Tales from the spacelanes...

[Shipbuilder]

@ Jack_Sterling - I love the paint job

[RyanHoots]

Okay, as I said in another thread, I am starting over from scratch. I hope to get a Python soon, but before that happens, I need to get some trading done. So, in hopes of getting some credits, I ventured into an anarchy. Without enough fuel to leave.

First, I ran into a Fer-de-Lance. All I had was my pulse laser, so I thought I was as good as dead. But I fought on, and despite being hit by a few missiles, I destroyed the Fer-de-Lance without too much trouble, much to my surprise.





With Deep Space Pirates installed, I didn't want to risk leaving the lanes, so I continued towards the planet. I there ran into a Python and his friends, attacking a Cobra Mk1. So, like a good commander, I naturally attacked the Python. After all, my shields were back to full.

Well, the Python pilot wasn't as easy to defeat as the Fer-de-Lance was. After a few shots hit him, he responded by sending a trio of missiles my way. They all hit at once, and I sat there in my chair, staring at the computer.

[Commander McLane]

That probably taught you about the difference between a Ferdie and a Python: Ferdie = puny; Python = not so much.

[RyanHoots]

That probably taught you about the difference between a Ferdie and a Python: Ferdie = puny; Python = not so much.

Yeah, until now I thought it was the other way around, when flying Taylor Miller they are both extremely easy to destroy.

[Thargoid]

As I exited witchspace, my jaw just dropped. Dead ahead was the biggest ship I think I've ever seen. I'd heard about the Liners, but have never seen one before. This was the Aurora Star Liner Conquest, and she was a beauty!

That's an Emerald class liner old chap, not an Aurora. The Emerald is the larger of the two, and indeed quite a sight.

[Rese249er]

This was the Aurora Star Liner Conquest, and she was a beauty!
I cruised past her gently and took a few snaps for the album. The best one is this, taken by the external drone-cam which shows her behind Bulldog One.She was already quite a distance away by now, but is still mightily imposing.

Nice shots! But I guess you've never seen a Generation Ship. Eesh!

[Jake]

Made an important discovery today. Holding down the Witchfuel Injectors button from witchpoint exit to space compass transition point imparts a lot of momentum. I think my next major upgrade is going to be atmospheric shielding... (Didn't die, but it was a close run thing.)

Also, turns out that if a passenger's offering you more money than you've made from the last five hauls combined, there's a reason. Turns out the most direct route to his destination involved passing through two anarchies and a feudal system, all of them solid with pirates. I just about scooped enough cargo to cover the cost of patching the hull and buying a new drop-tank at every other stop.

[Rese249er]

Made an important discovery today. Holding down the Witchfuel Injectors button from witchpoint exit to space compass transition point imparts a lot of momentum. I think my next major upgrade is going to be atmospheric shielding... (Didn't die, but it was a close run thing.)

Not sure what you mean by that, would love some clarification. Are you packing milgrade injectors?

Also, turns out that if a passenger's offering you more money than you've made from the last five hauls combined, there's a reason. Turns out the most direct route to his destination involved passing through two anarchies and a feudal system, all of them solid with pirates. I just about scooped enough cargo to cover the cost of patching the hull and buying a new drop-tank at every other stop.

HAHAHA! I might have to start taking on passengers then! Always up for a hostile route!

[Jake]

Not sure what you mean by that, would love some clarification. Are you packing milgrade injectors?

Yes. Bit of an awkward moment all round, hauling back on the stick to angle the ship's nose towards the station only to see those Space Flecks are suddenly moving sideways, and the altitude bar is shrinking fast...

[Commander McLane]

Made an important discovery today. Holding down the Witchfuel Injectors button from witchpoint exit to space compass transition point imparts a lot of momentum.

Not sure what you mean by that, would love some clarification. Are you packing milgrade injectors?

Yes.

In that case you could have been a little more precise with your wording.  (OXP)-Military Fuel Injectors are not  (vanilla)-Witchdrive Fuel Injectors. They are a totally different ballpark. So if you want to tell a tale about the former, don't use the name of the latter (because normal witchfuel injectors do not impart a lot of momentum; or to me more precise: they impart the same speed—and therefore momentum—no matter how long you hold down the button). That's confusing.

And generally: Wouldn't it make sense to inform yourself what your OXP equipment does before you install the OXP and use the equipment?

[Jake]

If I'd known they were that much of a game-changer, a fact that I have to say is not easily discerned from the wiki page you linked to, I would have been more specific!

[Thargoid]

As people seem to object to it, I've just uploaded v1.01 of the mil fuel injector upgrade OXP which removes the velocity after usage. The player ship should now just go back to it's normal max-speed velocity instead.

[DeathKnyte]

Hiya,


(I'm posting this here mainly because I'm going to refer to it for another post, in another thread, concerning the Oolite Wiki.)


First of all, I'm pretty new to the game, but have recently accomplished something major, in my Oolite career:

I deliberately went looking for a fight (!)


I very much enjoy trading and running passenger contracts. I have (in my personal perception of things) become quite adept at avoiding - and if not successful - at evading, combat situations. I usually run a tight schedule, from one end of the galaxy to the other, sun skimming most of the way, in between the pick-up cluster and the drop-off cluster. Fighting eats up a lot of time on the clock, not to mention the associated costs of taking damage, and this is really not conducive to the bottom line.

But with the encouragement of some of you here, I have garnered advice and tips, as well as the information from the Oolite Instruction Manual.

So after completing the latest round of contracts and obligations at the station in Sori (started at Cemave), I saved the game, and took a hard look at my ship's status screen:

Boa Class Cruiser

ECM System
Fuel Scoops
Escape Pod
Docking Computers
Witchdrive Fuel Injectors
Scanner Targeting Enhancer
Advanced Space Compass
Advanced Navigational Array
Shield Boosters
External Heat Shielding
Wormhole Scanner
Beer Cooler
24 Passenger Berths
Forward Beam Laser
Aft Beam Laser

External Ordnance: 4x (Ordinary) Missile


After much pondering, I said to myself; Well, let's give her a go....

I launched from the station, pulled back a bit on the stick, programed a jump to Isdibi, and engaged the hyperdrive...

So here I am, I know this is an anarchy system, inexperienced combateer and all - lookin' for trouble.

And, I found it. Many times over.

But I tried to play smart, used a lot of the ideas from the Oolite Instruction Manual on tactics with; speed management, maneuvering, injecting, thinning packs, trying not to get overwhelmed, situational awareness, and most importantly - staying calm (best I could any ways).

Sometimes I loitered around the witchpoint beacon, scanning and identifying everything in range - picking fights intelligently (all against offenders and fugitives).
Other times I patrolled between the witchpoint, sun, and planet. Scooping errant pods and shooting at asteroids with my aft laser (for the practice).
Sometimes I escorted clean ships along route too (funny that a Boa would escort a Cobra Mk. III, but whatever).

I responded to calls for help - these were the hardest to enter into a controlled battle - as my priority was to assist the craft in distress and engage the most immediate threat to them - not my own personal safety.

I feared the Asp Mk. II's the most, figuring they're the best fighters in the game. However, for some reason, the Gecko's gave me the most trouble (?). Those took the longest to either dispatch, or force a flee. Krait's proved the best 'close-in' fighting opponents though.

I never scored a hit on an enemy craft with my rear laser, and I tried to use it often enough. Definitely difficult for me to understand how to aim that adequately.

I always tried to minimize incoming damage, while trying to maneuver for a better position, and have my own weapon(s) doing the talking, instead of theirs. Knowing that rolling on one's axis is not as important as understanding the pitch and yaw planes - for this game any ways - helped a lot.

After some time, I couldn't find anything in the system, except for police ships, and that four hours had elapsed from my life span (!).

Mission accomplished, the Isdibi system had been swept by none other than me, and purged from all undesirables.


Final tally

Twenty-four kills:

8x Asp Mk. II
2x Fer-de-Lance
4x Cobra Mk. III
4x Krait
2x Python
4x Gecko

4x Escape pods scooped
31x Various cargo pods scooped

1x Missile expended
No damage to me (or so I thought).


I set course for the witchpoint beacon, and cruised to it. Took a final 360 degree scan, finding nothing, programmed a course back to Sori, and engaged the hyperdrive.

I pulled a beer from my on-board cooler, and tried to activate the docking computer, upon reaching the station... I then noticed that it had somehow become in-operational. Strange, in all my recent fighting, I never remembered my shields being penetrated - no, not even once (!).

So the final test was to manually dock, before I could save the game.
(lol)


Conclusion:

By all definitions, as you can see from my above listing, I do not have a top of the line super ship outfitted with all the latest equipment. However, I think the Boa Class Cruiser is the best all round ship available to a new player. It did not take me long to get it either - I upgraded straight from the starting ship, to it. Just took a few days running passengers in the Cobra Mk. III, before I could afford the Boa.

This is to encourage, anyone who might be new to the game, that often enough things might seem difficult, but with a little preparation and smart playing, may not be as insurmountable as the way it manifests itself in one's mind.

Thank you to the people who encouraged me, and gave tips / advice. Also to the author(s) of the Oolite Instruction Manual.

[Cody]

... and that four hours had elapsed from my life span

Some good immersion there... and a goodly tale too.

[Bugbear]

This is an open broadcast to the commander of the Mussurana: Anastasia VII that was in the Biisorte system on star date 2084127.

Let me say up front, I humbly apologise for firing on you during that altercation with those opportunistic pirates. Let me explain...

I had just jumped into the system with no particular goal in mind, just on my way to Reesdice to see about a stolen ship (but that's a bit hush, hush; can't say too much).

I was simply coasting in system on my Cobra III's torus drive when I got mass-locked by a Python, the Restless Light, another three ship convoy (I think there was a Boa and a couple of Sidewinder escorts), and yourself.

In all honesty, I was intending to inject past the lot of you but there was an asteroid field ahead and I figured that there may be a rock hermit in residence where I could offload a few TCs of grog that I had on board.

Well there indeed was a rock hermit, but it must have been a rather well equipped pirate cove, 'cause it spat out a couple of Asps, a Cobra III and an FDL.

What am I saying, you were there!

We must be of a similar mind because as soon as the traders let out a cry for help, the escorts, yourself and I all scrambled to take on the pirates.

You must have been keener to jump into the fray than I because pretty soon there you were in my sights, although I was trying for the Cobra that was just next to you.

Anyway, I really apologise for splashing your shields but I figured, no harm, no foul. In my defence I'm calling it a combat incident.

I guess you didn't see it the same way 'cause even after the pirates had been dispatched, you still seemed to see fit to periodically light up my shields with a short burst...all the way to the station.

I just want to say that I appreciate you were a bit pissed off with me, but you really should rethink your judgement. I really had no intention of taking you out, even though you provided me with ample provocation. My only intent, once the pirates had been eliminated, was to escort Restless Light back to the station.

Just think yourself lucky that you didn't provoke me too far. I would have taken you out.

But today I'm feeling generous. Perhaps if our paths cross again we can catch up over a few drinks at one of the station bars.

Anyway, good hunting, Cmdr Bugbear out.