Newbie needs help lol

[Goth47]

Hi guys
I am new to oolite and really enjoying it but I have a problem, I am constantly being attacked by pirates, I cant outrun them and I cant outfight them. I am trying to stay in sytems that are safe until I build my ship up a bit but even in systems with low pirate activity I am being attacked by upto 5 well armed pirates at a time and my shields are not lasting more than a few seconds before I get damaged systems and explode.
being new to the game I realise it might be down to the oxps I am running so please advise on my list below
1. Altimeter 1.0
2. Armoury 1.13
3. Auto Crosshairs 1.0.4
4 Autodockv02
5 BGS-A1.9
6 BigShips 1.02
7 Bl0omberg Markets v2.5
8 BountyScannerv2.0
9 buoyRepair1.3.2
10 Cabal common Library1.7
11 Cargo Spotter 1.01
12 Cargo wrecks teaser 1.7.2
13 Delightful Docking
14 Dock Assist system1.3
15 Energy Equipment
16 EnergyBombfor1.77
17 Executive Spaceways v2.4
18 Fuel tank v2.2
19 Griff Krait v1.1
20 Griff shipset addition v1.22
21 Griff shipset replace v1.34
22 Griff shipset resources v1.2.25
23 Griff station bundle fullsize tex v1.1
24 halsis
25 h0opyCasino1.2.1
26 IronHide 2.00
27 Laser Booster 1.01
28 liners v1.6
29 market inquirer 1.6
30 Missile Analyser 1.2
31 Missiles and Bombs v2.5
32 multidecal scuffed cobraIII player
33 ore processor
34 Planetfall 1.51
35 Povray Planets
36 randomshipnames1.3
37 Realistic Stars1.1
38 RepairBots2.09
39 Retro Rockets 1.00
40 Rock Hermit Locator1.33
41 Shady blackmonks v1.47
42 ShieldEqualizer+Capacitorsv1.3
43 Snoopers2.5
44 Staers Shipset(shaded)v1.0
45 stationrotation1.0
46 System Features rings 1.1
47 System Features Sunspots 1.4
48 Talkative Compass 1.0.4
49 TCA v1.03
50 technical reference library 1.0.1
51 UPS Courier v1.8.4
52 Welcome Mat 1.13

a lot for a newbie I know but I am still experimenting with oxps, the game plays great on my comp with these oxps except for the large amount of invincible pirates. if no sugestions can help me out the only alternative I would have myself is to write an oxp that allows safe systems to be pirate free so any advice on what files to edit would help too(are the values for pirates spawned in a java script or a config?)
Any help would be appreciated guys, I am loving the game at the mo and don't wanna use a money cheat or anything, I just need an easier start
Many Thanks
Goth

[Svengali]

Hello Goth47,

check if Griff Krait v1.1 comes with a script.js. If so simply remove it.

[Smivs]

Hi Goth47, and welcome
You have a few OXPs which might make NPCs tougher which will not help your cause. For example I think (I might be wrong of course!) that the ordnance in Missiles and Bombs can be awarded to NPCs as well as players.
Also, have you got a problem with the Black Monks at the moment?
Otherwise most of yours look pretty harmless at first glance, although there are several which fall under the 'cheat' catagory which is currently a hot topic of debate around these parts. The problem with these is that by relying on them, you may not be learning the skills and tactics etc that will ultimately make you successful.

[JazHaz]

Not really sure what's going on here, but here's some ideas.

If you have a legal status of offender or fugitive, that paints a great big target on you, and everyone not just pirates will attack you.

Have you tried flying outside the main space lane? Pirates usually attack in the lane, so avoiding it can help avoid the pirates, at least until you get trading cash up to afford some equipment. To do this, on arrival in a system, angle away from the planet and jump for a few seconds, before angling back towards the planet.

[cim]

Staer's ships does have a few ships which are a bit tougher than average showing up as pirates (and one, the Cat, which is extremely dangerous). You may wish to temporarily remove that OXP.

Executive Spaceways adds a couple of heavy fighter ships which can end up in pirate packs as escorts to the pirate freighter - the Gemini and the Delta. You might also want to remove that OXP temporarily if those two are giving you trouble.

You have a few OXPs which add extra missiles, which I think the NPCs will also sometimes use. That may not be helping matters, but again is probably not the main reason. It sounds from what you've said that it's their lasers that are getting you.

You say you're new: how new are we talking here - you've got your Cobra III and 100 credits and can't survive your first trip ... or have you got a little further than that? I'll assume closer to the first:
- if you haven't got witchspace fuel injectors, get them as soon as possible. Leesti and Zaonce both sell them, as do other systems. They should probably be your first equipment purchase. They will let you outrun most pirates easily, and at least you'll be fighting the rest mostly 1-on-1.
- you'll need around 650 credits to buy them, and at least a little spare for trading afterwards. So, how to get that far?
- if you're careful, you should be able to spot ships ahead, at least the bigger ones, before they get into scanner range. Cut your torus drive when you spot them, before you get masslocked, and approach at normal speeds. You should be able to observe them from a distance or perhaps the edge of scanner range, and then run away if they look dangerous and try to go around them.
- your shields won't stand up to more than a second of concentrated fire at this stage, and the upgrades to improve that are some of the most expensive items on the market. A lone pirate you can probably get up close to in a dogfight.
- if they fire a missile at you, fire one back at them. Works some of the time until you have an ECM system of your own.
- the safer systems do have police patrols and bounty hunters looking for pirates. It may be worth following one of those around for a bit.
- the average pirate will not be able to reliably hit you beyond about ten kilometres, especially if you dodge about a little. The Cobra III can outrun all non-OXP ships commonly used by pirates except the Asp and the Sidewinder. The first is not a particularly common pirate ship, and the second is relatively weak. If you can get to the point where you've run away from all the pirates except an Asp and a Sidewinder, you may be in a position to win. Attack the Sidewinder first, in that case.
- if you dump cargo, at least some of the pirates may break off their attack to pick it up. If they do, keep running. Some of the others may keep following you and attacking: if you fire back then the ones you distracted with the cargo will rejoin the chase, so wait until they're off the scanner. Cargo gets dumped with most of your ship's velocity, so dump the cargo and then pull a sharp turn to get the pirates heading a different direction to you. You can cycle which cargo is dropped: start with the Food!

There are a couple of quicker ways to get money than trading, but you may wish you hadn't later: one is to trade in your Cobra III for a Cobra I and 6000-ish credits, and use that money to buy some basic equipment. It's a worse ship overall, though, and it'll take you a long while to trade your way back up to a Cobra III. Another, since you have the OXP installed, is to take out a loan from the Black Monks. You will probably also regret that decision.

Future Oolite releases will include more ways for a beginning player to survive a pirate encounter (and fewer pirates in the safer systems) but that's not a lot of help to you right now, obviously...

[Eric Walch]

..... - you've got your Cobra III and 100 credits and can't survive your first trip ...
...... if they fire a missile at you, fire one back at them. Works some of the time until you have an ECM system of your own.

Missiles are still expensive for a starting pilot. In my opinion is the best way to survive at the beginning: "be a coward".
- Avoid the space lane until you have decent weapons.
- Flee with injectors when encountering more than one pirate. (This indeed means to buy the injectors as one of the first items)

[Cpt]

Svengali is right about the Griff Kraits as being the most likely culprit it notes in the download section of the wiki here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Griff_Krait and everyone else is giving good advice too.

To help you some more you might want to consider a rebalance towards 'Law and order' OXPs might help like 249 reserve squadron and Jaguar Company... Although this will add to mass lock...

Also other pit stops to break up the journey (or to run into and hide) might be of help, with OXPs like: Kiota stations and/or Baakili far trader. You might want more traders for pirates to be distracted by like Transports OXP or something that does a bit of both Rescue Stations OXP.

You might consider Fuel Station OXP to help enable you to Hyperjump out or use Injectors when you've afforded them.

HTH

[Disembodied]

Svengali is right about the Griff Kraits as being the most likely culprit it notes in the download section of the wiki here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Griff_Krait

Specifically,

Note that the OXP contains test code which spawns a few aggressive Griff Kraits right outside your station whenever you leave. Remove script.js from the Config folder in the OXP to stop this.

That should fix some of the grief!

Don't worry about being a newbie, either: one thing we tend not to see round here is how the game works for new players. I think a lot of us would welcome your opinions and insight on issues like playability, game balance, OXP choice etc.

[Diziet Sma]

I think a lot of us would welcome your opinions and insight on issues like playability, game balance, OXP choice etc.

Very much so.. us 'old hands' have a hard time seeing things through a newbie's eyes.. and it's becoming increasingly clear that we really have a need for that perspective, so anything you can say about your early experiences and impressions will be taken seriously and respectfully.

[Goth47]

Thanks for all your help guys and thanks for the welcome also, it was nice to get so much response. I have removed ten of my oxps now, those mentioned by people here (Griffs Krait) etc, the auto docking oxp(I prefer to dock manually) and the weapons and energy oxps and it seems better but the biggest tip I think is the not using the space lanes to the station, I last played Elite on my Amiga probably 18 years ago and I think I used to do that then. Unfortunately I forgot all about it(probably due to senility lol).

@Svengali Kraits removed and thanks for the advice, when you said remove it did you mean the whole oxp or just the script? because I removed the whole oxp
@Smivs - I haven't had any problems with the blackmonks though I haven't borrowed any money from them I have visited their station though and it is a pretty
sight
@JazHaz I am not an offender or anything I actually think its down to Griffs Kraits( Gotta love his work though, his retextures are beautiful) thanks for the advice on avoiding the spacelanes, it's working but if I veer to far off corse I have trouble finding the station lol. Also thanks for your recommended oxp list I used it as the basis for mine.
@ Cim Thanks mate I have removed staers ships and executive spaceways for now and put them in a temp folder also thanks for telling me what the witch space fuel injectors do, I didn't know what they were for before you told me and yeas they are very handy. you've given me some excellent advice there. Once I get a bit more experienced I will check out those oxps of yours too
@ Eric Being a coward until I have the guns to defend myself is just what I am gonna do cheers
@Cpt Some great advice on oxps there mate I am gonna get those stations and squadrons and give them a try cheers
@Disembodied and Diziet Sma I think the game is bloody great I have just downloaded Zygos skys and nebulae and combined with Griffs ships and stations and Povray Planets the game looks stunning and is so immersive. I actually own X3 Terran Conflict and Oolite is much more playable. One bugbear for me though is its hard to earn a profit with trading in oolite. There simply isn't enough profit in tradeable items when you consider the cost of fuel and repairing battle damage. For instance I can earn 30 to 40 credits profit per ton of computers and yet a military laser costs 6000 and can be destroyed in one encounter. I am still loving the game though, I visited the Tionisla station earlier and it was spectacular. Currently I am writing a book and have had the last 3 days off work during which I was going to do some writing. needless to say I haven't written a word lol. I do know a little about programming and modding and am sure you guys will see some future oxps from me. Oolite has a new fan here.
many many thanks for all the help guys its really appreciated
Goth

[Svengali]

@Svengali Kraits removed and thanks for the advice, when you said remove it did you mean the whole oxp or just the script? because I removed the whole oxp

Only the script.-) If I recall it right Griff used a test script which spawns a pack of them on every launching.

[cim]

thanks for telling me what the witch space fuel injectors do, I didn't know what they were for before you told me and yeas they are very handy.

You're not the first person who didn't recognise quite how important they are for early game survival. I wonder if there's any way to hint at it a bit more.

There simply isn't enough profit in tradeable items when you consider the cost of fuel and repairing battle damage. For instance I can earn 30 to 40 credits profit per ton of computers and yet a military laser costs 6000 and can be destroyed in one encounter.

Lasers, without OXPs changing it, are immune to combat damage. I'd recommend uninstalling "Laser Booster OXP" too, then, as the likely cause of that problem...

Beyond that the only items of publicly available equipment which will cost more than one good trade run's profit to repair are the two shield boosters - and since equipment can only be damaged once your shields are down, they may pay for themselves in reduced repair bills eventually.

That said, small-time trading is not intended to be hugely profitable (a problem many players find in the late game is that it nevertheless is still too profitable) - there are riskier but more lucrative ways to make money, even without OXPs.

[Cpt]

@Cpt Some great advice on oxps there mate I am gonna get those stations and squadrons and give them a try cheers...Goth

You are most welcome!

When you decide you want a little more action you might want to consider Hotrods OXP to get the Tiger gang and although the hotrods are fast they don't take many shots, they are a bit like Griffs Kraits in terms of spawning plus they give you some cute verbal but they are a lot less intense, you also might want to consider deep space pirates, offender traders and get yourself some galactic navy plus the various Behemoth and Thargoid OXPs you might want to put them in, in stages and suck them and see... Then if you like a challenge you might like to try OXPs that toughen up NPCs like ToughGuys, NPC shields, renegades, skilled NPCs and Ship Version...

[Goth47]

Having a great time now without those Kraits showing up and blasting me all the time, if anything it's now a little too quiet but at least now I can go looking for trouble when I want it. Really enjoying this guys I am now exploring the galaxy.
@Svengali I ended up deleting the whole thing for now but may put them back in without the script later though because it really is a nice looking ship
@ Cim Yeah those injectors are invaluable, I've installed the Fuel station OXP(really like those) mentioned by cpt and always stock up on fuel whenever possible now and yes it was the laser booster causing my laser to damage so I've deleted that OXP
@ cpt Those Fuel Stations are great, thanks for mentioning them, I installed the baakili far trader though I haven't seen one yet. I cant find the kiota stations OXP anywhere though. Thanks for the advice on which OXPs to use I will add them one at a time to spice things up as I get better at fighting.
Great advice here guys
Thanks
Goth

[Thargoid]

Kiota's are in my Wildships OXP.

Will have a look again at laser boosters OXP and see if it needs a balance tweak.