Big Cannon

[Kermitsy]

No matter how high the Tech level of a planet I visit the most powerful laser I can purchase is the Kruger Twin Artillery Cannon. Can anybody tell me what I have to do to be offered the Big Cannon i.e the Behemoth and Base Cannon please

[Norby]

[wiki]LaserCannons[/wiki] are limited by the mass of your ship as examples show it in the wiki. If you willing to change your ship also then I can give more tips.

[Kermitsy]

Thanks for your reply. I'm using a Vortex ship but would be happy to learn more about the weapons I can get

[Norby]

would be happy to learn more about the weapons I can get

 Vortex is similar with Anaconda in mass (421t vs 438t), over 400t which allow some nice things like Twin Cannons but no Battle Cannons which need two times larger ship (800t).

The next step is depending on your preference, I do not know if you are:
A) ready to use the bleeding edge features of the game in the latest build (v1.83) and save often due to you will be a beta tester, or
B) prefer to run the last official version (1.82).

In case B) you still can find exotic weapons in [wiki]New Lasers[/wiki] pack, just need some time to process the information and select your favorite. Ask again if you are not understand something.

There is another big cannon in Eco Lasers package named to Eco Artillery, available from 400t mass. A really costly one but worth the money, one of the strongest lasers in the official game today.

If you like the defensive features of Vortex then there is another tool for you in the Eco Lasers package: Eco Reactor occupy the space of a laser but generates energy for you when really needed.

The most powerful features need to step into the A) case or wait some months (or a year) until the next stable version (1.84) will be released. Ask if you want it, in short:
- [wiki]Multiple Lasers[/wiki] give multiple firepower but multiple heat also,
-  Separated Multiple Lasers can avoid multiple heat if the weapons are enough far from each other.

Vortex is enough wide for 3 separated forward laser mounts even with Twin Cannons. Just this ship is not yet supported in the Multiple Lasers package, but if you would like to use it with 3 forward lasers in the latest Oolite then I can make it in the foreseeable future.

[Kermitsy]

Thanks. I can see now why I can only get the Kruger Twin Artillery Cannon.
I would be keen to use the latest build (your A option). How do I go about getting it? Does it mean I have to start all over again?
Thanks again for your help

[Norby]

Download the version matching to your operating system and install it, even into another folder so you can hold two Oolite in your machine at once. Your savegame is usable in the new version, but if you saved once within the newer then you maybe can not load it in the older (if there is a change which put into more info then the old version can not read it) so you should keep a copy of the old savefile for sure.

[Kermitsy]

I've got my savefile from the 1.82 version safely on a memory stick. I then deleted Oolite and reinstalled the 1.82 version. I then downloaded the Developer Release converter and installed this in the Oolite folder. I've since been running Oolite but so far I can see no change from the 1.82 version! What am I doing wrong?

[another_commander]

I've got my savefile from the 1.82 version safely on a memory stick. I then deleted Oolite and reinstalled the 1.82 version. I then downloaded the Developer Release converter and installed this in the Oolite folder. I've since been running Oolite but so far I can see no change from the 1.82 version! What am I doing wrong?

The 1.82 Developer Release converter is used to switch an end-user 1.82 version of the game to an OXP developer one, which is just standard 1.82 with a few more features useful to OXP developers. What Norby refers to is the v1.83 nightly builds series, the latest of which can be downloaded as per instructions in this post.

[Kermitsy]

It's all a bit technical for me I'm afraid but thanks anyway. I'll just carry on enjoying trading and shooting!

[Ea9le1]

Apologies for reviving an old, seemingly dead thread, however I would like to commission some work / ask guidance on how separated / multiple lasers can be made to work with the Vortex:

I have recently returned to Oolite, and am hoping to revive an old saved game where I was flying a Vortex, however technologies have moved on in the Ooniverse and I would like to have my ship work with the multiple lasers / separated lasers addons. I'd be very grateful to Norby, or others if they could offer guidance on how this might be achievable? I'm by no means fluent with javascript, and wouldn't know how to place lasers based on ship models, but I'll have a go if someone can point me in the right direction, or I'd happily make a small donation via paypal / patreon / gofundme etc to whomever can do this?

Thanks,

Ea9le1

[montana05]

I would like to have my ship work with the multiple lasers / separated lasers addons

You need to tweak your shipdata.plist a bit to get multiple lasers:

At vortex-player you will find

Code: Select all

weapon_position_forward = "0.0 9.0 30.0";

if you replace with

Code: Select all

//"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 9.0 30.0";
"weapon_mount_mode" = "multiply";  // 50 m -> separated, 3x front
"weapon_position_forward" = 
(
	"0.0 9.0 30.0", 
	"-50.0 9.0 -10.0", 
	"50.0 9.0 -10.0"
);

you will get 3 front-lasers, 50 m separated. I only did a quick test with NPC but it should work for players as well. Btw, this modification will apply for NPC ships as well.

I'd happily make a small donation via paypal / patreon / gofundme etc to whomever can do this

No need, took me 10 min after my morning coffee

[montana05]

And here a Mega-Vortex with 10 laser-mounts:

Code: Select all

                "weapon_facings" = 15;
		"weapon_mount_mode" = "multiply";	
                //"weapon_position_forward" = "0.0 9.0 30.0";
		//"weapon_position_aft" = "0.0 9.0 -45.0";
		//"weapon_position_port" = "-49.8 -5.0 -10.0";
		//"weapon_position_starboard" = "49.8 -5.0 -10.0";
		// 50 m -> separated, 3x front, 3x back
		"weapon_position_forward" = 
		(
			"0.0 7.0 30.0", 
			"-50.0 7.0 -10.0", 
			"50.0 7.0 -10.0"
		);
		"weapon_position_aft" = 
		(
			"0.0 7.0 -45.0",
			"-50.0 7.0 -45.0", 
			"50.0 7.0 -45.0"
		);
		// 30 m -> separated, 2x port, 2x starboard
		"weapon_position_port" = 
		(
			"-38.0 7.0 5.0",
			"-60.0 7.0 -25.0"
		);
		"weapon_position_starboard" = 
		(
			"38.0 7.0 5.0",
			"60.0 7.0 -25.0"
		);

In both examples the view positions weren't corrected and only some NPC test were done.

[Nite Owl]

Just out of curiosity once again do the following suppositions hold true.

1) If you make the suggested changes to only the Vortex shipdata.plist then only the Vortex would have Multiple Lasers.

2) If you make the suggested changes to the shipdata-overrides.plist in the Multiple Lasers OXZ then all of the other Multiple Laser combinations coded into that .plist would become available in your Ooniverse.

3) If you make the suggested changes to only the Vortex shipdata.plist and include the Multiple Lasers OXZ in your game this would have the same effect as supposition 2).

Not using the Multiple Lasers OXZ in my Ooniverse at the moment but may do so in the future once an understanding is achieved on the proper coding to make it work in the desired way. The answer to this bit of curiosity may help me to better understand what it takes to achieve my desired goal. Separated Lasers OXZ is a whole other kettle of fish that will wait for another day.

[montana05]

1) If you make the suggested changes to only the Vortex shipdata.plist then only the Vortex would have Multiple Lasers.

2) If you make the suggested changes to the shipdata-overrides.plist in the Multiple Lasers OXZ then all of the other Multiple Laser combinations coded into that .plist would become available in your Ooniverse.

3) If you make the suggested changes to only the Vortex shipdata.plist and include the Multiple Lasers OXZ in your game this would have the same effect as supposition 2).

All 3 are correct but I wouldn't suggest them. In case of future updates your modifications will be overridden. Best way I know of is to create a zzz.myname.OXP and there include a shipdata-overrides.plist with my personal tweaks. OXP/OXZ are handled alphabetically so with zzz. you could be pretty sure that yours will be the last overwrite.

While "weapon_mount_mode" = "multiply"; is part of the core-game Multiple Lasers OXZ is adding more features to the game, specially if combined with Separated Lasers OXZ. You can read the details here http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Multiple_Lasers and here http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Separated_Lasers

Please also keep in mind that my tweaks are rather "quick and dirty". While they do work the positions would need a bit more adjustment and I didn't check the entire logic of Separated Lasers OXZ, there might me a discrepancy with port and starboard lasers.

[phkb]

OXP/OXZ are handled alphabetically

Except when they aren't...

I think on Windows this might be true, but I don't it's true on Linux or Mac. Also consider that OXZ's in the ManagedAddons folder will (I think) be loaded before any OXP/OXZ's in the AddOns folder.

However, giving your custom OXP the name "zzz.myname.oxp" is probably the best attempt you can make to get your OXP loaded last.