Best faction station modules?

[ATM_Reaper]

So Im about to go EMP crazy but would like a bit of help in what station modules I should go for? Is there a best faction to target to get the modules I need or are they pretty generic?

[Tommytools]

As to storage: I prefer the Argon, Teladi and Boron storage modules. The Argon ones are horizontal, the Teladi and Boron ones vertical. It allows me to build stations where I don't need to bother with structural bits (except the occasional cross connector).

Terran storage modules are pretty good too (lots of connection points), but they tend to be more complicated to build if far away from Terran/PIO space.

[blackphoenixx]

Most production modules are universal so it doesn't matter where you steal them from. Same for scrap recycling modules (which also count as production and can be EMP'd and stolen).
The one thing to really keep in mind is that Teladi use Teladianium instead of Refined Metal for the wares that require it, so the modules that use it aren't compatible with non-Teladi production chains.

Storage modules are all the same size iirc, the main difference is the number and placement of connection points and turrets. I generally prefer the Teladi or Terran ones because they have lots of connections and can be stacked easily.

Habitats both have different population caps and require different wares to feed their populations. I usually stick with Argon ones, but the only ones that are notably worse than the others are the Terran ones.

Defense modules vary in hull hp, turret number/placement and firing angles. For bridge defense platforms Terran is by far the best, for discs it's probably Argon (though the Terran disc has more hp and a unique connection layout but worse firing angles).
Boron are a bit of an outlier here since only Boron modules can mount Boron equipment (and nothing else) so you'll probably want options from different races to mix and match with.

[ATM_Reaper]

Originalmente postado por Sphinx of Black Quartz:

Originalmente postado por ATM_Reaper:

So if I own the terran DLC does that mean those sectors are accessible in the standard foundations scenarios?

Yes. All DLC content is available to all starts, if you have the DLC. Well, if you want to get technical, each starting scenario has slightly unique starting quest stuff, but it merges very rapidly. X4 is very sandboxy, and nothing of consequence is gated off.

It sounds like you have already learned that you need to complete the appropriate research. Once you're ready to start stealing reverse-engineering blueprints, I would suggest setting up some basic production stations. Since you already have the HQ, you have an obvious place to start. Steal Borrow the following blueprints:

• a dock module of your choice (you'll probably have one already from the HQ)
  
• M or L solid storage of your choice (they're all identical except for aesthetics)
  
• M or L container storage of your choice (ditto)
  
• Energy Cell Production
  
• Refined Metal Production

Note: The game isn't great at explaining the difference between storage types, so this may save you some frustration: SOLID storage is for raw solid resources, like ore, ice, and silicon. LIQUID storage is for gasses, like hydrogen or methane. CONTAINER storage is for worked products, which is pretty much everything that isn't a raw resource.

You may also want some connection structures to make your station look nice, but they aren't required. They're also so cheap that it's probably a better use of your time to buy the connection modules from a faction rep rather than waste EMPs on them.

Anyway, slap one of each of those modules onto your station, then assign an S miner to mine for the station, and an S trader to trade for the station. The miner will deliver ore, the station will turn the ore into refined metal, and the trader will sell refined metal at a tidy profit. You can scale up production by adding more Refined Metal Production modules, and eventually more energy cells but be wary of crashing the local economy; prices in X4 are demand-based, so if you glut the market, you'll be making much less money, and NPCs may stop buying the resource altogether.

Note: Station sales go into the station's budget, not your personal wallet. Once the station's budget is at a surplus, you'll start getting periodic payouts. You can always manually drain the station's funds if you need them. I tend to let my stations build up large budgets, and I treat them as piggy banks I smash whenever I have a major purchase to make.

Also, be aware that most investments in X4 take a few hours to pay for themselves. That may seem frustrating, to invest ten million credits in a station that only earns you a million credits per hour, but it's ongoing passive income — and you can set up a LOT of passive income streams.

Incidentally, if you have the Cradle of Humanity DLC, Terran space can be extremely lucrative. Prices are high, demand is strong, and their space is relatively safe, so I suggest it's a good choice for your second station. If you're interested, you might try this:

Buy a plot in Gaian Prophecy — it has a sunlight bonus and good access to resources — and build the following station:

1 dock
1 solid storage unit
1 liquid storage unit
1 container storage unit
5 Terran Energy Cell Production OR 2 "standard" Energy Cell Production (Terran solar panels are smaller and cheaper, but yield less energy)
1 Computronic Substrate Production

For this setup, I suggest two medium mineral miners and one medium gas miner. (There are no small-sized gas miners.) The station will cost you around five million credits to set up, but you'll make that back in an hour or two. And the Terran war machine is ALWAYS hungry, so you can scale up production a lot higher.

I hope that helps. Oh and hey, welcome to X4! I hope you have fun!

A very detailed and thorough breakdown, exactly what I was after, many thanks.

Thanks also to everyone for the help and advice it is very helpful indeed.

I think I have the basics down as I already have an energy cell production setup on the HQ along with a trading stn in system that just needs some solid and liquid storage to be able to start trading ore and gases.

I just need to get my finger out and get research going :P

[Sphinx of Black Quartz]

Originalmente postado por ATM_Reaper:

A very detailed and thorough breakdown, exactly what I was after, many thanks.

Thanks also to everyone for the help and advice it is very helpful indeed.

I think I have the basics down as I already have an energy cell production setup on the HQ along with a trading stn in system that just needs some solid and liquid storage to be able to start trading ore and gases.

I just need to get my finger out and get research going :P

I'm glad you find it helpful!

Oh, here are two other tips the game doesn't really tell you:

NPCs won't buy ore or gases from stations, so setting up a trading station to sell those to the other factions won't work. (You CAN set up ore and gas trade stations to feed your own stations.)

Trade stations may behave strangely if there are any production modules on the station; it seems to change how the AI prioritizes buying and selling. I recommend keeping your trade stations and production stations separate.

[blackphoenixx]

Originalmente postado por Sphinx of Black Quartz:

NPCs won't buy ore or gases from stations, so setting up a trading station to sell those to the other factions won't work.

They work just fine as long as you assign a few miners to trade for them. The other factions just don't send their own miners to buy from them.

[Sphinx of Black Quartz]

Originalmente postado por blackphoenixx:

Originalmente postado por Sphinx of Black Quartz:

NPCs won't buy ore or gases from stations, so setting up a trading station to sell those to the other factions won't work.

They work just fine as long as you assign a few miners to trade for them. The other factions just don't send their own miners to buy from them.

Ah, excellent point. For some reason, when I read "trade station," I assumed just piling up ore in a silo and waiting for NPCs to buy it.

What you describe is what I think of as a mining depot (some miners mining, others trading to nearby stations) and it's something I start doing early in the game. I have no idea why I didn't connect the two. Sorry!