[Release] Station Ads

[Diziet Sma]

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

As something which ought to be outside an in-game Commander's control, F4 is the wrong place for this.. it's more of a game configuration thing. So really, the proper place would be via the F2 options.. perhaps via OXPConfig.

[spara]

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.

Great. At least I found a couple of minor bugs in the process. The distribution follows the distribution of the YAH! oxp with a twitch.

* All confederacies, democracies and corporacies have ads. Capitalism rules and it's OK in these. The number of ads depends on the productivity of the system. Higher productivity means more ads. Find a high productivity system with Ico to see a full array of eight ads. Different stations have different configurations of ads so TL indirectly plays a part that way.
* Anarchies, multigovs, dictatorships or commies don't have any front ads. The main reasoning being that in all these the relationship with GalCop and the local gov is somewhat problematic. So to not unnecessarily provoke, there are no front ads.

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

As something which ought to be outside an in-game Commander's control, F4 is the wrong place for this.. it's more of a game configuration thing. So really, the proper place would be via the F2 options.. perhaps via OXPConfig.

As cool as OXPConfig is, I'm not fond of it and would favor a core solution of "OXP configuration interfaces" menu option in F2 menu screen: https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16457

[Fritz]

I think, what confused me (and you, because I mentioned communism in my error description?) was the rare combination of Icosahedron station, TL 12, and communism. I can't remember seeing a TL 12 communist system or an Ico in any system lower then TL 13.

At least I found a couple of minor bugs in the process.

I know the feeling! I often find other bugs in my code but not the one I'm looking for.

[Cody]

... commies don't have any front ads. The main reasoning being that in all these the relationship with GalCop and the local gov is somewhat problematic. So to not unnecessarily provoke, there are no front ads.

I wonder if GalCop might go the other way in some Commie systems - but you're probably right.
Having just docked at an Ico in a RI TL13 Commie system got me thinking about it, you see.

[phkb]

There appears to be a problem with the ZGroovy station addon. When I have that OXP installed, and start a new game, I get this in my log:

Code: Select all

10:58:36.153 [script.javaScript.exception.unexpectedType]: ***** JavaScript exception (station_ads_station_script 0.14): TypeError: ship.subEntities[this.$dockSubent] is undefined

[Amah]

My fault. Looks like my fix/workaround for the Grey Dodo fired back. *sigh*

The grey dodos dock is actually broken (flying through walls etc. two docking slit after each other) I came up with a workaround by not defining a subentity as dock but relying on:

Code: Select all

port_dimensions = "192.000x64.000x283.550";
port_radius = "210";

for defining the docking area.

I hoped I worked around the flying through walls but it seems to have blown up stations ads in my face...Hmmh, have to revert the change I guess.

[spara]

... commies don't have any front ads. The main reasoning being that in all these the relationship with GalCop and the local gov is somewhat problematic. So to not unnecessarily provoke, there are no front ads.

I wonder if GalCop might go the other way in some Commie systems - but you're probably right.
Having just docked at an Ico in a RI TL13 Commie system got me thinking about it, you see.

If it makes you wonder (and not in a good way!), then it's not good. You being the second one to note this, I'll need to think this over a bit. Maybe I'll forget the gov altogether and just use productivity as a rule. Usually unstable gov means low productivity anyway.

[Amah]

Don't know, for a techlevel 13 Com system I always imagined a brave-new-world setup. Techlevel used controling the people. Propaganda and ads all over the place in line with the maxime of the ideology.

[Smivs]

Don't forget the stations are operated by GalCop, not the planet, so I think Gov't type may not be that important. The ads are clearly aimed at incoming shipping, so they would be targeted at spacefarers mostly, and as the crews etc would probably not even visit the planet, the Gov't type is rather irrelevant.

[Amah]

Shouldn't GalCop be neutral then, to be accepted by a Communist system at all. I just try imagine something like "this nextGalCop council meeting is sponsored by Cooca Coola - the drink of ambassadors".

[Smivs]

Shouldn't GalCop be neutral then....

Yes, and as far as I know it is. The reason all these disparate Worlds have joined the Co-operative is precisely because they gain all the trade advantages etc without any interference in their domestic politics.

[Disembodied]

Don't forget the stations are operated by GalCop, not the planet, so I think Gov't type may not be that important. The ads are clearly aimed at incoming shipping, so they would be targeted at spacefarers mostly, and as the crews etc would probably not even visit the planet, the Gov't type is rather irrelevant.

True, but this is the just sort of thing that could cause friction ... the external skin of the station is where GalCop territory touches local jurisdiction, and planetary governments might, not unreasonably, be averse to having culturally or ideologically offensive signs stuck there, especially given that it's the side that faces the planet. It's precisely the sort of petty annoyance that could be blown up into a major diplomatic incident, especially if the government was looking for leverage in a larger dispute. A relaxed, confident and stable government, enjoying good relations with the Co-operative might not care what's up there; whereas a paranoid regime, constantly threatening to abandon the Co-operative, might see potential threats and insults everywhere (e.g. North Korea - self-described Communist, although much more Feudal in reality).

[Cody]

I'll need to think this over a bit. Maybe I'll forget the gov altogether and just use productivity as a rule.

I'll ponder it too - but I think gov-type probably should have a bearing on it.


Question for those commanders who know their charts: as I said above, I'd just docked at an Ico in the seventh (Ededer), which I think is the only place in the Eight where two adjacent systems both have Ico stations (the other being Raatbi) - anyone know of another? Icos ain't too common anyway.

[spara]

Great discussion and helps me a lot . I think I'm getting somewhere. At least I'm getting more comfortable with the distribution formula I've come up with based on your ideas/views.

In this version (0.15) the distribution is done by using a number I'm calling profitFactor as a basis. This number presents the potential profitability of advertising in current system. That is calculated by checking the nearby systems and comparing their economies with the current system. More difference means more potential. That is again weighted with the gov of the other system to emphasize risk. Unstable gov means less potential. For every system around (7 LY) the number is calculated and added to the whole, meaning that hub systems have more potential. And finally the number is weighted with the gov of the current system. Again unstable gov means less potential. In G1 this yields a number between 1.17 (Ermaso) - 315 (Aanbiat).

I have roughly taken out about 1/5 of the systems based on the number and scaled the number of ads shown up from there.

Please comment how this feels.

https://app.box.com/s/16y3uzyom78u3edhnk8e3z81p2ze752p

[spara]

I don't know what I was thinking with the previous version and it granting ads to 4/5th of the systems. In G1 YAH puts ads to 96 systems and leaves 160 out. And that was what the previous version was doing too. So I fiddled the numbers a bit and updated the version to 0.16. Luckily only one download of the previous one. This version (0.16) grants ads to about half of the systems. It's still quite a lot above YAH distribution, but the calculation method has changed.

https://app.box.com/s/cbuo58pjg3anidq8fkaxc0oe7q1yjlxn