Special cargo strangeness

[Loxley]

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.

[Eric Walch]

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.

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]

Thanks Eric, I don't remember this from earlier versions though. New feature?

[Svengali]

New feature?

Yep .-) A lot of things have changed.
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?

[Loxley]

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.

[Commander McLane]

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).

[Svengali]

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 think I'll control it via script instead...

[Commander McLane]

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.

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.

[Switeck]

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!

[Svengali]

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.

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.

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.

Often? Seems it's currently a bit difficult to choose values at all as these pods are even lower weighted.

[Eric Walch]

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.

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.

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.

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!.

The current logic for selecting goods is looking at the actual quantities at the main station.

- 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.

[snork]

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.

These the ones that talk and count down ? And that better be scooped before they reach 0 ? I encountered those some times.
No idea if they are red or green, I get hectic when they appear.

[Eric Walch]

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.

These the ones that talk and count down ? And that better be scooped before they reach 0 ? I encountered those some times.
No idea if they are red or green, I get hectic when they appear.

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.

[Commander McLane]

I have encountered the red flashing fuelpods, but very rarely.

@ Svengali: strange indeed. Perhaps it's platform-dependent? Eric and I are on a Mac. In that case somebody should look into it.

[Loxley]

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?