"essential components" - randomized stats, but non-functional item

[eidolad]

The one time I purchased a gadget from the "essential components" section of the trading window...this item turned out to have zero effect.

For now, I'm avoiding purchase of any non-consumable items in the "essential components" row of the trading window.


a. while trading at a planet, I noticed a ramjet drive (heavy slot class) component in the "Essential Components" list in the trading window - the top row of four components where I would usually see the consumables.

The stats looked very nice, so I hit space to buy the ramjet drive.

b. The ramjet drive that appeared in ship inventory was "close" in stats, but not exactly the same stats as what was still displayed in the "essential components".

Yes, that rights, purchasing this component did NOT remove it from the trading window on the left.

c. So I purchased another. And another ramjet drive appeared with slightly better stats.

d. Thinking this was some sort of "gambling" feature, I bought several more until I had the best set of stats, then installed that new ramjet drive and sold the rest.

e. However, my ship speed was NOT improved by this item. I sold it.




Curse me for not having obtained a savegame as I was running for my life soon after finishing the trading/testing and fought several hours trying to save a losing alliance.

Perhaps this is already reported, since I have a similar issue as found in http://www.soldak.com/forums/showthr...l+componen ts

[Crisses]

Yes, several people have reported this problem. It never shows up early in the game -- it happens somewhen later in colonization. May have something to do with how many items the game is tracking? I'm not sure yet -- that's the only pattern I have. Unfortunately, I don't think this one lasts through save files, though.

Another issue that happened is that now I'll get this problem AND get items that aren't identified in the store -- sometimes in Essential Components, but sometimes in the main inventory area of the trader....

[Valgor]

Sometimes these items even turn up in the two "Held Items" and "Recently Sold" slots.

[eidolad]

that's right, I've also seen items with the ? symbol in the trading window as well. going to stay away from those as well...

anyway, so from now on my workaround will be: *if* the stats of what i just bought have changed, i will sell it back and not use it

in case there is a sticky topic for known bugs being considered, here is a list of trading bugs seen thus far:

1. uncommon trading bugs

a. items that vary in stats may be non-functional. an item just purchased from a trader/planet has *different* stats/bonuses that what is displayed, this could be a non-functional item. it is recommended to sell the item back.

b. items may show up as unidentified in the items for sale (i.e. show the ? character).

c. non-consumables should not show up in the "essential components" row of the trading window...but often they do.

I've not used the "held" items slots...why would anything be populated there if the player didn't move something there? anyway, getting off topic perhaps

[Crisses]

Originally Posted by eidolad

I've not used the "held" items slots...why would anything be populated there if the player didn't move something there? anyway, getting off topic perhaps

I think the idea is:

1) you can place an item there (think of it as "Layaway") if you can't afford it right now but will want to get it later -- it will be held rather than re-rolled when the shop items refresh.

2) I thought the reason some items end up in there by the shop is that the shop thinks the item is so special that you MIGHT be interested in it. So it's put in held items upon item refresh. If it's actually a player-only layaway, then they're ending up there by accident...and I'm just making this #2 up.

[Valgor]

Originally Posted by Crisses

2) I thought the reason some items end up in there by the shop is that the shop thinks the item is so special that you MIGHT be interested in it.

No, that's not what happens. The items I've found populating these slots were marked as unidentified and exhibited the same weird behaviour as the other "fake" items mentioned in this thread.
It's definitely related to that bug. I guess those slots are just the next ones in line once the "Essential Components" have been filled with garbage.

[eidolad]

The more I play in a single consecutive play session (i.e. longer running time), the greater the chance that the trader's inventories will become screwed up...across the board: in fact any of the component types in the trader's windows. this doesn't happen on every game session though.

When it does happen, a restart of a game is required to reset the inventory, I've found. especially if I'm moving from one planet to another and trading a ton.

if i see any non-consumable components show up in the "essential components" list, I will now restart.

Which is a big annoyance for me, who is a currently a Drakk carrier commander and likes my 15 fighter escorts...and has to respawn them on game restart.

[Crisses]

Originally Posted by eidolad

The more I play in a single consecutive play session (i.e. longer running time), the greater the chance that the trader's inventories will become screwed up...across the board: in fact any of the component types in the trader's windows. this doesn't happen on every game session though.

Agreed, degradation of trader inventory and reset upon restart of game are repeatable... it might be that new stores/traders i.e. newly colonized planets have this happen....

[void]

Not all the "corrupted" items are useless. I found some nice Plasma Bombs that work fine and have 0 power load :-)

[eidolad]

agreed, not all, but one was enough for me