I've just made my first OXP, a new version of the Boa which I see as a sort of successor to the Python Class Cruiser. This ship is player-purchasable, and also appears in the game as a trader.
I have developed it on my Linux box (it is scripted in XML) and it all seems to work fine, but I am keen to release a polished product and was wondering if anyone out there would like to test it (as a beta) on Windows and Mac. Any other feedback will be very welcome, also.
Below is the proposed 'blurb' for the Wiki entry and some screenshots.
Boa II Clipper Class
Inspired by the great Clipper ships of Old Earth's 19th Century the Boa II Clipper was developed by the Gerege Federation Space Works as a result of extensive market research carried out for them by respected pollsters Moori. The research indicated that there was an un-filled niche in the market for a very fast bulk hauler, a ship capable of covering great distances comfortably, safely, but most of all, quickly.
To keep development time and costs down it was decided to adapt the proven hull of the Boa Class Cruiser, rather than design a new ship from scratch. As the Boa CC was strong, capacious, and very manoeuvrable, little needed to be done other than increase the engine power. And they achieved this in style. By enlarging the engine room they were able to shoe-horn in a third Stardrive, thus giving the Clipper an immediate 50% power increase over the Class Cruiser, and a top speed of a highly creditable 0.362 LM.
The trade-off is a 25 ton reduction in cargo space, but the remaining 150 tons capacity was considered more than adequate.
In keeping with its role as a fast long-distance transport, the Boa II Clipper is equipped as standard with Fuel Scoops and Heat Shielding for Sunskimming allowing multi-system hops without the need for time-consuming stops at planetary stations to refuel.
Of course all this does not come cheaply, and a factory-issue Boa II Clipper will cost you Cr525,000, a premium of Cr30,000 over the equivalent Class Cruiser.
The Boa II Clipper also comes with a full list of optional equipment. “If you can buy it you can install it in your Clipper” according to GFSW's enthusiastic sales people.
Although sharing the same profile as the Boa Class Cruiser, the Boa II Clipper can easily be distinguished by its signature red nosecone, the massive arrays of (very necessary) heat exchangers on the external hull around the engine room, and of course the three massive thrusters.
