The Hub Problems

Cursed Ghost · Post by **Cursed Ghost** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 01:47

hi all

I just stared the HUB plot but I'm running in to some trouble I can't get the traders I assigned there to go out and buy the need resources

now I know when you first get the hub there are no resources listed so I manually did the first run and after that the computer components/micro chips appearer on the list I then assigned the trader to the hub and clicked start commercial representation figuring the trader would go out and source the rest of the needed computer components/micro chips except he doesn't do anything he just sits there next I tried buy ware for best price computer components/micro chips and again he just sits there doing nothing what am I doing wrong ?

also what is the point in being able to assign traders to the hub if they wont actually do anything? is there no other way to do this other than manually ?

ancienthighway · Post by **ancienthighway** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 02:11

Did you provide the Hub with some operating funds? With no funds, assigned traders can't buy anything, no matter how much money you have in the global account.

Sabrina Bergin · Post by **Sabrina Bergin** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 03:01

This is a mission you have to complete yourself. The hub will trade goods but only you can deliver the goods.

ancienthighway · Post by **ancienthighway** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 03:49

CAGs CLS and Morts can all contribute resources to the hub's requirements. There is no need for the player to be in the delivering ship.

NPC sells to the hub may not count though, although you should be able to load it into your ship, then back to the hub for delivery credit.

Lorric · Post by **Lorric** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 08:13

Does the CAG have access to Energy Cells? You should put some in the Hub, that is easiest. Also, what trading range have you set the Hub to?

Martin Head · Post by **Martin Head** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 11:17

Is your Commerical Agent a Courier or above. Apprentices wont work for a Dock.

Although you say you tried 'Buy ware for best price' and that did not work either. (Are there actually products available in the range of the Hub for the prices you have set?)

Hemmingfish · Post by **Hemmingfish** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 14:55

shaun bergin wrote:This is a mission you have to complete yourself. The hub will trade goods but only you can deliver the goods.

Actually you only need to stick a single unit of the good yourself in the hub so that it appears on its wares list - you can then tell ships to buy for you and it will count down the resources needed as they return.

As has been said in the thread already, most likely you didn't assign any money to the hub for it to trade with.

ancienthighway wrote:NPC sells to the hub may not count though, although you should be able to load it into your ship, then back to the hub for delivery credit.

They do count - I completed the first Teladianium phase mostly from NPCs selling to me.

ancienthighway · Post by **ancienthighway** » Mon, 1. Sep 14, 15:53

I never tried it using NPCs to supply requirements.

On the station command console, you can add what the Hub, EQDs or Trading Stations should stock. No need to have a ship dock and drop something off first.

Cursed Ghost · Post by **Cursed Ghost** » Tue, 2. Sep 14, 10:53

hi all

thx for the reply I figured out what I was doing wrong I forgot to supply the commercial agent with funds to buy wares DO'HHHH !!!

I do have another question though how do I set the buy price ? because there are options to set the sell price but I see none for setting the buy price does the sell price also act as the the buy price or is the buy price just set at average and cant be changed ?

if either of these are the case then who's boneheaded idea was that because if the hub is supposed to act like a trade station then you need to be able to set both the sell and the buy price individually otherwise it's just not profitable

also as I've never actually built a trade station before is there anyway to manage the wares list aboard a trade station and by extension the hub since the hub seems to act like a trade station ?

ancienthighway · Post by **ancienthighway** » Tue, 2. Sep 14, 11:20

Actually it is profitable. Your CAGs will buy and sell at the best price, with the price you set as being the floor or ceiling as appropriate.

For example, let's say you are selling energy at the Hub for 15 credits. Because the price is better than average, NPCs will come to buy. Your CAG will look to buy more energy no more expensive than 15 credits, but will more often buy in the 14-12 range and sell in the 17-19 range. CAGs won't buy it more expensive than 15 cr, nor will the sell it cheaper than 15 credits. Worse case you break even.

Another example, you want the NPC to sell you energy instead, so you set the price to 17 credits. Since this price is one below average, the NPCs will come to sell it too you. Your CAGs still function as before, although they could buy energy as low as 17 cr if nothing else is available. At the same time, they won't sell it cheaper than 17 cr. Again, worse case is breaking even.

You can be even more profitable if you move excess energy you make to the Hub at no cost, then sell it. Instead of the 8 credit maximum profit per e-cell, max profit per becomes 20. More realistic profits are probably 4 credits per e-cell if you are buying cheap and selling expensive, and 17 or 18 if you provide excess e-cells.

TTD · Post by **TTD** » Tue, 2. Sep 14, 11:43

I also add The Hub as Homebase for a number of ST,LT (and UT,if I use them).

This gives The Hub a steady supply of funds to purchase goods from NPCs too.

Most of the missions for this plot can be done this way.
Set and forgot.
Carry on with other tasks in the game until you get the next phase of the plot.

Cursed Ghost · Post by **Cursed Ghost** » Tue, 2. Sep 14, 12:48

OK so let me get the strait to make sure I understand on the hub and on trade stations the sell price functions as both the buy and sell price yes?

so in order to have the trader who is assigned to the hub buy the needed resources for the quest chain as cheaply as possible I would set the sell price as low as possible and then just incremental increase the price until jumps: none changes to jumps: (number) say 16 for arguments sake

I would then set the commercial agent to shopper supply with some credits and leave the trader to do it's thing

Then once the hub plot is complete and its operational I would reverse the process set the trader to seller drop off some wares I've hijacked or found floating in space and then just set the price to max and then just incremental decrease the price until jumps: none changes to jumps: (number) say 16 for arguments sake to have the trader automatically sell off the salvage

TTD · Post by **TTD** » Tue, 2. Sep 14, 14:19

That sounds about right. The shopper buys at the best price within within the area set.That is another variable that you need to set for the CAG...

No good setting him at 3 sector radius if the nearest trade is 4 sectors away.

the opposite is true for NPCs. they will only sell to you if your price is above average
They will only buy from you if the price is below average.

Sometimes, if you are lucky, these two types of trading can co-exist.

What I did ,though was set price to max for buying, and sat back to watch the NPCs give me what I needed, while my traders,homebased there, would be making enough profit to give to the Hub for buying from the NPCs

If you want to supply everything too, then look up my story tutorial on Creative Forum...
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... highlight=

NewtSoup · Post by **NewtSoup** » Fri, 5. Sep 14, 22:46

I just did it manually with a remote operated mistral super freighter.

I do have a hub related question though -

I've just finished the hub plot - I appear to have 3 gates which I can re-assign. The hub has 6 gates though. Do I only get the 3 to play with? 4 would have made more sense (and more use).

ancienthighway · Post by **ancienthighway** » Fri, 5. Sep 14, 22:53

When you assign a gate to the Hub, e.g. Argon Prime South gate, it breaks the current connection with Home of Light North gate. So a gate in the Hub, opposite of the newly connected AP S connects to the HoL N gate.

Think of the 6 Hub gates as 3 pairs.

NewtSoup · Post by **NewtSoup** » Fri, 5. Sep 14, 22:57

ahhh I get it, thanks. Kind of a shame but I guess it stops people breaking the universe.

TTD · Post by **TTD** » Fri, 5. Sep 14, 23:08

If you want more gates...I think Apricot slice did something along those line, but it's definitely a mod ,which will tag your saves.