Question about trading

[gsagostinho]

We find the following text in the section "Advice to Traders" from the Oolite Trading wiki page:

The Cobra trade ship can be fitted with four lasers, four missiles and one energy bomb. This should be sufficient to make trade possible within the System Space of even heavily piratised worlds. But it is strongly recommended that pilots achieve a combat of at least "Deadly" before any worlds designated "Anarchy" or "Feudal" are approached, especially if the cargo is high tech machinery or luxury goods.

I think this phrase is a bit ambiguous. Why should one reach a combat level of at least "Deadly" before going to difficult systems, do NPCs take that into consideration when attacking your ship? I thought not, but I feel the phrasing is implying that. Same thing for the type of cargo: do NPCs know your type of cargo and are more likely to attack you if you have expensive stuff onboard?

[Cody]

... do NPCs take that [combat rating] into consideration when attacking your ship?

To a certain extent, I believe they do. I could be wrong, of course - not unusual.

[Disembodied]

It's largely cut-and-pasted from the original Elite manual. Part of the charm of the original manual was how it talked about all sorts of things that didn't exist in the actual game, e.g. Generation Ships - or in this case, intelligent NPCs …

In Oolite, though, NPCs do take a player's reputation (which is not quite the same thing as their combat rating) into consideration before deciding whether to attack or not. I don't think they can, as yet, assess a player's cargo … although if the player has a high Merchant reputation then it's probably a good bet that they've got lots of valuable loot on board!

[Cody]

It's still valid advice - perhaps not Deadly, but fully kitted out and capable of fighting your ship.

[gsagostinho]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Part of the charm of the original manual was how it talked about all sorts of things that didn't exist in the actual game

In 1984 that might have been charming, today we would have another No Man's Sky sort of scandal with that

In Oolite, though, NPCs do take a player's reputation (which is not quite the same thing as their combat rating) into consideration before deciding whether to attack or not. I don't think they can, as yet, assess a player's cargo … although if the player has a high Merchant reputation then it's probably a good bet that they've got lots of valuable loot on board!

I see. I understand the part about the charm of the original manual, but to use it as part of Oolite's wiki seems to be quite misleading about how the game works.

It's still valid advice - perhaps not Deadly, but fully kitted out and capable of fighting your ship.

As advice, yes, but it implies that the game works in a way it doesn't. A pacifist might have an iron-ass ship with 0 kills, for instance.

Anyway, thanks to you both for clarifying my questions!

[Disembodied]

A good point about No Man's Sky … although to be fair the original Elite manual was quite obviously full of fictional elements, e.g. references to alien body language, etc. The wiki page in question was created, and last edited, in 2010 … it could definitely be usefully updated (not least to remove the mention of the Energy Bomb).

[Astrobe]

We can lie, for we don't sell anything

[gsagostinho]

We can lie, for we don't sell anything

That's a good point

[NewtSoup]

I'm somewhat of an elite veteran ( but new to Oolite). In the original game rank didn't make much difference as to whether you'd get attacked or not, can't comment on Oolite yet. All pirates generally weighed in. So if you felt your ship, equipment and most importantly piloting skills were up to the job then you pretty much went where you like.

Indeed I only started playing last night and I did just a trade from Leesti to Riedquat ( Tech 4 poor agricultural anarchy ) armed only with a single pulse laser and no missiles and didn't see a single ship. Though I get attacked every time on the trip back to Leesti. Thing is though I'm not stopping to fight. If you just fly a corkscrew path to the planet the ships can't hit you often enough to destroy you. ( Joystick needed really for this )

[phkb]

If you just fly a corkscrew path to the planet...

Yes, but when you get there you're so dizzy you can't walk in a straight line and instead accidentally walk out the wrong end of the hanger bay.

[phkb]

Oh wait, the hanger bay is kind of implied as well, isn't it?

[Alex]

If you just fly a corkscrew path to the planet...

Yes, but when you get there you're so dizzy you can't walk in a straight line and instead accidentally walk out the wrong end of the hanger bay.

You can't get dizzy. your down and direction are the same in flight. It's all they poor beings on the planet that are spinning.

The Corkscrew flight should be in the basic Jamisons handbook. Has got me out of trouble many a time. Only time got docking problems with it was when partaking of Jamisons ancient ancestors fire brew.

As for trading. There is only one very important thing to remember.

SAVE game at every station.

Also. If you don't see "Press Space" more than you want. Your not trying.

[gsagostinho]

Thing is though I'm not stopping to fight. If you just fly a corkscrew path to the planet the ships can't hit you often enough to destroy you. ( Joystick needed really for this )

This certainly helps a lot, but I have the impression that with the Skilled NPCs OXP this tactic is far less effective. Or perhaps I am not such a good pilot as I think

SAVE game at every station.

Also. If you don't see "Press Space" more than you want. Your not trying

This advice is gold, a million times this.

[Alex]

Thing is though I'm not stopping to fight. If you just fly a corkscrew path to the planet the ships can't hit you often enough to destroy you. ( Joystick needed really for this )

This certainly helps a lot, but I have the impression that with the Skilled NPCs OXP this tactic is far less effective. Or perhaps I am not such a good pilot as I think

SAVE game at every station.

Also. If you don't see "Press Space" more than you want. Your not trying

This advice is gold, a million times this.

"This certainly helps a lot, but I have the impression that with the Skilled NPCs OXP this tactic is far less effective. Or perhaps I am not such a good pilot as I think "

No ONE is! Well except me of course. But then my sightings of the dreaded "Press Space" almost match my credits.

[Cody]

I have the impression that with the Skilled NPCs OXP this tactic is far less effective. Or perhaps I am not such a good pilot as I think.

<grins> The latter!