More Of A Storyline?

[opticyclic]

The things that I miss in Oolite are Detailed Bulletin Boards and Empire/Federation Ratings

The Empire/Federation ratings gave you something else to aim for (especially the cool names you got in the empire)
The bulletin boards in Frontier and the increased number of missions (including very basic ones that you could do when mostly harmless) added to the storyline.

Are these too complicated to include in Oolite or are they generally not features that the majority like/want?

[Lanx]

Since Federation und Empire are not part of the original Elite, but of its sequels, it would be a little bit strange to introduce them now in Oolite (IMHO). The onyl organisation you have affairs with is GalCop, neither the Federation nor the Empire, so it is hard indeed to gain ratings with them.

[Selezen]

The things that I miss in Oolite are Detailed Bulletin Boards and Empire/Federation Ratings

The Empire/Federation ratings gave you something else to aim for (especially the cool names you got in the empire)
The bulletin boards in Frontier and the increased number of missions (including very basic ones that you could do when mostly harmless) added to the storyline.

Are these too complicated to include in Oolite or are they generally not features that the majority like/want?

Again, a cursory reading of a good many threads on this forum will lead you to the inevitable conclusion that this is ELITE, not Frontier.

Fed and Empire as entities are invisible enemies, and not in the game exceot in the very loosest of senses. The ships I am doing exist because an osmosis of technology is likely as with any cold war situation, but elements of Fed or Imperial society should NOT be integrated into Oolite.

[opticyclic]

Again, a cursory reading of a good many threads on this forum will lead you to the inevitable conclusion that this is ELITE, not Frontier.

Fair enough, but as several threads have mentioned, this is a halfway house between the two (Elite 1.5 I think someone said?)

Which leads to the possibility of more interaction, even if only in an OXP.

Mind you, its a mute point if I am the only one who wants to be a Rear Admiral or a Prince or get a Crimson Brassard or Vermilion Crest......

[dajt]

It seems like Giles has plans for the infrastructure for things like the BBS, etc.

So at some point soon there is no reason this can't be done as an OXP, meaning people who don't want it don't have to get it.

[Flying_Circus]

It seems to my poor brain, that what you are suggesting, is the idea of those things (which rather came in with games like "Privateer", and their ilk, that rather rode on the coat tails of Elite, and it's offspring) such as 'factions'. You can then gain or lose favour with various factions and be more susceptible to attack from different factions, based on your standing with them. I don't particularly want this for Oolite-central: Oolite works well, as it is. However, the scriptability of Oolite (from my casual perusal of the somewhat >cough< thinly commented>cough< source code of Oolite) implies that you could use the scanClass (why the sudden infection of Hungarian notaion, Giles?) attribute, to 'scriptably' apply "faction-like" behaviour to ships within Oolite.... Or am I wrong?

If I'm correct, people could write OXPs that allowed players to move in and out of "faction-like" Behaviour (based on how well the OXP was written, of course). It would still be behoven upon the owners of those 'faction-based' OXPs to manage the transition between original Oolite and their scanClass-driven OXPs... and they would need to understand that the needs of their own OXPs would either be ignored, or come a very low second, on the requirements-list of the main branch... But if they ask for it, it could be built (says he, as someone who doesn't need to write any of the code).

One of the great things about Oolite is that it can be extended in all sorts of directions, but we need to make sure this extensibility is scalable, and doesn't impinge on the original game (which is, if I may say so, fabulous!)

[ArkanoiD]

It seems to my poor brain, that what you are suggesting, is the idea of those things (which rather came in with games like "Privateer", and their ilk, that rather rode on the coat tails of Elite, and it's offspring) such as 'factions'. You can then gain or lose favour with various factions and be more susceptible to attack from different factions, based on your standing with them. I don't particularly want this for Oolite-central: Oolite works well, as it is. However, the scriptability of Oolite (from my casual perusal of the somewhat >cough< thinly commented>cough< source code of Oolite) implies that you could use the scanClass (why the sudden infection of Hungarian notaion, Giles?) attribute, to 'scriptably' apply "faction-like" behaviour to ships within Oolite.... Or am I wrong?

If I'm correct, people could write OXPs that allowed players to move in and out of "faction-like" Behaviour (based on how well the OXP was written, of course). It would still be behoven upon the owners of those 'faction-based' OXPs to manage the transition between original Oolite and their scanClass-driven OXPs... and they would need to understand that the needs of their own OXPs would either be ignored, or come a very low second, on the requirements-list of the main branch... But if they ask for it, it could be built (says he, as someone who doesn't need to write any of the code).

One of the great things about Oolite is that it can be extended in all sorts of directions, but we need to make sure this extensibility is scalable, and doesn't impinge on the original game (which is, if I may say so, fabulous!)

I love the idea. And i think the fine you pay to celan your legal status should depend on those things

[Selezen]

Quite frankly, I don't agree with the addition of factions to Oolite - it's an Elitle clone, after all, and should reflect that status by not trying to add completely new elements which bring it closer to another game (Frontier).

In Elite, there was no confusion - you worked for the Galactic Co-operative, and the Thargoids were the enemies. Mention is made in the manual of 'other agencies' but these are kept very much in the background. Essentially, Elite has always been about GalCop and the Galactic Navy's battle against the Thargoids. Primarily it's a space trading shoot-em-up. Bringing other factions into it as enemies is fine, but introducing 'standing' with them and allowing the pilot to side with them is, as far as I'm concerned, against the grain of the game and dilutes the enjoyment into a bare-bones political game.

If it could be added as an OXP, then I say fine, since then it is up to the player to install it, but I would ask that it not be made part of the main game since I enjoy Elite/Oolite as the fundamental game that it always has been.

I don't particularly like the idea of a fixed storyline, since Elite's magic has always been the non-linear way in which it is played, and the fact that it fires the imagination to envision one's own universe around it.

[ArkanoiD]

Quite frankly, I don't agree with the addition of factions to Oolite - it's an Elitle clone, after all, and should reflect that status by not trying to add completely new elements which bring it closer to another game (Frontier).

In Elite, there was no confusion - you worked for the Galactic Co-operative, and the Thargoids were the enemies. Mention is made in the manual of 'other agencies' but these are kept very much in the background. Essentially, Elite has always been about GalCop and the Galactic Navy's battle against the Thargoids. Primarily it's a space trading shoot-em-up. Bringing other factions into it as enemies is fine, but introducing 'standing' with them and allowing the pilot to side with them is, as far as I'm concerned, against the grain of the game and dilutes the enjoyment into a bare-bones political game.

If it could be added as an OXP, then I say fine, since then it is up to the player to install it, but I would ask that it not be made part of the main game since I enjoy Elite/Oolite as the fundamental game that it always has been.

I don't particularly like the idea of a fixed storyline, since Elite's magic has always been the non-linear way in which it is played, and the fact that it fires the imagination to envision one's own universe around it.

Maybe, but having more sophisticated criminal record would be nice. Say, destroying a passenger transport should be more serious offence than attacking a lone Cobra in space.

(Do thargoid killed in Thargoid Plans mission count for Tharogid Wars awards?

[Selezen]

Yeah, that would be cool. Even though it takes the system away from the original incarnation, it would add a lot to the game.

Since the Galactic Navy are in charge of organising the offensive against the Thargoids, I think that a system of awards should be given for actions against Thargoids. Maybe a Civilian Bravery Medal for every 10 Thargoid mother ships killed?

My background stuff states that all Galactic Co-operative pilots are classed as reserve Navy pilots and can be called up at any time for service, and are welcome to volunteer for military service. In that case, they would be eligible for military awards and honorary GN ranks too, maybe.

As regards the legal status, would it be nice to actually get a listing of the particular offence that a 'pilot' has committed instead of the Clean/Offender/Fugitive status? These could be pseudo-randomly generated like the 'goat soup' statements or stored in variables? The Clean, Offender or Fugitive rating could be worked out by a heirarchical priority of the offences committed.

As for showing these things, the basic scanners could just show the legal status, but an add-on could show a breakdown of the criminal record, and this could adjust the price on the pilot's head.

The same goes for the player, and thier criminal record can be stored in the profile!

Sounds overly complicated, but that might just be my way of putting it. Any thoughts?

[JensAyton]

Maybe a Civilian Bravery Medal for every 10 Thargoid mother ships killed?

Civilian Bravery Medal for 10. Civilian Bravery Medal with Oak Leaves for 25. Civilian Bravery Medal with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords for 50. Civilian Bravery Medal with Oak Leaves, Crossed Swords and Diamonds for 100. Civilian Bravery Medal with Golden Oak Leaves, Crossed Swords and Diamonds for 250. Ten years imprisonment for Being Too Much of a Bloody-Minded Killer By Half for 350.

[Ponder]

[ArkanoiD]

Maybe a Civilian Bravery Medal for every 10 Thargoid mother ships killed?

Civilian Bravery Medal for 10. Civilian Bravery Medal with Oak Leaves for 25. Civilian Bravery Medal with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords for 50. Civilian Bravery Medal with Oak Leaves, Crossed Swords and Diamonds for 100. Civilian Bravery Medal with Golden Oak Leaves, Crossed Swords and Diamonds for 250. Ten years imprisonment for Being Too Much of a Bloody-Minded Killer By Half for 350.

LOL

*thinking on collecting favorite quotes from the forum*

[winston]

Quite frankly, I don't agree with the addition of factions to Oolite - it's an Elitle clone, after all, and should reflect that status by not trying to add completely new elements which bring it closer to another game (Frontier).

It's an interpretation of Elite, rather than a simple clone though. But I do agree on what you said about factions.

However, I think random missions (such as assassinations, couriering etc) are probably something that can make a worthwhile addition to the game (we already have cargo shipping and passenger taxi missions). However, it should NOT be done like it was in Frontier/First Encounters (come on, how would they know the target would be emerging from Foo station at a precise second in time?). Things like assassination missions should really involve stalking your mark for some time rather than just hanging around the station until the precise second your mark emerges and then blasting him.

[Wolfwood]

Yup, random missions would be very welcome. Also, perhaps some more purpose to existing missions would be nice - If I've understood the existing cargo delivery missions correctly, you don't actually make a lot of credits performing them - a lot less, actually, than you do with normal trading in a similar span of time.

I also like the idea of longer plotlines, but I think external expansion packs take care of them perfectly already. We just need more of them to increase some variety, and perhaps some that are purposefully designed for "Elite challenge".