[UPDATED RELEASE] Coyote's Run Mission

[another_commander]

Coyote's Run topic from the Discussion forum merged with the OXP's original thread.

[Smivs]

...is it quite common for OXPs to fizzle out if you go off the scripted path?

I thought this comment was worth picking up on, because while not common, it can happen.
During a mission, each time you complete a section a new 'missionVariable' is called. This is a name or number which takes effect at a certain point and is then written to the save file the next time you save.
If something goes wrong (usually I have to say caused by the player not following instructions correctly or doing something that the author may not have predicted) the correct missionVariable will not be written, and therefore the mission effectively gets stuck - the game has no reference point and therefore no way of knowing what to do next.
It is for this reason that it is strongly recommended that saves are made regularly, and old saves (maybe the last two or three steps of the mission) are kept. This allows the player to return to a previous section and re-run things if needed.
Having said that, be aware that over-hasty saving can also break things - for example if you are told to go to a certain system and then fly straight towards the sun to meet someone, don't go to the system and fly to the main station to save before going to the sun, as this could also break things.
Best advice then is to save regularly (during normal stops at main stations), keep the last few saves handy, and follow all instructions to the letter.

[Cody]

<nods sagely>

[Okti]

Sorry All,

Have been busy with RL for a long time and looks like it will be like that for some time more.

The problem is some stages of this mission are tricky and you may not complete it at one go. What I would recommend is please make sure you have different save files after you have succesfully completed a stage and had a mission screen. That advice is valid for all missions or normal game play.

Cheers,
Okti

[metatheurgist]

Just got stuck after qrfgeblvat gur Xngvx nfgrebvq, sbyybjvat gur clguba gb Prprne, naq orvat gbyq gb tb gb Yrvgrfna gb zrrg jvgu Ybob naq Mbeen.

The reason seems to be that after leaving Prprne, coyote_status is set to 230, but there is no corresponding event for the planet Yrvgrfna and coyote_status 230. There is an event for that planet and coyote_status 229 however.

If you change this section in Coyote-Main.js:

Code: Select all

	// Cecear
	else if(missionVariables.Coyote_status == "STAGE_229" && system.ID == 126 && player.ship.dockedStation.isMainStation)
	{
		missionVariables.Coyote_status = "STAGE_230";
		mission.setInstructionsKey("CE_MI_S_230_01");
		mission.runScreen({title: "Coyote's Run", messageKey: "Coyote_Cecear_mainstation"});
	}
	// Leitesan **** BUG? ****
	else if(missionVariables.Coyote_status == "STAGE_229" && system.ID == 185 && player.ship.dockedStation.isMainStation)
	{
		missionVariables.Coyote_status = "STAGE_240";
		mission.setInstructionsKey("CE_MI_S_240_01");
		mission.unmarkSystem(185);
		mission.markSystem(89);
		mission.runScreen({title: "Coyote's Run", messageKey: "Coyote_Leitesan_mainstation", model: "coyotesahana2"});
	}	// Bizalein Navy Station
	else if(missionVariables.Coyote_status == "STAGE_240" && system.ID == 89 && player.ship.dockedStation.primaryRole == "CoyoteNavystation2")
	{
		mission.runScreen({title: "Coyote's Run", messageKey: "Coyote_Bizalein_navystation", choicesKey: "Coyote_Bizalein_navystation_choices"}, this.choices);
	} 

From 229 to 230, it appears to progress the mission.

The mission text also appears to need adjusting. When docking at Prprne after Sahana you get:

"??????? Cebonoyl fbzr pbzzragf nonbhg Fnunanf cvybgvat fxvyyf ?????? Lbh yrnir gur fgngvba gb tbgb Yrgrvfna gb zrrg jvgu Ybob naq Mbeen."

After changing Coyote-Main.js to force progress when docking at Yrvgrfna you get:

"Jura lbh yrnir lbhe fuvc, lbh svaq Fnunan va urngrq pbairefngvba jvgu gjb TnyPbc bssvpvnyf, jub ner gelvat gb neerfg ure sbe sylvat jvgubhg n cvybg\'f yvprapr, naq sbe qbpxvat ba vawrpgbef jvgubhg pyrnenapr... n pneqvany fva. Lbh vagebqhpr lbhefrys nf Fnunan\'f PB, rkcynva gung fur jnf npgvat haqre beqref, naq dhvrgyl fhttrfg gung TnyPbc znl yvxr gb npprcg gur pbzznaqrrerq Nfc nf n \'tvsg\', vafgrnq bs neerfgvat ure. Lbh nyfb nffher gurz gung Fnunan jvyy or yvpraprq orsber fur vf nyybjrq gb syl ntnva. Nsgre n oevrs qvfphffvba, va juvpu gur inyhr bs na Nfc vf juvfcrerq, gur gjb TnyPbc bssvpvnyf nterr. Gurl tvir Fnunan n fgrea jneavat nf gb ure shgher orunivbhe, naq qrcneg.

Lbh gura tb gb gur fcnpre one, sbe n pryroengbel qevax jvgu Ybob naq Mbeen. Nsgre n srj Evrqdhngvna nyrf, lbh rkcynva gung lbh zhfg abj erghea gb gur Anil onfr ng Ovmnyrva gb zrrg Pneehguref, naq gb trg Fnunan n Aniny cvybg\'f yvprapr."

It seems like the first part of the text should be with docking at Prprne and then you get the rest when you dock at Yrvgrfna.

Sidebar: I'm enjoying the OXP but I'm having trouble seeing why my Commander would be motivated to jump through all those hoops for Sahana. I'm assuming that it's because he's docking his Anaconda at Sahana station but that's not really expressed. Still that's way above and beyond the call of duty. Sahana station must be truly awesome, like Bene Gesserit, Honored Matre levels of awesome for the Commander to start an multi-planet war with an established criminal organisation.

[Cody]

Arrgh! I cannot deal with Rot13, to be honest, and I also cannot deal with the technicalities of this OXP, which needs an update.

I'm enjoying the OXP but I'm having trouble seeing why my Commander would be motivated to jump through all those hoops for Sahana.

Bear in mind that this OXP is loosely based on a piece of fiction, within which there are as-yet unexplained reasons for such behaviour.

[gizmo]

Arrgh! I cannot deal with Rot13

That should help

[Cody]

Arrgh! I cannot deal with Rot13

That should help

Yeah, thanks gizmo... I do know what Rot13 is (I can even translate it), I just find it pointless and irksome.

[metatheurgist]

If you prefer I can PM the same message sans rot13. I was just following the board convention and trying not to spoil others. I think I'd prefer to use Spoiler tags but I didn't see any in the edit window. I'd never even heard of rot13 until I visited this board. If you send the info to Okti(?) I think he should see the issue immediately.

[Diziet Sma]

Arrgh! I cannot deal with Rot13

That should help

Yeah, thanks gizmo... I do know what Rot13 is (I can even translate it), I just find it pointless and irksome.

Even better is the Firefox AddOn 'Leet Key'.

Once that's installed, you just highlight the Rot13 text on the page, right-click it and select "LeetKey > Text Transformers > ROT13" and it will magically translate back to English right in the current webpage, no copy/pasting needed at all.

(And the exact same process will translate normal text to Rot13 for you as well, if you want to 'de-spoiler' some text before posting it.)

[Eric Walch]

Interesting, but no ROT13 extension for Safari. For the Mac, there is a Widget though.

In the iPod Notes Feature Guide I did found:
... You can apply a simple encryption to text, rendering it unrecognizable to the
casual reader, by placing it between<ROT13> and</ROT13> tags. ...
Its about time we could use those tags here.

[Cody]

If you send the info to Okti(?) I think he should see the issue immediately.

I'm sure Okti will see the issue - he is probably already aware of it (among other problems), but he is incommunicado, it would seem.

Re spoilers: I'd much rather see spoiler tags/warnings than Rot13, but that is a purely personal preference.

[Okti]

The mission has been upgraded to version 1.1.1, the download link is valid. Thanks to metatheurgist for spotting the error for Stage_229. Funny enough my own version had the Cecear part of the Stage_229 commented. Probably I changed it to test something and forgot to reverse it back before uploading the mission again. Only happens if the player docks at Cecear main station. And causes some fun to be missed

Also 522 downloads till now

Cheers,
Okti

[metatheurgist]

Hello, I'm not trying to be a pain in the butt, honest.

Ran into a minor complication with Mr Viper Inspector. I was asked to pull over and did, but then I got shot for obeying a directive anyway. Turns out Mr Inspector was expecting my ship to have a speed identical to 0. Don't know if it's because I'm driving a SuperCobra or something but my speed was recorded at being 7.152557373046875e-7, not 0. So being such a flagrant scofflaw Mr Sticks to the Rules or Die decided to terminate my existance. If only RL courts were so demanding.

Anyway I decided to de-stick-in-the-ass Mr Inspector a bit by making him accept <0 rather than explicitly 0 as having obeyed the directive. We are both happier for the experience. Well, mainly he is, since he gets to live.

[Diziet Sma]

Hello, I'm not trying to be a pain in the butt, honest.

Ran into a minor complication with Mr Viper Inspector. I was asked to pull over and did, but then I got shot for obeying a directive anyway. Turns out Mr Inspector was expecting my ship to have a speed identical to 0. Don't know if it's because I'm driving a SuperCobra or something but my speed was recorded at being 7.152557373046875e-7, not 0. So being such a flagrant scofflaw Mr Sticks to the Rules or Die decided to terminate my existance. If only RL courts were so demanding.

Anyway I decided to de-stick-in-the-ass Mr Inspector a bit by making him accept <0 rather than explicitly 0 as having obeyed the directive. We are both happier for the experience. Well, mainly he is, since he gets to live.

This sounds remarkably like some problems I was experiencing with engine sounds in BGS at one time..

Wild-assed guess.. do you use a joystick with a throttle control?