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[Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Discussion and information relevant to creating special missions, new ships, skins etc.

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cim
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by cim »

SARR wrote:
I have a gameplay question to this oxp. Yesterday I took over one of the "medium" contracts worth about 2500 cr. When I found my target (flying a python) he attacked me with 5-6 hired guns, all in small ships most with multiple lasers :shock: well, they cut my ship in pieces every time I tried......my ship ain´t that bad, its a python et special with military shield, laser, etc......
The easiest way is probably to attack from extreme range, and pick off at least a few of the escorts at about 25km when they'll find it difficult to return fire (or impossible if they only have beam lasers). Of course, you need to be good enough to hit them at that range.

Another option: use your Multi-Targeting System to lock on to several of the escorts with hard head missiles, then fire one a second when you get to about 15km. The escorts will run (leave about a second between launches in case some have ECM and get lucky - you don't want one missile exploding and taking out the entire wave) and you can concentrate on the target. Try to do a lot of damage to them quickly, so that they jump to witchspace - if they do, follow them as quickly as you can: try to get through the wormhole before the remaining escorts. Then switch to your aft laser and pick off the escorts as they emerge on the other side - they'll be relatively defenseless for a few seconds after they emerge.

Another option: lure a bounty hunter or police ship into range of them. Once the escorts are distracted chasing that down, go for the Python - being a Python it's likely to end up left behind by its escorts a little, which should give you a bit of time to destroy it or chase it to witchspace up close.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by spara »

SARR wrote:
I have a gameplay question to this oxp. Yesterday I took over one of the "medium" contracts worth about 2500 cr. When I found my target (flying a python) he attacked me with 5-6 hired guns, all in small ships most with multiple lasers :shock: well, they cut my ship in pieces every time I tried......my ship ain´t that bad, its a python et special with military shield, laser, etc......
Are you using Skilled NPCs oxp? If so, note that there is a shipdata-overrides.plist in RH's Config folder applying Skilled NPCs to the RH ships. If you don't want this behavior, rename/remove that file.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by SARR »

spara wrote:
SARR wrote:
I have a gameplay question to this oxp. Yesterday I took over one of the "medium" contracts worth about 2500 cr. When I found my target (flying a python) he attacked me with 5-6 hired guns, all in small ships most with multiple lasers :shock: well, they cut my ship in pieces every time I tried......my ship ain´t that bad, its a python et special with military shield, laser, etc......
Are you using Skilled NPCs oxp? If so, note that there is a shipdata-overrides.plist in RH's Config folder applying Skilled NPCs to the RH ships. If you don't want this behavior, rename/remove that file.

Hi, thanks for the answers. I will try the combat strategies mentioned above first. And if I still fail, I will try without the Skilled NPC.......they make the game a little tougher and more interesting. But those guys are a little bit too tough for me :?
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by spara »

SARR wrote:
Hi, thanks for the answers. I will try the combat strategies mentioned above first. And if I still fail, I will try without the Skilled NPC.......they make the game a little tougher and more interesting. But those guys are a little bit too tough for me :?
I like tough too. That's why I implemented the support for Skilled NPCs into RH. On the other hand marks in RH can be quite tough, multiple lasers and stuff, and if you have set your Skilled NPCs level high, they will be extremely tough :twisted: . That's why I made the implementation through the shipdata-overrides file, so that it's easy to disable. No need to remove the Skilled NPCs oxp, just remove/rename shipdata-overrides from RH.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Diziet Sma »

Another tactic.. slowly approach the pack from behind..with care, you can get one or two of the henchmen on the edge of your scanner but NOT the mark. If you then get their attention with a well-aimed shot, (or a missile lock - don't fire the missile though) they will come after you, but without alerting their buddies or the mark. You can then draw them away from the pack and eliminate them, and then go back for another crack at the others.. it's often possible to get rid of 50% (or even more) of the henchmen before the mark even realises there's a problem. Remember.. you're a hunter.. stalk them.. hunt them.. :twisted:

When the main brawl begins, use hardheads as mentioned above to keep the remaining henchmen occupied while you go for a quick surgical strike on the mark. You can then either depart immediately, or clean up the survivors, as you choose.
Most games have some sort of paddling-pool-and-water-wings beginning to ease you in: Oolite takes the rather more Darwinian approach of heaving you straight into the ocean, often with a brick or two in your pockets for luck. ~ Disembodied
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by SARR »

Diziet Sma wrote:
Another tactic.. slowly approach the pack from behind..with care, you can get one or two of the henchmen on the edge of your scanner but NOT the mark. If you then get their attention with a well-aimed shot, (or a missile lock - don't fire the missile though) they will come after you, but without alerting their buddies or the mark. You can then draw them away from the pack and eliminate them, and then go back for another crack at the others.. it's often possible to get rid of 50% (or even more) of the henchmen before the mark even realises there's a problem. Remember.. you're a hunter.. stalk them.. hunt them.. :twisted:

When the main brawl begins, use hardheads as mentioned above to keep the remaining henchmen occupied while you go for a quick surgical strike on the mark. You can then either depart immediately, or clean up the survivors, as you choose.
The sneaking approach is exactly what I did the last times. But this time, they automatically are on red alert whenever I get close to them and attack me.....then I am the prey not they :(

But I will try some of the tactics above as soon as I have the time; I am not yet willing to give in and work arround the Skilled NPC.... :mrgreen:

Greez SARR
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Bazza »

This is where the cloaking device comes in real handy. Take out the escorts while cloaked, then uncloak for the mark. Obviously you won't get bounties for the escorts; but they're not the main targets. Sneaky, I know, and you've got to keep an eye on your energy; but it works.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Cody »

Bazza wrote:
This is where the cloaking device comes in real handy. Take out the escorts while cloaked, then uncloak for the mark.
Firing while cloaked automatically deactivates the cloak.
I would advise stilts for the quagmires, and camels for the snowy hills
And any survivors, their debts I will certainly pay. There's always a way!
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Bazza »

Cody wrote:
Bazza wrote:
This is where the cloaking device comes in real handy. Take out the escorts while cloaked, then uncloak for the mark.
Firing while cloaked automatically deactivates the cloak.
It doesn't on my Jade Falcon or my Military Stingray; but both have naval and extra energy units and a pretty good recharge rate. I can manage a couple of full blasts with the military laser before energy levels get dangerously low. I haven't tried it on a core ship, though.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Norby »

Cody wrote:
Firing while cloaked automatically deactivates the cloak.
It is an optional setting in shipdata.plist: ships designed without this setting is not decloak by default. Easy to forget this line during making a new oxp ship, so imho the default should be the weaker (decloaking) setting and turn on explicitly if the designer want a super stealth ship. But I think too late to change it.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Cody »

Hmm... I thought the default had already been changed. My mistake, it seems... not the first, nor the last.
I would advise stilts for the quagmires, and camels for the snowy hills
And any survivors, their debts I will certainly pay. There's always a way!
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by cim »

*hastily updates documentation*

cloak_passive's default was changed as part of the 1.77 release.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Cody »

cim wrote:
cloak_passive's default was changed as part of the 1.77 release.
Phew! I was thinking I'd gone crazy! But then, that happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away!
I would advise stilts for the quagmires, and camels for the snowy hills
And any survivors, their debts I will certainly pay. There's always a way!
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by Norby »

Thanks cim for the update, now I checked in the game and really all ship decloak where it is not specified, so Bazza is playing with 1.76 or earlier.
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Re: [Release] RandomHits 1.7.1

Post by SARR »

I realised yesterday, that I was running an old version of the Random Hits. So I upgraded to 1.7.1. Since then I was not able to find any victims anymore.....I cleared the cache, yes. Then I quit the running contract and started a new one, no effect. Still cannot find the victim. I always stay on the main lane and directly fly to the planet, but they do not appear.......any ideas?
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