Constrictor Hunt bug...maybe

[phkb]

I'm not sure if this is a bug or something that was intended, but I thought I'd raise it anyway. This is supposed to be this friendliest board this side of Riedquat, so hopefully I won't get lasered into oblivion for posting something irrelevant...

Moving on...

(To avoid spoilers, I've changed the colour of the planet name so you have to highlight it to see it)

When then constrictor hunt starts, I track it to [Arexe] and I get this message

“Yep, an unusual new ship had a galactic hyperdrive fitted here, used it too.”

The trouble is, [Arexe] is TL 9, but galactic hyperdrives are only available at TL 11.

So, is it a bug, or just a plot device for the mission?

[Smivs]

The message is a bit mis-leading and perhaps should be re-worded. But you are right, it's more a plot device than anything, and in fact could occur at any planet due to the way the mission is triggered.
And welcome to the Board

[cim]

Well spotted, and welcome to the forums, phkb.

Now, this is an interesting one. The Constrictor is stolen from its shipyard, and the thieves can be tracked making two jumps before they jump out. The first is to a fairly low-tech world, but the second is to the TL 10 system (not sure why it looks TL 9 in your game - maybe an OXP changed it?) where they can buy a galactic drive.

Or where they would be able to buy one, were this Elite, where it was a TL 10 item. In Oolite, however, for historical reasons, the drive is a TL 11 item.

There's no particularly obvious alternative for the thieves, either. Xezaor is probably alerted to them and they can't afford to spare most of a day there getting the drive fitted to their very distinctive ship. Veale is the next closest but because of the topology of G2 would require a significant rewrite of their route through that chart. Inonri similarly. The rest are even further away.

Interesting...

in fact could occur at any planet due to the way the mission is triggered.

The original mission notification can. The messages about the thieves' actions are specific to the system, though - the one where they jump out can only occur at this particular system.

[phkb]

I don't think an OXP has messed with the tech levels. I was looking in the "oolite-galaxies.xls" file (from the planet list), and the planet is listed in there as TL 9. However, further research reveals that the wiki on galaxy 1 has the planet listed as TL 10. Confusing.

[Cody]

I was looking in the "oolite-galaxies.xls" file (from the planet list), and the planet is listed in there as TL 9. However, further research reveals that the wiki on galaxy 1 has the planet listed as TL 10. Confusing.

That spreadsheet counts TL from 0 to 14, whereas the planet list counts TL from 1 to 15 (I think that's right).

Oh... and welcome aboard.

[phkb]

Oh, right! Got it. I should have read more closely the details on the planet list page, that gives me that exact detail! D'oh!

[cim]

There's no particularly obvious alternative for the thieves

...unless, of course, the Constrictor already had a galactic hyperdrive fitted, but it was damaged in the escape. A TL 10 world can repair a galactic hyperdrive...

[Switeck]

I seem to vaguely recall in a past discussion that sometimes equipment is offered at a system that is "normally" 1 TL too low.

I think it was concerning the buying of Galactic Hyperdrives from one of the "unreachable" systems in Galaxy Charts 3, 6, or 7.

[Disembodied]

..unless, of course, the Constrictor already had a galactic hyperdrive fitted, but it was damaged in the escape. A TL 10 world can repair a galactic hyperdrive...

That would be an easy fix:

“Yep, an unusual new ship had its galactic hyperdrive repaired here, used it too.”