[Solved] Mysterious Exploding Enemy Ships v. 1.76.1

[CommRLock78]

I am apprehensive to post this, but it was suggested that I do. I noticed this when I was running through the Assassin's Guild missions (particularly the last "official" mission). After I carried out the assassination, V jrag sbe fbzr bs gur ovt zbarl rfpbegf. As I pummeled these large ships they were of course starting to throw copious numbers of missiles at me. Now, I'm not sure if they were already doomed, or if using my ECM system while I was moving in was causing it, but some exploded as I passed. Before I could even get these vessels in my aim in the aft view, I would hear "target lost"; I was still getting credit for the kill, even though I wasn't actually lasering them at the time.
So, as I moved on to Victim_11, I ran into a bug with some keys not being created in the save file nf V fpbbcrq hc gur sbhe cbqf. Fatleaf thinks it might be the revised turrets in 1.76.1, but I told him about this ECM issue and that I thought it might have something to do with it. It is clear that I scooped at least one of the 'items' needed, so the key should have been created. Counter measures are basically essential during this battle, so I wonder if some of these 'items' aren't just getting destroyed. Note, too, that I have noticed exploding ships like this when I wasn't actively using the ECM system at the same time as they exploded, rather using it a moment before it happened, but still in close proximity. I know this could be by design (or it could just be a simple coincidence), and would almost make sense if ECM systems are similar to an energy bomb in that they affect energy sources (at least that is my impression of how the ECM system works).

[cim]

I'm not familiar with the mission, but one thing that ECM systems do sometimes cause to explode is missiles (no, really?) - and a missile explosion can destroy nearby objects if they have low energy and/or are very close to the missile.

So it's not impossible - depending on how many missiles these ships are throwing at you - that you hit the ECM, their missiles explode a few metres out of the tubes, and the backwash punches a fatal hole in the hull.

[Fatleaf]

I'm not familiar with the mission, but one thing that ECM systems do sometimes cause to explode is missiles (no, really?) - and a missile explosion can destroy nearby objects if they have low energy and/or are very close to the missile.

So it's not impossible - depending on how many missiles these ships are throwing at you - that you hit the ECM, their missiles explode a few metres out of the tubes, and the backwash punches a fatal hole in the hull.

Now that is good information. I didn't know the explosion from ECM'd missiles could cause a ship damage. Thank's Cim.
You certainly are earning your promotion.

[CommRLock78]

I'm not familiar with the mission, but one thing that ECM systems do sometimes cause to explode is missiles (no, really?) - and a missile explosion can destroy nearby objects if they have low energy and/or are very close to the missile.

So it's not impossible - depending on how many missiles these ships are throwing at you - that you hit the ECM, their missiles explode a few metres out of the tubes, and the backwash punches a fatal hole in the hull.

That makes sense. It wouldn't explain the 'items' exploding; but then again, I'm not sure any of them ever did. What about getting credit in such a situation?

I can rename the topic if it turns out to be the turret revision. I really don't want a fellow commander to be disappointed after beating Victim_11.

[Eric Walch]

- that you hit the ECM, their missiles explode a few metres out of the tubes, and the backwash punches a fatal hole in the hull.

Could be, but not with default missiles as they only explode (without dealing damage) when receiving a ECM signal.

[cim]

Now that is good information. I didn't know the explosion from ECM'd missiles could cause a ship damage.

As Eric points out, hardened missiles only, and not all the time even then. The blast in 1.76 would be fairly small, though ... except when the missile detonates before it has got outside the collision_radius of its launching ship. Then the damage caused would be massive. If the ships in question are way off spherical, and very large, the "natural" missile launch position might be a significant fraction of a second inside the collision radius. Hmm. That could blow up an undamaged Behemoth-sized ship, if it got unlucky.

Though, thinking about it, probably not what's happening here, as the player certainly wouldn't get Elite rating credit for collateral kills from a missile they ECMd.

[CommRLock78]

Though, thinking about it, probably not what's happening here, as the player certainly wouldn't get Elite rating credit for collateral kills from a missile they ECMd.

That's what I was thinking, I shouldn't be getting credit for such a kill.

[Commander McLane]

Though, thinking about it, probably not what's happening here, as the player certainly wouldn't get Elite rating credit for collateral kills from a missile they ECMd.

That's what I was thinking, I shouldn't be getting credit for such a kill.

You haven't by any chance confused your ECM with your Energy Bomb? That would be another simple explanation…

[CommRLock78]

Though, thinking about it, probably not what's happening here, as the player certainly wouldn't get Elite rating credit for collateral kills from a missile they ECMd.

That's what I was thinking, I shouldn't be getting credit for such a kill.

You haven't by any chance confused your ECM with your Energy Bomb? That would be another simple explanation…

I'm a noob, but not that much. I'm positive (there's a big difference, not only in location between 'E' and 'Tab', but also in size).
And as an addendum to this, I noticed last night while switching to aft view and turning around about 50% of ships were blowing up as I turned 180°, and getting credit (I was not using ECM system either; it was a little annoying really, since some of them were renegade Galcops flying some tough Iron Asses that were taking quite a punishment).

[Fatleaf]

And as an addendum to this, I noticed last night while switching to aft view and turning around about 50% of ships were blowing up as I turned 180°, and getting credit (I was not using ECM system either; it was a little annoying really, since some of them were renegade Galcops flying some tough Iron Asses that were taking quite a punishment).

Now something is seriously weird about this! May I suggest a complete deletion of Oolite and re-install

[CommRLock78]

Now something is seriously weird about this! May I suggest a complete deletion of Oolite and re-install

Couldn't hurt. I'll give it a shot and report back.

[CommRLock78]

Okay. I reinstalled. It took a while to reproduce (another 180° turn explosion); this time it was just an Eagle Long Range Fighter, as apposed to a rogue Galcop. I managed to pause as I came around, but right after it exploded. Note the hint of red plasma (down and to the right of the cargo pod) and that credit was awarded. I was also at a stop when this occurred, so, although the ship was close, it couldn't have gotten into my ship's engines plasma stream.

[Griff]

I don't have a solution but maybe somehow the AI files that are assigned to ships is getting mixed up, and somehow ships that should have a pirateAI.plist get a missileAI.plist instead? could there be a shipdata-overrrides.plist in one of your OXPs that's doing this accidentally?

[CommRLock78]

I don't have a solution but maybe somehow the AI files that are assigned to ships is getting mixed up, and somehow ships that should have a pirateAI.plist get a missileAI.plist instead? could there be a shipdata-overrrides.plist in one of your OXPs that's doing this accidentally?

Hmmm, I have four shipdata-overrides within all of my OXPs.

~/.Oolite/AddOns/XeptatlsSwordv1.0.2.oxp/Config/shipdata-overrides.plist
~/.Oolite/AddOns/AsteroidStorm 4.02.oxp/Config/shipdata-overrides.plist
~/.Oolite/AddOns/Ore_processor 1.58.oxp/Config/shipdata-overrides.plist
~/.Oolite/AddOns/Main_station_rotational_slowdown.oxp/Config/shipdata-overrides.plist

The last one is one I created after reading this thread, and it is identical to the post.

Here is the list of OXPs I have in AddOns, in case that may be helpful, too.

accessoriesV2.0.oxp
adcks_eagles_v1.1.oxp
Anarchies2.6.oxp
Armoury 1.09.oxp
Assassins.oxp
AsteroidStorm 4.02.oxp
behemoth 2.6.oxp
BGS-A1.4.oxp
BigShips 1.02.oxp
BountyScannerv2.0.oxp
Cabal_Common_Library1.5.1.oxp
ClippersV1.2.oxp
Commies 2.11
Condor v1.1.oxp
Deep Horizons - Gas Giant Skimming.oxp
Deep Horizons - Systems.oxp
DeepspaceHud.oxp
DeepspaceShip.oxp
Dictators v1.5.oxp
Diso.oxp
Escape_Capsule_Locator_1.4_2011-12-18.oxp
Escort_Contracts_1.5.1_2012-02-05.oxp
Executive Spaceways v2.4.oxp
Factions-1.10.oxp
Famous_Planets_v2.5.oxp
FarstarMurderer1.1.oxp
Flight Log 1.03.oxp
FTZ v0.15.oxp
Fuel Station 1.34.oxp
Fuel Tank v2.2.oxp
Galactic_Navy 5.4.3.oxp
GalDrivePod v1.3.oxp
hOopyCasino1.2.oxp
Illegal_goods_tweak_1.6_2012.02.05.oxp
ixianfreighter.oxp
Lave Academy 1.31.oxp
Lave.oxp
Main_station_rotational_slowdown.oxp
MildAudio.oxp
neocaduceus.oxp
Ore_processor 1.58.oxp
pagroove_Aurorav1.1.oxp
PlanetFall 1.41.oxp
PlanetFall Link - Black Monks 1.0.oxp
PlanetFall Link - hOopy Casino 1.0.oxp
PlanetFall Mission - Oo-Haul 1.11.oxp
RandomHits1.4.12oxp.oxp
Sensible Sun.oxp
Shady_blackmonks.oxp
staer9_chopped_cobraV1.1.1.oxp
Taranis 1.3.oxp
terrapin.oxp
thargoid_wars 4.5.4.oxp
The_Feudal_States_v1.13.oxp
Tianve1.3.oxp
tiger.oxp
TOGY_Main 1.1.oxp
TOGY_Monuments pack.oxp
UrutaMK3
urutu_IV.oxp
velocity.oxp
vendetta.oxp
wormhole_restoration.oxp
xarik.oxp
XeptatlsSwordv1.0.2.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_4.1.7.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_set_A_4.1.7.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_set_B_4.1.7.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_set_C_4.1.7.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_set_D_4.1.7.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_set_E_4.1.7.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_set_F_4.1.7.oxp
YOUR_AD_HERE_set_G_4.1.7.oxp

[Wildeblood]

Well I don't know why no one has demanded you post your Latest.log file yet, it's usually the first response to anything like this.