Fugitive player support in Oolite

[Disembodied]

Re-reading my previous post, I think I'm possibly overcomplicating things. What sort of support does a Fugitive player really need? At bottom, it's probably just a place to sell the loot, re-equip, and save the game, without being shot at all the time. "Being shot at all the time" is probably the standout feature of the Fugitive life, by other pirates as much as by bounty hunters and Vipers. Possibly, then, we need two things:

1) an AI change: make pirates less likely to attack, without provocation, a player who's tagged as an Offender, and very unlikely to attack a player who's tagged as a Fugitive.

2) some pirate lairs, in low-end systems, where players can sell goods (at not tremendously good prices - but then, they didn't pay for them: and inverting the price structure makes sense, so you might need to take your loot to another system to get the best price on it), repair and re-equip (maybe not to the same standard - or maybe, because there are very few high-tech, low-end systems, this could be left as-is). Pirate lairs could be found by following pirates; once located, they could be added to the player's ASC. Docking in a lair, as an Offender or Fugitive, is no problem; approaching one with a Clean rating invites a swarming attack, and docking will result in the ship being seized and the player being sold into slavery.

I think that would cover the basics. Further detailing could probably be left to OXZs.

[Cody]

Above all else, a career fugitive needs access to a class-A shipyard - somewhere, no matter how rare!

[Disembodied]

Above all else, a career fugitive needs access to a class-A shipyard - somewhere, no matter how rare!

Yes, true ... balancing out the career would be the main aim. A Fugitive career should be more difficult than a Clean one. Profits should be higher, but risks should be greater, and running costs should be higher too.

If Fugitive players can avoid the main stations and their Vipers, then that should reduce the risks, and the need for repairs. Putting a few dedicated bounty hunters on a player's tail might be an entertaining trick, though.

[Cody]

A Fugitive career should be more difficult than a Clean one. Profits should be higher, but risks should be greater, and running costs should be higher too.

It is all of that - and being a career fugitive doesn't necessarily equate to being a pirate!
The likelihood of pirates attacking a player-fugitive would have to depend on the player-role.

Putting a few dedicated bounty hunters on a player's tail might be an entertaining trick, though.

Oi! I've already got assassins on my tail - very dedicated assassins! <grins>

[Disembodied]

A Fugitive career should be more difficult than a Clean one. Profits should be higher, but risks should be greater, and running costs should be higher too.

It is all of that - and being a career fugitive doesn't necessarily equate to being a pirate!
The likelihood of pirates attacking a player-fugitive would have to depend on the player-role.

That's worth thinking about - maybe it's worth considering an alternative approach to being a contrabandista? Currently - and correct me if I'm wrong - it involves buying e.g. a cargo of Narcotics on the cheap, launching, becoming a deep Offender or Fugitive, and then jumping on until your legal rating drops to a level where you can dock and sell them without incurring too much of the wrath of the Co-operative. Generally, though, a smuggler should be someone who can carry illicit goods without other people knowing about them. This might involve things like collecting cargo from somewhere that wasn't in the main station - a prearranged drop-point, maybe, where cargo is dumped in space and from where the player scoops it up (having paid for it in advance - adding risk). It might also involve having to avoid being scanned by Vipers, and/or selling the cargo in specific off-piste locations like Rock Hermits (or even pirate bases), which he player has to navigate to (adding skill). This would further require some reworking of prices for illegal goods, making them more expensive in places with higher levels of law enforcement.

[Cody]

... it involves buying e.g. a cargo of Narcotics on the cheap, launching, becoming a deep Offender or Fugitive, and then jumping on until your legal rating drops to a level where you can dock and sell them without incurring too much of the wrath of the Co-operative.

Yes - unless one plays the game, and fights one's way into a station!

Off-piste rock hermits should have a major role to play (I bought some cheap narcotics from one last night, as it happens).

[Disembodied]

... it involves buying e.g. a cargo of Narcotics on the cheap, launching, becoming a deep Offender or Fugitive, and then jumping on until your legal rating drops to a level where you can dock and sell them without incurring too much of the wrath of the Co-operative.

Yes - unless one plays the game, and fights one's way into a station!

I think that's maybe something worth reconsidering, though. It's always seemed a bit strange that it's possible to shoot up a bunch of Vipers in the aegis, and then dock, with no repercussions. It's not inexplicable: for example, the station interior could be planetary territory, not Co-operative territory, and the Vipers' authority might only apply out in space; but it does seem a bit odd. It's a bit like driving a neon bus loaded to the gunwales with Acapulco Gold and blaring "LA CUCARACHA!" on the horn, smashing through the border in a hail of bullets, and having the cops give up when you round the first bend ...

Fun, though!

[Cody]

It's always seemed a bit strange that it's possible to shoot up a bunch of Vipers in the aegis, and then dock, with no repercussions.

There are often repercussions - fines, cleaning-up after the lobstoids, attitude adjustment. All of which clear one's legal record, of course.

As you said upthread - a smuggler should be someone who can carry illicit goods without other people knowing about them.

[Disembodied]

There are often repercussions - fines, cleaning-up after the lobstoids, attitude adjustment. All of which clear one's legal record, of course.

That makes it odder, though: you could have just killed half a dozen cops (who were, moments ago, trying to kill you) and the worst you get is some attitude adjustment - and you can still sell the cargo that got you into trouble in the first place. An Offender should be able to dock in a main system station and survive, lighter in the pocket maybe, but I'm not sure if the same should apply to a Fugitive (especially if Fugitive players are provided with alternate places to go).

As you said upthread - a smuggler should be someone who can carry illicit goods without other people knowing about them.

That would rule out buying them in a main station, though, surely? The reason you get a criminal rating when you launch is because everyone knows you've got a cargo hold full of naughties (as I believe they're known "in the biz" ). Should quantities of slaves, narcotics and firearms be available to buy in main stations?

[Cody]

Should quantities of slaves, narcotics and firearms be available to buy in main stations?

If there was an alternative off-piste market, then only in some main stations, perhaps - dependent on system factors.

[Diziet Sma]

As you said upthread - a smuggler should be someone who can carry illicit goods without other people knowing about them.

That would rule out buying them in a main station, though, surely? The reason you get a criminal rating when you launch is because everyone knows you've got a cargo hold full of naughties (as I believe they're known "in the biz" ).

Which is pretty much why I like Wildebood's Undocumented Launch OXP.

[Wildeblood]

I like Wildebood's Undocumented Launch OXP.

Which is not available through the OXZ manager because as it stands the option appears whenever you're docked at a main station, whereas I want it to only appear if you actually have controlled goods in your manifest. Fixing that has been on my to-do list for 16 months, but I've never got my head around condition scripts for equipment.

[Norby]

I want it to only appear if you actually have controlled goods in your manifest.

A sample controlledgoods.js :

Code: Select all

"use strict";
this.name = "controlledgoods";

this.allowAwardEquipment = function(eqKey, ship, context) {
  var m = player.ship.manifest;
  if( m.slaves > 0 || m.narcotics > 0 || m.firearms > 0 ) return true;
  else return false;
}

Then put a condition_script="controlledgoods.js"; into your equipment.plist.

[Diziet Sma]

Hehehe.. I had a feeling Norby would pop up with a solution.. I must be psychic..

[Wildeblood]

Too slow. I did it this morning after I posted that message. This is my solution, which doesn't make any assumptions about which goods are controlled at which stations, so should be "future-proof":

Code: Select all

this.name = "undocumented_launch_available";
this.version = "1.0";

this.allowAwardEquipment = function (eqKey, ship, context) {
    "use strict";
    if (context !== "purchase" || eqKey !== "EQ_UNDOCUMENTED_LAUNCH") {
        return false;
    }
    var market = player.ship.dockedStation.market;
    for (prop in market) {
        if (market[prop].legalPenalty && manifest[prop]) {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}