Greetings all,
I am a relatively new X3TC player., and I am certainly not an expert with many of the game's facets. I do manage to hold my own when I put it all together. Those times are usually memorable.
Then there are the times when I don't manage to put it all together. In retrospect, those times are usually humorous.
After loyally reading many of the threads here from NUCLEAR_SLUG, Trianxx, Scion, Gosnell, et al, I think I am going to take the plunge and start putting some things to paper... err, posts. I am not ready to start a full fledged DiD (indeed, if I was ready I would probably implement some basic rules to allow the story to go a few pages if I did die) as I am still in the discovery / wonderment stage of the game. Instead, what I plan to do with this thread is delve into some of my experiences in the game I am currently playing, wrap a bit of story around it, and go from there. As a result, the character depth will probably not be there like some of the more accomplished authors here. I hope that this experience does expand my horizons a bit so that in the future I can come up with a good prolonged story about my adventures.
Some overall background:
X3TC 3.2 vanilla with bonus pack
Custom Argon start
Game is currently about four months old with some sizable gaps in playing
Main Character name - Brent
Playstyle
Hard day's work deserves a good day's pay. Manner of work generally not important, although ethics / morals generally are a concern. Acceptance of a mission means that I will make a best efforts attempt to satisfy the mission goals first, with other consequences / benefits generally a secondary concern. Preservation of wealth is important. Best description would be neutral or chaotic good.
I would be seriously interested in adopting certain mods and or play strategies based on input from readers.
Lastly, a little background on me. IT / Tech full time in the States, a gamer of some type for about 40 years. I actually wrote a short story back in seventh grade wrapped around a game called GEV, and I am looking forward to some creativity along the same lines, hopefully a bit more mature! When not playing this game I can be found on a sailboat or rock climbing.
Happy reading!
(X3TC) Collection of short summaries
Moderators: TheElf, Moderators for English X Forum
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Triaxx2
- Posts: 7229
- Joined: Tue, 29. Dec 09, 02:15
Having played a Dead Is Dead, my Dead Is Drunk was tons and tons of fun, because we've all seen those horrible, horrible moments of truly bad luck. And being able to write them and keep playing was enjoyable.
A Pirate's Revenge Completed Now in PDF by _Zap_
APR Book 2: Best Served Cold Updated 8/5/2016
The Tale of Ea't s'Quid Completed
Dovie'andi se tovya sagain
APR Book 2: Best Served Cold Updated 8/5/2016
The Tale of Ea't s'Quid Completed
Dovie'andi se tovya sagain
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
Simple
It sounded like a good idea when I bought it.
Owning a winery, or any business for that matters, generally requires money coming in to exceed money going out. I bought the winery because, well, I like wine. Seemed like an easy deal. Water some plants, hire some cheap labor to collect and crush, store it in some bottles, sell it, rinse and repeat while I go about enjoying life somewhere else.
Unfortunately, labor doesn't stay cheap, bad harvests can spoil product, and in this day and age of information it sometimes only takes the word of one well spoken individual regardless of knowledge to set back a business irreparably. So was the case with me and my grapes. With the facility operating break even after a few decent years, I was looking at a serious financial crunch down the road. Operating with enough money coming in to live peacefully is fine; operating while taking money away from myself to support a business is not fine.
I did have enough to try something different, and I wanted something really different. Argonians can, for a fee, take basic courses in all things related to spaceships. Unlike most who graduate from these courses who then pursue fields working for either the government or a corporation, I had enough to purchase a small ship immediately afterwards, allowing me to set aside all my (current) business problems on Prime and take to the stars. One thing remained before I could do this - life had to get simpler.
I called Hector and Victor, the two people that "really" ran the winery and offered them a deal they couldn't refuse. First, they became stewards of the business, responsible for running it in all aspects, and in return they would enjoy all of the profits (and losses). Second, they had full autonomy to do what needed to be done to make the business successful. Third, they became fully and legally responsible for all of the assets. If the situation arose causing me to return to the surface, they would remain part owners.
Last, I told them this wouldn't cost them a thing up front. True, if they ran it into the ground they wouldn't have anything to fall back on, but they were starting with a business, fully bought and financed without having to go to a bank, lawyer, and accountant for all of the paperwork. I only asked for a couple things in return - wine for myself from the winery, and coffee for myself from Hector's family plantation. These were the two things I felt might be in short supply in space, and I didn't want to give up either. Furthermore, after drinking swill from several planetside establishments (swill could be wine OR coffee depending on the time of day), I at least wanted to start and end my days properly. They accepted with gratitude, after a few signatures.
It sounded like a good idea when I bought it.
Here I am in Herron's Nebula after exiting the south jumpgate with not much left to my name. My Buster has no name and no extra frills at the present. My suit is keeping me alive as my vessel currently does not have a cargo life support system yet. I have 1000 credits to my name and no agenda other than starting anew. I have a few basic items like clothing and a couple books. I also have a brain, which can be my best friend and my worst enemy. The margin of error I have right now is rather slim.
I am still getting used to my ship, and I am happy to see that the ship flies not only by sidestick, but also by (of all things) a keyboard. Most of the flying is done by programming an autopilot, and in this I am confident I can get from point A to point B without fault. Exploration of the system reveals some opportunity to experiment, and I am soon happily guiding my ship into the docking clamps of one of the two distilleries in the Neb.
1000 credits doesn't go far, but it's better than nothing, and soon a couple crates of "fuel" are being carried over to the Trading Station. They have none and are willing to pay average price for the product. Well wasn't that easy. The hook was set deep though..
"We could really use more of this if you can get some."
"Give me a few minutes, err mizuras, I will be right back."
So while short capital and space, I was quite able to satisfy the buyer's request. What started as a couple crates rapidly began to fill up my cargo hold. All was going well until the sixth or seventh trip, when my buyer politely told me that they had no more need for fuel. The culprit was a beaten up Mercury I had seen docking at the distillery as I was leaving. My one advantage over her (speed) was eventually offset by her advantage (volume).
The good news - I had plenty of funds to make the ship a bit more useful. I eventually sold the extra "fuel" to the Trading Station a day later. Best of all, the buyer recommended I check in with the Station Administrative System (SASSY). Small crash pads were generally available for people like myself for free. Food and booze could be purchased. Not a bad start to a new career.
Grabbing some things out of the ship, I made my way to the pad by way of a deli for some rest. One thing I was finding disconcerting was the absence of day and night. After the purchase of a sandwich, a quick dinner and a dark room convinced me that sleep was needed, sun and moon unneeded.
It sounded like a good idea when I bought it.
Owning a winery, or any business for that matters, generally requires money coming in to exceed money going out. I bought the winery because, well, I like wine. Seemed like an easy deal. Water some plants, hire some cheap labor to collect and crush, store it in some bottles, sell it, rinse and repeat while I go about enjoying life somewhere else.
Unfortunately, labor doesn't stay cheap, bad harvests can spoil product, and in this day and age of information it sometimes only takes the word of one well spoken individual regardless of knowledge to set back a business irreparably. So was the case with me and my grapes. With the facility operating break even after a few decent years, I was looking at a serious financial crunch down the road. Operating with enough money coming in to live peacefully is fine; operating while taking money away from myself to support a business is not fine.
I did have enough to try something different, and I wanted something really different. Argonians can, for a fee, take basic courses in all things related to spaceships. Unlike most who graduate from these courses who then pursue fields working for either the government or a corporation, I had enough to purchase a small ship immediately afterwards, allowing me to set aside all my (current) business problems on Prime and take to the stars. One thing remained before I could do this - life had to get simpler.
I called Hector and Victor, the two people that "really" ran the winery and offered them a deal they couldn't refuse. First, they became stewards of the business, responsible for running it in all aspects, and in return they would enjoy all of the profits (and losses). Second, they had full autonomy to do what needed to be done to make the business successful. Third, they became fully and legally responsible for all of the assets. If the situation arose causing me to return to the surface, they would remain part owners.
Last, I told them this wouldn't cost them a thing up front. True, if they ran it into the ground they wouldn't have anything to fall back on, but they were starting with a business, fully bought and financed without having to go to a bank, lawyer, and accountant for all of the paperwork. I only asked for a couple things in return - wine for myself from the winery, and coffee for myself from Hector's family plantation. These were the two things I felt might be in short supply in space, and I didn't want to give up either. Furthermore, after drinking swill from several planetside establishments (swill could be wine OR coffee depending on the time of day), I at least wanted to start and end my days properly. They accepted with gratitude, after a few signatures.
It sounded like a good idea when I bought it.
Here I am in Herron's Nebula after exiting the south jumpgate with not much left to my name. My Buster has no name and no extra frills at the present. My suit is keeping me alive as my vessel currently does not have a cargo life support system yet. I have 1000 credits to my name and no agenda other than starting anew. I have a few basic items like clothing and a couple books. I also have a brain, which can be my best friend and my worst enemy. The margin of error I have right now is rather slim.
I am still getting used to my ship, and I am happy to see that the ship flies not only by sidestick, but also by (of all things) a keyboard. Most of the flying is done by programming an autopilot, and in this I am confident I can get from point A to point B without fault. Exploration of the system reveals some opportunity to experiment, and I am soon happily guiding my ship into the docking clamps of one of the two distilleries in the Neb.
1000 credits doesn't go far, but it's better than nothing, and soon a couple crates of "fuel" are being carried over to the Trading Station. They have none and are willing to pay average price for the product. Well wasn't that easy. The hook was set deep though..
"We could really use more of this if you can get some."
"Give me a few minutes, err mizuras, I will be right back."
So while short capital and space, I was quite able to satisfy the buyer's request. What started as a couple crates rapidly began to fill up my cargo hold. All was going well until the sixth or seventh trip, when my buyer politely told me that they had no more need for fuel. The culprit was a beaten up Mercury I had seen docking at the distillery as I was leaving. My one advantage over her (speed) was eventually offset by her advantage (volume).
The good news - I had plenty of funds to make the ship a bit more useful. I eventually sold the extra "fuel" to the Trading Station a day later. Best of all, the buyer recommended I check in with the Station Administrative System (SASSY). Small crash pads were generally available for people like myself for free. Food and booze could be purchased. Not a bad start to a new career.
Grabbing some things out of the ship, I made my way to the pad by way of a deli for some rest. One thing I was finding disconcerting was the absence of day and night. After the purchase of a sandwich, a quick dinner and a dark room convinced me that sleep was needed, sun and moon unneeded.
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
Gathering no hunting
Waking up was the easy part. Getting ready and going to "work" was the hard part. I love flying, and I am really enjoying the change from being a surface dweller, however I am now a glorified truck driver. I will need to make the ship a bit more comfortable and interesting if I am going to survive out here.
The earned money maxed the speed and handling of the Buster (now Buster 01 as I haven't given it a name), however the cargo hold is still a bit woeful. At least I can earn lunch money a bit quicker now, and if anything comes along that feels like taking said lunch money I have options. I will need to look for another ship, and while this is not an urgent need it is something to keep my mind on if something comes up, or better yet falls in my lap.
My card swipes me out of the room, indicating to SASSY she may let some other soul stay here. She is already dispatching cleaning equipment to straighten things up. I don't know if they use robots or staff to clean, and right now I don't care. The facility was comfortable and I feel refreshed. Time to go increase the credit balance.
I set course for Power Circle before I tackle my first problem - lack of coffee. I should have worked on this bit at the Trading Station. Oh well, first place I dock should be able to help me.
It ends up being one of the Solar Power Plants (SPP). I can easily fill the ship with e-cells, and while that is done at 12 per unit I set off for the cafeteria. Hot water they have, along with cups, but no machine, at least one they will let me use. I offer credits to no avail. I am no longer happy how the "tazura" has started. I do grab some cups, a small metal can, and some napkins.
I don't go far before I find someone in need of e-cells. In fact, it's in sector at an ore mine. More importantly, they might have what I am looking for. The e-cells are sold for 19, and this time I am off to find a mining tech.
"Sir, might you have a hammer, a small nail, and a bench?"
"Yea, I gaht that here. Need help wit somethin?"
"No, you can supervise to make sure I don't hurt myself if you wish."
The tech watches with interest as I invert the can and start whacking the bottom. It starts to stretch and bend into a concave shape, not perfect but good enough. Using the nail, I then create a center to the divot and punch a hole.
"I gahtta ask, what is that?"
I return the tools and state, "THIS is the solution to my most pressing need." I thank him and head back to my ship. SASSY already wants me off the base so they can make room for another ship.
Back to the SPP, where I purchase more e-cells and again head to the cafe, with the can and coffee grounds. I walk right by the attendant to the hot water dispenser, place a cup on the counter, place the can over the cup in line with the centerpoint, place a napkin over the can, place coffee grounds onto the napkin, and begin to fill another cup with hot water. The water ends up being dumped onto the grounds, dripping into the cup.
The attendant is not amused.
"Hey, you can't do that!"
"Why?"
"I have to bill you!"
"For what? The water, cups, and napkins were free, you said so yourself a stazura ago, and by my count I have spent over 2400 credits here in the same amount of time. Now, can we work something out or do we need to escalate this?"
Mizuras later, I am aboard my ship and caffeinated. I now have a deal with the cafe so I can use their equipment. Maybe once I get a CLS I can rig something in the Buster.
---
---
I find trading to be exhilarating. After a while I am no longer content with e-cells. I slowly move to other products, limited only by the now maxed Buster's hold. I am also presented with used ships in several of the Argon sectors. The only ones I can afford are so beat up that they aren't usable by me, and after selling the first to the same shipyard Buster 01 was born in I realize I made a nice bit of money. Ok, that works for me, and its more money than I can make running e-cells. I now watch the space lanes for any other pilots looking to get out of their current rides.
Then came the big score. A journey into Argon prime shows me two things I am absolutely looking for:
1. A Caiman SFXL, beat up and cheap.
2. A missile complex full to the brim of products.
I now have a second ship, a big one at that, a maxed Buster, and plenty of credits. I may be able to make a coffee machine out of a tin can, but I can't fix the Caiman. She is too big, and welding for stazuras does not sound like a good time. I decide to pour a portion of my gains into fixing her up and obtaining required equipment.
Catching up on all things Argon in the lounge of the Prime Trading Station, I slowly sip my glass of Cabernet as I think about my next session - after some well earned sleep.
Waking up was the easy part. Getting ready and going to "work" was the hard part. I love flying, and I am really enjoying the change from being a surface dweller, however I am now a glorified truck driver. I will need to make the ship a bit more comfortable and interesting if I am going to survive out here.
The earned money maxed the speed and handling of the Buster (now Buster 01 as I haven't given it a name), however the cargo hold is still a bit woeful. At least I can earn lunch money a bit quicker now, and if anything comes along that feels like taking said lunch money I have options. I will need to look for another ship, and while this is not an urgent need it is something to keep my mind on if something comes up, or better yet falls in my lap.
My card swipes me out of the room, indicating to SASSY she may let some other soul stay here. She is already dispatching cleaning equipment to straighten things up. I don't know if they use robots or staff to clean, and right now I don't care. The facility was comfortable and I feel refreshed. Time to go increase the credit balance.
I set course for Power Circle before I tackle my first problem - lack of coffee. I should have worked on this bit at the Trading Station. Oh well, first place I dock should be able to help me.
It ends up being one of the Solar Power Plants (SPP). I can easily fill the ship with e-cells, and while that is done at 12 per unit I set off for the cafeteria. Hot water they have, along with cups, but no machine, at least one they will let me use. I offer credits to no avail. I am no longer happy how the "tazura" has started. I do grab some cups, a small metal can, and some napkins.
I don't go far before I find someone in need of e-cells. In fact, it's in sector at an ore mine. More importantly, they might have what I am looking for. The e-cells are sold for 19, and this time I am off to find a mining tech.
"Sir, might you have a hammer, a small nail, and a bench?"
"Yea, I gaht that here. Need help wit somethin?"
"No, you can supervise to make sure I don't hurt myself if you wish."
The tech watches with interest as I invert the can and start whacking the bottom. It starts to stretch and bend into a concave shape, not perfect but good enough. Using the nail, I then create a center to the divot and punch a hole.
"I gahtta ask, what is that?"
I return the tools and state, "THIS is the solution to my most pressing need." I thank him and head back to my ship. SASSY already wants me off the base so they can make room for another ship.
Back to the SPP, where I purchase more e-cells and again head to the cafe, with the can and coffee grounds. I walk right by the attendant to the hot water dispenser, place a cup on the counter, place the can over the cup in line with the centerpoint, place a napkin over the can, place coffee grounds onto the napkin, and begin to fill another cup with hot water. The water ends up being dumped onto the grounds, dripping into the cup.
The attendant is not amused.
"Hey, you can't do that!"
"Why?"
"I have to bill you!"
"For what? The water, cups, and napkins were free, you said so yourself a stazura ago, and by my count I have spent over 2400 credits here in the same amount of time. Now, can we work something out or do we need to escalate this?"
Mizuras later, I am aboard my ship and caffeinated. I now have a deal with the cafe so I can use their equipment. Maybe once I get a CLS I can rig something in the Buster.
---
---
I find trading to be exhilarating. After a while I am no longer content with e-cells. I slowly move to other products, limited only by the now maxed Buster's hold. I am also presented with used ships in several of the Argon sectors. The only ones I can afford are so beat up that they aren't usable by me, and after selling the first to the same shipyard Buster 01 was born in I realize I made a nice bit of money. Ok, that works for me, and its more money than I can make running e-cells. I now watch the space lanes for any other pilots looking to get out of their current rides.
Then came the big score. A journey into Argon prime shows me two things I am absolutely looking for:
1. A Caiman SFXL, beat up and cheap.
2. A missile complex full to the brim of products.
I now have a second ship, a big one at that, a maxed Buster, and plenty of credits. I may be able to make a coffee machine out of a tin can, but I can't fix the Caiman. She is too big, and welding for stazuras does not sound like a good time. I decide to pour a portion of my gains into fixing her up and obtaining required equipment.
Catching up on all things Argon in the lounge of the Prime Trading Station, I slowly sip my glass of Cabernet as I think about my next session - after some well earned sleep.
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
Trading and not Trading
The act of trading is easy. The execution is where the skill is.
Early on in my career I ended up in Teladi space. Having gained experience trading missiles in Argon Prime, I was always on the lookout for weapon deals from producers. One such sector, possibly CEO's Sprite, had an overstock in both EBC and Gauss ammo.
I try to follow one general rule when trading weapons. Only invest in what I would be happy with if I couldn't unload it. Normally I follow that and it works perfectly. Today, all I saw was dollar signs. I am relatively certain the Cabernet I was sipping in the pressurized cockpit of my Nova Raider had nothing to do with this decision. So I instruct the trader to make the purchase remotely, and send him off to the nearest EQ dock.
Imagine my surprise when the Teladi politely say no, we don't deal with this product. Ok, no problem, I can hold onto it for a bit until I can find out where to sell it. Unfortunately, this is now cutting into my profits of the trader. I am fairly certain the trader in question was a maxed Mistral SF, so I had 15000 units of space on the ship. Subtract jump fuel, mosquito missles, and some other equipment, and I am left with around 14800. 594 units of Gauss ammo is 14850. 594 sticks in my head for some reason because I was staring at that number for a very long time, and my 1+ million credit trader was disabled.
As it turns out, nobody deals in Gauss ammo... well, almost nobody. During some station defense missions I had acquired a few M5's, and they were busily mapping the universe. Scout Fuijin Alpha, which started somewhere in the core Argon sectors, radioed back that they had located Strong Arms corporate headquarters. Now think about how long it would take to fly from a core Argon sector, down through Paranid and Boron space, and then end up in that branch of Split space to locate their corp HQ, mapping as you went. Yes, I held onto that ammo a looong time.
The ammo, along with EBC ammo acquired in the same deal on a different ship, had been consolidated on Orca 01, a purchased shipper for budding BBE, BooBoo Enterprises. I happily dispatched her off to the far corner of the galaxy to unload what she could at a long delayed profit.
Imagine my surprise when the Orca departed Strong Arms with less space, and I was short credits. This was not the desired outcome, and when I pulled up the display of the Orca, she showed to have more Gauss ammo, and for good measure more EBC ammo, than when she started. I comm'd tech support...
"Sir, the ship's log file says you sent a command to the Orca to buy Gauss ammo."
"That's crazy talk!"
"Well sir, not that crazy, because you sent the same command seconds later to buy EBC ammo."
I am quite happy that tech support can only see log files and not the look on my face.
I turned the Orca around, and had some explaining to do with Strong Arms. In the end they took some of what I had, however the Orca is going to be spending a bit of time burning jump fuel back and forth to Strong Arms.
The act of trading is easy. The execution is where the skill is.
Early on in my career I ended up in Teladi space. Having gained experience trading missiles in Argon Prime, I was always on the lookout for weapon deals from producers. One such sector, possibly CEO's Sprite, had an overstock in both EBC and Gauss ammo.
I try to follow one general rule when trading weapons. Only invest in what I would be happy with if I couldn't unload it. Normally I follow that and it works perfectly. Today, all I saw was dollar signs. I am relatively certain the Cabernet I was sipping in the pressurized cockpit of my Nova Raider had nothing to do with this decision. So I instruct the trader to make the purchase remotely, and send him off to the nearest EQ dock.
Imagine my surprise when the Teladi politely say no, we don't deal with this product. Ok, no problem, I can hold onto it for a bit until I can find out where to sell it. Unfortunately, this is now cutting into my profits of the trader. I am fairly certain the trader in question was a maxed Mistral SF, so I had 15000 units of space on the ship. Subtract jump fuel, mosquito missles, and some other equipment, and I am left with around 14800. 594 units of Gauss ammo is 14850. 594 sticks in my head for some reason because I was staring at that number for a very long time, and my 1+ million credit trader was disabled.
As it turns out, nobody deals in Gauss ammo... well, almost nobody. During some station defense missions I had acquired a few M5's, and they were busily mapping the universe. Scout Fuijin Alpha, which started somewhere in the core Argon sectors, radioed back that they had located Strong Arms corporate headquarters. Now think about how long it would take to fly from a core Argon sector, down through Paranid and Boron space, and then end up in that branch of Split space to locate their corp HQ, mapping as you went. Yes, I held onto that ammo a looong time.
The ammo, along with EBC ammo acquired in the same deal on a different ship, had been consolidated on Orca 01, a purchased shipper for budding BBE, BooBoo Enterprises. I happily dispatched her off to the far corner of the galaxy to unload what she could at a long delayed profit.
Imagine my surprise when the Orca departed Strong Arms with less space, and I was short credits. This was not the desired outcome, and when I pulled up the display of the Orca, she showed to have more Gauss ammo, and for good measure more EBC ammo, than when she started. I comm'd tech support...
"Sir, the ship's log file says you sent a command to the Orca to buy Gauss ammo."
"That's crazy talk!"
"Well sir, not that crazy, because you sent the same command seconds later to buy EBC ammo."
I am quite happy that tech support can only see log files and not the look on my face.
I turned the Orca around, and had some explaining to do with Strong Arms. In the end they took some of what I had, however the Orca is going to be spending a bit of time burning jump fuel back and forth to Strong Arms.
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
The difference between good and evil is a fine wine
The concept of losing a ship and needing it returned seems a bit odd. When I call up my list of assets, I can see what every one of my ships is doing in an instant, and if something appears amiss a review of message logs usually shows that the missing asset is destroyed by a roving band of pirates, Xenon, or Kha'ak. Furthermore, I am dealing with over a dozen ships, some trading outright, some moving products from complexes, and some on stand by for the next station defense mission. I have three scouts moving from sector to sector, mapping along the way, and I don't lose those even though they are constantly in new territory without satellites.
Then there is the fee being paid assuming you return the ship in a certain amount of time. About half the time something is just... wrong.
One fellow in Bala Gi wanted me to go get a ship down in Split Fire, and against my better judgement I accepted. The ship turns out to be a beat up Mercury moving 19 m/s. Repairing something that big is not an option. I suppose I could have transferred a jumpdrive over, but my suspicion was this ship wouldn't make it to the owner even with the drive, so I instead sent it to the nearest station. When I say "to", I really mean toward, because the ship was moving so slow it didn't have a chance of getting there either before the cops showed up. About 20 minutes later the police did send the Mercury to an untimely end. Had I put the jumpdrive in place, I would have lost that as well.
I told myself this was just a bad deal, it couldn't happen more than once, right? RIGHT?
Maybe if I better prepared I could really start testing myself in these missions. Preparation, like many things in the universe, costs credits, this time in the form of a Boa I chose to call "Independence". Yellow wing, currently composed of two fully upped Nova Vanguards, would ride along, leaving a couple hangar spots open. Now I had options. For the right (mission) price I could transfer a jumpdrive over to the ship being returned, and make more than enough back to cover the cost of the drive. Better still, if the ship was small enough I could just pack her into the Independence, jump the Boa over to the destination, fly it close enough where the speed of the returned ship was not a factor if it was beat up, and then send the ship on her way.
This worked to a T when a person in Herron's Nebula wanted me to find and return his Jaguar, in under 15 minutes. I jumped to Red Light in my Nova Raider, ordered the Independence to follow, and even then had time to debark, claim, and repair before the Independence was close. Once the Jaguar was loaded, Independence jumped back to Herron's, debarked the Jaguar, and I was 2.5 million richer. This more than covered the entire cost of the Boa.
Unfortunately, you can't control what you need to retrieve. For every fast Jaguar someone lost, you get a beat up Mercury. I always tried to satisfy the mission objectives, even if I had little chance of completing the mission. Sometimes I would just call the agent back immediately and abort, and other times I would try my best to return the ship, only to have the inevitable police ships hunt down the vessel. I would tell myself it was a bad deal, I shouldn't have accepted the contract, etc., easing the frustration of the failure. I even got to the point where I was going to stop taking on those contracts because I felt it was becoming a wasteful expense of time and effort. Considering the one successful mission of note had paid for everything involved in the rescues, I decided I would try a few more and hope for the best.
Which ultimately led me to Tharka's Sun. I was working in Split space with the Orca developing their infrastructure, not only collecting a hefty fee per station but also opening up additional trading opportunities in the future. One of the stations had a build mission, and while I was evaluating the feasibility of it I was contacted by another agent at the same station. He had the usual story, "I left a ship somewhere...", and he was offering a fairly sizeable retrieval fee. I decided to take on the contract to break up the monotony of infrastructure building.
Now you can probably figure out what happened, but let me set the scene a bit first.
My Nova Raider was getting a bit long in tooth, and several of the combat missions I had been doing as of late had multiple bombers and / or the occasional M6. The Raider had been performing well, but now she needed replacement with something bigger. I was planning on purchasing a Centaur or a similar vessel once I had done some research. Since I had been doing more infrastructure missions, I figured I could wait a bit on the ship.
Then there was the prep needed to equip a ship like that. Aside from all of the costs around equipment, the ship needed Marines. I had been training about 20+ jarheads in Argon Prime, and they were finally beginning to graduate class with quite a bit of experience. All told I was looking at a 20 million credit investment at minimum.
So I had this itch that needed to be scratched, just not right now and certainly not until I had my float over 70 million. Enjoying the last of a really fine Cabernet in my now pressurized Nova Raider, I decided to accept the mission.
Several things immediately struck me as odd:
1. The ship was in PTNI, a sector I had not mapped yet.
2. The agent was Split, and he wanted a Boron ship returned.
3. The fee was rather large, probably what originally attracted me to the job in the first place.
4. The time in force was rather small, and I figured I could bring the Independence in to assist. The fact that PTNI was not on the map made this a bit more difficult.
5. What the heck is a "Heavy Hydra" and how am I going to get it back to Tharka's Sun?
I was fairly familiar with Boron designs, however I had never heard of a Heavy Hydra. I originally thought the ship was Split, and then I realized the ship wasn't class named after a snake.
In reality, in my slightly drunken mood, I believe my eyes may have actually popped out of my skull. A Heavy Hydra? No way I can get that back here in time. It probably won't even fit into the Independence. All of this raced through my mind in about 3 seconds before I decided, quite simply, that I would be keeping the ship.
I felt almost giddy as I jumped gate to gate to try and get to PTNI before time expired. Upon arriving in PTNI I called in the fleet to assist. First came the Independence, followed by the Express John Paul Jones, and lastly a Caiman Tender that holds a variety of things that might be important. My Nova glided to a stop near the Heavy Hydra, allowing me to scan the ship. Oddly enough, there were no marines present, and I was initially unsure as to what to do. Figuring that the picture was the same as previous return ship missions, I ejected and claimed, and it became accessible.
There was no way I could get to either the Teladi Shipyard or the EQ Dock before time expired. My best choice was Computer Plant Beta, the closest station still in sector. I could have jumped the ship out, but with time ticking down it didn't seem like a good option. Not wanting to risk the autopilot deciding to take the ship on a tour of the sector, I jumped in and headed toward the Computer plant.
Time ticked down to critical as I arrived. I was able to dock with about two minutes to spare. Still giggling like a schoolgirl, the clamps engaged and the ship was docked. The Nova Raider was already there, so I switched back to her.
Now what? The Heavy Hydra was too slow at present, unarmed, and unshielded. No way I could do much right now. I sent the Tender shopping for gear, I told the JP Jones and the Independence to curl up somewhere safe, and I aborted the mission. The Split response was quick, with both an M6 and an M8 prowling the sector. They had to know the ship was stolen, but they didn't mess with me at all. I may have lost a satellite to them, and that's it.
Over the course of a day or two I acquired the necessary gear to run the blockade:
1. Full shields
2. PRG's for the turrets
3. Turbo Booster
4. Jump drive with e-cells
5. Main Battery guns - two HEPTs and four IPGs
The police were still sniffing around; they could probably SEE the ship sitting in the clamps. I decided the best idea would be to wait for the nearest ship to the station to be sufficiently far enough away so I could boost away and jump out. I didn't want to fire at the cops as this would have lasting affects beyond what I had just done. The turrets and mosquitoes could keep the missiles away - hopefully.
Moment arrived, a now sober me jumped into the cockpit and undocked. 25 seconds later it was over and the ship was now good and truly mine. Total expenditure to get the ship kitted out, fixed, and upgraded has been about 15 million, an expense I didn't want to make right away, but an expense that needed to be paid. No more looking for a Centaur, no more wondering what to get. In the end when fate puts something in your lap, you make due and don't complain.
The concept of losing a ship and needing it returned seems a bit odd. When I call up my list of assets, I can see what every one of my ships is doing in an instant, and if something appears amiss a review of message logs usually shows that the missing asset is destroyed by a roving band of pirates, Xenon, or Kha'ak. Furthermore, I am dealing with over a dozen ships, some trading outright, some moving products from complexes, and some on stand by for the next station defense mission. I have three scouts moving from sector to sector, mapping along the way, and I don't lose those even though they are constantly in new territory without satellites.
Then there is the fee being paid assuming you return the ship in a certain amount of time. About half the time something is just... wrong.
One fellow in Bala Gi wanted me to go get a ship down in Split Fire, and against my better judgement I accepted. The ship turns out to be a beat up Mercury moving 19 m/s. Repairing something that big is not an option. I suppose I could have transferred a jumpdrive over, but my suspicion was this ship wouldn't make it to the owner even with the drive, so I instead sent it to the nearest station. When I say "to", I really mean toward, because the ship was moving so slow it didn't have a chance of getting there either before the cops showed up. About 20 minutes later the police did send the Mercury to an untimely end. Had I put the jumpdrive in place, I would have lost that as well.
I told myself this was just a bad deal, it couldn't happen more than once, right? RIGHT?
Maybe if I better prepared I could really start testing myself in these missions. Preparation, like many things in the universe, costs credits, this time in the form of a Boa I chose to call "Independence". Yellow wing, currently composed of two fully upped Nova Vanguards, would ride along, leaving a couple hangar spots open. Now I had options. For the right (mission) price I could transfer a jumpdrive over to the ship being returned, and make more than enough back to cover the cost of the drive. Better still, if the ship was small enough I could just pack her into the Independence, jump the Boa over to the destination, fly it close enough where the speed of the returned ship was not a factor if it was beat up, and then send the ship on her way.
This worked to a T when a person in Herron's Nebula wanted me to find and return his Jaguar, in under 15 minutes. I jumped to Red Light in my Nova Raider, ordered the Independence to follow, and even then had time to debark, claim, and repair before the Independence was close. Once the Jaguar was loaded, Independence jumped back to Herron's, debarked the Jaguar, and I was 2.5 million richer. This more than covered the entire cost of the Boa.
Unfortunately, you can't control what you need to retrieve. For every fast Jaguar someone lost, you get a beat up Mercury. I always tried to satisfy the mission objectives, even if I had little chance of completing the mission. Sometimes I would just call the agent back immediately and abort, and other times I would try my best to return the ship, only to have the inevitable police ships hunt down the vessel. I would tell myself it was a bad deal, I shouldn't have accepted the contract, etc., easing the frustration of the failure. I even got to the point where I was going to stop taking on those contracts because I felt it was becoming a wasteful expense of time and effort. Considering the one successful mission of note had paid for everything involved in the rescues, I decided I would try a few more and hope for the best.
Which ultimately led me to Tharka's Sun. I was working in Split space with the Orca developing their infrastructure, not only collecting a hefty fee per station but also opening up additional trading opportunities in the future. One of the stations had a build mission, and while I was evaluating the feasibility of it I was contacted by another agent at the same station. He had the usual story, "I left a ship somewhere...", and he was offering a fairly sizeable retrieval fee. I decided to take on the contract to break up the monotony of infrastructure building.
Now you can probably figure out what happened, but let me set the scene a bit first.
My Nova Raider was getting a bit long in tooth, and several of the combat missions I had been doing as of late had multiple bombers and / or the occasional M6. The Raider had been performing well, but now she needed replacement with something bigger. I was planning on purchasing a Centaur or a similar vessel once I had done some research. Since I had been doing more infrastructure missions, I figured I could wait a bit on the ship.
Then there was the prep needed to equip a ship like that. Aside from all of the costs around equipment, the ship needed Marines. I had been training about 20+ jarheads in Argon Prime, and they were finally beginning to graduate class with quite a bit of experience. All told I was looking at a 20 million credit investment at minimum.
So I had this itch that needed to be scratched, just not right now and certainly not until I had my float over 70 million. Enjoying the last of a really fine Cabernet in my now pressurized Nova Raider, I decided to accept the mission.
Several things immediately struck me as odd:
1. The ship was in PTNI, a sector I had not mapped yet.
2. The agent was Split, and he wanted a Boron ship returned.
3. The fee was rather large, probably what originally attracted me to the job in the first place.
4. The time in force was rather small, and I figured I could bring the Independence in to assist. The fact that PTNI was not on the map made this a bit more difficult.
5. What the heck is a "Heavy Hydra" and how am I going to get it back to Tharka's Sun?
I was fairly familiar with Boron designs, however I had never heard of a Heavy Hydra. I originally thought the ship was Split, and then I realized the ship wasn't class named after a snake.
In reality, in my slightly drunken mood, I believe my eyes may have actually popped out of my skull. A Heavy Hydra? No way I can get that back here in time. It probably won't even fit into the Independence. All of this raced through my mind in about 3 seconds before I decided, quite simply, that I would be keeping the ship.
I felt almost giddy as I jumped gate to gate to try and get to PTNI before time expired. Upon arriving in PTNI I called in the fleet to assist. First came the Independence, followed by the Express John Paul Jones, and lastly a Caiman Tender that holds a variety of things that might be important. My Nova glided to a stop near the Heavy Hydra, allowing me to scan the ship. Oddly enough, there were no marines present, and I was initially unsure as to what to do. Figuring that the picture was the same as previous return ship missions, I ejected and claimed, and it became accessible.
There was no way I could get to either the Teladi Shipyard or the EQ Dock before time expired. My best choice was Computer Plant Beta, the closest station still in sector. I could have jumped the ship out, but with time ticking down it didn't seem like a good option. Not wanting to risk the autopilot deciding to take the ship on a tour of the sector, I jumped in and headed toward the Computer plant.
Time ticked down to critical as I arrived. I was able to dock with about two minutes to spare. Still giggling like a schoolgirl, the clamps engaged and the ship was docked. The Nova Raider was already there, so I switched back to her.
Now what? The Heavy Hydra was too slow at present, unarmed, and unshielded. No way I could do much right now. I sent the Tender shopping for gear, I told the JP Jones and the Independence to curl up somewhere safe, and I aborted the mission. The Split response was quick, with both an M6 and an M8 prowling the sector. They had to know the ship was stolen, but they didn't mess with me at all. I may have lost a satellite to them, and that's it.
Over the course of a day or two I acquired the necessary gear to run the blockade:
1. Full shields
2. PRG's for the turrets
3. Turbo Booster
4. Jump drive with e-cells
5. Main Battery guns - two HEPTs and four IPGs
The police were still sniffing around; they could probably SEE the ship sitting in the clamps. I decided the best idea would be to wait for the nearest ship to the station to be sufficiently far enough away so I could boost away and jump out. I didn't want to fire at the cops as this would have lasting affects beyond what I had just done. The turrets and mosquitoes could keep the missiles away - hopefully.
Moment arrived, a now sober me jumped into the cockpit and undocked. 25 seconds later it was over and the ship was now good and truly mine. Total expenditure to get the ship kitted out, fixed, and upgraded has been about 15 million, an expense I didn't want to make right away, but an expense that needed to be paid. No more looking for a Centaur, no more wondering what to get. In the end when fate puts something in your lap, you make due and don't complain.
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46_n_2
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Thu, 21. Jul 11, 23:32
truer words have never been spoken.... i like the story....Tanuden wrote:The difference between good and evil is a fine wine
tip for stealing ships... give it a jumpdrive and energy. then wait for the cops to show. then jump preferably far away and on the other side of xenon/pirate sector. the cops get killed by the hostiles.
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
Thanks for the tip! Makes me wonder where the hostiles went...46_n_2 wrote:truer words have never been spoken.... i like the story....Tanuden wrote:The difference between good and evil is a fine wine
tip for stealing ships... give it a jumpdrive and energy. then wait for the cops to show. then jump preferably far away and on the other side of xenon/pirate sector. the cops get killed by the hostiles.
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, nothing screwed up
I was a bit hesitant to jump into the world of business ownership initially. The venture on Argon Prime had initially gone well, but much like a plant it required the right combination of conditions to flourish, much of which I would had to provide. I also did not have aspirations of spending my days sitting on a station directing staff to do what was necessary in order to insure profits. Lastly, I was also in a completely different marketplace, and what worked on a planet would most likely not work in space.
So I studied. Argon space seemed pretty stable. I had learned that trading. There were dozens of ships trying to fill orders with stations, and the economy was ticking along as only Argon can. Placing business here would certainly attract folks supplying the station, however what products were truly needed by the rest of the economy? I decided to wait on a complex here until a need became apparent.
After a week or so of studying sectors, BooBoo Enterprises (BBE) was launched with all the necessary permits to trade almost universe wide. Since the early days of running around Argon space, I had become quite the friend of those needing just about anything done. Return a ship? Sure thing. Pirates attacking? I'm your guy. Need a ride somewhere? Who, where, and how long do I have. This allowed me to amass around 40 million credits, good relations, and most importantly several ships.
Some of those ships were busy mapping the universe. Others were trading in various regions within the universe. Me? Well, I was laying down a satellite network when I wasn't making nice with the various denizens on stations. Why wasn't I laying down the network remotely? Three principal reasons:
1. Sectors are different sized and change, requiring multiple satellites.
2. It is easier to direct your own autopilot and manage traders than vice versa.
3. The Advanced Eclipse incident
The first one is self explanatory. I ended up with 8 satellites in Akeela's Beacon, and one in Aladna Hill. An autopilot isn't smart enough to put 8 in one sector without attention. Furthermore, you can trade easier from a cockpit that is supposed to be going somewhere to lay a satellite much easier than flying a trader and directing a ship to a precise location to lay a satellite. Then there is the whole "make good decisions" thing that autopilots don't get.
The last one was the Advanced Eclipse incident. My scouts had been doing their thing mapping, and one came across an Advanced Eclipse. I couldn't find much information on it, so I kept it, outfitted it, and loaded it with satellites, thinking I could find a real use for it later, and in the meantime it could do this thing for me. So I sent it on its way with almost 40 satellites and enough armament to hopefully scare the bad guys. After the first batch was down, the ship was found in Split Fire by no less than two Blastclaw Prototypes and a Pirate Eclipse. Apparently not everyone liked me as well as I thought because the Advanced Eclipse was no more, along with 29 satellites, shields, weaponry, and equipment.
I ended up finishing that job myself, and after finishing off an area of space called Pirate Alley I decided this would be the way I would do things going forward. Good travel, see the sights, all that stuff. This led me to a small section of Paranid space centered on Third Redemption. This very small three sector cluster has much of what a budding republic needs, except food. Furthermore, in the little time I was down there one of their Advanced Satellite factories shut their doors permanently. The problem with that factory was the location; you won't make money unless ships dock with the right stuff (so to speak).
The Paranid were more than happy to have my proposed business venture in this sector, and after agreeing to employ local staff I had nothing stopping me. BBE's first purchase was Orca 01, and she had already proven her worth in Argon space bolstering their economy with all manner of stations. Now she was going to put the first complex down for BBE, diversifying my income streams and building more relationships with a second race. Nothing fancy though, as I was strictly at the "wading into the pool" stage:
Soyfarm L
Snail Ranch L
Soyery L
Space Jewelry L
CCK * 3
The complex is located near the North Gate, close to the trade lane. The only input needed was energy, and I had a spare freighter acquired from another person getting out of the business to service it. I later expanded this complex with more Soy. This propped up the economy for the Paranid quite well. In addition, I took a bigger leap opening up a straight for profit station making Advance Satellites in the same sector, on a different trade lane. My thought here was if it didn't make money at least I would have the satellites for my own use. So far the most I have seen in stock at any one point is 4.
I learned the hard way that complex ownership is not as simple as the salesmen try to make it. The shipyards will all provide services for getting staff, finding an effective manager, and gaining the necessary permits. Even with a couple of hired pilots (Paranid again), the stations have trouble ticking along without a bit of contact with me. I temporarily solved this by locating a sector trader in this region, and between the assigned pilots and the trader the stations are doing better. What I will probably have to do is open a school for training the pilots myself.
BBE's other complex was opened in Blue Profit, light years away from Paranid space. I still occasionally trade, and while scouting out a new patch of space for a trader or two, I noticed the flower farms in Teladi Gain empty with prices through the roof. They did have energy, though not much. This confused me because the sun oil factories in Blue Profit were also empty, not of energy but of sunrise flowers. Seeing a missing trade opportunity, and sort of tired, I parked overnight in a crash pad on a Teladi Trading Station (NOT comfortable, don't recommend doing it long term).
When I woke up I had a new thought. If the sunrise flowers weren't going to Blue Profit, there might be an exploitable shortage there. In due time I had a Flower Farm and a Dream Farm pumping out product in the heart of Teladi space. Similar problem here though, I am producing so much I need more pilots to service the station.
Then there are the expansions I didn't want, like the computer plant in Emporer Mines. I didn't want to get into the product. I took a couple of contract jobs from agents in Emporer mines, and they put up the two beacons like they were supposed to. All good if station A goes to beacon A, not good if station A goes to beacon B. So in addition to losing all the money invested on the first plant, I had to still fulfill the contract. If you happen by Emporer mines, look in the eastern part of the sector. You will see this co-mingled non complex of two stations permafused together.
Sometimes a mistake does work in your favor, or at least not completely against you. While, ahh, borrowing the Heavy Hydra without permission, I took on a quick sunoil refinery build in Profit Center Alpha. Time ran out (not sure how or why, I thought I had plenty), leaving me with the station. That, plus another Flower Farm, went into my foodplex in Blue Profit. At least the Teladi understand a bit better than some folks; the Sunoil refinery directly competes against their stations in Blue Profit, and as long as everyone is making money they don't seem to mind much.
BBE now controls two foodplexes, the AdvSat factory, at minimum four commercial agents, and three sector traders. The only casualty was a sector trader near Third Redemption when a pirate group came through. I hope to prevent that going forward. Future expansion plans are more traders and more food plexes at the present.
Production of other products, mainly things that blow up, or things that shoot things that blow up, will have to wait... for now.
I was a bit hesitant to jump into the world of business ownership initially. The venture on Argon Prime had initially gone well, but much like a plant it required the right combination of conditions to flourish, much of which I would had to provide. I also did not have aspirations of spending my days sitting on a station directing staff to do what was necessary in order to insure profits. Lastly, I was also in a completely different marketplace, and what worked on a planet would most likely not work in space.
So I studied. Argon space seemed pretty stable. I had learned that trading. There were dozens of ships trying to fill orders with stations, and the economy was ticking along as only Argon can. Placing business here would certainly attract folks supplying the station, however what products were truly needed by the rest of the economy? I decided to wait on a complex here until a need became apparent.
After a week or so of studying sectors, BooBoo Enterprises (BBE) was launched with all the necessary permits to trade almost universe wide. Since the early days of running around Argon space, I had become quite the friend of those needing just about anything done. Return a ship? Sure thing. Pirates attacking? I'm your guy. Need a ride somewhere? Who, where, and how long do I have. This allowed me to amass around 40 million credits, good relations, and most importantly several ships.
Some of those ships were busy mapping the universe. Others were trading in various regions within the universe. Me? Well, I was laying down a satellite network when I wasn't making nice with the various denizens on stations. Why wasn't I laying down the network remotely? Three principal reasons:
1. Sectors are different sized and change, requiring multiple satellites.
2. It is easier to direct your own autopilot and manage traders than vice versa.
3. The Advanced Eclipse incident
The first one is self explanatory. I ended up with 8 satellites in Akeela's Beacon, and one in Aladna Hill. An autopilot isn't smart enough to put 8 in one sector without attention. Furthermore, you can trade easier from a cockpit that is supposed to be going somewhere to lay a satellite much easier than flying a trader and directing a ship to a precise location to lay a satellite. Then there is the whole "make good decisions" thing that autopilots don't get.
The last one was the Advanced Eclipse incident. My scouts had been doing their thing mapping, and one came across an Advanced Eclipse. I couldn't find much information on it, so I kept it, outfitted it, and loaded it with satellites, thinking I could find a real use for it later, and in the meantime it could do this thing for me. So I sent it on its way with almost 40 satellites and enough armament to hopefully scare the bad guys. After the first batch was down, the ship was found in Split Fire by no less than two Blastclaw Prototypes and a Pirate Eclipse. Apparently not everyone liked me as well as I thought because the Advanced Eclipse was no more, along with 29 satellites, shields, weaponry, and equipment.
I ended up finishing that job myself, and after finishing off an area of space called Pirate Alley I decided this would be the way I would do things going forward. Good travel, see the sights, all that stuff. This led me to a small section of Paranid space centered on Third Redemption. This very small three sector cluster has much of what a budding republic needs, except food. Furthermore, in the little time I was down there one of their Advanced Satellite factories shut their doors permanently. The problem with that factory was the location; you won't make money unless ships dock with the right stuff (so to speak).
The Paranid were more than happy to have my proposed business venture in this sector, and after agreeing to employ local staff I had nothing stopping me. BBE's first purchase was Orca 01, and she had already proven her worth in Argon space bolstering their economy with all manner of stations. Now she was going to put the first complex down for BBE, diversifying my income streams and building more relationships with a second race. Nothing fancy though, as I was strictly at the "wading into the pool" stage:
Soyfarm L
Snail Ranch L
Soyery L
Space Jewelry L
CCK * 3
The complex is located near the North Gate, close to the trade lane. The only input needed was energy, and I had a spare freighter acquired from another person getting out of the business to service it. I later expanded this complex with more Soy. This propped up the economy for the Paranid quite well. In addition, I took a bigger leap opening up a straight for profit station making Advance Satellites in the same sector, on a different trade lane. My thought here was if it didn't make money at least I would have the satellites for my own use. So far the most I have seen in stock at any one point is 4.
I learned the hard way that complex ownership is not as simple as the salesmen try to make it. The shipyards will all provide services for getting staff, finding an effective manager, and gaining the necessary permits. Even with a couple of hired pilots (Paranid again), the stations have trouble ticking along without a bit of contact with me. I temporarily solved this by locating a sector trader in this region, and between the assigned pilots and the trader the stations are doing better. What I will probably have to do is open a school for training the pilots myself.
BBE's other complex was opened in Blue Profit, light years away from Paranid space. I still occasionally trade, and while scouting out a new patch of space for a trader or two, I noticed the flower farms in Teladi Gain empty with prices through the roof. They did have energy, though not much. This confused me because the sun oil factories in Blue Profit were also empty, not of energy but of sunrise flowers. Seeing a missing trade opportunity, and sort of tired, I parked overnight in a crash pad on a Teladi Trading Station (NOT comfortable, don't recommend doing it long term).
When I woke up I had a new thought. If the sunrise flowers weren't going to Blue Profit, there might be an exploitable shortage there. In due time I had a Flower Farm and a Dream Farm pumping out product in the heart of Teladi space. Similar problem here though, I am producing so much I need more pilots to service the station.
Then there are the expansions I didn't want, like the computer plant in Emporer Mines. I didn't want to get into the product. I took a couple of contract jobs from agents in Emporer mines, and they put up the two beacons like they were supposed to. All good if station A goes to beacon A, not good if station A goes to beacon B. So in addition to losing all the money invested on the first plant, I had to still fulfill the contract. If you happen by Emporer mines, look in the eastern part of the sector. You will see this co-mingled non complex of two stations permafused together.
Sometimes a mistake does work in your favor, or at least not completely against you. While, ahh, borrowing the Heavy Hydra without permission, I took on a quick sunoil refinery build in Profit Center Alpha. Time ran out (not sure how or why, I thought I had plenty), leaving me with the station. That, plus another Flower Farm, went into my foodplex in Blue Profit. At least the Teladi understand a bit better than some folks; the Sunoil refinery directly competes against their stations in Blue Profit, and as long as everyone is making money they don't seem to mind much.
BBE now controls two foodplexes, the AdvSat factory, at minimum four commercial agents, and three sector traders. The only casualty was a sector trader near Third Redemption when a pirate group came through. I hope to prevent that going forward. Future expansion plans are more traders and more food plexes at the present.
Production of other products, mainly things that blow up, or things that shoot things that blow up, will have to wait... for now.
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
The more things change, the more things stay the same
Often times, you don't realize what you left behind until after it's gone.
Yesterday found me at the controls of the Heavy Hydra (still unnamed). At the controls is only a geographical statement in this case. The ship was parked at a station in Grand Exchange, literally across the galaxy from Argon Prime. The crew, including 5 active duty marines, were relaxing on the station off duty. Meanwhile, I sat in the command chair alone, participating in a subspace transmission with several of my friends planetside.
You see, every growing season several of us got together at a random vineyard and participated in an age old tradition called "fantasy football". Passed on by our fathers, and their fathers, a bunch of grown men sit around in a circle picking players for their "team", and each week you compare the stats to see which of us "won" that week. We had moved beyond currency long ago, and instead brought a bottle of our finest for admission. The winner at the end of the season picked half the bottles he wanted, second got the next cut, etc.
Hector and Victor had no clue this went on, and while I was running a random group of military personnel to the front lines they contacted me. Containing my laughter, I told them what they needed to do on their end, and I made sure my schedule allowed me to participate. The funny thing is that I don't even play in this "fantasy" thing. I just administer the meeting so everyone else can focus on creating their own teams. In return, I get to eat and drink with a bunch of friends.
Back when I decided space was the place to be, I hadn't considered this. I figured I would be back on planet at some point, and things would go on like they always had. Except I hadn't been back, and I was far too busy with my budding company to get back. Thankfully, with modern technology I could participate from literally worlds away. As my post is largely ceremonial, I was able to monitor the company while various conversations and selections took place.
I also realized at this point I was missing something else - manual remote trading. I had contacted my OTAS rep a few stazura ago, and ordered another Mistral SFXL. The ship was supposed to be sent to the Soy Maga complex in Third Redemption, which was having a lot of trouble staying in supply of energy. Two things happened though; I made some adjustments to the complex pricing, and my assigned pilot was finally doing what he was supposed to do. So I now had an extra freighter.
I loaded her up with software, got her a gun, and decided she should be trading in the PTNI area, except I forgot to get her a key piece of software, notably Trader Mk3. Now I could have easily fixed this issue by going to PTNI, buying it, and hiring a trader. This would have allowed me to send the Software Delivery vessel to Split space to replenish her now missing software. Instead, I decided to have a go at it myself, and with the "draft" moving along, I figured I could make some money the slightly old fashioned way. This could also explain why the Software Delivery vessel ended up in Teladi space unable to replenish anything
I really enjoy trading. You forget that when you are busy juggling pilots and spreadsheets. It is as fun as taking out something bigger than you should be able to, like the four Kha'ak clusters that made an appearance in Two Grand. They aren't usually the sharpest of opponents, but things change when you are just you in one Nova Raider without missiles. Back to trading though, when your ship pulls into a dock and you unload the hold for 29 CR per space profit, then rinse and repeat a few times, it is really tough to hide a smile. In a matter of one stazura, I made enough credits to fully cover the cost of the ship, and its software.
By the end of the stazura I was calling my OTAS rep again and ordering another Mistral SFXL. I think I am moving up his "favorite caller" list because the subspace transmission has almost no lag before he is picking up for a conversation. The new ships went to a location I had already been servicing with traders, and that trader was sent to the location I was currently working. So now I have an extra ship, and I am seriously considering keeping her as my personal "beat the system my way" ship.
Now it was time for a simple pleasure (no, not wine). I contacted the station asking for clearance to debark. It was just going to be a quick spin, and as it turns out it was. As soon as the clamps released, gravidar showed a very disturbing sight.
They were back.
Split Police Dragon
Split Police Viper
Split Police Mamba
Split Police Jaguar
I figured I was on borrowed time for my transgression; I just thought I would have more time. The Heavy Hydra had jumped from PTNI to CEO's Sprite, to Argon Prime, to Kingdom End, and now to Grand Exchange. The police had followed the ship to all of those locations, and now they had me in another pickle. Getting me out would be no problem; I had an Express in sector, and I could jump the Nova Raider in if I needed. Getting the ship out, free and clear, seemed to be a problem.
Disgusted with myself after what had been a very nice business session, I shut down the ship and headed to the station bar. The marines were keeping mainly to themselves, having a few but by and large staying out of trouble. Always a good thing.
I stopped by the bar quickly, ordered a couple rounds for the marines, and added my own order to the mix. One of them recognized me immediately as I headed toward their table.
"Hey boss! You know, it isn't good management style to be drinkin' with the common folks."
"What if the boss picks up a couple rounds?"
"Ahh, well this chair seems to be open." A few muted chuckles from the others confirmed the first one's answer.
"Hey, how 'bout we take that corner table? We have a bit of a problem. I think we should talk about it."
You could feel the mood change. I'm not known as the type that would leave a bunch of employees at a station in the middle of nowhere. I am also not known as the type of person to be shooting people in cold blood, rabble rousing, and above all bringing business into what had been a pleasure trip to the local cantina. The waitress brought us the tray of beverages and left quickly. The rest of the place was empty, and the barkeep was focusing on washing his glassware.
"Need someone taken care of boss?"
"Not exactly. I need to come clean with you folks."
Everyone leaned in a bit.
"That, ah, ship? The Hydra? Its, ah, sort of borrowed."
The squad leader put down his beverage. "Define 'borrowed', sir."
At this point I explained the whole thing, right down to the vintage of the cabernet I had been consuming at the time.
"I don't see the problem, sir. They were offering you a pittance for what that vessel is worth. They didn't give you a lot of time to do it, as a matter of fact had you been on board the police would have gunned you down for missing the time limit. Look, we view things different at ground level, and this one stinks based on the story you just told. Way I see it, you're lucky to be alive."
"Thanks for that. I felt I should at least come clean with you folks before this gets out of hand."
"I don't understand, sir. You have the ship."
"Not exactly. The Police squadron has turned up in five or six straight sectors now. I don't think they are giving up the chase, and we can't be running from them every time they show up."
"I still don't understand, sir. Do you think they are going to apprehend you?"
"No, it's the ship they want."
Another marine chimed in. "Sir, you say the word and we will do what we can." This drew the glance of the squad leader. "Sorry, but I couldn't just sit here without saying something. Besides, this isn't a bad gig compared to what I could be doing."
Nods around the table.
"Well, it appears me and the boys are in agreement, they can't have you. Can you give the ship back?"
At this point an almost impish smile crossed my face. The marines looked at each other. One of the junior members took a long look at the barkeep, but there was nothing to see. He was focused on his glassware.
"You have an idea, sir?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Look, we tried letting someone else clean up our little mess. We have been through all five race's main space and these 'cops' seem to have carte blanche (sp?) with whatever they need to do. They aren't causing trouble with the locals, and they had to have crossed some unfriendly space at some point. So jumping to another sector isn't the answer."
"We could just apologize..."
Conversation stopped as five heads turned as one.
"Just a thought." This from a marine of all people.
"No, we are going to have to do this ourselves, and I am not content with just blowing up their ships and suffering some rep loss with the Split. To do this right, we need a good corner of space without the usual interference, and we aren't going to make their ships "completely' disappear."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Here is what I have in mind, and I apologize in advance. You folks may have a bit more than the usual work to do."
The waitress arrived with the second round of beverages, again stopping the discussion. After she was well back from the table, I began to explain.
Often times, you don't realize what you left behind until after it's gone.
Yesterday found me at the controls of the Heavy Hydra (still unnamed). At the controls is only a geographical statement in this case. The ship was parked at a station in Grand Exchange, literally across the galaxy from Argon Prime. The crew, including 5 active duty marines, were relaxing on the station off duty. Meanwhile, I sat in the command chair alone, participating in a subspace transmission with several of my friends planetside.
You see, every growing season several of us got together at a random vineyard and participated in an age old tradition called "fantasy football". Passed on by our fathers, and their fathers, a bunch of grown men sit around in a circle picking players for their "team", and each week you compare the stats to see which of us "won" that week. We had moved beyond currency long ago, and instead brought a bottle of our finest for admission. The winner at the end of the season picked half the bottles he wanted, second got the next cut, etc.
Hector and Victor had no clue this went on, and while I was running a random group of military personnel to the front lines they contacted me. Containing my laughter, I told them what they needed to do on their end, and I made sure my schedule allowed me to participate. The funny thing is that I don't even play in this "fantasy" thing. I just administer the meeting so everyone else can focus on creating their own teams. In return, I get to eat and drink with a bunch of friends.
Back when I decided space was the place to be, I hadn't considered this. I figured I would be back on planet at some point, and things would go on like they always had. Except I hadn't been back, and I was far too busy with my budding company to get back. Thankfully, with modern technology I could participate from literally worlds away. As my post is largely ceremonial, I was able to monitor the company while various conversations and selections took place.
I also realized at this point I was missing something else - manual remote trading. I had contacted my OTAS rep a few stazura ago, and ordered another Mistral SFXL. The ship was supposed to be sent to the Soy Maga complex in Third Redemption, which was having a lot of trouble staying in supply of energy. Two things happened though; I made some adjustments to the complex pricing, and my assigned pilot was finally doing what he was supposed to do. So I now had an extra freighter.
I loaded her up with software, got her a gun, and decided she should be trading in the PTNI area, except I forgot to get her a key piece of software, notably Trader Mk3. Now I could have easily fixed this issue by going to PTNI, buying it, and hiring a trader. This would have allowed me to send the Software Delivery vessel to Split space to replenish her now missing software. Instead, I decided to have a go at it myself, and with the "draft" moving along, I figured I could make some money the slightly old fashioned way. This could also explain why the Software Delivery vessel ended up in Teladi space unable to replenish anything
I really enjoy trading. You forget that when you are busy juggling pilots and spreadsheets. It is as fun as taking out something bigger than you should be able to, like the four Kha'ak clusters that made an appearance in Two Grand. They aren't usually the sharpest of opponents, but things change when you are just you in one Nova Raider without missiles. Back to trading though, when your ship pulls into a dock and you unload the hold for 29 CR per space profit, then rinse and repeat a few times, it is really tough to hide a smile. In a matter of one stazura, I made enough credits to fully cover the cost of the ship, and its software.
By the end of the stazura I was calling my OTAS rep again and ordering another Mistral SFXL. I think I am moving up his "favorite caller" list because the subspace transmission has almost no lag before he is picking up for a conversation. The new ships went to a location I had already been servicing with traders, and that trader was sent to the location I was currently working. So now I have an extra ship, and I am seriously considering keeping her as my personal "beat the system my way" ship.
Now it was time for a simple pleasure (no, not wine). I contacted the station asking for clearance to debark. It was just going to be a quick spin, and as it turns out it was. As soon as the clamps released, gravidar showed a very disturbing sight.
They were back.
Split Police Dragon
Split Police Viper
Split Police Mamba
Split Police Jaguar
I figured I was on borrowed time for my transgression; I just thought I would have more time. The Heavy Hydra had jumped from PTNI to CEO's Sprite, to Argon Prime, to Kingdom End, and now to Grand Exchange. The police had followed the ship to all of those locations, and now they had me in another pickle. Getting me out would be no problem; I had an Express in sector, and I could jump the Nova Raider in if I needed. Getting the ship out, free and clear, seemed to be a problem.
Disgusted with myself after what had been a very nice business session, I shut down the ship and headed to the station bar. The marines were keeping mainly to themselves, having a few but by and large staying out of trouble. Always a good thing.
I stopped by the bar quickly, ordered a couple rounds for the marines, and added my own order to the mix. One of them recognized me immediately as I headed toward their table.
"Hey boss! You know, it isn't good management style to be drinkin' with the common folks."
"What if the boss picks up a couple rounds?"
"Ahh, well this chair seems to be open." A few muted chuckles from the others confirmed the first one's answer.
"Hey, how 'bout we take that corner table? We have a bit of a problem. I think we should talk about it."
You could feel the mood change. I'm not known as the type that would leave a bunch of employees at a station in the middle of nowhere. I am also not known as the type of person to be shooting people in cold blood, rabble rousing, and above all bringing business into what had been a pleasure trip to the local cantina. The waitress brought us the tray of beverages and left quickly. The rest of the place was empty, and the barkeep was focusing on washing his glassware.
"Need someone taken care of boss?"
"Not exactly. I need to come clean with you folks."
Everyone leaned in a bit.
"That, ah, ship? The Hydra? Its, ah, sort of borrowed."
The squad leader put down his beverage. "Define 'borrowed', sir."
At this point I explained the whole thing, right down to the vintage of the cabernet I had been consuming at the time.
"I don't see the problem, sir. They were offering you a pittance for what that vessel is worth. They didn't give you a lot of time to do it, as a matter of fact had you been on board the police would have gunned you down for missing the time limit. Look, we view things different at ground level, and this one stinks based on the story you just told. Way I see it, you're lucky to be alive."
"Thanks for that. I felt I should at least come clean with you folks before this gets out of hand."
"I don't understand, sir. You have the ship."
"Not exactly. The Police squadron has turned up in five or six straight sectors now. I don't think they are giving up the chase, and we can't be running from them every time they show up."
"I still don't understand, sir. Do you think they are going to apprehend you?"
"No, it's the ship they want."
Another marine chimed in. "Sir, you say the word and we will do what we can." This drew the glance of the squad leader. "Sorry, but I couldn't just sit here without saying something. Besides, this isn't a bad gig compared to what I could be doing."
Nods around the table.
"Well, it appears me and the boys are in agreement, they can't have you. Can you give the ship back?"
At this point an almost impish smile crossed my face. The marines looked at each other. One of the junior members took a long look at the barkeep, but there was nothing to see. He was focused on his glassware.
"You have an idea, sir?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Look, we tried letting someone else clean up our little mess. We have been through all five race's main space and these 'cops' seem to have carte blanche (sp?) with whatever they need to do. They aren't causing trouble with the locals, and they had to have crossed some unfriendly space at some point. So jumping to another sector isn't the answer."
"We could just apologize..."
Conversation stopped as five heads turned as one.
"Just a thought." This from a marine of all people.
"No, we are going to have to do this ourselves, and I am not content with just blowing up their ships and suffering some rep loss with the Split. To do this right, we need a good corner of space without the usual interference, and we aren't going to make their ships "completely' disappear."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Here is what I have in mind, and I apologize in advance. You folks may have a bit more than the usual work to do."
The waitress arrived with the second round of beverages, again stopping the discussion. After she was well back from the table, I began to explain.
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
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stealthhammer
- Posts: 1461
- Joined: Fri, 12. Sep 08, 04:27
Mutha fraken cliff hangers....
I was just getting into the story....
I was just getting into the story....
"The more we, as a human race, becomes more advanced, the more we, as a human race, lose our humanity and common sense." - Sean Patrick Feeney
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." - Albert Einstine
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." - Albert Einstine
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
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stealthhammer
- Posts: 1461
- Joined: Fri, 12. Sep 08, 04:27
Ya, thanks to you you made me restart my game... course I made a backup of it. I run a bunch of other scripts though to... Mars mainly and Advanced Hyper jumps. Also I normally script in a Pirate Kestrel to fly and I havn't this time, disco is so slow starting out...
"The more we, as a human race, becomes more advanced, the more we, as a human race, lose our humanity and common sense." - Sean Patrick Feeney
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." - Albert Einstine
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." - Albert Einstine
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
Bait and Switch
For what I wanted to do, I had two locations in mind. Bala Gi's Joy had five stations and was a tad more heavily visited by freighters, so I went with Olmancketslats Treaty. There is only one station there, along with a few rocks, and by comparison to other sectors there is almost zero traffic. I wasn't concerned with myself; if you are shooting at anything and something larger looms, I take my finger off the trigger. No, I was concerned about various autopilots and turrets that don't follow that advice without intervention.
First things first, I had to get out of Grand Exchange in one piece. Autopilot programmed, I was immediately targeted by one of the fighters. A quick scan revealed the Dragon still about, but the bomber was invisible. Ok, that makes jumping much easier, and off I went. Next up I mustered the fleet, a first for me on multiple levels. First off, I am a businessman, so the concept of mustering a "fleet" is rather foreign. Second, firepower I had amassed, while paltry compared to the great races, was intentionally overkill for the force to be engaged. Third, and most important, the whole scope of what I was planning on attempting was in and of itself rather obtuse for a person of my demeanor. I had already committed one act of foolishness / illegality, and now I was well beyond "doubling down' on my position with the Split.
The name "Nightcrawler" came to me for the Hydra as I was doing this; not sure I like the biggest ship I own being named after what amounts to a worm. It was in fact acting in that capacity though. I decided not to name the ship yet again. After the Hydra parked at the Spec Weap Complex, orders went out, and they came. First was my Nova Raider since I intended to find something to do while the Hydra performed her "function". Next in was the Independence (Boa) along with Gold wing, currently composed of two 9*PRG Nova Vanguards and an Eclipse with 8 HEPT and a couple PRG's in its turrets. This was followed by an M8 Gladiator with 70+ Tomahawks in case things really went bad. Lastly, the Caiman Tender with a variety of wares arrived to replenish jump fuel, mosquitoes, etc.
Now the waiting begins. The marines were given specific instructions to get rest and refrain from "fuel" for the next few tazura. The other ships were given assignments to monitor the sector. In the meantime, I headed over to the Nova Raider to continue business as usual. During the little time I relocated my forces, my balance swelled almost a million credits due to the bit of remote trading I was doing, along with what BBE was contributing.
Will it work? I don't know. I had an idea, and if it worked here maybe it would work somewhere else as well. In the meantime, it was time to go back to work.
For what I wanted to do, I had two locations in mind. Bala Gi's Joy had five stations and was a tad more heavily visited by freighters, so I went with Olmancketslats Treaty. There is only one station there, along with a few rocks, and by comparison to other sectors there is almost zero traffic. I wasn't concerned with myself; if you are shooting at anything and something larger looms, I take my finger off the trigger. No, I was concerned about various autopilots and turrets that don't follow that advice without intervention.
First things first, I had to get out of Grand Exchange in one piece. Autopilot programmed, I was immediately targeted by one of the fighters. A quick scan revealed the Dragon still about, but the bomber was invisible. Ok, that makes jumping much easier, and off I went. Next up I mustered the fleet, a first for me on multiple levels. First off, I am a businessman, so the concept of mustering a "fleet" is rather foreign. Second, firepower I had amassed, while paltry compared to the great races, was intentionally overkill for the force to be engaged. Third, and most important, the whole scope of what I was planning on attempting was in and of itself rather obtuse for a person of my demeanor. I had already committed one act of foolishness / illegality, and now I was well beyond "doubling down' on my position with the Split.
The name "Nightcrawler" came to me for the Hydra as I was doing this; not sure I like the biggest ship I own being named after what amounts to a worm. It was in fact acting in that capacity though. I decided not to name the ship yet again. After the Hydra parked at the Spec Weap Complex, orders went out, and they came. First was my Nova Raider since I intended to find something to do while the Hydra performed her "function". Next in was the Independence (Boa) along with Gold wing, currently composed of two 9*PRG Nova Vanguards and an Eclipse with 8 HEPT and a couple PRG's in its turrets. This was followed by an M8 Gladiator with 70+ Tomahawks in case things really went bad. Lastly, the Caiman Tender with a variety of wares arrived to replenish jump fuel, mosquitoes, etc.
Now the waiting begins. The marines were given specific instructions to get rest and refrain from "fuel" for the next few tazura. The other ships were given assignments to monitor the sector. In the meantime, I headed over to the Nova Raider to continue business as usual. During the little time I relocated my forces, my balance swelled almost a million credits due to the bit of remote trading I was doing, along with what BBE was contributing.
Will it work? I don't know. I had an idea, and if it worked here maybe it would work somewhere else as well. In the meantime, it was time to go back to work.
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stealthhammer
- Posts: 1461
- Joined: Fri, 12. Sep 08, 04:27
When did you get an M8? I thought this thing was following you? 
Keep it up, I'm currently trying to get to Aladna Hill in one piece in a busted up Disco... I'm going so slow it to...
Keep it up, I'm currently trying to get to Aladna Hill in one piece in a busted up Disco... I'm going so slow it to...
"The more we, as a human race, becomes more advanced, the more we, as a human race, lose our humanity and common sense." - Sean Patrick Feeney
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." - Albert Einstine
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." - Albert Einstine
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Tanuden
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat, 7. May 11, 18:18
The Split force includes a Viper. The Gladiator I picked up in a station defense mission a while back when the pilot bailed and the ship hardly scratched. I have been devoting some of my income to equipping her in case I need to do some big game hunting. As with most of these stories, I have been writing well after the fact. The current situation with the cops is much more recent, and I have a bit better recollection of those events.stealthhammer wrote:When did you get an M8? I thought this thing was following you?
Keep it up, I'm currently trying to get to Aladna Hill in one piece in a busted up Disco... I'm going so slow it to...
Sorry for the lack of post Thursday and Friday. I typically post during my breaks, and work did not allow much time last week. So without further adieu, here comes a double post and some further information. I would be exceptionally happy for feedback on the latter; you will see why shortly
.I've been waiting, for a girl like you...
The pieces are in place, all dressed up and nowhere to go. Typically, I am very bad at waiting. While not the "ADD" type, I really don't like just sitting around contemplating life. So with the plan firmly in place I went about the act of going back to work. This meant that most of my forces that had been carefully placed were now re-tasked for some much needed mission running.
It didn't take long to get things going. Bala Gi's Joy held a ship retrieval mission paying around 2.5 million. With a smirk, I accepted. Unfortunately for me, the ship was a Peregrine. I had done enough of these missions by now that a simple cost analysis was all it took to figure out the solution. I jumped over to Antigone's Memorial and raced for the vessel, commanding Independence to follow me. I knew I couldn't dock the Peregrine, and I also knew that I wasn't going to fly all the way to Home of Light either on autopilot or manually. The quickest solution was a spacewalk claim, followed by a transfer of all available energy and the jump drive off the Raider. Peregrine on her way, I headed to the Independence and docked.
I then picked up a transport mission for someone, again paying rather well. With the Nova Raider needing a drive, I pulled my Express Hauler "Gallery" out of Argon Prime, transferred to that ship, and sent the Independence to Terracorp. After completing that mission, I picked up another well paying transport along with at least one or two station build missions. This pattern continued for less than two tezura, with me flying the Gallery, the Orca flying around buying stations, and me then alternating between missions to satisfy the respective agents.
At one point I noticed one of my freighters idle, so I looked in on her expecting to see a pirate. Instead, I saw a certain Split Viper cruising through the sector on the way to Olmancketslats Treaty. I figured I had a bit more time, so I ran a couple more missions, finished off refueling a couple ships, and then began planning on heading back for the op.
Along the way I had bought several used ships, two of which I kept. My Caimen Tender had the required gear already, so these ships met up with a couple of my software delivery vessels. They were organized as follows:
Gold Wing
Eclipse, maxed, 8 HEPTS and 2 PRGs
2 Nova Vanguards, maxed, 9 PRGs
1 Nova Vanguard (new), maxed, 4 HEPTs, 5 PRG
Blue Wing
1 Nova Raider (personal ship), maxed, 4 HEPTs, 5 PRGs
1 Nova Raider (new), maxed, 9 PRGs[/color]
I also decided to use the newly upped Gold Wing in full capacity for the op, meaning that there would be an additional small delay before commencing. Blue wing would become myself and a wingman going forward.
In all, I made over 20 million credits in cash, plus the two fighters. I really need to do some more feeding of BBE, perhaps in Split space after the op. They are not going to be very happy with me.
Speaking of which, I just lost a ship. HUH? It was in Olmancketslats Treaty to boot! Quick check, and a sigh of relief. The Gladiator was still there on station, all the other ships had been moved out. The remnants of an Advanced Satellite floated in the center of the sector. The Gladiator and subspace notification told the story; apparently, the Split had decided to take some small sort of retribution, and the whole force was present in sector. Ok, I suppose justified given what I had done, however completely unacceptable for what I had planned. I guess its "game time".
So for the second time, I mustered the fleet. Gold wing went to the NE corner, the Gladiator went to the West side, and all non critical ships were (eventually) sent for cover. The Hydra and Nova Raider 02 stayed docked at the SpecWeap complex for now. I headed out in Nova Raider 01 to replace the satellite. The police were scattered, and it was time. Taking a deep breath, I lined up the first ship and pulled the trigger...
Here is a quick list of stats of my current situation:
Code: Select all
Game status: not modified
Ships: 204
Stations: 16
Game time: 6d 12:39:26
Player cash: 58,024,105 Cr
Total ship value: 168,717,452 Cr
Total station value: 23,484,400 Cr
Total station cash: 2,801,477 Cr
Total cash: 60,825,582 Cr
Total asset value: 192,201,852 Cr