

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 12:45

testpilot_bg wrote:Oh, btw, does anyone knows where to find a REPAIR LASER for my ships?

http://www.egosoft.com/support/faq/faq_ ... &version=9

testpilot_bg · Post by **testpilot_bg** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 13:31

10q,
Why the fruck some ships can mount a Repair laser on their turret slots?!?!?

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 13:34

Technical reasons

.

iirc, it shares an ID slot with tractor beam and mining drill.

testpilot_bg · Post by **testpilot_bg** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 14:37

Well, Egosoft could put in the game, not only for the pilot suit, but for ships as well.
You know there is a trade -> time vs money
You can waste lots of your personal time outside the game to repair ship hulls or you can waste lots of in-game credits.

It would be best if there is a 3rd option - to mount one of these repair lasers on one of your ships and then order it to repair your ... capital ships for example. You will save money and time, your personal time.
You can go to sleep while your repair ship is repairing your M1 or M2. Still there is a trade, your battle rank degrades ...

paulhamm · Post by **paulhamm** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 14:54

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=216690
Tada your problem is solved. Auto Prep ships (Script) + Magnitar + 4 Repair lasers= repair any ship anywhere remotely.

Be aware that Auto prep ships is no longer being maintained. It is a bit quirky and has one nasty CTD when you loose a Template ship but it gets the job done. Works fine in TC ymmv on AP.

Search the library for other options.

Have fun, your game your way.

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 15:09

testpilot_bg wrote:Well, Egosoft could put in the game, not only for the pilot suit, but for ships as well.

They could, but they didn't. The repair laser was added to make it easier when you're starting out, not to replace shipyard repairs.

If you want it done differently then (as paulhamm suggests) you should check the scripts forum - there are quite a few mods that add buyable repair lasers or other methods of ship repair.

(If you're worried about going *modified*, the only things it effects are Uplink, Steam achievements, and tech support.)

AgamemnonArgon · Post by **AgamemnonArgon** » Fri, 13. Sep 13, 23:12

Equipment Docks are fun to have, especially with several lined up in a sector, but I prefer to start with a Trading Station.

The Argon one has a nice design, and with some fighter squadrons based on it, can be a nice fixed emplacement in space.

testpilot_bg · Post by **testpilot_bg** » Tue, 17. Sep 13, 10:43

Thanx for the advices, guys!

About the Equipment docks ... From what I've read here, they are only good for storing equpment that you manifacture and they are best to be connected to a production complexes ... am I right?

Ormac · Post by **Ormac** » Tue, 17. Sep 13, 12:02

In Albion Prelude you could also just own an equipment dock because they looked nice.

-- Ormac

Infekted · Post by **Infekted** » Tue, 17. Sep 13, 13:21

testpilot_bg wrote:Thanx for the advices, guys!

About the Equipment docks ... From what I've read here, they are only good for storing equpment that you manifacture and they are best to be connected to a production complexes ... am I right?

They cannot be complexed to anything, if that is what you mean by connected.

They are not good for storage in themselves, as they have a very small capacity. However they do have two capitol ship docking slots. This allows you to dock a TL, that can be ordered to unload any ware you like into the EQD.
This can be used for various things, from trade to fleet supply.

Particularly handy with energy, missiles and ammo. Say you have factories producing them in various places. Ship them to a TL docked at an EQD. Use CLS2 on the TL to unload those things into the EQD.
With your fleets, set your ships jump refuel, missile and ammo rearm settings, and then simply dock them at the EQD for automatic resupply.

It's be nice if it was automatic for fighter drones too for your traders, however having these available and stocked, will provide a point for your traders to resupply their own. Which is also handy.

testpilot_bg · Post by **testpilot_bg** » Tue, 17. Sep 13, 14:12

I appriciate this, man!
Cheers!