Tales from the spacelanes...

[SandJ]

And, with great skill and triumph, I smeared my ship all over the entrance to the Ribiara Station Docks.

Having achieved Elite once, I did not know what to do next. So I started again with a clean installation and no OXPs (except Explorers' Club). I downtraded to a Cobra Mk 1 and set off.

Why is my HUD [color=#008000]so small and naff[/color]? Oh, that was an enhancement.

Why won't my space compass pick anything up other than the planet? Oh, that was an enhancement.

Why can't I scoop this cargo canister? Oh, I already have 10 tonnes of cargo.

Why can't I use my injectors when mass-locked? Oh, that was an enhancement.

Why is it taking so loooong for that mass-locking ship to clear off? Oh, my previous speed was an unofficial 'enhancement'.

Why can't I tell if that is an offender? Oh, that was an enhancement.

Why won't my sights lock on? Oh, that was an enhancement.

Where's the sodding space station? Don't tell me I have to actually look for it? Like, with my eyes? Oh, good grief.

But I hyperspaced and made it to my target system WITHOUT docking computers. Aaarg! Look how fast that spins! Oh yes, slow spinning was another enhancement.

But I docked without scraping the paint and sold my very first cargo as a newbie, again. Hurrah!

I worked out what to buy next, where to go next and launched.

I turned around to head away from the space station - oh my! This Cobra Mk I turns a bit more quickly that my previous customised Python. I must learn to compensate for th...

BANG!

I flew straight into the front wall of the space station. Not very forgiving, are they?

I only lived for one trip. Wow, the newbies have it tough in this game.

[Commander McLane]

SandJ: a good reminder about what Oolite originally looks like.

One minor correction, though: your compass points to the station once you're close enough to the planet, even without the enhancement. It doesn't turn into the square, though, only the position of the circle changes from the planet to the station. You can see that easily when first launching from Lave: your compass points to the station right behind you.

But yes, when approaching a planet you usually have spotted the station with your eyes looooooong before you get close enough for the compass symbol to change its position.

[Kaks]

I must confess I like the 'must use eyes' feature...

Sometimes it can be a stretch, but the feeling of achievement I get every time I actually use my eyes is well worth the effort!

[CapnSkweek]

I must confess I like the 'must use eyes' feature...

<Nods knowingly> On some planets I have to get closer to see the station but usually I can see it when I pop out of the hole. The first run I ever made, I didn't know what I was doing, so I cruised up and then followed the compass to get to the station. That works, but egads it's slow.

Side track, if you want to get me to start cussing loud and long, put the station on the near side of the planet where I cannot see that white sparkly star... I've encountered that a couple of times, and I don't like it at all. Easing up on the planet, absolutely sure that some code guy forgot to put a station on this planet, then I mass locked... Started really looking, and looking, and looking, cussing and looking, and then I spotted it off to the side. That's a higher level of cruelty, putting the station in front of the planet, than I expected from nice people coding a game!

I live and die by my docking computer. Docking is an art, and I can do it manually, no lie, but I'd just as soon push "C" and let the station guide me in. I am a keyboard pilot, so tapping the right arrow to try and match rotation, and then having to deal with minor misalignments...

The only thing worse than smacking your pretty vessel into the face of the station, is realizing that, where you hit the station, that spot wasn't even *close* to the port. There's little shame in dying inside the port, but when you splat on the face like an egg, three ship lengths from the port, that's embarrassing.

[snork]

I must confess I like the 'must use eyes' feature...

Well, there is still this thing with the station :
a ) vanishing from eyesight at a certain distance-range, will reappear when coming closer, or getting farther away.
b ) the station being visible through the planet.

combined, those effects can lead to "press space", were it not for the alert-condition-sensitive HUD, that finally makes me aware I am trying to fly through the planet and better perform an instant u-turn.

But I do not know if this isn't because of my (very) old hardware/ drivers @ openGL 1.5.3 or so -level.

[Commander McLane]

But I do not know if this isn't because of my (very) old hardware/ drivers @ openGL 1.5.3 or so -level.

I am inclined to suppose so, because I haven't experienced either of the two.

[SandJ]

=== STOP PRESS ===

Star Jelly spotted on Earth: link

[Smivs]

Breaking News
The small English village of Kingstone Winslow was today completely destroyed by a Quirium Blast when a Skeet Shoot went horribly wrong...

[CapnSkweek]

I'd just updated my cockpit, long overdue I might add, and I felt like a dancer saddled with mop buckets for shoes; I was ok, but I hardly felt comfortable with the changes. Add in that I was in a new-to-me ship, well it wasn't going to be a relaxed run.

Wouldn't you know it, the one day I chose to change too many things at once, the game throws me a major curveball. As soon as I hopped into the planet I saw something totally new; a different blinker in my IFF, one I'd never seen before. I'd never seen such a thing, and for a moment I thought maybe my IFF was glitching out on me. I rolled over to get the vessel in my field of view, assuming at worst, it'd be one more punk in a Python looking to try me on for size. Since I started hunting exclusively and hanging out in the space bars, I've found that I'm a pretty well wanted man. If you hang around in the right places long enough, there's no telling what you might find.

As my cross-hairs settled on the distant ship, I noticed that it's shape wasn't familiar to me. I wiggled the vessel a bit and managed to have my Ident pick him up at just under 15 Kilometers.

Thargoid Warship. Oh boy, today just became drastically more interesting. So much for a relaxed day of hunting punks with popguns.

I'm not the best gunner, nor am I a natural pilot. I get the job done, sure, but it's not pretty, and it's usually not a one shot affair. My time with other fights has taught me one vital lesson; if you don't know what to do, charge ahead at full tilt, and make him respond to you, if you're lucky, when he veers to avoid impact, you can turn back on your own exhaust plumes and have a dead 6 O'Clock on him; tag, you're dead.

I rolled my boat from half throttle to full on witchdrive, aimed right at the unwieldy ship, and let the plasma cook; just outside of Arxetige, the biggest game of chicken was in play, but I knew a secret; the pirates aren't moronic, they will always let you win. Dumb creatures they are. Thargys? They're just pirates with a PR representative, no sweat. As the distance between us closed at startling speed, I plotted my moves, which I've honed over many such encounters. 1. Scatter; make a run towards the vessel, make him reply. 2. As soon as I'm clear of him, turn hard over and get him in a shot. 3. Make the Kill. 4. Gloat. 5. Gloat. 6. Celebrate.

Too bad, one little teeny part of my plan wasn't spot on. Since when did Thargoids hold their ground? I mean, seriously, why hasn't anybody mentioned that if you headlong charge a Thargoid, you'll not see him veer, he'll just hold what he's got while you SPLAT on his ship? I realized he wasn't going to move for me, but with the witchies engaged, it was too late to do anything about it.

Press Space. On a side note, If the Thargoid survived, I'm betting I'm the talk of the town in their neighborhood. "Hey, some idiot just tried to fly *through* me... New tactic!"

[Albee]

I had an unfortunate 'incident' the other day. On exiting a station I accelerated to max speed, but was a little tardy altering course prior to hitting 'h' (oh, all right... I just didn't bother; I'm lazy, I admit it). Unfortunately, some idiot had parked a Cobra at the beacon and I smashed into his rear end, wiping him out. (Didn't do my front shields a whole lot of good, either).

Here's a question: how is it a simple accident like this -- which could happen to anybody, right? -- earns me Offender status, whilst Energy Bombing innocent traders is apparently fine? (I don't bomb them intentionally, understand, or at least that's not my prime intention. But a couple of times I've rushed to 'help' some poor sod who put out a distress call and who promptly became collateral damage when I nuked the pirates who were swarming him. I was sad about that, naturally, though it didn't prevent me scooping up his remains, hating waste as I do.

I was a bit surprised, upon docking, to find my status was still Clean. If I remember correctly (and it's a long time ago, so I may well be wrong) the original Elite wasn't so forgiving.

[another_commander]

Here's a question: how is it a simple accident like this -- which could happen to anybody, right? -- earns me Offender status, whilst Energy Bombing innocent traders is apparently fine? (I don't bomb them intentionally, understand, or at least that's not my prime intention. But a couple of times I've rushed to 'help' some poor sod who put out a distress call and who promptly became collateral damage when I nuked the pirates who were swarming him. I was sad about that, naturally, though it didn't prevent me scooping up his remains, hating waste as I do.

I was a bit surprised, upon docking, to find my status was still Clean. If I remember correctly (and it's a long time ago, so I may well be wrong) the original Elite wasn't so forgiving.

If I remember correctly, using the e-bomb against any clean ship in Elite would grant you Fugitive status immediately. This is changed in Oolite. You get the Fugitive tag only if there is GalCop presence in the area at the time of detonating the bomb. This is also true for any weapons usage when police is not present. When you accidentally fried the poor trader you were trying to protect there was most likely no police around to witness it and that's why you got away with it. On the other hand, slamming and destroying a ship in front of the station is definitely going to be considered an offensive act and earn you free combat practice with the best Viper pilots out there.

[m4r35n357]

But yes, when approaching a planet you usually have spotted the station with your eyes looooooong before you get close enough for the compass symbol to change its position.

A huge immersion breaker for me, that is why I would recommend installing Lights Down & Sensible Sun OXPs, then just don't look for the station, wait for the game to tell you you're in range before heading there. Makes a huge difference to the feel of the game IMO, Sadly I have also removed Torus stations because even with these OXPs you can still see the station from the witchpoint.

[Commander McLane]

@ CapnSkweek: Nice tale!

Too bad, one little teeny part of my plan wasn't spot on. Since when did Thargoids hold their ground? I mean, seriously, why hasn't anybody mentioned that if you headlong charge a Thargoid, you'll not see him veer, he'll just hold what he's got while you SPLAT on his ship?

You may want to study your potential foe more deeply. After all, there is quite a lot known about them.

[CapnSkweek]

@ CapnSkweek: Nice tale!

Too bad, one little teeny part of my plan wasn't spot on. Since when did Thargoids hold their ground? I mean, seriously, why hasn't anybody mentioned that if you headlong charge a Thargoid, you'll not see him veer, he'll just hold what he's got while you SPLAT on his ship?

You may want to study your potential foe more deeply. After all, there is quite a lot known about them.

Thanks for the links! I'd read the "Dealing with Thargoids" article, but made the key mistake of assuming they were just pirates with a different PR person.

[Cody]

Sadly I have also removed Torus stations because even with these OXPs you can still see the station from the witchpoint.

Maybe we need a 'sensible witchpoint' OXP to complement the 'sensible sun' OXP... Wildeblood?