X3-Reunion New Player questions re: BBS & Missions

[Celthon]

Just installed X3-Reunion game this week, have only few hours played and need clarification regarding the BBS system in-game: if I access the BBS at a station are the messages/posts on the BBS unique to that station and I should visit each station/factory, etc., in the sector and look at all the BBS's?

I am looking for the side-missions, which I could find in other versions of X-games by looking for the icons on the sector maps. My understanding is that the missions in this version are found via the BBS – so if an NPC had, for example, an available 'taxi mission' would I see it only on the BBS at the station where the NPC was located or any BBS in the sector? If I do not check the BBS at every station/factory, etc., I could be not aware of missions in that sector?

Playing vanilla un-modded game with only the 'Bonus Package' added; Humble Merchant start.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

[Fulgrymm]

Each station has its own BBS so you will need to dock at each station in order to see all the potential job offers. Keep in mind that these side jobs have requirements like a minimum reputation level and/or a minimum trade/combat level. If you do not meet the requirements, the person offering the job will tell you to pound sand. Makes becoming friendly with the Paranid a challenge unless you kill some pirates or Kha'ak in their systems.

[Celthon]

Thank you.

[jlehtone]

I am looking for the side-missions, which I could find in other versions of X-games by looking for the icons on the sector maps. My understanding is that the missions in this version are found via the BBS – so if an NPC had, for example, an available 'taxi mission' would I see it only on the BBS at the station where the NPC was located or any BBS in the sector? If I do not check the BBS at every station/factory, etc., I could be not aware of missions in that sector?

In the station.

The missions (and GalNet News fluff texts) are randomly generated when you enter BBS. Once generated, they stay on the BBS of that station for a while, until they expire. It is possible that later, after a while in sector or station(?), additional missions are generated. Moving to other sector is usually a decent trigger.

There is at least one mission with wider visibility: Xenon Invasion mission. The "action" of that mission is always in sector next to Xenon sector, but once that mission is available, it is visible on all stations of nearby sectors. Xenon Invasion can be found about every eight ingame hours.

The X2 / X3R BBS-based missions are less frequent than in later games, or that is the subjective feel. Furthermore, there were those restrictions or requirements. By stats, I did complete on average 2.6 missions per hour in X3R, but I was not doing missions all the time.

Some missions require specific type of ship, say Tour Bus means TP. I did end up having M1 that carried M5, M4, and M3+. Additionally, I had TP, TS, and M2 on call while I did fly M6 most of the time. That way I had a tool for every conceivable job (with TS acting as jump fuel tender and loot collector too).