Special cargo strangeness
Moderators: winston, another_commander, Getafix
Special cargo strangeness
I recently started a new commander (couldn't remember what the last one was supposed to be doing), and have started picking up special cargo I can sell on the black market at the main station.
I suspect Vector is causing this but as I haven't completed (or even started) the mission it probably shouldn't be.
Oolite version is 1.74.2 and Vector is version 1.4.1
Hardly a gamebreaker as I just get a little extra cash now and again but I thought someone might like to know.
I suspect Vector is causing this but as I haven't completed (or even started) the mission it probably shouldn't be.
Oolite version is 1.74.2 and Vector is version 1.4.1
Hardly a gamebreaker as I just get a little extra cash now and again but I thought someone might like to know.
"There is still much music to be written in C major" Stravinsky
- Eric Walch
- Slightly Grand Rear Admiral
- Posts: 5536
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:48 pm
- Location: Netherlands
Re: Special cargo strangeness
Your guess about Vector is right. But everything is okay. The special cargo can be there before the mission. (Or it might even trigger the mission)Loxley wrote:I recently started a new commander (couldn't remember what the last one was supposed to be doing), and have started picking up special cargo I can sell on the black market at the main station.
UPS-Courier & DeepSpacePirates & others at the box and some older versions
Yep .-) A lot of things have changed.Loxley wrote:New feature?
These cargopods have a low chance (0.09) to appear when ships are dropping their cargo (destroyed or forced to eject cargo) to make players familiar with the handling and the script gives players more options when specific points of experience are reached.
btw: How much credits have you got?
Currently, just short of 14,000 Cr, although this figure fluctuates as new kit gets bolted on to the Cobby (it's very early days for this commander).
Interesting you say the special cargo is a low probability as I seem to acquire one in most systems. Then again I'm playing this guy as a privateer, he's not allowed to purchase cargo, so I sift a lot of wreckage.....
Incidentally, does the black market affect legal rating? I could have sworn I hadn't been caught pursuing my more legally questionable activities but I've acquired an Offender tag from somewhere. Could be I haven't been quite as careful as I thought though.
Interesting you say the special cargo is a low probability as I seem to acquire one in most systems. Then again I'm playing this guy as a privateer, he's not allowed to purchase cargo, so I sift a lot of wreckage.....
Incidentally, does the black market affect legal rating? I could have sworn I hadn't been caught pursuing my more legally questionable activities but I've acquired an Offender tag from somewhere. Could be I haven't been quite as careful as I thought though.
"There is still much music to be written in C major" Stravinsky
- Commander McLane
- ---- E L I T E ----
- Posts: 9520
- Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:08 am
- Location: a Hacker Outpost in a moderately remote area
- Contact:
Well, a role-probability of 0.09 doesn't strike me as particularly low. For a player who has no OXP but Vector installed it basically means that one in twelve pods will be of this kind. Which means that you will practically get one with every destroyed Anaconda, Boa, or Python.
Even if you have every conceivable cargopod-adding OXP installed, the value is still quite high, because most of the additional cargopods have very low probabilities themselves (many of them much lower than 0.09).
Even if you have every conceivable cargopod-adding OXP installed, the value is still quite high, because most of the additional cargopods have very low probabilities themselves (many of them much lower than 0.09).
- Commander McLane
- ---- E L I T E ----
- Posts: 9520
- Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:08 am
- Location: a Hacker Outpost in a moderately remote area
- Contact:
Really? That's strange. Have you installed Cargo_wrecks_teaser and Pods.oxp? Many many of the pods in those two OXPs have role probabilities of 0.05 or 0.02, some even 0.01, yet they do occasionally come into life, as everybody can testify whose fuel scoops got damaged or destroyed, or who caught a trumble.Svengali wrote:He. Sure it could be lower. But with values <0.09 problems are starting to pop up. I've tried 0.08 a lot of times and have never seen such a pod, so it was the only working option for me.
I get many cargo pods with 10+ kg of Gold or Platinum or even 20+ g of Gem-Stones. Even if this super-pod is worth 1k credits, if it's only weighted at 0.09 it's not any more game-imbalanced than that.
Really, cargo probability could use a clean rebalance. The average traders and even pirates who have been preying on them should only VERY rarely have alien items, firearms, or narcotics. Slaves come from escape pods all too often though. Lots of (reasonable) trade ships should be expected to have more of the same...if you scoop 3 computers, the 4th one is a LOT more likely to be computers than furs!
Really, cargo probability could use a clean rebalance. The average traders and even pirates who have been preying on them should only VERY rarely have alien items, firearms, or narcotics. Slaves come from escape pods all too often though. Lots of (reasonable) trade ships should be expected to have more of the same...if you scoop 3 computers, the 4th one is a LOT more likely to be computers than furs!
No. Never got a trumble pod, a exploding one, nor e.g. a ups-barrel2 in the game. Only pods with 0.1 or higher. By creating let's say 50 pods via console it is different. Anyway I'll switch to script controlled behaviour to avoid it. Hmmm.Commander McLane wrote:Really? That's strange. Have you installed Cargo_wrecks_teaser and Pods.oxp? Many many of the pods in those two OXPs have role probabilities of 0.05 or 0.02, some even 0.01, yet they do occasionally come into life, as everybody can testify whose fuel scoops got damaged or destroyed, or who caught a trumble.
Often? Seems it's currently a bit difficult to choose values at all as these pods are even lower weighted.Switeck wrote:I get many cargo pods with 10+ kg of Gold or Platinum or even 20+ g of Gem-Stones. Even if this super-pod is worth 1k credits, if it's only weighted at 0.09 it's not any more game-imbalanced than that.
- Eric Walch
- Slightly Grand Rear Admiral
- Posts: 5536
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:48 pm
- Location: Netherlands
I have other experience. Cargo_wreck has given a role chance of 0.05 to trumble pods and the green flashing fuel pods. And I do see them occasionally. One problem I have is with the red flashing fuelpod. It has a chance of 0.01. I can't remember having seen one ever in game. I often double checked the code in the oxp for an error with this pod, but could never find one. But 0.05 is definitely added.Svengali wrote:No. Never got a trumble pod, a exploding one, nor e.g. a ups-barrel2 in the game. Only pods with 0.1 or higher. By creating let's say 50 pods via console it is different.Commander McLane wrote:Really? That's strange. Have you installed Cargo_wrecks_teaser and Pods.oxp? Many many of the pods in those two OXPs have role probabilities of 0.05 or 0.02, some even 0.01, yet they do occasionally come into life, as everybody can testify whose fuel scoops got damaged or destroyed, or who caught a trumble.
The current logic for selecting goods is looking at the actual quantities at the main station.Switeck wrote:Really, cargo probability could use a clean rebalance. The average traders and even pirates who have been preying on them should only VERY rarely have alien items, firearms, or narcotics. Slaves come from escape pods all too often though. Lots of (reasonable) trade ships should be expected to have more of the same...if you scoop 3 computers, the 4th one is a LOT more likely to be computers than furs!.
- Traders heading towards the station have a high likelihood to transport stuff that is rare at the station.
- Traders leaving the station have a high likelihood to transport stuff that is plentiful at the station.
First a random barrel is chosen. If this turns out to be a scripted barrel the code is ready. If not, a content is selected based on the above rules. This type of cargo selection was previously only used for populator added ships like trader and pirates. Since 1.74 you can also set this type of content (scarce or plentiful goods) for ships in shipdata.
This way of selecting will favour alien goods for traders on their way to the station because alien goods are always rare on main stations.
UPS-Courier & DeepSpacePirates & others at the box and some older versions
These the ones that talk and count down ? And that better be scooped before they reach 0 ? I encountered those some times.Eric Walch wrote:One problem I have is with the red flashing fuelpod. It has a chance of 0.01. I can't remember having seen one ever in game. I often double checked the code in the oxp for an error with this pod, but could never find one.
No idea if they are red or green, I get hectic when they appear.
- Eric Walch
- Slightly Grand Rear Admiral
- Posts: 5536
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:48 pm
- Location: Netherlands
That are the ones. Both types talk, but the green ones give you fuel so better run not away from them but scoop them up before they go bang!!. There is also a red flashing type of them and that's the one I mend.snork wrote:These the ones that talk and count down ? And that better be scooped before they reach 0 ? I encountered those some times.Eric Walch wrote:One problem I have is with the red flashing fuelpod. It has a chance of 0.01. I can't remember having seen one ever in game. I often double checked the code in the oxp for an error with this pod, but could never find one.
No idea if they are red or green, I get hectic when they appear.
UPS-Courier & DeepSpacePirates & others at the box and some older versions
- Commander McLane
- ---- E L I T E ----
- Posts: 9520
- Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:08 am
- Location: a Hacker Outpost in a moderately remote area
- Contact:
Sort of a postscript but since I installed cargo wrecks teaser the occurrence of special cargo has dropped right off. Incidentally Eric, I've already encountered the red and green flashing pods, but then again I'm playing on a PC. Maybe there's something in what Commander McLane thinks about it being platform dependent?
"There is still much music to be written in C major" Stravinsky