Unusual planet jump failure

[Okti]

I found a solution to this problem by an equipment. It seems working fine. See InterstellarRescue in the expansion packs.

[Switeck]

It helps to be a life-long member of the AAA tow-anywhere plan.

[Commander McLane]

I think you've mentioned this before, Disembodied... somehow, your wormhole would need to reappear.

I think that – or something like that – needs to happen. Maybe there could be another type of Thargoid ship lurking behind its mates, with a big wormhole-interfero-doodad on it. It's big and slow and not hugely well-armed (maybe plasma cannons only), so it really should be left until last ... but if/when the player destroys this special ship there's a big puff of handwavium and a wormhole appears, leading either to where the player was heading to, or (perhaps) to the nearest system. Of course, if the player destroys the wormhole-blocking ship and flees before killing the other bugs, there's nothing to stop them pursuing the player down the same wormhole!

Basically, the game logic should be

1. You've fallen into a trap
2. You've managed to survive the trap
3. Now you can escape from the trap

It's step 3 that we're missing.

That seems perfectly doable in an OXP (which doesn't solve the problem of having to use an OXP, of course). Re-creating the player's wormhole should be easily scriptable. Scripting-wise it would be the same as the multi-jump wormhole inducer.

One problem which I can see is the difference between an accidental and a forced misjump. Obviously, for the 'real', accidental misjump the big wormhole-interfero-doodad would be responsible, and would be there in interstellar space. But what about self-induced misjumps? What is actually causing them? I'd say that pulling up while you enter is somehow screwing up your ship's navigation computer, causing the wormhole to collapse midway. Thus in this case the Thargoids wouldn't be responsible, and their big wormhole-interfero-doodad either wouldn't be there, or would not be able to re-open your wormhole. Any thoughts about this?

The scripting problem here is that it's not possible to distinguish between accidental and self-induced misjumps from JS. Therefore no different behaviour can be created for both cases. (And the script-induced misjump is yet another matter, because it can belong into both categories. It can be part of a script which simulates an accidental misjump, because one is needed for a story line; or it can be part of a script which simulates a misjump-inducing button in your ship (the latter was recently produced, I think).)

[CheeseRedux]

One problem which I can see is the difference between an accidental and a forced misjump. Obviously, for the 'real', accidental misjump the big wormhole-interfero-doodad would be responsible, and would be there in interstellar space. But what about self-induced misjumps? What is actually causing them? I'd say that pulling up while you enter is somehow screwing up your ship's navigation computer, causing the wormhole to collapse midway. Thus in this case the Thargoids wouldn't be responsible, and their big wormhole-interfero-doodad either wouldn't be there, or would not be able to re-open your wormhole. Any thoughts about this?

I did have thoughts on this. You saved me the trouble of typing them.

Regardless of what is ultimately decided with regards to cause, effect & escape, I think it's fairly obvious that the benchmark here is the Jameson fresh out of Lave Academy. First jump to Zaonce, waylaid by Thargoids, miraculous survival. Somehow, there must then be an escape route. Otherwise I see no point in changing stuff at all.

Since I know nothing about scripting, I just assume you are correct that the different types of misjumps cannot be distinguished from each other. That obviously creates problems for explaining the omnipresence of the wormhole-interfero-doodad.

Revisiting the idea of the spare fuel tank, here's a refined plan for its justification & function:
- Mandated by GalCop, it's installed on all ships.
- Only accessible in WS. Gamewise, this prevents abuse. In-Ooniverse explanation is that it's like an airbag on a car. You don't get to fiddle with it until you crash.
- Holds 3.5 LY of fuel, enough to get you out of the longest misjump, with a little bit to spare.
- To prevent the fuel being accidentally used on injectors while fighting the bugs, it's manually activated. My suggestion would be by visiting the short range chart, since even someone who haven't read the manual is likely to check that once combat is over.
- Once activated, the fuel from the spare tank is slowly transferred to the main tank. This prevents it from being a fast & easy escape route.
- If you activate it and then decide to waste the fuel on injectors, you can pick up your Darwin Award next time you dock. Or not.
- Once used, a hefty fuel bill awaits you next time you fill up.

No clue if any of that is scriptable. If it's decided to go down this route for 2.0, it would obviously be pre-installed. For 1.x OXP I'd say buyable equipment, any tech level, cost as close to 0 as possible.

[Switeck]

The scripting problem here is that it's not possible to distinguish between accidental and self-induced misjumps from JS. Therefore no different behaviour can be created for both cases. (And the script-induced misjump is yet another matter, because it can belong into both categories. It can be part of a script which simulates an accidental misjump, because one is needed for a story line; or it can be part of a script which simulates a misjump-inducing button in your ship (the latter was recently produced, I think).)

I created Misjump Inducer OXP recently, to deliberately trigger misjumping-on-demand even when using NPC wormholes. We could "handwave" and say the whole wormhole tunnel still exists, since you (or an NPC ship) spent all the fuel needed to make it...even if we took an early detour out. Whether the Thargoid presence is disrupting that -- meaning a wormhole could reappear when they (or a special beacon) are destroyed...could work at least as a game balance.

It's rather annoying that JS does not seem to recognize accidental misjumps, since Misjump Analyser doesn't actually work as a result. I hacked it totally to pieces and found it wasn't even able to tell when player.ship.scriptedMisjump is set to true by my Misjump Inducer or some other OXP before the jump countdown begins. It could at least "complain" if jumping from interstellar space, thinking that's a bogus reading...or from a galactic hyperdrive, as that jump probably looks crazy to it. But if that's all it can do, it is nothing more than a harmless if slightly annoying curiosity.

[Staer9]

strange how merely stating a slight problem I had in the game creates such a large discussion regarding oolite mechanics.

[Commander McLane]

strange how merely stating a slight problem I had in the game creates such a large discussion regarding oolite mechanics.

Not at all strange. It's the beauty of this community that many people deeply care about the game mechanics, and have more or less strong views on it. And it's the beauty of the open-source and open-development character of this game that the views and debates within the community make the game itself evolving over time.

[Mauiby de Fug]

strange how merely stating a slight problem I had in the game creates such a large discussion regarding oolite mechanics.

Not at all strange. It's the beauty of this community that many people deeply care about the game mechanics, and have more or less strong views on it. And it's the beauty of the open-source and open-development character of this game that the views and debates within the community make the game itself evolving over time.

Exactly! Said far more eloquently than I could have managed. The result of which is that if a problem is highlighted, umpteen people come together to try to solve it in the best way possible. Help is never far away on this board!

[Disembodied]

One problem which I can see is the difference between an accidental and a forced misjump. Obviously, for the 'real', accidental misjump the big wormhole-interfero-doodad would be responsible, and would be there in interstellar space. But what about self-induced misjumps? What is actually causing them? I'd say that pulling up while you enter is somehow screwing up your ship's navigation computer, causing the wormhole to collapse midway. Thus in this case the Thargoids wouldn't be responsible, and their big wormhole-interfero-doodad either wouldn't be there, or would not be able to re-open your wormhole. Any thoughts about this?

Technobabble can rescue us here ... interstellar space swarms with bugs, and they're constantly fishing with their fiendish devices, trying to snare unsuspecting pilots. They attempt to breach any passing wormhole at its most vulnerable point, exactly half-way along the length (we are all aware, I take it, that wormholes are n-dimensional parabolas?). Most of the time, thankfully, they fail: a modern, well-serviced witchdrive punches out a wormhole too stable for the bugs to successfully intercept.

However, if you launch out into an unstable wormhole – i.e. one that's been created by a ship that's not in level flight, where even the opening is under extreme stress – then it's a racing certainty that the bugs are going to pop your tube and drag you out into interstellar space. And then cut your ship apart, dredge you from the wreckage and do unspeakable things to the most tender parts of your anatomy.

[Commander McLane]

One problem which I can see is the difference between an accidental and a forced misjump. Obviously, for the 'real', accidental misjump the big wormhole-interfero-doodad would be responsible, and would be there in interstellar space. But what about self-induced misjumps? What is actually causing them? I'd say that pulling up while you enter is somehow screwing up your ship's navigation computer, causing the wormhole to collapse midway. Thus in this case the Thargoids wouldn't be responsible, and their big wormhole-interfero-doodad either wouldn't be there, or would not be able to re-open your wormhole. Any thoughts about this?

Technobabble can rescue us here ...

There isn't any situation technobabble cannot rescue us from, isn't there? (Old trekkie-wisdom. For ST-Voyager this even extends to: there aren't many situations technobabble hasn't got us into in the first place. )

So, shall I give the concept a try?

[Cody]

So, shall I give the concept a try?

Yes!

[Disembodied]

There isn't any situation technobabble cannot rescue us from, isn't there? (Old trekkie-wisdom. For ST-Voyager this even extends to: there aren't many situations technobabble hasn't got us into in the first place. )

So, shall I give the concept a try?

Sounds good to me, too! I vote for "Thargoid Wormhole Interdictor" for the name of the aforesaid doodad. Or possibly "Thargoid Witchspace Trawl". Or "Dredge", or "Snare", maybe. "Trawl" has some possible cognates with "troll", for nasty monsters that live under bridges ...

Since the player might end up, post-combat, some distance away from the thing, and since there are no other points of reference, it might be a good idea to put a big green flasher on it.

[Cody]

A Thargoid Witchspace Jammer... in spacer parlance, a tube breaker.

[DaddyHoggy]

"Tube Breaker" - I like it!

[Cody]

Something like this would have the welcome side-effect of discouraging use of the energy bomb to kill the Thargoids.