Does anyone know if Sector and Universe traders use the Docking computer upgrade?

[Lonely Portrait]

I was wondering if I should get all my STs and UTs docking computers or not. I know they will be useful for your OWN ship, but I wasn't sure about automated traders. Also if they do use them, do they automatically buy docking computers as "upgrades" as they level up?? Thanks!

[CTHOMP]

I doubt they do. But can't confirm, nor do I know how to confirm. I guess you could put one on a ST and follow it around.

[Savrola-Games]

I'd say no, docking computers only become active for the ship that the player is actually controlling at that moment.

If you watch one of your robot ships, fitted with a docking comp physically go to a station, it just runs through the normal slow docking routine. So they are just a waste of money for any other ship apart from the one you are flying.

ST/UT pilots will not buy docking comps. The only equipment they should buy themselves is as follows (if memory serves me correctly):

Fighter drones mk1... max of 12, don't know about mk 2 drones or keris (fight control software must be fitted).

If the bonus pack is installed and you have Mosquito missile defence, they will buy 20x mosq missiles and keep on topping them up as they use them.

Once ST pilots reach a certain rank (maybe 10+, unsure) and if you haven't fitted one already, they will auto-buy and auto-fit a jumpdrive, as long as you have the available cash. Slightly more expensive than buying it manually at a Station, but I suppose you are paying for the delivery costs.

You won't get a warning that this has happened, it'll just magically appear in that ships freight.

In tandem with this, and if the command menu is set to auto jump (only activated after a jump drive is fitted), the pilot will buy a set amount of energy cells to power the jump drive.

Though you can kind of select how many E-cells the ship should hold. I've found that this bears little relation to the actual amount that is carried.

I haven't played TC for ages, so I'm hoping that all this above guff isn't just AP related. I think it's good to go for both.

Note: Docking comps on player faction 'robot' ships are viable with mods such as CODEA, which will allow carrier-borne fighters to 'catapult launch'. But for Vanilla games, just a waste of money in my mind.