UPS Mission, Can't find Boa in a haystack

[Chrisfs]

Hi,

I'm hoping for useful hints. I am working on a UPS mission where I am looking for a fugitive boa in Ontiat. I have been combing Ontiat and Aronar for quite some time and while I have found quite a number of hostile craft, I have yet to find the red starred Boa to complete the mission. This is the 2nd mission of this type. I completed the first one after three runs in the systems, so I know it works, but this time I have gone from the witch point to the station in Aronar at least 8 times and not found the fugitive boa, despite F5 telling me it's there.

Any ideas on how to find the Boa in a haystack ?

[Eric Walch]

Any ideas on how to find the Boa in a haystack ?

Like all normal traders, this one flies from witchpoint to planet. When arriving at the planet, traders make a turn towards the station.

It could be that in this system the station is quite far away from the witchpoint-planet route and you missed it because you flew directly to the station. (Random hits is placing its targets on the witchpoint-station route, ups mainly on the witchpoint-planet route)

[Chrisfs]

Thanks Eric,
It's always awesome to talk to the actual author.

The first boa mission was pretty easy. I went to the first planet, was told I missed him and to go to a 2nd one. I went there, was told to go back, went back, found him and took him out.

This time it's taking much longer. I will go towards the planet next time.

I have been going from witchpoint to station, docking, and going back to witchpoint. Should I leave the system entirely and come back ?

[Eric Walch]

The first boa mission was pretty easy. I went to the first planet, was told I missed him and to go to a 2nd one. I went there, was told to go back, went back, found him and took him out.

This time it's taking much longer.

Finding the target should remain the same, only the target strength increases over time. I assume you killed him by now. Jumping in and out will reset things so it won't harm.

Being send from one planet to the other has been in the code since my first legacy version. Until now it was never possible for the script to ask for a nearby system, so I remembered the system the ship came from.
When Oolite 1.74 comes out it will be possible for a script to ask for a nearby system. In the next UPS edition this boa will be in a random system in reach when you allow him to dock and not just the previous system.

[Chrisfs]

Finding the target should remain the same, only the target strength increases over time. I assume you killed him by now. Jumping in and out will reset things so it won't harm.

Embarrassingly enough, no I haven't yet. I have found a few boas, but they have been clean, and have not had a red star. The boa I am looking for will be a fugitive right?

[Chrisfs]

I'm thinking of resetting the mission right now and starting from scratch. I have looked at my save game and at the OXP, but not knowing JS or the save game format, couldn't really find what to do.

Any suggestion on how to find boa or reset mission?

[Commander McLane]

I'm thinking of resetting the mission right now and starting from scratch. I have looked at my save game and at the OXP, but not knowing JS or the save game format, couldn't really find what to do.

Any suggestion on how to find boa or reset mission?

Open your savegame and look for anything that begins with "mission_ups". Always delete this line (the name of one of the mission variables) and the following (the value of the mission variable).

If you do this with all variables connected to UPS, your commander will have no recollection that he ever had something to do with UPS. In other words: You will start from scratch.

[Eric Walch]

Any suggestion on how to find boa or reset mission?

It will reset itself in 30 game-days after the initial offer. You'll get a message that a more skilful pilot than you has killed the target for ups.

[Cmdr Wyvern]

When I found the Boa, I didn't notice his paint job because I struck at a distance. I recognized him by my STE with bounty scanner saying he was a fugitive with a huge bounty. And by the large escort of mixed fighters.

I gave him some mil' laser bursts, then put a nuke on him. Then trashed the escort wing while the nuke turned the Boa inside-out.

Was it worth it? Ask the passing traders who'll sing your praises for awhile.

[Eric Walch]

When I found the Boa, I didn't notice his paint job because I struck at a distance.

In my original version I had a clean ship in mind with as only difference the paint job. But I found it to difficult to trace, so I gave it a bounty. And yes, the bounty is an easier sign to find him than the red star.

However, I noticed that the boa could show clean to the player for a brief moment. To prevent the ship from being shot down by police before the player arrives, it has a clean status until the player arrives.

And with all the new replacement ships, thing will become even easier when Griff releases a BCC version because the mission boa won't change than.

[Chrisfs]

When I found the Boa, I didn't notice his paint job because I struck at a distance. I recognized him by my STE with bounty scanner saying he was a fugitive with a huge bounty. And by the large escort of mixed fighters.

I gave him some mil' laser bursts, then put a nuke on him. Then trashed the escort wing while the nuke turned the Boa inside-out.

Was it worth it? Ask the passing traders who'll sing your praises for awhile.

This is my second Boa mission, and yes, the praise you get is very nice. It surprised me the first time around.

[allikat]

...Altho some of it is typo'd (at least in the version I have - v1.61)
"You made the spacelanes save" ???
Ah, you're Dutch, nice English, better than mijn Nederlands
I kinda get stuck shortly after ordering some fritjes met fritesauce en een bolletje

From descriptions.plist:

Code: Select all

    "ups_trader_hail" = (
        "Thanks fellow trader, nice you killed that [mission_ups_target].", 
        "Good work you killed the [mission_ups_target] for UPS.", 
        "When there is a [mission_ups_target] bothering me, I'll call you.", 
        "Thank you and UPS for making the trade systems save.", 
        "Captain, were would we be now without you and UPS. Thanks!!", 
        "Life is worth living again since you killed that [mission_ups_target].", 
        "I am pleased you killed that [mission_ups_target].", 
        "Thanks for killing the [mission_ups_target], you do better than the police.",
        "Thanks for killing the [mission_ups_target], even my grandchildren will remember you."
    ); 

Replace with:

Code: Select all

    "ups_trader_hail" = (
        "Thanks fellow trader, it made my day when you killed that blasted [mission_ups_target].", 
        "Good work, you killed the *universal translator failed*  [mission_ups_target] for UPS.", 
        "When there is another [mission_ups_target] bothering me, I'll call you.", 
        "Thank you and UPS for making the trade systems safe.", 
        "Captain, where would we be now without you and UPS? Thanks!!", 
        "Life is worth living again since you killed that [mission_ups_target].", 
        "I am pleased you killed that [mission_ups_target].", 
        "Thanks for killing the [mission_ups_target], you did better than the police.",
        "Thanks for killing the [mission_ups_target], even my grandchildren will remember you."
    ); 

Just a little linguistic tidy up.

[Chrisfs]

...Altho some of it is typo'd (at least in the version I have - v1.61)
"You made the spacelanes save" ???

The spacelanes had a notorious habit of not regularly saving projects they were working on, this led to several losses of critical data, but inspired by the pilot's brave deeds, the spacelanes resolved to save regularly.

[JazHaz]

Code: Select all

        "Good work, you killed the *universal translator failed*  [mission_ups_target] for UPS."

What? When did we get a Universal Translator?

[Cmdr Wyvern]

What? When did we get a Universal Translator?

Hmm. It must be a component of your "standard customer model" unkitted ship. It has to be pretty reliable, because usually I never notice it's presence.
Apparently, I'm not the only one.