[Release] In-System Taxi

[spara]

Introducing in-system passenger contracts.

[JazHaz]

Sounds great!

[Eric Walch]

* Does it work? .
* Are there some stations that appear in contracts, but should be excluded?

_Requirements_
Taxi Galactica OXP by Pleb

I have not played it yet, but just browsed briefly through the code.

I noticed you select stations by scan class. That of cause excludes the hermits. That might be intentional. Also be aware that some oxps, like fuel_stations, give a station scan class to non-station objects.

Probably is is safer to explicit scan for the isStation property with:

Code: Select all

var stations = system.filteredEntities(this, function (entity) { return entity.isStation; });

That of cause will also include carriers, so more filtering is also needed with this method. Unless you make it a special offer to bring a passenger to a carrier.
only stations you probably find with

Code: Select all

var stations = system.filteredEntities(this, function (entity) { return (entity.isStation && !entiy.maxSpeed); });

And about the requirements:
Taxi Galactica OXP contains a world script. So you could explicit check for its presence and generete a warning when it is missing. (I think trident_down.oxp is doing something similar)

[spara]

I noticed you select stations by scan class. That of cause excludes the hermits. That might be intentional. Also be aware that some oxps, like fuel_stations, give a station scan class to non-station objects.

Probably is is safer to explicit scan for the isStation property with:

Code: Select all

var stations = system.filteredEntities(this, function (entity) { return entity.isStation; });

That of cause will also include carriers, so more filtering is also needed with this method. Unless you make it a special offer to bring a passenger to a carrier.
only stations you probably find with

Code: Select all

var stations = system.filteredEntities(this, function (entity) { return (entity.isStation && !entiy.maxSpeed); });

Good points. Actually I think that only stations that can be seen through ASC should be included, as you have to be able to find the destination. Meaning no hermits. I would also like to include carriers. It would make perfect sense for a customer to want to go to the Emerald. I have to put some more thought to this obviously. On the other side, all dockables should be able to give station contracts. Meaning that, if you dock a hermit, there might be someone wanting to fly to some other station.

And about the requirements:
Taxi Galactica OXP contains a world script. So you could explicit check for its presence and generete a warning when it is missing. (I think trident_down.oxp is doing something similar)

This must be included, thanks for pointing.

[Smivs]

I think that only stations that can be seen through ASC should be included, as you have to be able to find the destination. Meaning no hermits.

Rock Hermits do show on the ASC if you have a Rock Hermit Locator.

[Eric Walch]

Actually I think that only stations that can be seen through ASC should be included, as you have to be able to find the destination. ..... I would also like to include carriers. It would make perfect sense for a customer to want to go to the Emerald.

Having an ASC makes sense, but that would exclude most carriers. However, since Oolite 1.77 you can change the beacon signal by script.

Although a carrier is nor transmitting an ASC signal, you can always use handwavium to explain why a carrier starts broadcasting an ASC signal when it must be found by a taxi.

[Svengali]

Having an ASC makes sense, but that would exclude most carriers. However, since Oolite 1.77 you can change the beacon signal by script.

Sure, you can change it. But remember - it will break OXPs if existing beacon codes are getting changed.

[Eric Walch]

But remember - it will break OXPs if existing beacon codes are getting changed.

Yep, but you only need to do it for ships that hadn't a beacon on them.

I just took my first passenger. € 6.0 fee and he gave me a € 8.0 tip on delivery. And I was lucky that I got a return trip to the main station. The Values seem okay. It is not mend as money maker and being able to start with a full fuel tank, it is hardly more work than scooping cargo.

[Pleb]

I'm liking these new in-system taxi missions spara! Couldn't get the version you originally sent me to work before but this one seems fine. I agree with Eric that the prices seem fine and that it shouldn't be about making easy money. I also agree that it should be made to avoid Jump Gates and Fuel Stations, although I no longer have these OXPs in my game anymore so I don't know if your script would try to generate a contract to take someone there. I don't think the Rock Hermits should be included either, as not everyone will have the Rock Hermit Locator OXP in their game.

BTW I also like the background with the Taxi Galactica logo on it. I may have to borrow this for the next Taxi Galactica release as I'm getting slightly annoyed with the spinning Taxi Adders (although in my own game I also have smiv's Taxi ships spinning sometimes but it does get distracting!)...

[Thargoid]

Neither the fuel station nor the jump gates (at least my ones from Gates OXP) are stations (or indeed dockables at all) so should not be seen as candidate destinations.

[Diziet Sma]

I don't think the Rock Hermits should be included either, as not everyone will have the Rock Hermit Locator OXP in their game.

Mind you, it would be nice if it checked for the presence of the RHL in the players equipment and included RHs as destinations if found.

[Cody]

I don't think the Rock Hermits should be included either, as not everyone will have the Rock Hermit Locator OXP in their game.

Mind you, it would be nice if it checked for the presence of the RHL and included RHs as destinations if found.

You can find hermits without the RHL, it just takes time and patience. Maybe not suited to a taxi service, although...

[spara]

Thank you all for testing and commenting. New version is up (0.3)

* Premiums tweaked (balancing in-flight and station contracts)
* Deadlines shortened. Felt too easy. Especially long runs.
* Lowered in-flight probabilities.
* Removed save functionality to simplify things. If saved, passenger and mission instructions are removed.
* Leaving the system with a passenger on board changes the passenger to a regular passenger.
* Code cleaning and rationalisation.
* Removed Taxi Galactica as an absolute requirement. Without it station offers only. With it possibility to buy device for in-flight offers.
* Background for mission screens. Borroving graphics from Taxi Galactica.
* New method to choose stations. Mixed Eric's suggestion to my earlier method. Now destinations are from:
- scanClass == "CLASS_STATION", excluding Jumpgate, Fuelstation and Jaguar_company_base
- isStation selectively, including Liners, Casino, Spacebar
* In case of destinations without beacon, temporary beacon is set, when contract is accepted.
* All dockables can give station contracts. For example Rock Hermit, which is excluded from destinations, can have some poor soul waiting to be picked up.

[spara]

Hopefully the last wip version (0.4) is up. Final version is closing, this one has all the features I have planned. Comments are much appreciated.

* Planetfall support is added. Needs Planetary Compass in addition.
* Deadlines shortened a bit. Now it feels right. Adder cashes about 10 - 20 cr per contract. For more, you'll need a faster ship.
* Bugfixes (quite a few actually )
* Readme revised

[Pleb]

* Planetfall support is added. Needs Planetary Compass in addition.

Sounds good spara! I've always wanted to expand on Thargoid's taxi service and include stations, you just did it the other way around!