Stealth Raiders [WIP]

[Rustem]

Developing a new expansion pack.

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Government systems (corporate/high TL) employ pilots to solve their local task.
The government cooperated with the organization (new or Aquatics) to use the new ship models.
They use a new technology to conceal the ships, so they are almost not visible and do not leave the tails.
It's not the police and not the military. It can be hunters, pirates and assassin.

They can help you or may violate your missions.
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Inspired by spara's Random Hits Shipset OXP, Thargoid's Stealth, Stranger's Feudal Raiders, DeepSpacePirates OXP (Eric Walch).

This OXP based on DeepSpacePirates OXP (Eric Walch).
This OXP based on Space Crowds OXP (Astrobe).
This OXP based on 'oolite-populator' (cim).
This OXP is created with using resource from Aquatics(Thargoid), Behemoth(Eric Walch), Stealth(Thargoid).
This OXP is created with using models and textures from Saleza Aeronautics(Ramirez).

You need The Stealth, Behemoth OXP/OXZ installed to use this OXP!

Credits cim, spara, Ramirez, Thargoid, Stranger, Eric Walch, Astrobe.

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Are there any suggestions for improvement?
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Textures:URL

[Rustem]

Description = "This OXP places semi-random stealth ships in deep space and sun skimmers near sun.";
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* Required OXP:
* - Behemoth_3.1 for Behemoth Type-2
* - Aquatics for Orca Pirate Destroyer
*
* Recommended OXP:
* - Armory (for testing of high tech weapons. IMHO: broken, work not correct. TODO: it is necessary to improvement)
* - Escort Formations (for the Ambience)
*
* --- Novelty ---
*
* 1) Deep space stealth ships.
* 2) Sun skimmers s will be spawning the near sun.
* 3) Stealth ships also may pursuit a player from deepspace on slow player speed of ship.
* 4) Stealth ships may request a reinforcements.
* 5) Split of stealth ships on hunters and raiders.
* 6) Hunters apply Escort Formation periodical (endless).
*
* TODO():
* - What frequency appearing stealth ship (hunters / raiders) in ooniversum (periodical, semi-random, random).
* - Reward Player (credits, bounty, equip).
* - Which type RockHermit must be for raiderBase. Must be? Or want only a cargo carrier.
* - Which cargo carrier best for raiderBase.
* - Which type of cargo spawning for scoope after died the raiders.
* - Must be limited (or fixed) period of time appear Base in the galaxy.
* - How improvement of AI in order to overheating NPC-ship leaving a high orbit of sun to 500 km.
* - Which level kills of raider need in order to a player become status of "Wanted".
* - Which level kills of raider need to find raiderBase. Or the someting other activites.
* - How player can find raiderBase (alternatives: kill>20, pursuit of raiders, scope stealth pilot, free fly in deepspace, hacker outpost, parcel from courier...) Ideas?
* - Which ship is add to a stealth ships (Super-sidewinder, SKS-Plasma M, etc., if creator was permited). Must be?
* - DeepSpaceParates + this OXP = hard for player?
* - Compatibility with other OXP (jelly appear near base, etc.)
* - HighTech Weapon (Armory, Missiles and Bomb, Nexus Missile, I-Missile, Jammer, etc.) apply only raiders (restrict other NPC)?
* - Bounty for killing Hunters(GalCop Severity). Raiders will wanted a player-offence in regional location - no GalCop Severity.
* - Yet one initialisation of Stealth ships, if player killed the ship from cargo convoy (above some amount) (Comms, Dictators, Feudals - in poor-systems)
* - Special convoy : Bulk Hauler, Tembo, Liner, Commissar Limousine, Workers' Commuter, Imperial Tanker, Feudals Prince, Anarchy Bigboss.
*
* If player(novice) not kill stealth (or convoy), should be no problems for here. Will appear only SunSkimmers.

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What do you think about it? May be it's already there in the form of other OXP?

[Cmdr. Aiden Henessy]

Hey Rustem!

I just got this OXP. It's definitely a nasty surprise to find a large convoy of ships and haulers in the sun. They don't seem very happy about you showing up, either! I was almost at scoop level when my radar just lit up with contacts, and I was forced to engage. I could barely see a thing though in the glare, so eventually I had to just drop an energy bomb and keep on my way. It adds a lot of spice though, and gives some realistic danger to sun-scooping. Since I sometimes find myself as a fugitive, I go to sun-scoop to avoid the cops. But it almost feels like cheating since there's rarely any ships over there, even with Deep Space Pirates. So this is a very nice OXP that adds difficulty and almost a level of realistic ambiance.

Here's some ideas I had for it, take it with a grain of salt.

Decrease Pirate accuracy in the sun? I'm not sure if it's possible, but giving some negative modifier to the AI's to-hit chance would be nice. It's very hard for me to actually see targets, even with gamma down low and a target enhancer. But, the AI isn't impacted it seems by the glare of the sun, so they still nail me.

Finding Raider Bases: A suggestion I have is make it such that if you attack a raider's escape pod, they may or may not reveal the base location if you spare them. Basically, if they eject, you can fire on the pod in small bursts (they have enough health to last one or two bursts, but not a lot.) and that may trigger a player message where they either ask for mercy, or spit and say that they'll never tell. If they ask for mercy, and you scoop them, when you dock at a station then the raider base can appear on your advanced space compass. (Presumably you'd already have this, since to kill a raider in the first place you'd need an iron ass....)

You could technically find the raider base by simply torus-driving out into deep space, but it'd be nigh-impossible I think. And I think it'd be heavily fortified, too, in addition to carry a lot of escort ships. So the dangers of attacking one are pretty high. Think like a Space Bar or Black Monk Monastery, with laser turrets and auto-defense drones. Potentially though you could have a cargo drop from a destroyed raider, that makes the raiders non-aggressive towards you if you approach the base.


I think there's no need for new stealth fighters, unless you really wanted to make some more. Simply spawning in fighter-type ships with cloaking devices would probably fulfill the role.

I'm eager to see where this goes. I just got Wings3D, by the way, and while I have experience with 3D modeling I've never used Wings, so it may take me a bit to get used to it. But if you're dead-set on getting new ships in the game, let me know and maybe I can make some help with some models.

~Aiden

[Cody]

But, the AI isn't impacted it seems by the glare of the sun, so they still nail me.

Sun glare does affect NPCs (I think).

[another_commander]

But, the AI isn't impacted it seems by the glare of the sun, so they still nail me.

Sun glare does affect NPCs (I think).

It does indeed. The question could be, should it affect them even more?

[Cody]

Short answer: yes!

[Rustem]

But, the AI isn't impacted it seems by the glare of the sun, so they still nail me.

Sun glare does affect NPCs (I think).

It does indeed. The question could be, should it affect them even more?

I testing with DistantStar OXP (In Realistic Star OXP is difficult for flying near sun with big sun corona). Sun glare is not affected, because install Glare Clarifier OXP.

To: another_commander
1. How improvement of AI in order to overheating NPC-ship leaving a high orbit of sun to 500 km. D n't know, what seen in wiki? Write script ship?
2. Decrease Pirate accuracy may be change dynamical?

[another_commander]

1. How improvement of AI in order to overheating NPC-ship leaving a high orbit of sun to 500 km. D n't know, what seen in wiki? Write script ship?

If I understand the question right, you want a way to tell an NPC to move away from the sun when overheating? Without having looked at any code or wiki, it seems to me that this should be doable with a ship script or a script.js in Resources/Config. You could monitor the ship temperature using a timer and if it exceeds a threshold, you could then set a destination some distance from the sun and get the NPC to travel towards that destination.

2. Decrease Pirate accuracy may be change dynamical?

This is definitely doable. ship.accuracy is a read/write property.

[Rustem]

Attempt solved task overheating of the ships by developing the this OXP.

There was two options for implementation:
1. On the basis of the ship script with timers.
2. This option arose after the study priority-based AI. It is seemed more comfortable than the first option, because the timers are not needed. Temperature control occurs only near the sun.

Result: A ships have better survive a near sun. The ships with newer AI will be avoid overheating near sun and will be move from the sun.

Link to newer AI in the end of the post. May be you have recommendations for improvement, optimal performance and load of game engine, may be something is not right in the priority-based AI(xxxxAI-for-stealth.js).

The newer AI is not cause any conflicts and errors when working with a variety of packages in the future? I not have noticed yet.
Work is not completed, after find best solution by testing newer ship AI, I can report about it.

I think it would be useful for the Oolite community.

I not proposing as a set of core game AI changes. Of course activity by near sun is little. Apply this change or not, should solved developers of the core game. It is just a modification on an OXP and seeking advice by people with a lot of experience with scripting of priority AI.

[Rustem]

The some question:

Add a parcel to this pack. They will appear, if player (may be NPC also) kill stealth-raiders(random). If player is scooped the hijacked parcel then delivering parcels to destination is add some credits to a player. Also player may be sell this parcel to Black Market(rock-hermit), do not delivering to the destination. Is is work-in-process and not working properly.

There is need a new design of model for parcels? Doing a design models for secret parcel and hijacked parcel will based on qbomb.dat?
There is need a parcel mini-mission for this OXP?

[Rustem]

Update download link to pack.

A commMsg is not correct. It is need editing. A cargo, parcels, escape-pod is spawning from the raiders, etc. (see readme).
So a raiders has not raiderBase, no start event, but more part a mechanics of the pack is completed.

[Rustem]

Added stealth artifact like prototype technology for HyperspaceMotor, Void Bomb, Displacer Missile, Drones and Photon Torpedo (model from Alien OXP).
Thanks Smivs!

model torperdo + GIMP plugin GMIC is excellent tools for novice even (has been many textures generated ):



Do the rules of the story the Ooniverse? How better to name of the object: unknow item, artifact?

[Rustem]

A improvement of the stealth artifact behavior. It is appearing instead of asteroids in the deep space (flying on jump or torus drive) for testing and feedback. Also for testing set scanClass = "CLASS_NEUTRAL". May be should set scan_class = "CLASS_BUOY" like asteroids?

The stealth artifact is need for upgrade(develop) a Void Bomb, Displacer Missile and Raiders Buoy.

If you install Hyperradio, Random Docking Music OXP, then it will add effect by interaction stealth artifact.

[Keeper]

Just a note: The English word is "unknown" -- not "unknow".

[UK_Eliter]

Nice, imaginative idea for an OXP. I'll give it a go.