Manual install vs in game manager

[BlackWolf]

When I started playing this game I loaded all the OXZ's I wanted manually, yesterday I pulled them all and reinstalled them through the manager.
The witch space graphics got better, the bgs changed from a woman's voice to a electronic alien sounding count down, not happy about that, and for some reason equipment I had on my ship is not there when I load up like fast target selector or witch space injectors.
Debating on loading up manually again instead of the manager but some OXZ's at this time can only be installed through the manager.

[BlackWolf]

Well the BGS change was do to a down grade. Had BGS 2.3 manually installed but when I went through the in game manager I ended up with the 1.10.9 version. Re-installed the correct version manually and now back to the better voice.
I guess I'll have to go through the list and make sure I have the most recent OXZ's installed.

[BlackWolf]

The only other issue I encounter is with the towbar.
Seems even though I did the little star boat rescue, it still tells me it's behind the station waiting for me, but I know it isn't cause I rescued it already.
But it does mark it as failed even though it already marked it as completed. So my ranking goes up then right back down as a salvager.

[Cody]

Had BGS 2.3 manually installed but when I went through the in game manager I ended up with the 1.10.9 version.

I believe BGS 2.x is still something of a WIP, which is why it's not in the manager.

[BlackWolf]

Ah. Okay. Well I'm loving on the 2.3.

[Damocles Edge]

Generally I use managed add-ons (as it's easier to keep up to date)

There are a few exceptions to this currently: Blackjacks Bullion (as I'm in galaxy 2 and wanted an additional mission), Station Validator (I like the idea that if a station , hermit gets destroyed it takes time to get rebuilt), BGS & Library - which I'm really grateful to your post as it made me realise that I was still running BGS 2.2 & Library 1.4

Time to update

[BlackWolf]

This is just my experience, but pagroves BGS set if intalled through the manager the sounds are different then when it's installed manually with BGS and Library.
When all 3 are manual I get a nice pleasant female voice.

[stranger]

Some thoughts of managed addons vs manual installation / OXZs vs OXPs.

I have 75 managed addons (OXZs) and 70 or so manually installed OXPs in my game configuration.
There are pros and cons in manual installation.

Pros:

1. Some old good OXPs has not converted onto OXZ yet.
2. Sometimes you want to edit existing addon for some reasons (Oolite is free project with free rights to adjust game for your personal taste!). Editing of Managed AddOns folder content is not recommended way. Manual downloading, converting OXZ onto OXP, editing and manual installation in AddOns folder is more safe way in this case.
3. Obsolete OXP format has some advantages in hierarchy managing. You can for example put all your Ambience related OXPs onto folder Ambience and convert it to “superpackage” just adding extension: Ambience -> Ambience.oxp. You can organize some alternative superpackages by this way. You can temporary turn off problem OXP just removing extension: MyProblemAddon.oxp → MyProblemAddon folder. Unfortunately, you have no option to temporary switch off installed OXZs – only to deinstall it and reinstall again.

Cons:

1. Some old not so good OXPs has obsolete AIs, ship roles, seeding rules etc and poorly adapted to Oolite 1.80+ new rules.
2. You have no automatic detection of new releases, conflicts and dependencies.

Conclusion

OXZ manager is a best option for ready-to-use expansion packages.
Take OXP option carefully – you’ll need some skills to manually maintain it.

[Anonymissimus]

Unfortunately, you have no option to temporary switch off installed OXZs – only to deinstall it and reinstall again.

Create a /disabled subfolder in ~/GNUstep/Library/ApplicationSupport/Oolite/ManagedAddOns and move them in and out.

[stranger]

Unfortunately, you have no option to temporary switch off installed OXZs – only to deinstall it and reinstall again.

Create a /disabled subfolder in ~/GNUstep/Library/ApplicationSupport/Oolite/ManagedAddOns and move them in and out.

Technically - yes, it will work. Modification of system folders is not recommended way for casual gamer however. AddOn folder in game directory seems to be more safe place for experiments
Will be nice to have expansion packs switching ON/OFF option in updated game manager!

[Switeck]

I use both manual and in game manager for OXPs/OXZs.
And it pays to be careful what you add, or the strangest game changes can kill you.
The Your Ad Here billboards of all things are so much bigger than a standard witchpoint beacon that my ship has rammed the edge of one the moment it came out of witchspace.

Pirate Coves OXP/OXZ I've removed since it seems Oolite v1.80+ has them built-in, although perhaps not as aggressive as the add-on's.

Just about every old OXP station's commodity market is broken (0 prices, 0 for sale, and you can't even temporarily store anything there) unless you get a very up-to-date fix for them.
It's important for game balance reasons for OXP stations to have prices similar/same as the main station in the same system, otherwise it pretty much just hands the players lots of credits for little effort/low risk.

[Nite Owl]

Hello my name is Nite Owl and I am a Serial Renamer.

Other members at The Serial Renamers Anonymous weekly meeting: Hi Nite Owl.

Originally went with the In Game Manager as it seemed to be the easiest way to get what was out there. Unfortunately the naming convention used by the In Game Manager left a bit to be desired. If looking for a specific OXZ it was difficult to find unless one remembers the name of the person who designed it. The naming convention of oolite.<designer_name>.<oxz_name>.oxz makes it difficult to visually find a single OXZ among 300+ OXZ's that also start with oolite.<designer_name> when what one is looking for is the <oxz_name>.oxz part. Fully understand the need for such a naming convention but short of endless typed searches within the ManagedAddOns folder it makes things a bit difficult to deal with at a visual level. Experiments were run to see how Serial Renaming would effect the use of OXZ's by the game. No problems were found and the Serial Renaming Massacre began. These days the tendency is to download OXZ's from the box account of the creator, if that is possible. If not then the In Game Manager is used. In either case the OXZ in question is then Renamed to something along the lines of <oxz_name> <version_number>.oxz. This tends to lead to more work for the Serial Renamer when a new version of an OXZ is released but that is a small price to pay to feed the compulsion.

This behavior is not recommended as it can lead to seriously debilitating circumstances such as the Serial Renaming of every file and folder on your PC. It is also a very addictive behavior which is why these meetings are so much appreciated by yours truly.

[Anonymissimus]

Unfortunately, you have no option to temporary switch off installed OXZs – only to deinstall it and reinstall again.

Create a /disabled subfolder in ~/GNUstep/Library/ApplicationSupport/Oolite/ManagedAddOns and move them in and out.

Technically - yes, it will work. Modification of system folders is not recommended way for casual gamer however. AddOn folder in game directory seems to be more safe place for experiments
Will be nice to have expansion packs switching ON/OFF option in updated game manager!

Why do you call it a system folder ? ~ is the home directory on *nix systems, basically equivalent to "c:\Documents and settings\username". So this is just a settings folder belonging to some application where it stores its stuff, modifiable without root rights. Same for ~/.Oolite

[stranger]

Create a /disabled subfolder in ~/GNUstep/Library/ApplicationSupport/Oolite/ManagedAddOns and move them in and out.

Technically - yes, it will work. Modification of system folders is not recommended way for casual gamer however. AddOn folder in game directory seems to be more safe place for experiments
Will be nice to have expansion packs switching ON/OFF option in updated game manager!

Why do you call it a system folder ? ~ is the home directory on *nix systems, basically equivalent to "c:\Documents and settings\username". So this is just a settings folder belonging to some application where it stores its stuff, modifiable without root rights. Same for ~/.Oolite

I agree, it is erroneous term. Sorry
In OS X directory looks ~/Library/Application Support/Oolite/Managed AddOns. Just details, main principle is same. It is user's Library, not system's.
Well, I'll try to express idea again, more correctly I hope.
In case of OXPs you have AddOns folder in the same directory as game. It is more easy way for casual gamer to have all manageable game files in the same place. No need to modify any content beyond game directory. Application Support despite not being system folder is not recommended place to change content manually without strong reason to do it.

[stranger]

It's important for game balance reasons for OXP stations to have prices similar/same as the main station in the same system, otherwise it pretty much just hands the players lots of credits for little effort/low risk.

I have opposite view on this matter
Having vast systems with flight time approx 10...15 min on hyperjump instead vanilla 1...1.5 min + dangers such Deep Space Pirates + balanced unique markets for secondary ports you have new type of game activity - in-system flights. Efforts/risks in this case are comparable with interstellar flights. Of course, such in-system activity needs well balanced system of really interesting in-system contracts and mechanisms, preventing unlimited exploiting of system resources.