[Release] Start Choices

[spara]

Enclose the ship's data key in square brackets. e.g. [cobra3-player]

Oh yes. And so it says in the 1.77 for oxprs thread, (and probably in wiki too, just didn't spot it). Thanks.

[Diziet Sma]

Bug report for v1.1 on Oolite 1.77.

Go to start a fresh Jameson. Scroll down to one of the more difficult choices, examine it, but exit back to the main menu. Go to the 'Classic' start and select it. When the game loads, you will have reduced missiles and/or starting credits, as if you had chosen the more difficult start, but you will be in a Cobby MkIII.

I've checked several times, examining a different starting alternative each time, and the bug manifests every time. If you examined a medium option the missile count will be reduced to one, and if you looked at the 'broke Adder' option before choosing the 'Classic' start, you will have neither missiles nor credits when you begin.

[spara]

Thanks Diziet for reporting. Would have taken quite some time for me to notice that. New version is up (1.2).

* Reported bug fixed
* like_ship approach changed to datakey solution.

[Diziet Sma]

You're welcome..

[spara]

As a result of the discussion about the start difficulties of new players, I have added a new 'Fast-track' start option to this oxp. It should be enough for a new player to get right into action .

[Belisarius]

I think it's excellent for nOobs to get a start with the fast-track option. Well done with that choice. The slimeslug sangria is on me.

[spara]

I think it's excellent for nOobs to get a start with the fast-track option. Well done with that choice. The slimeslug sangria is on me.

Thanks. I hope that the nOobs find it before they ditch the game .

[Diziet Sma]

I think it's excellent for nOobs to get a start with the fast-track option. Well done with that choice. The slimeslug sangria is on me.

Thanks. I hope that the nOobs find it before they ditch the game .

Which is kind of why I've been thinking of suggesting your Start Choices be built into the core game. Plenty of other games offer alternative starts.. why shouldn't Oolite?

[Cody]

Which is kind of why I've been thinking of suggesting your Start Choices be built into the core game.

I'd not be in favour of that - but that's only my personal opinion.

[Captain Tylor]

Which is kind of why I've been thinking of suggesting your Start Choices be built into the core game.

I'd not be in favour of that - but that's only my personal opinion.

I agree with Cody - isn`t that what OXP`s are all about.

[Disembodied]

I agree with Cody - isn`t that what OXP`s are all about.

It's true that OXPs are there to give everyone the ability to customise their game - but there is a fundamental difference here in that this would be providing options for new players right from the start, without requiring anyone to install any OXPs (something which a number - possibly a large number - of players might never do; indeed, it's possible that a lot of players never realise that OXPs exist).

This sort of option, offered at startup, need not affect anyone at all, any more than the built-in Strict Mode option does. To be honest, Strict Mode probably has fewer users, and those who do use it might not know what they're doing ... for a long time I thought it was some sort of death-means-death mode, like Escape Velocity's "Iron Man" setting.

Fundamentally, you have to ask: what's wrong with offering an easy (for a quite hard value of "easy") start for those that might want it, or need it to let them see what all the fuss is about? How does it affect the game I choose to play?

[Cody]

We'll never agree on this, Big D, so further comment on my part is futile.

[Smivs]

Personally, I am in two minds about this as I agree with both viewpoints.
I certainly feel a newcomer to the game should be offered choices - we undoubtably lose many players who just give up right at the start because it's 'too hard'.
However changes to the basic game have always been 'OXP only' and I would be very wary of changing that.
One possible option (that also covers the players who may not be aware of OXPs in general) might be to include a mention of the Start Choices OXP (and the others) with a link in the main Oolite download documents.

[Thargoid]

Another option could simply be the game shipping with a couple of pre-configured save games in the different roles and locations with specific core equipment and cash.

[spara]

I cherish challenge in games. I would even say that for me a game without a challenge is not a game at all. Therefore I have great trouble seeing what is the point in many popular games such as Sims, Minecraft, Lego franchise and such. I have tested them all as I have children that enjoy them a lot, but they just don't appeal to me. And that's my opinion. But at the same time I understand that there are others who enjoy them a lot. And that's their opinion. The same goes with Oolite. I find that the idea of forcing all Oolite players to start the game the way it was started in 1984 is nostalgic, retro and all that, but for a modern player it's so yesterday. So there IMO most definitely should be an option for a quicker, right in to the action start. And it should be there when that new player first starts the game. I find it hard to believe that they would come searching for an oxp to help, if they are disappointed in the game.

I find Thargoids idea the most appealing one, although I would follow the KISS rule and provide only one save game along the lines of the Fast-track choice.