I have only one factory and I'm unsure as to whether or not I am using the freighters correctly. I have 3 TS ships assigned to buy resources using the "buy ware for best price" order, and that seems to be working pretty good. But I've needed to assign about a dozen TS ships to selling my product and they still struggle to keep the factory's storage from getting maxed out (which halts production.) They seem to fly around in circles, which makes me think that either the price changed at their destination or they found a better deal somewhere else. They also sometimes travel to a station that has almost maxed out its storage for the product and will just unload like 1% of their cargo and then take off.
I feel like part of the problem is that multiple freighters head to the same destination to sell even though that station only has limited storage (and the buying price drops after every transaction.)
So I downloaded the "Bonus Pack" because I saw it had CLS and CAG traders, and I thought that might be the solution to my problem, but I'm not sure. I assigned a couple freighters as CAGs and all they did was fill their cargo holds with the one resource I will never run out of, and now they are just docked in the station doing nothing. I guess they're waiting for the resource to get used up so they can unload, but for crying out loud, at the very least they could have each collected a different resource!
So is CAG or CLS the answer to my problem? Or is there some other advice experienced players could give me. Or, for that matter, am I wrong in thinking there is a problem? Maybe a dozen sellers for one station isn't bad.
How to sell station products efficiently (CAG or CLS or what?)
Moderator: Moderators for English X Forum
-
cappyredcoat
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon, 4. Apr 11, 02:34
Since we don't know what kind of factory do you have, we must assume that there is a problem...
Some (experienced) CAG pilots can take care of a factory quite effectively, but they have to gain some experience first. Novice CAGs has only limited capabilities, and - especially if they must interfere a different kind of independent supply system - often got stuck. Send them manually to sell the ware and restart them on their duty.
Also, there are factories which just helpless (wrong place, wrong ware).
Some (experienced) CAG pilots can take care of a factory quite effectively, but they have to gain some experience first. Novice CAGs has only limited capabilities, and - especially if they must interfere a different kind of independent supply system - often got stuck. Send them manually to sell the ware and restart them on their duty.
Also, there are factories which just helpless (wrong place, wrong ware).
The only thing an Apprentice CAG Pilot can do really is buy a needed product for your complex after it has done some training then it becomes a little more useful, have a look at the pdf and Pilot Qualifications that you got with the dl of the bonus pack.
For now though i would go with a CLS 2 pilot as these are a little more useful at Apprentice level and can train quite quickly to the stage where they can use a jump drive. Once they are at jump drive level then they can be changed to CAG (training carries across the various types CLS 1&2 plus CAG) or you may wish to keep them on CLS as this gives you far more control as to where your pilot goes to sell your product.
Have a look at Trapper Tim CLS Guide
Tim has written a number of extremely useful guides concerning CLS pilots and on a side note I would really urge you to take some time and have a look at them, try the different things out as at the end of the day they will streamline your complex selling/buying power and produce extreme amounts of profitsss.
For now though i would go with a CLS 2 pilot as these are a little more useful at Apprentice level and can train quite quickly to the stage where they can use a jump drive. Once they are at jump drive level then they can be changed to CAG (training carries across the various types CLS 1&2 plus CAG) or you may wish to keep them on CLS as this gives you far more control as to where your pilot goes to sell your product.
Have a look at Trapper Tim CLS Guide
Tim has written a number of extremely useful guides concerning CLS pilots and on a side note I would really urge you to take some time and have a look at them, try the different things out as at the end of the day they will streamline your complex selling/buying power and produce extreme amounts of profitsss.
I rarely assign novice CAGs to any factory.
Always level them up via CLS (with waypoints to get resources, or sell/unload products or intermediates). After a short while when they reach the level where they can use jumpdrives (cargo messenger perhaps?) i assign them to CAG.
A novice CAG cannot sell anything, will only buy resources.
Always level them up via CLS (with waypoints to get resources, or sell/unload products or intermediates). After a short while when they reach the level where they can use jumpdrives (cargo messenger perhaps?) i assign them to CAG.
A novice CAG cannot sell anything, will only buy resources.
CAG seems to be the thing you want. Since CAGs level up on shopping duties, you can replace your current "buy ware for best price" shoppers with CAGs, let them level up until they can sell and use jumpdrive, and then assign them to sales duties. Or you can level them up as CLS and then assign to CAG for selling (they're compatible, so level does not reset).
CAGs coordinate with each other, so they won't have a problem of a dozen freighters trying to sell in one spot.
CAGs coordinate with each other, so they won't have a problem of a dozen freighters trying to sell in one spot.
If you don't want to spend the time levelling your CAGs or CLS traders, you can hire experienced pilots at the trading station in Herron's Nebula. The pilots there can start anywhere from level 2 (Courier) to level 4 (Cargo Messenger), out of a possible 6.
CLS1
CLS2
CAG
If you don't get the level you want (pilots start using their Jumpdrive at level 4), you can fire the pilot and hire a new one.
CLS1
CLS2
CAG
If you don't get the level you want (pilots start using their Jumpdrive at level 4), you can fire the pilot and hire a new one.
-
MarvinTheMartian
- Posts: 1561
- Joined: Wed, 5. May 04, 19:52
You can get Cargo Messengers (level 4) for sure - I settle for nothing lessRayF wrote:have you ever got anything more than level 3????
iam positive you cant get to level 4 & 5.
That's CLS levels which are shared with CAG levels so you end up with a Trader
Trader
The Trader can deal with not only products and resources, but can buy or sell a complex's intermediate products. He can also use the Jumpdrive. The Trader gets 30 credits per Mizura flown, paid after each flight.
Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!
X3AP 3.1 Printable Universe Sector Map
X3AP 3.1 Printable Universe Sector Map
-
Lea Flamma
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sat, 1. Sep 12, 16:04
Be careful when using CAG and CLS, as any command for Sector or Universe Trades will overwrite the current pilot and rest the levels.
Other then that, I use CAG Buyers to get E-Cells for my factories. I usually build complexes which are fueled via NPC buyers, but if you want your own ships to sell, check the jump range you have set in the factory. The higher it is, the further the CAGs will look for oportunities. But yes, if two ships pick up goods at the same time, they will probably find the same oportunity to sell, resulting in doubling jumps. But with higher levels of CAG, they will swap targets mid-flight. What I would suggest is to not start all CAGs at the same time. Wait a little between setting them off to sell. It might help with the doubling buisness oportunities.
Depending on what type of goods you are producing, other tactics might be possible.
Other then that, I use CAG Buyers to get E-Cells for my factories. I usually build complexes which are fueled via NPC buyers, but if you want your own ships to sell, check the jump range you have set in the factory. The higher it is, the further the CAGs will look for oportunities. But yes, if two ships pick up goods at the same time, they will probably find the same oportunity to sell, resulting in doubling jumps. But with higher levels of CAG, they will swap targets mid-flight. What I would suggest is to not start all CAGs at the same time. Wait a little between setting them off to sell. It might help with the doubling buisness oportunities.
Depending on what type of goods you are producing, other tactics might be possible.
Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs but what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom.
If you keep running into a situation where you're seriously outproducing your own capacity to store goods, then it's an unfortunate possibility that you may be saturatin the local market. If your Mark II traders are already equipped with jump drives, set to autojump so the AI will make as many trips to different stations as possible to sell their goods, and told to stockpile enough E-cells for a long jump to maximuze their effective range, and that still isn't enough, then you may just be in a situation where supply is outstripping demand. Unfortunate, but it does happen.
OTAS -- it's like 42, the answer to life, the universe, and everything
In my opinion, CAG lets you set up 1 TS ship per factory, and it will do the job of your 3 supplier TS + 1 seller TS. That's the advantage of the CAG script, as opposed to just Trade Software Mark II and "sell ware for best price", the CAG can switch tasks between buying more resources and selling product, based on inventory levels at the factory.
The fact that your factory can't sell and fills up with product sounds like an issue with pricing, or how saturated the local area is. You set a maximum range in the factory administration window, and the traders will obey that, so if the local area is already full of your product, extend the range.
The fact that your factory can't sell and fills up with product sounds like an issue with pricing, or how saturated the local area is. You set a maximum range in the factory administration window, and the traders will obey that, so if the local area is already full of your product, extend the range.
-
ancienthighway
- Posts: 1663
- Joined: Tue, 24. Apr 07, 05:25
CAG is, IMO, probably the best way to go for resources acquired from NPC stations. Once they have a high enough level they will sell product when product supply is high or station credits are low. You can even use multiple CAGs that talk to each other, thus avoiding going to the same station as another. Buy/sell ware at best price doesn't do that and you will end up with a unintended convoy headed to one station, with every ship after the first doing the same thing to the next station.
Once you have more stations, and one has a ware another one needs, e.g., minerals, energy cells, food, CLS1 can be used to move that ware from the supply source to all consumers. CAG is still used to acquire resources not transferred via CLS1 and to sell excess product or replenish credits.
As an example, I have currently 7 complexes with energy supplied by one of them. Three CLS1 ships handle the e-cell delivery. I have 2 silicon complexes supplying 3 consumers via CLS1 ships. My biggest complex in Argon space does not have any bio production. I use CAGs to purchase Argnu Beef. I also have a complex set up that I do use 2 MkII sell for best price trader simply because the NPC consumers weren't coming to buy it. lol
Market saturation has been mentioned in reference to your product not having any place in the area to buy it. This leads to your resource piling up and everything stopping.
If the NPC consumers aren't buying, it's because they have other resource shortfalls that have stopped their production. Most need food, mineral, and energy. If you monopolize the NPC SPP output, NPC stations don't get any e-cells unless you give it too them. Same with bio, food and mineral. See what they need and provide it for them.
Another reason saturation can occur is not because of supply and demand, but because of transportation shortfalls. This can be solved by providing that transportation using CLS2. Timsup2nothin has several helpful threads in setting this up.
Once you have more stations, and one has a ware another one needs, e.g., minerals, energy cells, food, CLS1 can be used to move that ware from the supply source to all consumers. CAG is still used to acquire resources not transferred via CLS1 and to sell excess product or replenish credits.
As an example, I have currently 7 complexes with energy supplied by one of them. Three CLS1 ships handle the e-cell delivery. I have 2 silicon complexes supplying 3 consumers via CLS1 ships. My biggest complex in Argon space does not have any bio production. I use CAGs to purchase Argnu Beef. I also have a complex set up that I do use 2 MkII sell for best price trader simply because the NPC consumers weren't coming to buy it. lol
Market saturation has been mentioned in reference to your product not having any place in the area to buy it. This leads to your resource piling up and everything stopping.
If the NPC consumers aren't buying, it's because they have other resource shortfalls that have stopped their production. Most need food, mineral, and energy. If you monopolize the NPC SPP output, NPC stations don't get any e-cells unless you give it too them. Same with bio, food and mineral. See what they need and provide it for them.
Another reason saturation can occur is not because of supply and demand, but because of transportation shortfalls. This can be solved by providing that transportation using CLS2. Timsup2nothin has several helpful threads in setting this up.