Help for a Noob trying to get started

[BeastieBoy]

Hi All,

Whilst getting bored waiting for Elite Dangerous to deliver on my backing,,, Alpha 2 hopefully next week!!!

I was advised by a friend to try Oolite as it was fun and a modern version of the original elite and "easily tinkered with" as its text based.

Great thinks I. So I've tried it and I like it but being a tinkerer, is always like taking things apart and putting them back together, and normally they still work.

So is thought, I'm bored let’s try tweaking some stuff. So after playing around with cargo holds etc and getting into the game further is thought let’s get my old favourite ship the Asp and go have some fun. Well it's no fun. Why? For some reason this exploring ship has no cargo space and isn't allowed to fir fuel scoops so for long range playing it sucks as you can’t skim fuel, you have to dock.

So I studied the Ships.plist file in the config and thought can't be that hard so set the fuel#-scoops and scoop = 1 like all the other ships but it doesn't allow me to actually buy or fit a scoop.

Now is understand that it has no cargo space but surely it could still use the scoop to refuel right?

Also is thought why not try playing around with the missile numbers etc on ships because that should be easy as well, but is can't get that to work either. Can change the max_missiles and the number of fitted missiles etc but it doesn't translate into the game. Are there some script things going on here stopping these changes?

I'm thinking of making a ship to import in and just wanted to understand how everything hangs together before diving into the deep end, hence playing around with existing ships. Is there an idiot’s guide to ship creation out there anywhere or am I going to be beyond hope learning to make anew ship.

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.

BB

[spara]

For installable equipment, take a peek at the shipyard.plist file.

And remember to hold down shift key while starting the game after you have edited some text files. The game won't register the changed otherwise.

[Diziet Sma]

And remember to hold down shift key while starting the game after you have edited some text files. The game won't register the changed otherwise.

That would be my guess as to why the changes aren't "taking".. the cache isn't being rebuilt.

G'day BeastieBoy, and welcome aboard!

Re the shift-starting thingy.. when you start the game after editing a file, hold the shift key down until you see the spinning Cobra Mk III. This forces Oolite to rebuild its' cache.

A couple more suggestions for you.. don't edit the original shipyard.plist.. make a folder in your AddOns folder, called Config, and copy the shipyard.plist file into it.. then edit the copy. Any config files Oolite finds there will over-ride the default settings.

Also, since you're most likely using Windows, DO NOT use Notepad as your text editor for Oolite.. it will mess up the files in non-obvious ways. Wordpad is ok, but better yet is Notepad++.. it has lots of useful features, and is free.

[Smivs]

Hi BeastieBoy, and welcome!
Yes it sounds like you need to do the shift-start to clear the cache. You can actually go into the GNUstep defaults file and set 'always flush cache' to 'yes', then it will be automatically flushed on each start up. A lot of OXP authors and tinkerers do this as it saves time and avoids forgetting.
I'm a Penguinista, but a bit of searching around here found this advice for Windows users.

It should be under <oolite root>/oolite.app/GNUstep/Defaults as .GNUstepDefaults

Good luck, and have fun

[BeastieBoy]

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice. The shipyard file managed to sort out the whole add or subtract a missile pylon thing.

I always flush the cache on a change I have a load of OXP's rtunning and they always tell me to do that

I still can't get a fuel scoop onto an ASP though. Even if i go into teh shipyard.plist and set it as optional with a 100% chance or as a standard piece of kit i can't find an Asp with a scoop fitted to buy and there's not an option to buy / fit one either.

I think it has something to do with this"// OXP hook to allow stations to forbid specific equipment
if (context == "purchase" && player.ship.dockedStation && player.ship.dockedStation.scriptInfo["oolite-barred-equipment"])
{
if (player.ship.dockedStation.scriptInfo["oolite-barred-equipment"].indexOf(equipment) != -1)
{
return false;
}
}

// otherwise allowed
return true;
}"

From the conditions script? I have no idea how or where this "hook" is called up or changed though. If anyone knows it would sure be helpfull

BB

[cim]

So is thought, I'm bored let’s try tweaking some stuff. So after playing around with cargo holds etc and getting into the game further is thought let’s get my old favourite ship the Asp and go have some fun. Well it's no fun. Why? For some reason this exploring ship has no cargo space and isn't allowed to fir fuel scoops so for long range playing it sucks as you can’t skim fuel, you have to dock.

The Elite/Oolite Asp is more a military heavy fighter than an exploration ship like the FE2/FFE Asp Explorer.

Adding "EQ_FUEL_SCOOPS", to the optional equipment section in the shipyard.plist for the Asp should be sufficient to get it to appear for purchase, though - works for me here.

Actually, it feels like a bug that the Asp can't fit fuel scoops - can anyone think of a good reason not to just add them to the allowed equipment list for the next version? The NPC Asps in 1.79 have "trader-courier" role which sunskims, so I really hadn't realised they didn't have it already...

The condition script is not relevant here: that would allow OXPers to set particular stations as not selling particular equipment, but so far as I know no-one has yet used that feature.

[spara]

Note that the scoops are tech level 6 equipment, so they are not found from Lave main station for example.

[Diziet Sma]

Actually, it feels like a bug that the Asp can't fit fuel scoops - can anyone think of a good reason not to just add them to the allowed equipment list for the next version? The NPC Asps in 1.79 have "trader-courier" role which sunskims, so I really hadn't realised they didn't have it already...

I'm inclined to agree.. there's no good reason it shouldn't have scoops.. even in its' original role, it ought to be able to scoop capsules, at least.. I vote to change it.

[Smivs]

Also, looking at the core-game shipdata for the Asp

Code: Select all

has_scoop = 0.99;

[Keeper]

Actually, it feels like a bug that the Asp can't fit fuel scoops - can anyone think of a good reason not to just add them to the allowed equipment list for the next version? The NPC Asps in 1.79 have "trader-courier" role which sunskims, so I really hadn't realised they didn't have it already...

Speaking of roles for cargoless ships, I found it odd that the Sidewinder has a plain "pirate" role in 1.79. Not going to be a very successful independent pirate if you can't actually carry any cargo...

[Diogenese Senna]

In the original Elite (on the BBC and Amstrad CPC Versions) Sidewinders never flew alone and were usually accompanied by at least one Krait to pick up cargo, in groups of three. The original concept, at least as far as I can recall, was that they were an escort fighter for larger pirate craft. My memory might be slightly in error, but as far as I can remember, I think Oolite is the first version I've come across where the Sidewinder, and Krait for that matter, can appear as a single entity.

There was one version (it might have been the Atari ST but I won't bet on it since it's been MANY years) where it was possible in certain situations, due to a bug, to pick up a Sidewinder and it converted into a cargo pod.