Questions on using the navigation charts and trading

[WildKaper]

Hello all -- I'm a new to Evochron Legends, but what I have played so far is very interesting.

Here are a couple of newb questions that I have after reading the manual and the strategy guide.

- Maps - I'm having trouble understanding is the quadrant map and the system map. When you are in a system, you can view so many sectors at a time. I think I got it that far. Is there a way to drill down on other systems via the map to look at things like last known commodity prices or the like? How do you keep track where jump gates are in other sectors or systems that aren't within you sensor's range?

- Trading - I touched on this already - How do you keep track of the prices of goods throughout different systems and sectors that are ouside of your sensor range. Heck, how do you see the last know prices of commodities for items at any station or planet you are not currently docked at?

- Radar and HUD. I got how you can target ships. Can you target things like stations, astroids, planets, or containers? Is there any way to sense or detect containers floating around in space beside stumbling up on them?

These are the biggies for now. Thanks!

[verbosity]

Originally posted by WildKaper
- Maps - I'm having trouble understanding is the quadrant map and the system map. When you are in a system, you can view so many sectors at a time. I think I got it that far. Is there a way to drill down on other systems via the map to look at things like last known commodity prices or the like? How do you keep track where jump gates are in other sectors or systems that aren't within you sensor's range?

Simple answers, you can't, in both cases this is to drive the gameplay ( for instance knowing the prices in advance removes the challenge of finding the good trade routes, and in the case of simply knowing the navigational details of systems remove the thrill of exploring).

- Trading - I touched on this already - How do you keep track of the prices of goods throughout different systems and sectors that are ouside of your sensor range. Heck, how do you see the last know prices of commodities for items at any station or planet you are not currently docked at?

simply put, you don't. But as you play you'll start to pick up things, for instance systems with higher economies pay more, and have higher tech, similarly stations farther from the 'centre' of a system will likely be more expensive. You can also make assumptions from other factors ( for instance planets can be good, but I'm not telling why ). It can be daunting, but if you'll be making a profit in no time

- Radar and HUD. I got how you can target ships. Can you target things like stations, astroids, planets, or containers? Is there any way to sense or detect containers floating around in space beside stumbling up on them?

nope the targeting system is for ships, you can find containers if you have a science officer on-board. their communications might be a bit cryptic, but it doesn't take long to figure out a system of finding the location from the info given

btw, welcome to the game and forum

[Edited on 1-2-2010 by verbosity]

[Edited on 1-2-2010 by verbosity]

[Vice]

- Maps - I'm having trouble understanding is the quadrant map and the system map. When you are in a system, you can view so many sectors at a time. I think I got it that far. Is there a way to drill down on other systems via the map to look at things like last known commodity prices or the like? How do you keep track where jump gates are in other sectors or systems that aren't within you sensor's range?

The nav map uses a sensor based system, so local details go out as far as your sensors can detect. To obtain details on an area of space, you do have to travel there. To keep track of where gates are in other systems, you simply have to explore and learn about them. 'Freebies' and remote information is generally kept to a minimum in this game to encourage exploration and gameplay, rather than just reading charts. As you travel through the game's universe, you'll learn trends and hotspots, and you can save that data to the maplog as desired.

- Trading - I touched on this already - How do you keep track of the prices of goods throughout different systems and sectors that are ouside of your sensor range.

You travel there initially to obtain the information, then can store it in the maplog.

Heck, how do you see the last know prices of commodities for items at any station or planet you are not currently docked at?

You can log it in your maplog after travelling there to monitor general ranges or if you've purchased an item, what you paid for it will be displayed in the inventory console when you hold the mouse pointer over an item in your cargo bay.

- Radar and HUD. I got how you can target ships. Can you target things like stations, astroids, planets, or containers? Is there any way to sense or detect containers floating around in space beside stumbling up on them?

There are two targeting systems you manage simultaneously, ship targeting and object/navigation targeting. You don't have to give up tracking one for the other and each system provides you with the information needed for each type of object (including range and bearing for objects like stations and planets).

It is pretty common in other games where you must sacrifice ship tracking in order to track such a non-ship object. This game simply lets you keep track of both kinds of objects simultaneously with two separate targeting systems.

You can improve your search results for hidden containers by hiring a science crew member and/or installing a cargo scanner on your ship to improve detection range.

[Edited on 1-3-2010 by Vice]

[Marvin]

Containers show up as purple dots on radar. If you do a contract where you're required to locate or tractor a cargo pod, the jump point will put you within radar range of your target. After doing a few of those contracts, you should get a feeling for how far away your radar can see a container.

[WildKaper]

Thanks everyone for your responses!

I understand that you should have to explore to find different areas -- many games represent this as the "fog of war" or the "fog of ignorance". But it would be really nice if once you travelled through a system, everything that showed up on your sensors (planets, stations, prices, etc) were automatically placed onto the map.

As an example. Imagine if I explore Sapphire, and I only find the planet of Sapphire, then I leave the system and travel to Olympus Prime. It would be nice to be able to look back at Sapphire, zoom in on the system down to the sector level, and at least see the objects I already discovered. It sounds like the only way you can achieve this right now is through the maplog. Is this correct?

Same thing goes for prices. You have to explore to get the prices, and return to stations/planets to find out the latest prices, but it would be nice to be able to look up the last known price offerend for a good while out of sector or out of system (for systems and sectors you haven't visited, you wouldn't see any goods, since none had been discovered yet). Again, it seems like the maplog is the only way to "manually" keep track of this info (other than paper and pen). Am I correct?

One last question -- is 5 the maximum amount of cargo bays you can have? Same with the amount of addons?

[Edited on 1-3-2010 by WildKaper]

[Maarschalk]

Hi Wildkaper, Welcome to the game and forum. Hope to see you out there......

[BraveHart]

Welcome Aboard WildKaper.....Looking forward to seeing you in MP

[Vice]

Again, it seems like the maplog is the only way to "manually" keep track of this info (other than paper and pen). Am I correct?

Yes, to manually keep track of it. However, you can remotely get an idea for economic conditions/values by using the Quadrant maps. One of the overlay modes displays economic status and all you need to obtain after that is the technology class of a planet/system you want to travel to (then record that in the maplog, if desired), which gives further indication on specific high/low item values. And also keep in mind that economic conditions can change significantly, they aren't static. So you may find opportunistic trades as you travel around the game's universe. For example, platinum may be in temporary high demand as you travel through an area that normally doesn't offer such high prices for it. So keeping an eye on the local market ticker is a good habit to get into.

One last question -- is 5 the maximum amount of cargo bays you can have? Same with the amount of addons?

Yes and yes.

[Edited on 1-3-2010 by Vice]

[49rTbird]

Hello WildKaper, welcome to the forum and the Sim. See you out there sometime.