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UPS-Courier

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

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Eric Walch
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Eric Walch »

Updated to version 1.8.3
- Fixed the name bug reported by Spara, a few messages above
- Fixed the bug of not getting a reward for captured pirates, as mentioned directly above.

The target ship is one with bounty. And as such, it can get into conflict with bounty hunters. (The mission always is in an anarchy, so there never should be police present).
When in fight with a bounty hunter, both can fly away from the space lane during this fight. When the bounty hunter dies, the pirate will eventually return to its old spacelane position (like all other pirates). When the pirate dies, a new one will be added once you re-enter the system.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by CmdrLUke »

Eric Walch wrote:
Updated to version 1.8.3
- Fixed the name bug reported by Spara, a few messages above
- Fixed the bug of not getting a reward for captured pirates, as mentioned directly above.

The target ship is one with bounty. And as such, it can get into conflict with bounty hunters. (The mission always is in an anarchy, so there never should be police present).
When in fight with a bounty hunter, both can fly away from the space lane during this fight. When the bounty hunter dies, the pirate will eventually return to its old spacelane position (like all other pirates). When the pirate dies, a new one will be added once you re-enter the system.
Where does the fix take place, after scooping, or after docking? I'm docked in the anarchy where I scooped the pirates, if I update now will I get credit once I dock at a station with a UPS department? Well it doesn't matter I suppose, I'll update in any case, thanks for the fixes!
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Eric Walch »

It was a fix in the script of the scooped escape capsules. For your current saved game, this fix will already be to late. :(
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by CmdrLUke »

Eric Walch wrote:
It was a fix in the script of the scooped escape capsules. For your current saved game, this fix will already be to late. :(
I had to uninstall 1.8.3 and go back to 1.8.2: with 1.8.3 I'm getting blank UPS screens, and just now I got a blank "parcel mission" screen with a background of "UPS News" that just said "press space, commander", and nothing happened when I pressed space, the screen was stuck there. No keys worked except "1" to re-launch again. Luckily there was a nearby anarchy so I flew there so I could save and revert to 1.8.2. This is with 1.77.

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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Thargoid »

Having just updated (under current trunk & Windows), this appeared in the log:

Code: Select all

20:13:06.022 [plist.parse.failed]: Failed to parse ../AddOns/External.oxp/UPS-courier v1.8.3.oxp/Config/missiontext.plist as a property list.
Parse failed at line 251 (char 69067) - unexpected end of string when parsing dictionary
[/color]
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Eric Walch »

Yep, that is what you get when doing some minor trivial changes. The last two entries in the missiontext.plist were no longer needed, so I had deleted them. But I deleted one } to much. The last line needs a new }.
Not being able to parse the missiontext correctly is the reason the screen stayed empty.

I must admit that the windows parser gives a more useful description. On the mac I got.

Code: Select all

[plist.parse.failed]: Failed to parse /Users/ericwalch/Library/Application Support/Oolite/AddOns/UPS-courier v1.8.3.oxp/Config/missiontext.plist as a property list.
Unexpected character { at line 1
The mac complains about the starting bracket. But in most cases this error is not the result of a missing closing bracket, but an error somewhere in between. And that could be the whole plist. :wink:

Lucy enough, I remembered my last deletions. That fixed, I did the python mission and now got the correct rewards. I only noticed another cosmetic bug in the scoop messages and fixed that also.

Version 1.8.4 is on-line now.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Mazur »

Ho, hum. I just accepted a mission (my first) to deliver important legal stuff to "the next democrtic government:, in "Tiinledi", or so I thought I'd read.
But that is the local system, am I just supposed go launch and return to the station immediately? I can't find where to verify the assignment, which might have been listed under available Parcel contracts as an accepted parcel contract, but it isn't. If anyone knows, please respond quickly, as I'm loathe to launch and mess things up.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Mazur »

Mazur wrote:
Ho, hum. I just accepted a mission (my first) to deliver important legal stuff to "the next democrtic government:, in "Tiinledi", or so I thought I'd read.
But that is the local system, am I just supposed go launch and return to the station immediately? I can't find where to verify the assignment, which might have been listed under available Parcel contracts as an accepted parcel contract, but it isn't. If anyone knows, please respond quickly, as I'm loathe to launch and mess things up.
Risked an "intelligent" guess, and headed to the only other democritic system within my 7 ly radius, Esteonbi, and got my reward. Mission accomplished. :phew: 8)
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Layne »

Mazur wrote:
Risked an "intelligent" guess, and headed to the only other democritic system within my 7 ly radius, Esteonbi, and got my reward. Mission accomplished. :phew: 8)
It's actually simpler than that, Mazur. You can take system packages like that to any other system of that type anywhere else in that galaxy. And as far as I can determine without a time limit. I once held onto a Commie-system package for a while during a courier run across Galaxy One and didn't get a chance to visit a matching system for at least ten jumps. The next Communist system I docked at, though, I got the success message and the payment. If there's a time/distance limit in the OXP, I haven't found it yet. The UPS missions to /specific/ systems within a time frame are just like regular courier missions, though, and you don't want to be late dropping those off.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Mazur »

Layne wrote:
Mazur wrote:
Risked an "intelligent" guess, and headed to the only other democritic system within my 7 ly radius, Esteonbi, and got my reward. Mission accomplished. :phew: 8)
It's actually simpler than that, Mazur. You can take system packages like that to any other system of that type anywhere else in that galaxy. And as far as I can determine without a time limit. I once held onto a Commie-system package for a while during a courier run across Galaxy One and didn't get a chance to visit a matching system for at least ten jumps. The next Communist system I docked at, though, I got the success message and the payment. If there's a time/distance limit in the OXP, I haven't found it yet. The UPS missions to /specific/ systems within a time frame are just like regular courier missions, though, and you don't want to be late dropping those off.
Good to hear, though I'm still baffled as to why one can't review the assignment anywhere, or, if one can, where it is listed.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Layne »

Mazur wrote:
Good to hear, though I'm still baffled as to why one can't review the assignment anywhere, or, if one can, where it is listed.
It's listed below parcels/passengers with the 'missions', but yes, there's very little to that entry, I think it just will say something like, '3 Sealed Documents to nearby Democratic System', or a similar phrase, not much information at all.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Eric Walch »

Layne wrote:
You can take system packages like that to any other system of that type anywhere else in that galaxy.
Yep, that simple. Any other except the starting point.
Mazur wrote:
But that is the local system, am I just supposed go launch and return to the station immediately?
If you would have tried, you had seen a message that you brought back the packages and should go to another communist system. It will also negative affect your reputation as courier. I think you need to have left the system first and than come back, to get this warning message.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Mazur »

Eric Walch wrote:
Layne wrote:
You can take system packages like that to any other system of that type anywhere else in that galaxy.
Yep, that simple. Any other except the starting point.
Mazur wrote:
But that is the local system, am I just supposed go launch and return to the station immediately?
If you would have tried, you had seen a message that you brought back the packages and should go to another communist system. It will also negative affect your reputation as courier. I think you need to have left the system first and than come back, to get this warning message.
Ah, straight from the horses mouth! :) But I'd already resolved my problem of not reading the missive properly by just going for the appropriate system within reach.

Leaves the problemette of where to review the assignment (Like: "Legal documents from [origin] to be delivered in [government-type] system"), but I assume it's probably in F5+F5, where packages and passengers are listed, as I discovered between then and now. I'll check on that when next I get one of your wonderful special deliveries.

Anyway, thanks for a great addition to the game, I'm now using packages (and passengers) as a means of getting myself to new places and explore, instead of simply staying on a cushy milk-run.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Frunobulax »

Hi,

I found a minor bug. I got my first mission to recapture some UPS containers from a ship (don't remember whether Python or Boa). So I go to the system, and get a message that the ship went on to a different planet. I followed, but couldn't find the ship. Went planet, landed (thought I might get a hint), launched, went to the Witchspace beacon and back, nothing. I saved, launched again, and was killed this time. When loading the saved game, I suddenly got a message that the ship launched to a different system. Naturally I followed, couldn't find the ship again. Saved, loaded the saved game, and again got a message that the ship jumped!

So basically, instead of finding the cobra I chased across planets over planets...

Regards, F.
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Re: UPS-Courier

Post by Lone_Wolf »

recapturing containers usually involves a Boa .

Jump to the system mentioned following the QUiCKEST route (multiple short jumps are much faster then 1 long jump) , NOT the shortest route.
Once there, go witchpoint - planet - station route, that route gives the best chance to find it.

If you don't find it, save and reload.
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