[WIP] Life in the Frontier OXP

[BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM]

Is it possible to give a station a fixed layout so that you can walk through it a bit like the old text adventures. As it is implemented now you walk automatically into some areas so what you encounters feels a bit like a chance card in Monopoly.
(...)

My inspiration for the interface was Darklands, the old RPG with text menus. But this is a step further... and I like a lot! How could it be done...

Station with a number of "levels", every level a specific setting. That's ok. What levels? This is a list derivated by your suggestions, and by the structure used in System Shock 1 and 2:

- Level 1 (lowest): engineering, maintenance;
- Level 2: medical, scientific; MEDICAL CENTER
- Level 3: hydroponics(agricultural) or factories(industrial)
- Level 4: storage and cargo
- Level 5: hangars; WAITING HALL
- Level 6: main concourse; BAR, FIT CENTER, CHURCH, WILD WORLD VIRTUAL TOUR
- Level 7: luxury facilities (entertainment); ART GALLERY, OPERA HOUSE, CINEMA HALL, HOTEL
- Level 8: security level; GALCOP HQ

Since there is a number of levels, map will be pretty tiny, to avoid long sessions of navigation. The player can use an elevator to move to the level of choice.
Walking through the maps on the various levels can fire a random event (without clicking on a dedicated item), the events will be level-categorized.
Every level has the chance (via option in special location or random event) to generate a mission related to that level.

Medical Center (or health centre as you call it) can cure player based on system tech. As of it now, player has 5 steps of health/sickness: 0-4, and at 5 he should die. If health or sickness are 2 or more, there's a chance of worsening. So if the conditions are severe, he will need an high tech medical center to get well.
The contagion mission is nice but to avoid player dying in space I would rather insert a chance of sickness (light or severe) when completing the contract.

Shopping Center: I would like to allow players to buy equip, but I'll leave this for a second phase, when I'm certain there will be no more stuff on the main screen (I'm going to reorganize the character resume so take less space).

a passenger waiting hall - This is normally the place where passengers come before they fill in their destination for a normal F4 passenger contract but if you walk into this hall also better, more lucrative contracts could be offered. Or you could have passengers that would want to lift at least one planet with you to get closer to their destination for a cheaper fare.

Good idea, yes. Passenger but also parcel contracts.

Cargo center / docks / corridors (could be in different levels) This is where cargo is stored but it also could be a hiding place for shady figures and dealers.

Yes, and cargo contracts generation.

Luxury level / hotel with corridors

As you can see I want to put some more "intellectual" places (as suggested by ffutures). But I would want to use this floor as a point of meeting for accepting missions - maybe I'll set a fixed room (like "Room 111") as a destination where the player can meet a contractor.

Police office (here you can pay the fines but you also could get offered missions for the police

Yes, this was my idea too. Police mission will have to do with agents extractions or transporting witness...

The jail (Where you also can visit some types for more shady missions like piracy missions etc)

Or the player can be put in jail for a time - with a loss of money and some consequence on his stats (chance of sickness, loss of physical shape etc.)

I have a lot to think, but this new scheme of things is strongly intriguing...

[ffutures]

Another thought on the stats - Reputation seems an odd one. I've got a Commander who is a multi-millionaire, Elite, and the most famous cargo and parcel contractor in the galaxy, and the recipient of numerous awards for war combat in Thargoid Wars. And the reputation thing says that nobody ever heard of him... What would it say if he was an Offender, or Fugitive?

I get that this is dependent on events in the stations, but maybe this needs to be called something else, rather than just "reputation"?

[BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM]

Another thought on the stats - Reputation seems an odd one. I've got a Commander who is a multi-millionaire, Elite, and the most famous cargo and parcel contractor in the galaxy, and the recipient of numerous awards for war combat in Thargoid Wars. And the reputation thing says that nobody ever heard of him... What would it say if he was an Offender, or Fugitive?

I get that this is dependent on events in the stations, but maybe this needs to be called something else, rather than just "reputation"?

Yes, you're right. I was thinking to change it in "social standing", but I'm not sure. I have to find a definition that can cohesist between the vanilla career and the growing fame into the stations. Or maybe I can try to boost it at the first run of the OXP, searching for an average value between the vanilla score/reputation/bounty.

[SteveKing]

I thought I’d add a few cents to this (maybe not so) little project. I really like the idea behind it, and many thanks for tackling it.

My initial feeling would be to keep the navigation around stations (via the “left here, right there” sort of interaction) to a minimum. Other than a basic outline, there is enough variability in stations it is likely that no two would be the same. I like the idea of levels, but perhaps introduced as ‘zones’ or ‘precincts’. What I mean is, the dock occupies the central core of a station with its micro gravity for ease and efficiency of handling ships and their cargo, immediately adjacent to and part of the dock precinct would be the maintenance and cargo handling facilities. The basic business precinct of a station would come next, which would include medical, storage hangars, waiting and meeting rooms, research facilities, local food production (hydroponics), each of which has elements that benefit from low to high gravity. Even the entertainment precinct might wish to have a zero-G leisure centre and a gravity norm hotel facility. GalSec, GalCop and other business admin may employ many species (as well as the local one) that might want to work, live and be entertained near their gravity norms (at different levels, from the core to the station rim)… hopefully I’ve not overstated the idea

In this way, navigating can be as simple as “take the 'tube' to GalCop offices or the medical facilities”. I think this is what you meant when you said “…walking through the levels…” Events could be time related with the option of initially defining how much shore leave you wish to take, especially when you know you will be laid up anyway for repairs or an overhaul.

“Reputation” could be something like “Local Notoriety” - that way even an Elite multi-millionaire can stay incognito or be given the ‘Keys to the Coriolis’, whereas the local RRS pilot with a drinking problem might be very recognisable (especially around the lockup).

I’m a guarded fan of the RPG stat based system, mainly because a number can be transformed into a descriptor – I’m assuming that’s the eventual direction of the idea – as long as it’s not an integer between 1 and 20 for 10 attributes (that makes for a lot of descriptors)! My limited mind could probably cope with something like 'Well Being', 'Notoriety', 'Business Acumen' and maybe a stat like 'Reactions' to assist in time based decisions, with levels from say 1-5 (insert relevant descriptor here).

Anyway, just a few thoughts to put in the mix. I hope I’m not too wide of the mark.

[Smivs]

...time related with the option of initially defining how much shore leave you wish to take, especially when you know you will be laid up anyway for repairs or an overhaul.

Some 'adventures' would be longer than others, I expect. Just a thought, is the Ship's Clock advanced to allow for these?

[pagroove]

, map will be pretty tiny, to avoid long sessions of navigation.

For me big maps are not a problem. I would like the fact that you could get lost on a station But I see it can get old quickly so basically the levels idea is perfect.

Yes, this was my idea too. Police mission will have to do with agents extractions or transporting witness...

Or you could be asked to go on a simple system patrol and build a police rank. I like the elevator/levels idea.

[ffutures]

...time related with the option of initially defining how much shore leave you wish to take, especially when you know you will be laid up anyway for repairs or an overhaul.

Some 'adventures' would be longer than others, I expect. Just a thought, is the Ship's Clock advanced to allow for these?

Yes, I've had one that knocked me out for a few hours.

[BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM]

Hi all, I'm running the debug phase for the 0.1.4 release. I've made a lot of rework on the code to implement the on-station navigation, and I think the flow is now more organic.

How the things have changed (with the help of some screenshot).


First of all things: the F4 item start the navigation phase, this means the commander exits the ship and goes into the hangar.


The hangar screen shows a literal description for some of the stats about the commander. There are additional snippet of text for sickness or bad health etc., and on this screen I will report the current active missions.


The hangar is located on the Docks sector (that lacks an adequate background for now). Through the interface menu the commander can moves across the levels using the Lift Station (and it's not really an elevator since direction is relative, and sounds better than "Tubes"). As you can see there is a quick-info bar on top of the screen, so some data is always visible (I didn't want to add another item in the menus, neither to force the player to switch screen to get the main stats). Even during the navigation random snippet will be added to report of peculiar status conditions.

I have abandoned the term "Reputation". Now is intended in a general way, and on the resume the text says "for the people of the station you're ...". It will be tweaked in the future, but the sense is that of "local fame" or notoriety, as it was said.

Regarding the stations, there are 5 layers, mainly inspired by SteveKing post (I hope you like this). The layers are the following:
- Docks Area (include the commander hangar)
- Maintenance Area (include the Storage area and the Cargo area)
- Main Concourse (include three sectors, A-C, with the Passengers Lounge, the Medical Center and the Hydroponic Gardens)
- Entertainment Area (include the Sports area and the Art area)
- Galcop Precinct

The Lift spends 2 minutes for level. The only exception is the Galcop precinct, that can be accessed in 2 minutes from any other level.


I have transferred the Bar on the Entertainment level, and added the Art Gallery, the Opera House and the Cinema Hall on the Art area: you can spend some credits and a bit of time watching or hearing strange random genres.


In the Galcop precinct there's a terminal where the commander can pay to clean his own criminal record. The price is rather high, it could be tweaked in the future.

In the Main Concourse there is the Medical Center: here the player can pay to cure wounds and sickness (only if needed), or to get rid of the drunken status (but it can cause an allergic reaction and slightly increase the sickness). The efficiency of the center is directly related to the system tech level (low tech, average tech, high tech).
If the player is in critical condition (is dying), there is 50% chance of pass out while moving into the station. In thise case he will undergo an emergency procedure at the Medical Center, not without consequences.

I've also implemented some mechanics to health and sickness. Generally speaking, I make some checks and some rolls when the player docks to a station. Slight conditions can heal themselves. Conditions a bit more serious can become more severe. The only thing is that the effects will be visibile only when the player get out of the ship.

The random events aren't fired "on demand" by the player. Instead, there is a chance (20%) the while moving into the station something will happen. In this way the events are a sort of "intermission", and not some sort of slot machine - also, the focus is not exclusively on them.

These should be all the news for now. I will release the new version tomorrow (Sunday, in the morning if I can, I'm GMT+1).

And there is still a lot of work to do. The next steps will be (in no particular order):

- Adding other buildings (to start: passengers waiting room, hotel, wild world virtual tour, fit center, church/shrine) and related features (like social services at the Galcop precinct, and the pilot course to become an associated and get missions)
- Rewrite in a separate module the OXP mission engine, and after that implement random mission generation in several station areas (passengers waiting room, cargo area, wild world virtual tour, art gallery, cinema hall, galcop precinct).
- Adding other random events, I have about 30 events written down, mostly related to system governments, I have to check them and include in the list.
- Creating other types of mission: I want to include something different from the vanilla missions. One idea I have, is a mission when the player have to visit several system before getting paid. So, for example: a passenger want to go on a tour on 4 systems, and asks the commander to transport him on each system, dock on the station and wait for 1-2 hours before departing (so spending time on station will have a sense). Or maybe is a doctor that has to execute a vaccine program around the galaxy. Another variation is a mission where the player has to go on a system to meet a passenger, and then he has to transport him to a destination system. I'm trying to explore various concepts (even studying other games approaches).

These are the main steps. Around them it will develop more details and mechanics, and maybe some secondary career options for the commander.

[BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM]

New version released. I have completely updated the first post since the OXP is transforming from its initial concept.

As a little bonus, yesterday night I was thinking about the mission types I would like to get into the OXP, and I have written down this list:

Transport: pick a cargo/parcel/passenger and go to system X (these are the vanilla mission)
Retrieve: go to system X, get cargo/parcel/passenger at location Y, and go back to start system
Contractor: go to system X, meet contractor at location Y, get "real" mission
Tour: pick a passenger and go to a number of systems, dock and wait 1/2 hour before departing again
Transfer: go to system X, pick a passenger, transport it to system Y
Smuggle: pick cargo, go to system X, wait 3/4 hours before departing again
Search: get a list of system, go to them, dock and go at location Y. On random system meet objective or get reward.

I have to see if I can manage everything inside the OXP, my greatest doubt is (and I will look into the wiki): can I "lock" a passenger cabin so the player can't re-use it for another mission? It would be very useful. And the same with an amount of cargo (but in this last case it should be impossible so maybe I should try to look for an alternative).

[cim]

can I "lock" a passenger cabin so the player can't re-use it for another mission?

You can put a passenger in it and they'll need to either reach the destination or wait for the timer to expire, but that's probably not what you're asking for.

You could have a "Reserved Passenger Cabin" equipment item which takes up 5t of cargo space, can't be bought, and can't be damaged. When you want to lock a cabin, remove an empty one and install that. (You won't in 1.80 be able to do this more than once, but you can in 1.81). This will reduce the total number of cabins on the screen, though, so they'll go from (1/3) to (1/2), not to (2/3).

It would be very useful. And the same with an amount of cargo (but in this last case it should be impossible so maybe I should try to look for an alternative).

Difficult. You can monitor the playerSoldCargo event and manually reverse the transaction, but that doesn't stop them dumping the cargo in-flight (or having it shot out, for that matter).

You could have an equipment item which took up the appropriate amount of cargo space, but you'd have to have one equipment item for every combination of name and size you needed (or make it invisible, have one for every size you need, and have the visible record be a mission note)

In 1.81 you can reduce the cargo hold size of the player's ship without using equipment and add a mission note to say what's taking up the space

[ffutures]

That looks awesome, I'll give it a shot tonight.

[ffutures]

Quick question - is something supposed to happen in the medical bay? You go in there, they say they can cure you then there are no options except to leave the medical bay. Condition remains unchanged.

I think it would be a good idea if the screen that gives you a choice of levels actually said what was on each level, rather than just the overall title of the deck.

I'd suggest having a "return to ship" option on all of the corridors etc. Navigating back to the docks through three or four other screens is a pain.

Would it be possible for some stations to have a vet's office, for repairing battle-damaged cats etc.?

[Diziet Sma]

Would it be possible for some stations to have a vet's office, for repairing battle-damaged cats etc.?

Heh.. a long-held dream perhaps has a chance of coming true at last, eh?

[BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM]

Hi everyone,

Yesterday's work:
- Added background to Docks Area;
- Add text snippet for drunken status (along with wounds and sickness);
- Implemented event-checks for "government", "tech" and "economy". The government check can take a list of governments, separated by "-" character. If the system government is in the list, the check is valid;
- Added 9 events: two generic and the others specific for system, as above;
- The DEFACING KIDS event can enable a flag - eventually the consequence will be shown when the player reach the docks area (I still have to test this);

I have thought a draft for a mechanic to add a little bit of depth to the illegal activities that will come with the "shady contracts", such as smuggling commodities (I'll introduce a list of new illegal commodities labels to add flavour):

1) when the player picks a smuggling contract, the mission data will include a "conceal" variable with a random value. This value is invisible to the player.
2) player will have a new stat: "suspicion", it's 0 at the beginning of the game. Even this value is invisible to the player.
3) when the player is on a smuggling contract and docks to a station, the "suspicion" will increase by a value defined by the station allegiance (0 for pirates, much more for Galcop) and the commander legal stance (if he sides more with criminals than law, the value will be higher).
4) if "suspicion" > "conceal", I'll define a % chance for a new event: when in the hangar, the cops block the player and investigate the ship. In case of "critical success" (I'll write down the math later), the smuggled wares are discovered and seized, the player pay a fine and the bounty is raised. If I implement the Jail location in the Galcop precinct, the commander could be forced to spend some time (1-4 days?) inside! (with a solid reputation malus)

This "suspicion" value could be checked anytime the player is in some shady contract - since the cop will track the commander activities.
The commander will have the options to decrease the suspicion by at least two methods: one of these will be a bribe to some corrupt Galcop (random event if the player has a high "suspicion" value), or go to some disreputable section of the station to meet someone who can "fix" the ship.

Quick question - is something supposed to happen in the medical bay? You go in there, they say they can cure you then there are no options except to leave the medical bay. Condition remains unchanged.

The Medical Center offers a service only when the player has the chance to use it, so if the commander isn't sick, he doesn't see the choice to cure the sickness. If the commander is completely healthy the only choice available is to go away - I'll add another piece of text in this case, that explains that since the commander doesn't need cure, the Medical Center has nothing to offer at the moment.

I think it would be a good idea if the screen that gives you a choice of levels actually said what was on each level, rather than just the overall title of the deck.

Right now when you're on a level, the text list what's on that level (if I have already placed locations). But you think of a general map that gives indication on every level, I presume. It can be done, I can add a choice to "examine station map" and display a general description of all levels.

I'd suggest having a "return to ship" option on all of the corridors etc. Navigating back to the docks through three or four other screens is a pain.

In a sense, that is the "realism" of the navigation, going up and down through corridors and halls, but obviously it can get boring for someone. I'm not a fan of "fast travel" myself, and such a thing means cutting out the random part, but maybe I can add a choice for a "quick-go" to the Hangar (before embarking the ship): this is a location where things will happens (like Galcop asking to investigate the ship for smuggled commodities), so I don't want to skip it.
And maybe force a mandatory random event.

I remember there was an OXP that allows for other OXPs configuration, I have to try it, eventually this could become an option.

Would it be possible for some stations to have a vet's office, for repairing battle-damaged cats etc.?

I could add a "PetVet" beside the Medical Center. But you're referencing some other OXP?

Start of rant.
I admit that I would like, as a future step, let's say after the 1.0 release, to add compatibility with other OXPs.
For example I was thinking that now every station has the same layout, but with OXPs there are a lot of additional dockables objects, so it would be cool to have some "custom" layouts for other types of station. There's even the Behemoth, after all, that should have a completely different layout, and maybe even completely different locations and events.
End of rant.

[ffutures]

Hi everyone,

Yesterday's work:
- Added background to Docks Area;
- Add text snippet for drunken status (along with wounds and sickness);
- Implemented event-checks for "government", "tech" and "economy". The government check can take a list of governments, separated by "-" character. If the system government is in the list, the check is valid;
- Added 9 events: two generic and the others specific for system, as above;
- The DEFACING KIDS event can enable a flag - eventually the consequence will be shown when the player reach the docks area (I still have to test this);

I have thought a draft for a mechanic to add a little bit of depth to the illegal activities that will come with the "shady contracts", such as smuggling commodities (I'll introduce a list of new illegal commodities labels to add flavour):

1) when the player picks a smuggling contract, the mission data will include a "conceal" variable with a random value. This value is invisible to the player.
2) player will have a new stat: "suspicion", it's 0 at the beginning of the game. Even this value is invisible to the player.
3) when the player is on a smuggling contract and docks to a station, the "suspicion" will increase by a value defined by the station allegiance (0 for pirates, much more for Galcop) and the commander legal stance (if he sides more with criminals than law, the value will be higher).
4) if "suspicion" > "conceal", I'll define a % chance for a new event: when in the hangar, the cops block the player and investigate the ship. In case of "critical success" (I'll write down the math later), the smuggled wares are discovered and seized, the player pay a fine and the bounty is raised. If I implement the Jail location in the Galcop precinct, the commander could be forced to spend some time (1-4 days?) inside! (with a solid reputation malus)

This "suspicion" value could be checked anytime the player is in some shady contract - since the cop will track the commander activities.
The commander will have the options to decrease the suspicion by at least two methods: one of these will be a bribe to some corrupt Galcop (random event if the player has a high "suspicion" value), or go to some disreputable section of the station to meet someone who can "fix" the ship.

Quick question - is something supposed to happen in the medical bay? You go in there, they say they can cure you then there are no options except to leave the medical bay. Condition remains unchanged.

The Medical Center offers a service only when the player has the chance to use it, so if the commander isn't sick, he doesn't see the choice to cure the sickness. If the commander is completely healthy the only choice available is to go away - I'll add another piece of text in this case, that explains that since the commander doesn't need cure, the Medical Center has nothing to offer at the moment.

I think it would be a good idea if the screen that gives you a choice of levels actually said what was on each level, rather than just the overall title of the deck.

Right now when you're on a level, the text list what's on that level (if I have already placed locations). But you think of a general map that gives indication on every level, I presume. It can be done, I can add a choice to "examine station map" and display a general description of all levels.

I'd suggest having a "return to ship" option on all of the corridors etc. Navigating back to the docks through three or four other screens is a pain.

In a sense, that is the "realism" of the navigation, going up and down through corridors and halls, but obviously it can get boring for someone. I'm not a fan of "fast travel" myself, and such a thing means cutting out the random part, but maybe I can add a choice for a "quick-go" to the Hangar (before embarking the ship): this is a location where things will happens (like Galcop asking to investigate the ship for smuggled commodities), so I don't want to skip it.
And maybe force a mandatory random event.

I remember there was an OXP that allows for other OXPs configuration, I have to try it, eventually this could become an option.

Would it be possible for some stations to have a vet's office, for repairing battle-damaged cats etc.?

I could add a "PetVet" beside the Medical Center. But you're referencing some other OXP?

Start of rant.
I admit that I would like, as a future step, let's say after the 1.0 release, to add compatibility with other OXPs.
For example I was thinking that now every station has the same layout, but with OXPs there are a lot of additional dockables objects, so it would be cool to have some "custom" layouts for other types of station. There's even the Behemoth, after all, that should have a completely different layout, and maybe even completely different locations and events.
End of rant.

The vet thing is for the Ship's Cat add-on - cats sometimes get damaged in battle and it takes a long time to find somewhere where you can pay for "repairs." An alternative for fixing them faster wouldn't mess up the game - they don't actually do anything except add to the crap on your equipment list - but those of us who like cats would like it, I think.

Something that came up after I last posted. I finally got to the port where I was told I might find a useful contract - twelve days travel from where I got the info - and then discovered that the contract on offer paid a less than impressive 90 credits. I politely declined. I'm guessing that if I'd taken it I would have had some sort of adventure, but my reaction, in terms of "would my commander think this was worth taking as described?" was "no way!", there were MUCH more valuable contracts on offer through the regular system, and I'd just made more than 100K credits getting there. Sorry, but there really needs to be more of an incentive on this one.

Something I noticed - in a lot of the contacts with female NPCs the word "Her" is capitalised, even in the middle of a sentence.