Sniper Sight - MilHUD integrated

[Wildeblood]

I've just had a little tester and quite like this. It is a real boon for extreme range sniping when even the sensitive reticle often gets it wrong.

I think it should cost to buy as a final OXP.

Thanks Capt. Murphy. I've conceded defeat about trying to avoid HUD switching though, and have just uploaded a new version. Now on sale at tech. level 10 planets.

[Zireael]

I bought the scope. Effect - no HUD at all upon launching. None at all. Just the crosshairs and scanner.

Is there a way to make it work with HUDs other than the default one? I haven't tried removing NumericHUD.oxp yet...

[CommonSenseOTB]

Congratulations Wildeblood. Very Outside the Box thinking to use the target mode cross lining up along with the reticle color change to improve accuracy. I salute you!

I gave your oxp a little test and it would seem that you can more than double your accuracy. The version you have is a decent targetting aide and not a scope or sniper system as this would require zooming in to see your target. HOWEVER:

Here is something that ship designers will no doubt wish to include in their bounty hunter designs. When you create your ship, create 6 custom views with ranges of 5km, 10km, 15km, 17.5km, 20km, and 22.5km(highest to lowest so when you toggle the custom views you can keep an approaching ship in view) all looking forward and x,y at your forward weapon's position. Use view direction to trigger the enlarged compass when in the custom view. Various other hud modifications can be made so that those views look like a weapons control/tactical sniper camera view. I tested a basic version of this just now to check the potential of ship specific sniper systems. It completely blows the basic equipment version of this out of the water. It is actually something that can be fun! The accuracy is incredible and the zooming coupled with the targetting works quite well. It allows you to shoot accurately to the edge of scanning range and even see what your shooting clearly and even the missiles that the ships launch! Scripting will be the solution for smoothing it out but the basic test I made was very useable and fun! I think we have the Sniper Camera system that some people have been wanting for a while.

While the equipment version is good it will not compare to the built in ship version. I can't wait to see the new bounty hunter specials that come out in the future.

Everyone, please join me in applauding Wildeblood's (Outside-the-Box) inspiration. Good show!

[CommonSenseOTB]

I bought the scope. Effect - no HUD at all upon launching. None at all. Just the crosshairs and scanner.

Is there a way to make it work with HUDs other than the default one? I haven't tried removing NumericHUD.oxp yet...

Zireael, I know what the problem is and it requires that you either change the part in the script to look for the numeric hud instead of the hud or that you incorporate the guts within numeric hud script itself. For testing purposes just use the basic hud that comes with the game, or the one marked "hud".

[Wildeblood]

I bought the scope. Effect - no HUD at all upon launching. None at all. Just the crosshairs and scanner.

Is there a way to make it work with HUDs other than the default one? I haven't tried removing NumericHUD.oxp yet...

I knew that would happen with the Numerical HUD, I've just had another look in CommonSense's hud.plist file and I'm surprised you even saw the scanner. If you PM me with your account number at the Bank of the Black Monks, I'll fully refund your 1000 credits.

Or, I can probably integrate it into another HUD for you if you like. Cmdr Wyvern posted a message last night:

Anyway, using Cptn Murphy's code and some plist hackery, I managed to add the feature to MilHUD.

That was just from seeing the screenshots, before I uploaded any example. I uploaded an example last night that doesn't use HUD switching, and that's the one Capt. Murphy tested. That version works much smoother than this stand-alone "purchasable equipment" one. It's easy to integrate with any normal HUD.

This isn't really intended as a stand-alone - either as equipment in game, or as an OXP - but as part of a whole ship system. But I've been having fun with it all week and wanted to share the idea.

[Zireael]

I know next to nothing about modifying OXPs, so I didn't tinker with anything.
Now that I think about it, I don't think I had the scanner at all...

Back on topic, I moved NumericHUD aside for a while to do some testing of the Sniper Scope.
1. Could it be made automatic i.e. you target the guy - you get the Advanced Space Compass set to target - Sniper Scope works? The toggling through the various settings of the aforementioned ASC is annoying when there's a pirate firing at you.
2. Can something be done so that the SnSc doesn't disappear when you change targets via Advanced Targeting System/Target Memory Upgrade?

Overall, I think it's a brilliant piece of equipment, but I'd have to be a little more user-friendly.

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Here is something that ship designers will no doubt wish to include in their bounty hunter designs. When you create your ship, create 6 custom views with ranges of 5km, 10km, 15km, 17.5km, 20km, and 22.5km(highest to lowest so when you toggle the custom views you can keep an approaching ship in view) all looking forward and x,y at your forward weapon's position. Use view direction to trigger the enlarged compass when in the custom view. Various other hud modifications can be made so that those views look like a weapons control/tactical sniper camera view. I tested a basic version of this just now to check the potential of ship specific sniper systems. It completely blows the basic equipment version of this out of the water. It is actually something that can be fun! The accuracy is incredible and the zooming coupled with the targetting works quite well. It allows you to shoot accurately to the edge of scanning range and even see what your shooting clearly and even the missiles that the ships launch! Scripting will be the solution for smoothing it out but the basic test I made was very useable and fun! I think we have the Sniper Camera system that some people have been wanting for a while.

Would it be possible to have such a Sniper Camera OXP as a purchasable equipment for, let's say, all the standard ships, or is it not possible?

[Staer9]

Would it be possible to have such a Sniper Camera OXP as a purchasable equipment for, let's say, all the standard ships, or is it not possible?

Not possible as far as I'm aware, which means that someone can do it.

[Commander Wilmot]

I have requested read-write values that can be adjusted by a script be added in Oolite 2.0, which might help you accomplish this. Oolite 2.0 is quite a while down the road, though.

[Wildeblood]

1. Could it be made automatic i.e. you target the guy - you get the Advanced Space Compass set to target - Sniper Scope works? The toggling through the various settings of the aforementioned ASC is annoying when there's a pirate firing at you.

It could be done, but not by me, because (1) the scripting involved is beyond me at the moment (2) it would break other equipment of mine, so I'm not interested.

2. Can something be done so that the SnSc doesn't disappear when you change targets via Advanced Targeting System/Target Memory Upgrade?

That would flow naturally from from your first idea above.

I like that it disappears automatically once you've destroyed your "asteroid".

Would it be possible to have such a Sniper Camera OXP as a purchasable equipment for, let's say, all the standard ships, or is it not possible?

I think it's possible.

[Cmdr Wyvern]

1. Could it be made automatic i.e. you target the guy - you get the Advanced Space Compass set to target - Sniper Scope works? The toggling through the various settings of the aforementioned ASC is annoying when there's a pirate firing at you.
2. Can something be done so that the SnSc doesn't disappear when you change targets via Advanced Targeting System/Target Memory Upgrade?

The sniper sights are at their best for long-range shooting, ie finishing off a damaged pirate that's trying to escape your wrath, or taking shots at incoming freebooters.
For close-in dogfighting, not so much; fixed sights go better with close-range combat, and in fact may be preferred.

[Capt. Murphy]

That version works much smoother than this stand-alone "purchasable equipment" one. It's easy to integrate with any normal HUD.

Changing line 25 of the 0.9 version script to

Code: Select all

else if (mode != "COMPASS_MODE_TARGET" && player.ship.hud == "sniper-hud.plist")

will stop unnecessary hud switches and helps smooth it out.

[Wildeblood]

The sniper sights are at their best for long-range shooting, ie finishing off a damaged pirate that's trying to escape your wrath, or taking shots at incoming freebooters.
For close-in dogfighting, not so much; fixed sights go better with close-range combat, and in fact may be preferred.

Yep. Wyvern understands the use-case it's intended for.

I like it just the way it is now (except without the distracting flicker on the HUD-switching version). Trust me on this, people, I've put in a lot of hours testing this You wouldn't like a version that switched on automatically. You might think you would, but you wouldn't.

[Wildeblood]

Changing line 25 of the 0.9 version script to

Code: Select all

else if (mode != "COMPASS_MODE_TARGET" && player.ship.hud == "sniper-hud.plist")

will stop unnecessary hud switches and helps smooth it out.

Ta. I knew it needed something on that line.

[Cmdr Wyvern]

Some pics of MilHUD (dynamic version) with sniper sights:

Target locked.
http://www.box.net/shared/9bsleva37unjn8cqx57k

Sniper mode on. Lining up shot...
http://www.box.net/shared/6ez90arajy9lcbv4jtp0

Duck...Duck...Goose!
http://www.box.net/shared/734jpagngrxpr6n89zux

[DaddyHoggy]

It looks good, but I still don't know what it offers over just getting your target in the middle of the normal crosshairs and pressing fire... help - I'm clearly being thick...