The End of legal pick-ups or the slaver strikes back?

[DredgerMan]

Hey all,

I have just started a new game and I can't seem to be able to pick up any baddies in escape pods up anymore. All I get is the notification I picked up a ton of slaves.

I thought the ability to scoop up some nefarious evil-doer (or rescue a bad-ass pirate who explains his circumstances at the station after docking, then gives a bundle to the Galcop official, which is then deducted from MY insurance bonus?????) was a core game one? Any reason why it isn't working anymore? The same happens when I scoop up pods that are shown on the escape pod scanner.

Just before I started the new game I didn't have that problem at all, so what has changed?

The Oolite version definitely is the same as are my OXP's. Apart from the explorer club that I installed but that can't make a difference on a core game issue?

Or am I tracking in the wrong direction here?

[Svengali]

As you've started a new game you don't have Fuel Scoops. It is core game equipment, but you have to buy this fine piece .-)

[DredgerMan]

As you've started a new game you don't have Fuel Scoops. It is core game equipment, but you have to buy it .-)

Oh really? Is this how this ... uhmmm .. economy-thingy works?

But seriously, I have started a new game recently AND since then I have kitted out my cobbie with the bare essentials. Which would have been the same essentials as in the previous game, when I was able to pick up Mr. Fredsondottir, fugitive pirate for a bonus of 27 credits (or something similar).

And I am able to scoop up escape pods but where in the past I thus captured or 'rescued' bad people most of the times, now I just get the notification that I scooped up 1 ton of slaves.

[Gimbal Locke]

Perhaps the pirate you shot had slaves in his cargo and you picked up that and not the pilot's escape capsule?

[DredgerMan]

Could have been but they were definitely escape pods that I picked up, which was shown by the message you get: Escape pod signal lost...... as soon as you (or someone else) scoops up a pod.

[Tichy]

The same thing happened to me just a couple of times. I scooped an escape pod and, instead of the fugitive or rescued one, I got a normal ton of anonymous slaves. But I'm sure it was an escape pod.

[Cody]

Something tickles my memory - when scooping the escape pod, did the message read You have rescued a slave (or something similar)?

[Tichy]

Yes. This is the message I got.

[Cody]

[immersion mode]You've scooped some poor benighted sod who jumped into his master's escape pod. You haven't rescued a trader with insurance, or captured a fugitive with bounty - you've rescued a nameless slave worth only what the market will pay! Hey, it's harsh out there![/immersion mode]

[Tichy]

Ok! You convinced me.

[Disembodied]

Scooping a slave does happen now and then: but if this is happening to DredgerMan all the time, then it sounds like a bug.

[DredgerMan]

It's Neolite that caused it. 8-(

I took out every OXP one by one by date of installing and when I removed Neolite, the pods suddenly contained baddies again.

It's a shame. I liked to play with the Neolite ships.

Update: I found the offending piece of code with Eric's kind assistance and things are now back to normal.

[Eric Walch]

The same thing happened to me just a couple of times. I scooped an escape pod and, instead of the fugitive or rescued one, I got a normal ton of anonymous slaves. But I'm sure it was an escape pod.

If the pilot didn't buy an insurance and if galcop is not interested in it, why releasing the pilot for free? You can always sell him as slave to cover your expenses.

(and yes, neolites has this bug. But it is not PC specific. It also happens on linux and mac. I think it already had this bugs since the very first release.)