Thargoid Police?

[Cows]

Are thargoids deployed by Thargoid Warship Carriers typically police barracuda's that shoot missiles?

[JensAyton]

Yes. And the missiles shoot arrows, which shoot pigeons, which deliver more than just messages.

Or maybe that’s just on my machine.

[JazHaz]

Have you both been smoking something you shouldn't have?

[Pluisje]

It happened to me with larger Targoid Cruisers or Warships. When they explode they leave a Viper that read "GalCop Viper (Alien)" when I got a target lock. I have some sceenshots on my desktop computer (am now on laptop). When I get to my desk I'll upload them.

I didn't before, because I thought it might be a mission developing, I didn't want to release spoilers.

[ADCK]

Thargoid Warship Carriers are from my Behemoths OXP, however they are largely untested, they theorhetically should launch standard thargoids (in a future patch the thargoids should then be able to fire thargons after launching) but they have no scripts and their death actions are just them cursing over comms, so i cant see how they could possible spawn police, perhaps for some unknown unthinkable reason a police decided to dock with the hostile carrier then launched after you attacked what it was docked in OR survived the mothership exploding?
As for "GalCop Viper (Alien)" I have no ships with GalCop in their name or any "Baracudas", so perhaps the OP and Pluisje are experiancing two different bugs?

[Kaks]

It might be a clash with Oolite's standard roles and OXP roles presumed to be unique.

This is a totally wild piece of guesswork, but if the thargoid carriers are spawning anything with the role 'interceptor', this will overlap with the standard police interceptor role, giving you thargoid police!

[ADCK]

It might be a clash with Oolite's standard roles and OXP roles presumed to be unique.

This is a totally wild piece of guesswork, but if the thargoid carriers are spawning anything with the role 'interceptor', this will overlap with the standard police interceptor role, giving you thargoid police!

Hmm, all my stuff have adck_ before thir shipdata entry and role.
To avoid such conflicts as mentioned in your post.

adck_thargoid-carrier2 (The ship mentioned in the OP)
missile role is: EQ_ADCK_THARGOID_MISSILE

neither have scripts attached, and only death actions are curses.
Has no scavengers/escorts/defense ships.

Here are the 2 ships entries:
(Sorry, they're in XML, incomming wall of text.)
Carrier:

Code: Select all

	<key>adck_thargoid-carrier2</key>
	<dict>
		<key>aft_weapon_type</key>
		<string>WEAPON_THARGOID_LASER</string>
		<key>ai_type</key>
		<string>tcarrierAI.plist</string>
		<key>bounty</key>
		<integer>500</integer>
		<key>cargo_type</key>
		<string>CARGO_NOT_CARGO</string>
		<key>death_actions</key>
		<array>
			<string>commsMessage: [thargoid_curses]</string>
		</array>
		<key>energy_recharge_rate</key>
		<real>100</real>
		<key>forward_weapon_type</key>
		<string>WEAPON_THARGOID_LASER</string>
		<key>has_ecm</key>
		<true/>
		<key>laser_color</key>
		<string>greenColor</string>
		<key>likely_cargo</key>
		<integer>5</integer>
		<key>max_cargo</key>
		<integer>10</integer>
		<key>max_energy</key>
		<real>25000</real>
		<key>max_flight_pitch</key>
		<real>0.050000000000000003</real>
		<key>max_flight_roll</key>
		<real>0.050000000000000003</real>
		<key>max_flight_speed</key>
		<real>280</real>
		<key>max_missiles</key>
		<integer>8</integer>
		<key>missile_launch_position</key>
		<string>0.0 -44.132601 380.560931</string>
		<key>missile_role</key>
		<string>EQ_ADCK_THARGOID_MISSILE</string>
		<key>missiles</key>
		<integer>8</integer>
		<key>model</key>
		<string>adck_thar_car.dat</string>
		<key>name</key>
		<string>Thargoid Warship Carrier</string>
		<key>roles</key>
		<string>thargoid-mothership thargoid_carrier</string>
		<key>scanClass</key>
		<string>CLASS_THARGOID</string>
		<key>shaders</key>
		<dict>
			<key>adck_thar_car.png</key>
			<dict>
				<key>fragment_shader</key>
				<string>adck-bhm.fs</string>
				<key>textures</key>
				<array>
					<string>adck_thar_car.png</string>
					<string>adck_thar_car_e.png</string>
					<string>adck_thar_car_n.png</string>
				</array>
				<key>uniforms</key>
				<dict>
					<key>SpecularRGB</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>vector</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>0.5 1.0 0.0 1.0</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uColourMap</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>texture</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>0</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uEngineLevel</key>
					<string>speedFactor</string>
					<key>uFXMap</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>texture</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>1</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uHullHeatLevel</key>
					<string>hullHeatLevel</string>
					<key>uNormalMap</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>texture</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>2</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uTime</key>
					<string>universalTime</string>
				</dict>
				<key>vertex_shader</key>
				<string>adck-bhm.vs</string>
			</dict>
		</dict>
		<key>smooth</key>
		<true/>
		<key>thrust</key>
		<real>2</real>
	</dict>

Missile:

Code: Select all

	<key>EQ_ADCK_THARGOID_MISSILE</key>
	<dict>
		<key>aft_weapon_type</key>
		<string>WEAPON_THARGOID_LASER</string>
		<key>ai_type</key>
		<string>thargletAI.plist</string>
		<key>bounty</key>
		<string>50</string>
		<key>cargo_type</key>
		<string>CARGO_NOT_CARGO</string>
		<key>energy_recharge_rate</key>
		<real>4</real>
		<key>forward_weapon_type</key>
		<string>WEAPON_THARGOID_LASER</string>
		<key>laser_color</key>
		<string>greenColor</string>
		<key>max_energy</key>
		<real>600</real>
		<key>max_flight_pitch</key>
		<real>1</real>
		<key>max_flight_roll</key>
		<real>2</real>
		<key>max_flight_speed</key>
		<real>500</real>
		<key>missiles</key>
		<string>0</string>
		<key>model</key>
		<string>adck_thar3.dat</string>
		<key>name</key>
		<string>Thargoid Invader</string>
		<key>roles</key>
		<string>EQ_ADCK_THARGOID_MISSILE</string>
		<key>scanClass</key>
		<string>CLASS_THARGOID</string>
		<key>scanner_range</key>
		<real>50000</real>
		<key>shaders</key>
		<dict>
			<key>adck_thargoid_3.png</key>
			<dict>
				<key>fragment_shader</key>
				<string>adck-bhm.fs</string>
				<key>textures</key>
				<array>
					<string>adck_thargoid_3.png</string>
					<string>adck_thargoid_3_e.png</string>
					<string>adck_thargoid_3_n.png</string>
				</array>
				<key>uniforms</key>
				<dict>
					<key>SpecularRGB</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>vector</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>1.0 0.7 0.5 1.0</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uColourMap</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>texture</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>0</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uEngineLevel</key>
					<string>speedFactor</string>
					<key>uFXMap</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>texture</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>1</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uHullHeatLevel</key>
					<string>hullHeatLevel</string>
					<key>uNormalMap</key>
					<dict>
						<key>type</key>
						<string>texture</string>
						<key>value</key>
						<string>2</string>
					</dict>
					<key>uTime</key>
					<string>universalTime</string>
				</dict>
				<key>vertex_shader</key>
				<string>adck-bhm.vs</string>
			</dict>
		</dict>
		<key>smooth</key>
		<true/>
		<key>thrust</key>
		<real>50</real>
		<key>unpiloted</key>
		<string>yes</string>
	</dict>

[Kaks]

Clearly, a totally wild piece of guesswork!

It does all sound like a mystery wrapped into an enigma. Maybe a conflict between oxps? Having the full list of oxps installed when the alien police shows up might provide some hints...

One last question, is the thargoid police appearing in trunk or in 1.73.4?

[Cows]

It appears in 1.73.4. My OXP list is:

adcks_behemoths_v1.2.oxp
Aquatics 2.11.oxp
Assassins.oxp
AsteroidStorm 3.55
BehemothSpacewar 1.2.3
BigShips 1.02.oxp
Blackjacksbullion js v1.23.oxp
buoyRepair1.02.1.oxp
caduceus.oxp
Cataclysm 1.1
Commies.oxp
Dictators v1.3.oxp
Diso.oxp
dodo_stations.oxp
Dragonfireflyst v1.1.oxp
Famous_Planets_v2.0.oxp
FP Liners 1.00.oxp
Freaky Thargoids 3.oxp
Galactic_Navy 5.2.2.oxp
globestations.oxp
griff_barrel_normalmapped.oxp
griff_shipset_dizzy's_all_in_1.oxp
hammer.oxp
kirin.oxp
Lave Academy 1.11.oxp
MedusaHud.oxp
neocaduceus.oxp
nuke.oxp
oldships2010.oxp
Orisisv1.oxp
OXPConfig1.08.oxp
pagroove_Aurorav1.0.oxp
Personalities 0.9
ramon_anaconda.oxp
RandomHits1.3.5.oxp
Rock_Hermit_Locator1.3.oxp
Shady_blackmonks.oxp
Superhubv1.2.oxp
taranis.oxp
Thargoid_CarrierV1.2
thargoid_wars 4.3.oxp
The Feudal States v1.4.oxp
Thorgorn_Threat 1.2.oxp
Tianve1.3.oxp
transhab.oxp
Transports 2.50.oxp
Vector1.3.oxp
Zz-Oo-Haul.oxp
And Your Ad Here with sets A-F

[Pluisje]

OK, so this is the Viper.



And this was another ship some Thargoid dropped.



Despite the (Alien), in my memory they showed just red on the IFF system.

[ADCK]

Now that's weird, that looks like a Griff Viper and the Tie Fighter, both from 2 completely diff OXP's

Oh noes! The thargoids have Borg technology and are assimilating the universe!!!

Yes, it looks like one of your oxps is making thargoid randomly kidnap NPC ships and assimilating them, or maybe theyre mercenaries or the Thargoids have new allies with GalCop ships...

I dunno if i'd call that a bug lol, seems like something is doing that on purpose.

Can you get a SS of the thargoids doing it?

Still am not sure if you and the OP are having the same bug, one says it happens when they die, the other says they shoot them like missiles...

[Killer Wolf]

"Yes, it looks like one of your oxps is making thargoid randomly kidnap NPC ships and assimilating them,"

that'd be a good mission/fiction plot. Viper goes missing. turns up later, docks unchallenged at a Coriolis, Thargoids swarm out...

[Commander McLane]

Do you by any chance know with which role these ships were spawned?

Please, if you come across another one, check it out.

My guess is that they come into existence whenever the Thargoid Carrier tries to launch some generic ship (from the game's point of view it's an ordinary station, after all).

So, what your shipdata needs is the

Code: Select all

<key>has_npc_traffic</key>
</false>

treatment, in order to prevent the launch of any ship not explicitely called for by the carrier's AI.

(That was one of the first things I implemented into my overhaul of the Thargoid Carrier (WIP). By the way, over the weekend I had some ideas on how to circumvent some of the dead ends I hit in its scripting. So work on it may resume soon.)

[Ffoeg]

It appears in 1.73.4. My OXP list is:

...
Diso.oxp
dodo_stations.oxp
Dragonfireflyst v1.1.oxp
Famous_Planets_v2.0.oxp
FP Liners 1.00.oxp
Freaky Thargoids 3.oxp
Galactic_Navy 5.2.2.oxp
globestations.oxp
griff_barrel_normalmapped.oxp
griff_shipset_dizzy's_all_in_1.oxp
hammer.oxp
kirin.oxp
...

Dodo_stations? Hammer? They are not on the wiki oxp page. Are they available elsewhere?

[Eric Walch]

Do you by any chance know with which role these ships were spawned?

Please, if you come across another one, check it out.

My guess is that they come into existence whenever the Thargoid Carrier tries to launch some generic ship (from the game's point of view it's an ordinary station, after all).

It could be the reason. npc_traffic is not the reason, although it should be false for a carrier. I suspect the role of those ships is "defense_ship", because defenders take the scanClass of their mother station. (Unless the station scanClass is Rock or Station).
Defining an explicit defense_ship key or role would help.