Appendix C: Least Credits to cover all Group Specialist Missions

Glossary

Appendix C: Least Credits to cover all Group Specialist Missions

The most optimum way to upgrade ships such that you spend the least amount of credits, based on the current state of the upgrade levels of all your ships

Referring back to Appendices B1, B2, B3 & B4, the ships listed for upgrade to cover all group specialist missions may not be the most optimum solution for you, since you might have already upgraded some ships (either by spending credits or the Warp Gate doing it for you) which could actually be used as part of the ships to cover all group specialist missions.

Note that for Marshal specialist missions, this approach will allow you to cover at least 60% of all specialist missions, since 50% of them are group specialist missions, while the other 50% are solo specialist missions. The minimum number of ships to cover these group specialist missions is 20, which means covering at least 20% of all solo specialist missions, which equates to covering another at least 10% of all specialist missions. In order to cover all specialist missions in Marshal, it is unfortunately necessary to own and upgrade every ship.

There are 2 approaches to this, and you may pick the one that is more ideal for you. As a fair warning, this process is quite involved and has a lot of technical steps. It may be easier to simply use the list of ships listed in Appendix B1, B2, B3 or B4 if you are not comfortable with some parts of the process detailed below.

Approach 1 involves logging in to your Google Account while on the Google Sheet. You will need to add the Google Sheet plugin OpenSolver to your Google Account. You can uninstall the OpenSolver plugin afterwards.

1. Go to:
   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Oebtve_fYCKZNCUjicbm5CjrE1gWfhaICngXzO_RmXU/
2. Login to your Google Account
3. Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons
4. Search for OpenSolver and install it
5. In the first sheet Player Ship Levels, enter in your ship upgrade levels.
   • If you have not unlocked the ship, enter 0 into Main Weapon or Aura.
   • If you do not want a specific ship to be considered for the pool of ships to upgrade, enter -1 into Main Weapon AND Aura.
6. Change to 1 of the 4 sheets depending on your current rank, Min Ships to cover all Colonel/Major/Commander/Marshal Group Specs
7. Extensions > OpenSolver > Open sidebar
8. Use the following settings:
   1. Set the Objective Cell to $B$5
   2. Set the Objective Sense to minimise
   3. Set the Variable Cells to $B$4:$CS$4 by clicking on the Add button, and then click and drag the objective cells $B$4:$CS$4.
   4. Set the Constraint that cells $B$4:$CS$4 must be binary by highlighting on <Add new constraint>, type in $B$4:$CS$4, change the dropdown checkbox to bin, and click Save.
   5. Set the Constraint that $CT$8:$CT$107 >= $CV$8:$CV$107, by highlighting on <Add new constraint>, type in $CT$8:$CT$107 on the first text box, change the dropdown checkbox to >=, type in $CV$8:$CV$107 on the second text box, and click Save.
9. Click Solve Model and wait for the results.
10. Ships highlighted in green are the ships you should fully upgrade to cover all group specialist missions.

Approach 2 involves downloading the Google Sheet as an Excel file, and then activating the Solver plugin for Excel (so no, using another spreadsheet software will NOT work). You can de-activate the Solver plugin afterwards.

1. Go to:
   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Oebtve_fYCKZNCUjicbm5CjrE1gWfhaICngXzO_RmXU/
2. File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)
3. Open up the Excel file you just downloaded with Microsoft Excel.
4. File > (Left Panel, bottom) Options > (Left Panel) Add-ins > (Bottom) Manage: Add-ins, click on Go.
5. Check the checkbox for Solver Add-in and click Ok.
6. In the first sheet Player Ship Levels, enter in your ship upgrade levels.
   • If you have not unlocked the ship, enter 0 into Main Weapon or Aura.
   • If you do not want a specific ship to be considered for the pool of ships to upgrade, enter -1 into Main Weapon AND Aura.
7. Change to 1 of the 4 sheets depending on your current rank, Min Ships to cover all Colonel/Major/Commander/Marshal. (Sorry, Excel cuts off the rest of the words due to a character limit on sheet names)
8. Data > Analyze > Solver
9. Use the following settings for the Solver Parameters:
   1. Set Objective: $B$5
   2. To: Min
   3. By changing Variable Cells: $B$4:$CS$4
   4. Click on Add, Cell Reference: $B$4:$CS$4. Change the dropdown box to bin. Click Add.
   5. Cell Reference: $CT$8:$CT$107. Change the dropdown box to >=. Constraint: $CV$8:$CV$107. Click Add.
   6. Click on Cancel
10. Select a Solving Method: Simplex LP
11. Click Solve and wait for the results.
12. Ships highlighted in green are the ships you should fully upgrade to cover all group spec missions.