Introduce myself, and ask a question.

[Will2097]

Hi,

I wish to start by saying what absolutely amazing achievement Oolite is, it's so beautiful I'm a big fan of books like The Algebraist, anything by Neil Asher and Asimov Foundation series and this game has captured the feel of the books for me. I was also a big fan of the original Elite

I have a couple of quick questions, as all N00bs probably do.

1) Does the game feature Trantor or Terminus from the Foundation series? It would be nice to visit

2) Is there anyway of reducing the random battles. I'm much more of a tourist, and would rather travel the galaxy selling narcotics to aliens, and watching moons rise on distant planets than battling it out all the time. It also means I will be able to leave the game running while I work

3) The Wiki has been down since I started playing, when it's likely to be back?

Thanks in advance, and all the best,

Will

[Disembodied]

Hi Will, and welcome to the forum! Friendliest board this side of Riedquat, no lie ...

To answer your questions:

1) Does the game feature Trantor or Terminus from the Foundation series? It would be nice to visit

No, but there's nothing to stop you building either or both planets into the game, with nothing more than a text editor ... There are some really good planetary textures already in existence, including some city-planet models suitable for Trantor: check our for example the Famous Planets thread.

2) Is there anyway of reducing the random battles. I'm much more of a tourist, and would rather travel the galaxy selling narcotics to aliens, and watching moons rise on distant planets than battling it out all the time. It also means I will be able to leave the game running while I work

Probably, if you want to dig into the code. The easier option would be to stick to the more heavily-policed systems: Corporate States, Democracies, Confederacies. And/or use the technique of travelling from the witchpoint to the station via a parabolic path, rather than following the straight spacelane. As long as you haven't got Deepspace Pirates OXP installed, you'll be fine!

3) The Wiki has been down since I started playing, when it's likely to be back?

Winston's on the case, and new equipment is on order. No exact date for it going back up, but "as soon as humanly possible"!

[another_commander]

1) Does the game feature Trantor or Terminus from the Foundation series? It would be nice to visit

Hi Will

Terminus and Trantor coming up as requested (not in the standard game, but adding them is as simple as editing a text file, as Disembodied said above):

[Kaks]

Wait, are they supposed to be this close?

[snork]

Welcome aboard.

What a career, here for an hour or so, and you already extinguished Lave.

I had a date there next week.

[Will2097]

Awesome. Thank you very much.

I read the Foundation series many moons ago, out of sequence I think, I remember reading Prelude to Foundation 4th or something and I decided just after Christmas to read them in the proper order again. I also remember day dreaming looking at the Chris Moss cover...

[DaddyHoggy]

Awesome. Thank you very much.

I read the Foundation series many moons ago, out of sequence I think, I remember reading Prelude to Foundation 4th or something and I decided just after Christmas to read them in the proper order again. I also remember day dreaming looking at the Chris Moss cover...

Welcome!

Nice to see another Foundation fan - and my shelves heave with work of Chris Foss - I fell in love with his work from a very early age when he worked on the EE Doc Smith books.

[Smivs]

- and my shelves heave with work of Chris Foss - I fell in love with his work from a very early age when he worked on the EE Doc Smith books.

Same here. I would often buy a book just because I thought the cover illustration was brilliant. If it was by a good author, that was a bonus.
Foss's ships had a quirky appeal...something strange about them, but believable, sort of.

[Cody]

Foss did album art as well... this is the 'Clear Air Turbulence' cover:

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/405/405087_1_f.jpg

[DaddyHoggy]

Foss did album art as well... this is the 'Clear Air Turbulence' cover:

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/405/405087_1_f.jpg

Glorious and just so "Foss"!!!

[ClymAngus]

Foss did album art as well... this is the 'Clear Air Turbulence' cover:

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/405/405087_1_f.jpg

Glorious and just so "Foss"!!!

and quite 3Dable

http://www.dcmstarships.com/gallery-tri ... ips-1.html

[DaddyHoggy]

Foss did album art as well... this is the 'Clear Air Turbulence' cover:

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/405/405087_1_f.jpg

Glorious and just so "Foss"!!!

and quite 3Dable

http://www.dcmstarships.com/gallery-tri ... ips-1.html

Good find! Now that I like a lot - 2005 as well - that must have taken a loooooonnnnng time to render! (Planet way too bumpy though (or is that just me?))

[Rxke]

2) Is there anyway of reducing the random battles. I'm much more of a tourist, and would rather travel the galaxy selling narcotics to aliens, and watching moons rise on distant planets than battling it out all the time. It also means I will be able to leave the game running while I work

When you jump out, and enter a new system, orient yourself towards the planet, and then pitch up (or down) 90 degrees, then press the j key (if you're not masslocked) and travel for, say ten seconds. Then orient yourself towards the planet again.
Now you're outside the main spacelane and you won't encounter much traffic, if at all, before reaching the station.

[another_commander]

2) Is there anyway of reducing the random battles. I'm much more of a tourist, and would rather travel the galaxy selling narcotics to aliens, and watching moons rise on distant planets than battling it out all the time. It also means I will be able to leave the game running while I work

If you have 1 million credits to spare and fuel scoops, you may consider deploying the PandoraWeapon, found in the KillIt(TM) OXP. The catch: You commit one single quick act of violence in the name of peace and galactic tourism. Launch with the weapon on board, wipe out life in the entire galaxy, then feel free to roam the universe, assured that you will never find anyone to fight against.

[Kaks]

That's what I'd call Extreme Tourism!