[Release] Station Ads

[Fritz]

I have never examined the docks in such detail as I did when aligning the dock ads.

Did you ever cause a huge traffic jam by "parking" your ship immediately outside the dock and forgetting it while you wrote something in the forum or did something else? I think, the controller or the police should say something in this case, but they don't.

[Cody]

I think, the controller or the police should say something in this case, but they don't.

What about docking clearance being timed-out?

I really like the tunnel ads, distracting though they are. I ain't too sure about the external ads - at waiting distance, Dodos with two ads look too much like a face!

[Fritz]

What about docking clearance being timed-out?

When you launch and immediately return and block the docking port, you don't have one!

I really like the tunnel ads, distracting though they are. I ain't too sure about the external ads - at waiting distance, Dodos with two ads look too much like a face!

I think the tunnel ads are relatively unimportant. I use to wait for clearance about 4 to 5 km away from the station, and even at 3 km you don't see the tunnel walls, if you are aligned correctly. Less can be a problem because it infers with docking and launching of NPC ships. I've been rammed by a drunk (?) Viper pilot while I was looking at the ads, and I was the one that became fugitive...

[spara]

What about docking clearance being timed-out?

When you launch and immediately return and block the docking port, you don't have one!

The game really should nag about blocking the port. Just the way it warns you about not having a landing clearance. No need for penalties in my opinion, constantly repeating message would be enough.

I really like the tunnel ads, distracting though they are. I ain't too sure about the external ads - at waiting distance, Dodos with two ads look too much like a face!

I think the tunnel ads are relatively unimportant. I use to wait for clearance about 4 to 5 km away from the station, and even at 3 km you don't see the tunnel walls, if you are aligned correctly. Less can be a problem because it infers with docking and launching of NPC ships. I've been rammed by a drunk (?) Viper pilot while I was looking at the ads, and I was the one that became fugitive...

I think they both serve a purpose. Dock ads are just for decoration, they make the dock seem more alive, more plausible. At this point, being new, they naturally draw more attention, but in the long run they'll just be one of the details of the dock. Front ads then again are fully readable at close proximity, just don't stand in front of the dock. Again, being new they draw attention and you want to see them all and such, but in the long run they'll blend into being a detail of the station hopefully making it more alive and adding some variance.

Speaking of front ads and variance, I though long and hard about the bigger ads at the ico and came to conclusion that I prefer the smaller ones. And that's because of the sense of scale they give. So I reverted back to the previous configuration as I think it's better. I also moved the ads on coriolis a bit closer so that the impression of face would go away.

For comparison, here's a pic of all three stations with equal sized ads.







Version 0.13: https://app.box.com/s/zmoex2ufe6opw5ezgvk1qds1fh7rkyek

* Back to smaller and more numerous Ico front ads
* Repositioned Dodo's front ads

And Cody, if desired, I can make an add-on to this oxp removing the front ads .

[Diziet Sma]

Fun idea.. why not have front ads both sides of the Dock, both oriented so they're right-way-up when above the dock? Seems the kind of thing an advertising droid would think of doing.

[Cody]

And Cody, if desired, I can make an add-on to this oxp removing the front ads.

I think I may need such an add-on, but let's see if I can get used to them first.

[ffutures]

Could you have it as a configuration option selectable on F4, as though it were an equipment add-on?

[Fritz]

I played Oolite for some hours this evening without restarting the game, and at some point I noticed that no front ads were shown anymore even in hi-tech systems. The dockside ads seemed normal. (I still use version 0.10 of the OXP).

[spara]

I played Oolite for some hours this evening without restarting the game, and at some point I noticed that no front ads were shown anymore even in hi-tech systems. The dockside ads seemed normal. (I still use version 0.10 of the OXP).

I'll check it out. Anything in the log?

[spara]

I played Oolite for some hours this evening without restarting the game, and at some point I noticed that no front ads were shown anymore even in hi-tech systems. The dockside ads seemed normal. (I still use version 0.10 of the OXP).

It could be be done, but I think a suppressor will be enough. If it's needed altogether.

[spara]

I found a couple of bugs, but I'm not sure they are the culprit. I flew around for over 20 jumps and all seemed normal. I came across one broken screen (smashed), but that's normal, they sometimes (rarely) break. In that case there can be a BSD, smashed screen or just dead screen. Anyway, this version (0.14) fixes the bugs I encountered: https://app.box.com/s/0cobujd2exng1sbt4e4ll7t68hwnohpf.

[Fritz]

Anything in the log?

What should I look for? It's an extremely long log with more than 18000 Lines (the OXP "Log Events" is active). I went over the last trip, ending at Zauseris station (an Icosahedron), but I found nothing suspicious.

But then I found out that the long playing time isn't the problem. I just reloaded the Zauseris save, and after launching, the front ads still are missing. There are two ads in the tunnel, one on each side, and one of them is upside down in relation to the "welcome" text.

Zauseris is communist, average industrial, TL 12.

[Fritz]

Same with version 0.14 except the orientation issue. Is there anything concerning the ads in the save files?

[spara]

Same with version 0.14 except the orientation issue. Is there anything concerning the ads in the save files?

No, nothing is saved. I'll check Zauseris tomorrow, maybe I'll figure out what's going on. Zauseris should not have any front ads at all if it's a commie world. Oh my .

[Fritz]

Zauseris should not have any front ads at all if it's a commie world. Oh my .

Really? Then relax! Everything is ok... I thought that TL alone was relevant for the number of ads.