Jettison cargo

XenonSurf · Post by **XenonSurf** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 9:49 pm

Hi,

as Vice said in another post, when it comes to jettison cargo it's all or nothing (no single bays jettison).
Now, if in some stations prices are badly low or when flying some pirate scenarios or delivery missions, I had the idea to just hide my jettisoned cargo in space, somewhat away from flying routes so that other ships cannot easily come nearby and pick up my donations

I thought that by doing this way and logging the position in the Nav screen, I can pick up my containers again. So, I set my speed to 0 before jettison because otherwise inertia will take them away, bye bye.

Alas, after returning later they have vanished anyway

Maybe it's because I have reloaded a saved game? Or am I missing something?

XenonS

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 10:35 pm

If you see the crates on radar but then leave the sector, some AI will come along and pick them up before you can return.

XenonSurf · Post by **XenonSurf** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:59 am

Hi Marvin,

thanks for your feedback.
Well, your answer is pure logic, but I don't think the AI is that cute actually, at least you won't observe such a ship diverting his route to collect such "goodies".
I. think the reason the containers vanish is just a technical one: the program will take away little things from memory as soon as you go out of range like the construction on planets, the mountains etc. as only a limited number of objects can be handled in real time.
I think that coding a space game to have such excellent effects like EM which shows seamless transitions is the most difficult and requires a lot of work. EM excells here, and I've seen a lot of other space games which are tricking out this subject. The old "Freelancer" is an example for video transitions; "Parkan" and "Parkan II" a tricky game play transition, but this is more in the old FPS genre.

Cheers,
XenonS

[Edited on 12-3-2012 by XenonSurf]

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:55 pm

Well, if you want to get picky then, yup, it's a programming trick. Mostly to keep things in sync for MP. The game is (from what I know ... which isn't that much, really) a "sector-based" sandbox (in three dimensions). Anything not hard-coded becomes part of the game when a player enters a sector and remains until all players exit the sector. Then the sector is "flushed" of player-created and game-generated objects (except those objects coded to remain ... like player-built trade stations).

Busch · Post by **Busch** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:14 am

Yo X.S.! Buy a station license from one of your favorite hard-wired game stations, in one of your favorite systems. You will thenceforth, be able to store your "cargo" in a licensed/bonded storage facility, and yer stuff won't disappear on you. Go to the Hangar. Go directly to the Hangar, do not pass "GO", etc., etc..... You can store no more than 5 items (plus a ship) in the Hangar, for a price. C/$ 270,000 per cycle, per Hangar, IIRC. You may wanna go easy on this if your C/$ balance is a touch shy. And, Yep, the AI does the street-sweeper thing on ANY "spare" crateage a-foot or under foot, where ever located. What you don't pick up and use/sell/store, the game clears once you leave the locale/system/sector box as indicated else where.

XenonSurf · Post by **XenonSurf** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:57 pm

Marvin, Bush,
thanks a lot for your comments and tips. I didn't want to get too technical, sorry for that. I must say that I'm impressed by Evochron Mercenary, especially the whole gameplay aspect which is a real challenge.
Yes, getting a station with a license will even add more ways for the player, but I haven't yet fighted my way up to there to get the necessary cash. DaveK's awesome Guide will surely help me, highly recommended

:P
I remember Renegades where fighting was already a nightmare for me. Let's see if I can get there and feel at ease at Pearl...

Ciao,
XenonS

[Edited on 12-4-2012 by XenonSurf]

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 8:27 pm

From post: 150228, Topic: tid=10047, author=Busch wrote:Buy a station license from one of your favorite hard-wired game stations, in one of your favorite systems. You will thenceforth, be able to store your "cargo" in a licensed/bonded storage facility, and yer stuff won't disappear on you.

The key phrase there being "hard-wired" ... as opposed to a player-built station which can be blown up ... taking your stuff with it.

hank · Post by **hank** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:47 am

Please correct me I'm wrong but I've been able to jettison a single cargo bay for a long time.

Simply pop open the F3 inventory window when you enter the little green box under a ship, and left mouse click on the bay you want to jettison.

Have I lost my mind? maybe so ... but I just did it a short while ago ... but I could be losing my mind.

Yes the whole bay is jettisoned but the stuff in other bays is not jettisoned unless you hit the "J" key.

help me pls

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:24 am

From post: 150329, Topic: tid=10047, author=hank wrote:Please correct me I'm wrong but I've been able to jettison a single cargo bay for a long time.

Simply pop open the F3 inventory window when you enter the little green box under a ship, and left mouse click on the bay you want to jettison.

Have I lost my mind? maybe so ... but I just did it a short while ago ... but I could be losing my mind.

Yes the whole bay is jettisoned but the stuff in other bays is not jettisoned unless you hit the "J" key.

help me pls

You are correct. I disabled my J key to avoid accidents

!

XenonSurf · Post by **XenonSurf** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:03 am

Hank,

yes I can confirm: F3 screen + left click on delivery item is a way to make a delivery without using jettison. I have just tried it successfully.

That is good news (for newbies like me): you don't need to use J key and you don't need to empty all your cargo bays before accepting such a mission.

XenonS

[Edited on 12-5-2012 by XenonSurf]

[Edited on 12-5-2012 by XenonSurf]

[Edited on 12-5-2012 by XenonSurf]

Major Grubert · Post by **Major Grubert** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:24 am

The FAMOUS "J" key nightmare.... lol

how many times i get mad about it,

, dunno

at first i dont know i can recover my cargo... so i lost some, after i learn that i started to recover and not push that "j" so often by mystake (searching for next target or nearest target or cycling to canon... its in middle of all keys

)

and one time, the ship exit tractor beam of a colony somewhere, far, full of goooood stuff... expensive ones.. nice tools.. i look altimeter, speed, ok, i want check something on the map while the ship take off... dunno why.. for see if next city worth an orbital way or an atmospheric way maybe... then i want look quick at market prices because i forgot to look while docked, and when doing all this together the mouse moves little slower and my finger push while it was on jettis... argh.. all goes between buildings, i stopped the launch but my frame wasn't so good for atmospheric maneuvers at low speed, i saw my cargo goin down and down.. and under the planet surface

under the buildings... why ? what ? what the hell ?
I tried to go with the ship on the ground but right between buildings it was impossible to be close enough to catch the cargo with tractor beam, then the ship explode because hurting city surface or something else

last save was maybe 2 hours before

got to start again my trades and all... but it was fun

if think since then i never push that button again

[Edited on 12-5-2012 by Major Grubert]