Outfitting ships with extensions

[sigma1987]

I plan to be building large wings of fighters soon, but I don't know how I'll going to be able to outfit them with extensions (software, jump drive, etc) easily. Do I just ahve to bring them to a shipyard that has access to the extensions I want and use the bulk upgrade? Is there an easier way to dock 10-20 ships simultaneously to a shipyard?

[Sabrina Bergin]

If the shipyard where you purchased the fighters has an EQ dock in system you will have the opportunity to trade with the station and upgrade ten ships at time. but these will be limited by what stocks the EQ dock has.

[Monkeyfister]

I'm playing X3AP Argon Peacekeeper. Here's what I do FWIW.

I reserve White Wing for my newly-made or newly-purchased ships.

I number them, give them shields and some e-cells, and send them from my HQ east of Legend's Home, to the Trading Station in LH first, and do the cargo and tunings, then to OTAS HQ for Jumpdrive and a few things, and then jump them to Argon Prime Shipyard, and then on to Home Of Light, and finally a rendezvous with the Aran or my Mistral SF "Pack Mule" for weapons and missiles. Finally ready for assignment.

I can Hub them to Argon Prime and to HoL just as easily. Above is the quickest way I've found. Having the Jumpdrives, e-cells and tunings up front seems to make the process go quicker.

[ancienthighway]

I've got to ask. Whats the purpose of jumping them to AP Shipyard? You build the ships at your PHQ and then upgraded them in LH. (BTW, couldn't you dock at the LH shipyard and mass install the jump drive and what not?) LoH has a shipyard and equipment dock so you can pick up software you need, again with mass install. Any weapons or missiles you get from AP EQD you can get from the LoH EQD, especially if you stock the EQD with what you need.

Unfortunately with TC, you can't fly some ships to a shipyard and do the mass install, only ships purchased at the time of purchase. Fighters only need the fight commands, navigation commands and a scanner, which all EQDs will provide depending on your reputation with them.

The supply command software allows you to equip ships identical to a template ship. That should save manually adding guns, missiles and ammunition to each fighter.

[Black_hole_suN]

--- Buying, Equipping, Renaming


Buying and Equipping

Buying and equipping of ships is PITA especially with fighters. But we don’t have a choice other than to do this or we cant create a fleet at all. Luckily for us playing in AP, shipyards can now let players equip ships in bulk.

• Have one M1 carry all weapons, shields, mosquito missiles, ammo and other things the fighter you want to buy might need. Then order it to “Move to position” to the shipyard where you intend to buy fighters

• Buy fighters and equip them with necessary softwares

• Rename one ship and order it to “Idle”, it should undock. This will be the group leader

• Broadcast “Follow…” command to all remaining ships in the shipyard and make them follow the group pleader

• Order your M1 to “Resupply Ships” and target the group leader. This command will not only transfer wares to the group leader but also to all of its followers. Transfer weapons intended for the main guns first then transfer weapons for the turrets next. Then repeat the command for shields, mosquito, ammo and stuff.

Note: when your M1 does not have enough wares to resupply the group it will try to buy from NPC within 3 sector jumps away, if no wares are found, the M1 will still run the command but will not do anything. Have another ship transfer the needed wares to the M1 so that the command will finish.

• Tell the group leader to dock at the M1, all followers should dock too. Then jump the M1 to the next shipyard. Order the group leader to dock to shipyard and buy all necessary things in bulk

Note: Normal shipyards will only accept up to 5 fighters docked at the same time so it is better to use Supershipyards instead because they can dock unlimited number of Fighters/M6/TM/TP/TM

• After all necessary softwares are bought and all equipments transferred you must now set MDM and Ammunition resupply manually to all ships (there are no known ways to automate this)

• Then add all fighters to a wing. Have one ship and set its missile resupply to desired levels then click “copy to all ships in wing”

• You can set turret commands, Homebase, and Advanced jumpdrive configs, missile fire probability from the wing console. This will take effect on all ships in the wing

• To set the formation of the wing, dock them to their homebase and go to “Docked ships” – “Docked ships Console” then set the desired formation

Note: the wing formation option in the Wing Console does not set the default formation of the ships in the wing. Instead, if you have more than one formation leader in a single wing it will determine how these formation leaders fly with each other. The followers of the formation leader will still use the default formation of the ship they are following.

If you cant afford an M1, you can try a TL... Split Elephant is the best choice

[OniGanon]

I've got to ask. Whats the purpose of jumping them to AP Shipyard? You build the ships at your PHQ and then upgraded them in LH. (BTW, couldn't you dock at the LH shipyard and mass install the jump drive and what not?) LoH has a shipyard and equipment dock so you can pick up software you need, again with mass install. Any weapons or missiles you get from AP EQD you can get from the LoH EQD, especially if you stock the EQD with what you need.

You can fit multiple ships in either shipyard of Legend's Home with a Jumpdrive and Docking Computer and maybe some 25MJ shields if there's any available. However, as there is no actual Equipment Dock in Legend's Home, speed/cargo/rudder upgrades need to be done individually at the Trading Dock.

He's using the Argon Prime shipyard presumably because it's the closest Shipyard + Equipment Dock to the Terracorp HQ in Home of Light. I get the impression you've confused Home of Light with Light of Heart.

[Monkeyfister]

I've got to ask. Whats the purpose of jumping them to AP Shipyard? You build the ships at your PHQ and then upgraded them in LH. (BTW, couldn't you dock at the LH shipyard and mass install the jump drive and what not?) LoH has a shipyard and equipment dock so you can pick up software you need, again with mass install. Any weapons or missiles you get from AP EQD you can get from the LoH EQD, especially if you stock the EQD with what you need.

You can fit multiple ships in either shipyard of Legend's Home with a Jumpdrive and Docking Computer and maybe some 25MJ shields if there's any available. However, as there is no actual Equipment Dock in Legend's Home, speed/cargo/rudder upgrades need to be done individually at the Trading Dock.

He's using the Argon Prime shipyard presumably because it's the closest Shipyard + Equipment Dock to the Terracorp HQ in Home of Light. I get the impression you've confused Home of Light with Light of Heart.

OniGanon has my approach exactly right.

Only AP, in my Big Loop process, has a Shipyard connected to the EqD in-sector. So, I bulk- order there for ease and speed. The other two sectors in the Big Loop are not really connected to an EqD. OTAS HQ only has a bit of what my ships require.

I have HUB between LH and my PHQ sector (UKS East of LH), and also between AP and HoL. So, for me it is easiest to get the cargo and tunings, a JD and Triplex Scanner at LH, I have a 2XL SPP at LH for e-cells, and then jump to AP, and finally Home of Light has all the Best Buy/Sell and Transporter Devices to round the ships out.

I am at the point now where I buy my Mistrals by 10s, and this is the very best way for me to deck them out starting from LH, too, IMHO. I like to have a few ships topped up with e-cells or other wares just hanging around the HUB or PHQ awaiting orders at a moments notice.

Sometimes, you just absolutely MUST build some station or complex to meet a new and sudden need. I like to have my ships ready at hand to jump start production.

One could always buy a bunch of Disco Haulers or Falcon Haulers and constantly send them out to bulk-buy the extensions, and equipment load-outs (still need those cargo bay exts and tunings), but this is just as much a PITA as just going through the Big Loop process.

So... I just make an event out of decking out as many ships of a kind at once. It gives me time to think about other parts of the Empire while the ships are in transit, as well.

[ancienthighway]

No, I haven't confused HoL and LoH (although I will admit I misread Home of Light in the original,,,)

Using the Unk Sector and Legend's Home as the starting point, you can get jump drives, triplex scanners, CLS 1/2, and even docking computers if you are so inclined, at the OTAS HQ.

Argon Prime and Light of Heart both have shipyards and equipment docks, so both can do the same thing as far as equipping extensions. With no mention of Hub Connections, LoH is a much closer jump from LH than AP.

So why go to Home of Light at all? The only things you can get from Terracorp HQ that you can't get from the OTAS HQ is best buy and sell, transporter devices and MK3 software. Big ticket items, that along with the docking computer, aren't needed on every ship.

AI fighters only need the fight command software, although a scanner, Nav and Special Commands are very handy.

AI transports only need nav, and the the specialized trading software needed for their mission, Mk2 for CAGs, CLS1, CLS2 or MK3. A scanner and special command are optional.

AI Mobile miners only require Special Command, Ore collector, and mineral scanner. At least one miner needs a small laser to break up rocks that are too big. Nav and scanner are, again, nice to have additions.

Best buy and sell are required for any transport, but are very useful for Mk3 traders and mobile miners. Ships designated to be collectors for the mobile miners do require transporter devices.

So the only ships that need to stop at TerraCorp HQ are sector traders, and transports dedicated to collecting minerals from the miners. It's optional for mobile miners for BB/S software.

At one time I would load up all possible software to be able to do all possible tasks or jump into any ship I own and function seamlessly. The expense, both credits and time, have changed my thoughts on that. I equip only what is required for their task, add a little flexibility with Nav and special commands, then set them on task to make me money or defend those making money.

Again, let me point out that in TC, the bulk outfitting of ships can only be done when ships are bought in bulk at the shipyard and at the time of purchase. Supply command software can mitigate this limitation.

[Monkeyfister]

Best Buy/Best Sell and Trade Extension on all ships comes in very handy in sectors where you don't have a Satellite, but you do have a ship. Check deals, make purchases remotely.

It's just my way of playing, I guess. I like all of my ships having BB/BS and Transporter Devices. So, for me and my HUB set-up, it works out really well for me.

I guess short story long:

Make ships at PHQ, but you have do all your Cargo Bay Extensions and Tunings, plus whatever extensions you want at NPC facilities, one way or the other. A Super Shipyard tied to an in-sector EqD is great in AP, because you can Mass Supply. Make it a regular, routine loop that fits your needs.

Equipment can be fitted via PHQ (not recommended) or Cargo Exchange with other docked ships; OR via TL/TS/M1/TM loaded with Supply Command Software. Transporter device for your Supply Command Ships recommended to avoid need to dock.

[ancienthighway]

Wanting BB/BS and transporter on all your ships does make HoL an important stop in outfitting your ships. There are pros and cons each approach, so it's all a matter of preference.

Now that all that's been said, in a modded game, there are other options available. CODEA, for example, will arm fighters with lasers, missiles, and ammo as desired based on the task you want the fighter to perform and availability of wares on the carrier.

There are at least two mods in TC that allow your player owned EQDs to stock software extensions which makes outfitting ships in TC less of a runaround. I tried my favorite in AP, but it doesn't appear to work. Unfortunately, I can't say how it works with a shipyard bulk trade because of that.