X3 TC Asteroid Scan missions

[panacea]

Hello!

I'm new to the X Universe, just started playing X3TC about a week ago although I'm already logged an embarrassing number of hours in it.

My question is about asteroid scan missions. I'm using a mod (Universe Explorer) to auto explore all sectors including scanning all the asteroids. If I've already scanned all the asteroids in the Argon starter space, can I still get asteroid scan missions ? What about when (eventually) my hardy explorers get through the entire universe? If all the asteroids in the universe are already scanned, can I still get asteroid scan missions and 'rescan' stuff I've already scanned ? Or by doing the auto scanning thing am I going to lose those missions ?

I'm struggling a bit with making credits, just got my first sector trader up, so those asteroid scan missions are still a good source of income for me. Wondering if maybe I should just turn off the asteroid scan part of the mod and leave it only exploring and deploying satellites.

Thanks a ton!

[Alan Phipps]

The scan mission only looks for and tasks you at unscanned asteroids within a certain sector range, and there must be a minimum number found. So as you explore and scan the local asteroids more thoroughly, you will get less of those missions until they dry up completely in that area.

[TTD]

yep..I would,if i wanted those missions.

There are other types of missions that pay well,

if you have a fast ship, life support system, jumpdrive/e-cells, and enough space left over for at least one passenger...Taxi Missions.

Other pilots may suggest other ideas for making a few extra credits.

However, I would also aim at about 20 trading ships.

Once you have at least three traders running, you will find income somewhat improved

[ancienthighway]

After many many years of playing Argon starts, I decided to play the Tormented Teladi start. After completing the initial task and having my Enhanced Kea returned, I had to find a way to make some money.

Sunrise flowers, produced at Flower Farms in Teladi space and bought at Sun Oil Refineries, have a price range of 5 - 36 credits, size of 1 S. In the area of Ianamus Zura/New Income/Ceo's Doubt you have 2 XL SPPs, 7 Flower Farms, 5 Sun Oil Refineries, and consumers for Nostrop Oil, (26-119 credits, 3 M). Any M3, except Paranid, with a large cargo hold could do well in building up the credits. Trading remotely with Best Buy/Sell software, available in Ianamus Zura, on the trading ship can quickly find the deals.

With the player ship, individual and some group Taxi Missions don't necessarily require the jumpdrive. Discos, in particular the Raider variant, and the Teladi Kestrel have the speed to accomplish all but the most difficult of those missions. Taxi missions requiring a TP are best done with a jumpdrive.

Avoid the stolen ship missions. The pilots rarely bail and you end up destroying the ship. Well, until your rank gets up there and you start getting M6's to steal...I mean recover.

Avoid the bulk cargo missions, unless you have a factory producing that ware, have it all in stock, and have the transports to move it quickly.

Taxi missions, both fast M5 and TP, are good.

Follow missions are all but worthless. You have to follow some ship at a given range for 2-5 sectors, combat at most of the gates to slow you down, and if you complete it, fly back or jump in a TM. A lot of effort for low payout in the beginning.

If you want to keep your fight rank down, avoid combat missions as much as possible, but still look for good paying ones. For assassinations, just kill the target and ignore the escort. Let the home race deal with them. Defend station - be between the station and the closest gate. Escort convoy/Patrol - see follow missions above, only combat can be at any time in the sector. Best avoid.

If you have found the Yaki shipyard, the TM sold there, the Chokaro, is one of the best multi-use missions ships. With 3 fighter bays, you can put the M3 of choice for combat missions, M5 for asteroid scanning and follow missions if you take those and need the speed, and an empty bay for recovering abandoned ship missions and transporting fighters. The M3 and M5 can carry spare jumpdrives for bigger ships. Wrap this up in the fastest TM (154 m/s) and the biggest cargo hold (2500 XL) and you won't find a better utility mission ship. Team it up with a TP, and you can complete all but bulk cargo missions.

[panacea]

Thanks for all the excellent information guys!

I gotta say I've been really impressed with the quality of information (and people!) on the forums.

I'm now sitting on 4.5 mil and have 2 UTs and 2 STs running. Did I mention the embarrassing amount of hours I've been logging ?

I went ahead and tossed the mineral scanners so I can keep those missions alive if I want them later. I like a bit of variety when I feel like doing missions and so far the passenger transport or the mineral scans are the only that feel worth it since I'm avoiding combat. I have made a surprising amount of money with buying used ships, repairing them myself and reselling them though which I get a kick out of.

Thanks again for all the advice guys! Think it's about time I start researching building my first station...

[hisazul]

Thanks for all the excellent information guys!

I gotta say I've been really impressed with the quality of information (and people!) on the forums.

I'm now sitting on 4.5 mil and have 2 UTs and 2 STs running. Did I mention the embarrassing amount of hours I've been logging ?

I went ahead and tossed the mineral scanners so I can keep those missions alive if I want them later. I like a bit of variety when I feel like doing missions and so far the passenger transport or the mineral scans are the only that feel worth it since I'm avoiding combat. I have made a surprising amount of money with buying used ships, repairing them myself and reselling them though which I get a kick out of.

Thanks again for all the advice guys! Think it's about time I start researching building my first station...

*cough* www.x3wiki.com*cough*

Actually... if you blow up roids after they respawn they lose their scanned tag so you can do it again. Granted it can take a fair bit of game time for roids to respawn.

[Threesixtyci]

From what I remember. If you scanned all the asteroids the asteroid scan missions complete as soon as you take them. In that you take the mission and then you can collect your reward. But then again, there could have still been unscanned asteroids around when that happened, I don't remember.

I remember that happening to me a few times, anyways. But then I also recall a few instances where asteroids would be inside asteroids, which would have identical yields. I don't have any of those old saves, anymore, though.

[Nanook]

From what I remember. If you scanned all the asteroids the asteroid scan missions complete as soon as you take them. In that you take the mission and then you can collect your reward. But then again, there could have still been unscanned asteroids around when that happened, I don't remember....

I believe that only happens when you take two asteroid scan missions at the same time and they overlap. When you scan an asteroid for one of the missions, you automatically get credit for it in the other mission, too. Otherwise, it's as Alan said above. The mission generator has to see a certain number of unscanned asteroids in order to generate the mission.