What are satellites for?

[ctrCat]

Sorry for noob question.

[mmmcheesywaffles]

They allow you to 'see' part of space that you do not have a ship or station in.

The basic satellite just does that. The Advanced also provides you with trade data allowing your auto traders to make deals from a distance if they have the trading software.

Later in the game you have less need of satellites as the Teleport function and Faction licences let you access a lot more. You need ot be high rank in friendship though.

I usually place a Advanced Sat inside a group of stations and try not to overlap their coverage.

Some sectors with lots of stations might have 5 or 6 Sats whilst others I only place a couple.

In the early game spread a few sats wisely to coverr maximum stations.

EDIT: Sorry wrong info.

[Harrison]

Originally posted by mmmcheesywaffles:

The basic satellite just does that. The Advanced also provides you with trade data allowing your auto traders to make deals from a distance if they have the trading software.

Two things.

First, I’m pretty sure the only difference between basic and advanced satellites are the ranges. I’ve always used basic for trade data because they cost a fraction of what the advanced do.

Second, while I’ve never tested it, I’m not sure auto-trading requires the trade computer. It’s description implies that it’s only function is to store trade data for a period of time after you leave a station, which I’ve always taken to mean it’s only needed if you don’t have satellites setup or a trade subscription. (Edit: If I get time tonight, I intend to test this.)

[ScareCrow]

Originally posted by Harrison:

Originally posted by mmmcheesywaffles:

The basic satellite just does that. The Advanced also provides you with trade data allowing your auto traders to make deals from a distance if they have the trading software.

Two things.

First, I’m pretty sure the only difference between basic and advanced satellites are the ranges. I’ve always used basic for trade data because they cost a fraction of what the advanced do.

Second, while I’ve never tested it, I’m not sure auto-trading requires the trade computer. It’s description implies that it’s only function is to store trade data for a period of time after you leave a station, which I’ve always taken to mean it’s only needed if you don’t have satellites setup or a trade subscription. (Edit: If I get time tonight, I intend to test this.)

Its a safe bet to place a satelite on each station, because even though youre autominers can mine and sell automaticly without statelite cover, they cant find trade beyond their set parameters, even expert miners cant find all good deals, so you have to manuelly tell them to sell at the best places, if you dont have satellite cover you cant find those good prices.

Autortraders are so bad that its not advisable to even use autotrade, so for them you def. need satelite cover because you want to micromanage them

[Draa]

I usually put satellites in every sector and next to each single station or group of stations. It's the first thing that I do when I get enough money to do it. Without satellites it's difficult to know the prices of wares in those sectors. I've never used adv sats so I can't speak for them but I don't think they do anything the smaller sats don't do. I could be wrong but I've never found a need for them.

And after a while you'll get used to deploying them while flying at top speed and sliding them into position where needed. That way you don't get attacked while sitting still trying to get a satellite laid.

[ScareCrow]

Originally posted by Draa:

I usually put satellites in every sector and next to each single station or group of stations. It's the first thing that I do when I get enough money to do it. Without satellites it's difficult to know the prices of wares in those sectors. I've never used adv sats so I can't speak for them but I don't think they do anything the smaller sats don't do. I could be wrong but I've never found a need for them.

And after a while you'll get used to deploying them while flying at top speed and sliding them into position where needed. That way you don't get attacked while sitting still trying to get a satellite laid.

Advance satelite have larger cover, they are mostly useful for combat sectors where you want to know whats around you, so you dont get ambushed, you want to deploy them to cover access points and enemy strongholds

[mmmcheesywaffles]

Originally posted by Harrison:

Originally posted by mmmcheesywaffles:

The basic satellite just does that. The Advanced also provides you with trade data allowing your auto traders to make deals from a distance if they have the trading software.

Two things.

First, I’m pretty sure the only difference between basic and advanced satellites are the ranges. I’ve always used basic for trade data because they cost a fraction of what the advanced do.

Second, while I’ve never tested it, I’m not sure auto-trading requires the trade computer. It’s description implies that it’s only function is to store trade data for a period of time after you leave a station, which I’ve always taken to mean it’s only needed if you don’t have satellites setup or a trade subscription. (Edit: If I get time tonight, I intend to test this.)

I've fixed the original post now. Sorry for my mistakes. I can't even remember where I got that erroneous info but only part of it was from X3.

Thankfully when any of us have a brain fart in this Forum there are plenty of knowledgeable players to fix things ;) I'm pretty sure if you test you will prove yourself correct.

[ctrCat]

Thx for answers^^ . Can someone destroy a satellite?

[mmmcheesywaffles]

Enemies to you will always shoot at them as they pas near enough. Eventually blowing them up.

You can also collect your satellites back.... to do so you go within 1k and highlight the sat and tell it to stop. Then you run into it to collect it.

[ScareCrow]

Originally posted by Jelu:

Thx for answers^^ . Can someone destroy a satellite?

They havent destroyed any of mine yet I even have several Adv. satelites in Xenon sectors, so they dont actively hunt for satelites, but its a risk ofcourse but its more useful to have satelites so you can see the enemy activity rather than not having them

[mmmcheesywaffles]

Those I deployed just above Jump gates are all ok but a few deployed in traffic lanes have been destroyed.

[ctrCat]

Can I order my npc ship to collect some satellites?

[ScareCrow]

Originally posted by Jelu:

Can I order my npc ship to collect some satellites?

Yes if you own them


edit oh actually you cant, I just checked that unfortunatly it doesent give you the option to collect satellites, you have to do it manually cause it has to be deactivated first

[mmmcheesywaffles]

You can tell your ship to 'fly to object' then wait for you. Teleport to the ship then deactivate and collect the Sat. Next Teleport back to your playership but remember to tell your Pilot to follow the instructions once they are back in control.

So your Pilot will have multiple instructions of Fly to Object all set in one go then you can just send him /her to the next one.

[ScareCrow]

Originally posted by mmmcheesywaffles:

You can tell your ship to 'fly to object' then wait for you. Teleport to the ship then deactivate and collect the Sat. Next Teleport back to your playership but remember to tell your Pilot to follow the instructions once they are back in control.

So your Pilot will have multiple instructions of Fly to Object all set in one go then you can just send him /her to the next one.

good tip +1