New Trade System for v4.1

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Yes, multiples of 5 cargo holds are necessary for a lot of the larger items. I did a post that listed all of the various requirements for transport but I can't find it now. Anyone know its location?

I'd like to take this opportunity to renew my request for being able to break down such installations into 1 hold's-worth.  Most important would be mines, auto-mines, and factories, of course.  At present, it's essentially impossible to colonize beyond the jump gate network (without building large numbers of engineers) - this breakdown would allow such colonization to take place while still maintaining the concept of "civilized core".

This would be quite a lot of work as I would have to change the load/unload code for a lot of cargo types. As an alternative though I am considering the idea of a commercial jump drive. These would be much larger and cheaper-per-HS than military jump drives and have several downsides. A larger minimum size, a lower efficiency and a much longer sensor/fire control blackout - perhaps 30 mins or so. Also perhaps some type of 'drive flare' that would highlight a transit.

These restrictions would make them far less useful for militray applications. They could still be used in some type of tender vessel though that could allow very large military units to transit so instead of the drive flare, maybe a different weakness would be that only commercial-engined ships could travel through a jump point opened by a commercial jump drive. The more powerful military drives would create too much instability.

EDIT: I went ahead and added the Commercial Jump Drives - see the post in Mechanics

Steve

[ShadoCat]

This would be quite a lot of work as I would have to change the load/unload code for a lot of cargo types. As an alternative though I am considering the idea of a commercial jump drive. These would be much larger and cheaper-per-HS than military jump drives and have several downsides. A larger minimum size, a lower efficiency and a much longer sensor/fire control blackout - perhaps 30 mins or so. Also perhaps some type of 'drive flare' that would highlight a transit.

These restrictions would make them far less useful for militray applications. They could still be used in some type of tender vessel though that could allow very large military units to transit so instead of the drive flare, maybe a different weakness would be that only commercial-engined ships could travel through a jump point opened by a commercial jump drive. The more powerful military drives would create too much instability.

EDIT: I went ahead and added the Commercial Jump Drives - see the post in Mechanics

Steve

Maybe only civvie ships can go through without blowing electronics (requiring repair).  Commercial systems can use bulkier, less delicate electronics.  It's like using vacuum tubes instead of microchips.

An alternative is to consider the military ships to take up more transit space (3-5x ship size) for transit purposes when using commercial jump engines.

[tanq_tonic]

I seem to have developed a trading "black hole".

Every freighter that the lines have built makes their way to a smaller colony, and float there.

For example:

Mars has a export demand of 1151 Precious Metals.

Earth has a demand for 900 of the same.

Right now there are 10 freighters floating above Mars w/ Precious Metals, and the info screen says that the destination is Mars.

So they apparently drift there waiting for a demand (as opposed to surplus) to open up.

I also have a freighter drifting above mercury waiting to deliver spices, but interestingly, spices are neither produced or demanded there.  Again, its "stuck".

The last freigher is drifting above Titan, again waiting to deliver metals to a colony that produces them.

What gives?

[Beersatron]

I seem to have developed a trading "black hole".

Every freighter that the lines have built makes their way to a smaller colony, and float there.

For example:

Mars has a export demand of 1151 Precious Metals.

Earth has a demand for 900 of the same.

Right now there are 10 freighters floating above Mars w/ Precious Metals, and the info screen says that the destination is Mars.

So they apparently drift there waiting for a demand (as opposed to surplus) to open up.

I also have a freighter drifting above mercury waiting to deliver spices, but interestingly, spices are neither produced or demanded there.  Again, its "stuck".

The last freigher is drifting above Titan, again waiting to deliver metals to a colony that produces them.

What gives?

You could try the 'Clear Orders' button on the shipping lines window and see if that helps, although I am not sure if it empties the cargo holds or just forces the freighters to recalc their orders based on what they currently have in the hold.

[tanq_tonic]

I seem to have developed a trading "black hole".

Every freighter that the lines have built makes their way to a smaller colony, and float there.

For example:

Mars has a export demand of 1151 Precious Metals.

Earth has a demand for 900 of the same.

Right now there are 10 freighters floating above Mars w/ Precious Metals, and the info screen says that the destination is Mars.

So they apparently drift there waiting for a demand (as opposed to surplus) to open up.

I also have a freighter drifting above mercury waiting to deliver spices, but interestingly, spices are neither produced or demanded there.  Again, its "stuck".

The last freigher is drifting above Titan, again waiting to deliver metals to a colony that produces them.

What gives?

You could try the 'Clear Orders' button on the shipping lines window and see if that helps, although I am not sure if it empties the cargo holds or just forces the freighters to recalc their orders based on what they currently have in the hold.

Was confused as I had no "clear orders" button on the Shippin Line menu.  Checked and I am using v. 4.2.  I will repost to the appropriate thread.  Thanks for the guidance.

edited to add: using a little hunch, I found I could download v 4.2x ( 4.25 by the help info or 4.26 if you believe the title of the zip file) and......  voila !!!!  saw the clear orders button.  btw, clear orders clears orders and cargos.

It was a little confusing, as I had seen nowhere in here on how to get a v 4.26, and the only download info mentions 4.2.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

It was a little confusing, as I had seen nowhere in here on how to get a v 4.26, and the only download info mentions 4.2.

v4.26 (which still has the v4.25 number) and the data patch are both topics in the installation forum. I have added a note to the full download directing new players to the patches.

Steve