[WIP] GalCop Missions

[phkb]

OK, well I think I've nailed down the "Special delivery" missions now. Version 0.2.2 has just been released which includes a pile of bug fixes for these missions. Hopefully now, with these bugs fixed, and with the new "Cargo Stopper" installed, it should be possible to wrangle the delivery ship into collecting all the cargo. It's still worth ejecting the cargo slowly, to prevent some untis from getting flung hither and yon by the wild scooping mentality of the pickup pilot!

Let me know how you get on.

[herodotus]

Special delivery seems to work better now - as do the comm relay missions. Thanks!

I think the Cargo Stopper might be a bit OP as a general usage piece of kit. Perhaps it should have an energy cost like the Range Finder? Or a higher cost? It makes cargo scooping kinda trivial.

Another thing that seems to be a bit odd is the deadlines on some of the missions. A lot of the cargo recovery missions have times that are a few hours longer than the jump time to the relevant system. They're still marked in green, and have no expiry warning. But in reality, the time required for the mission is 2 x the jump time + any time spent on the mission itself, since you've got to actually return to the originating system to complete the mission.

In general I'm not sure of the value of offering missions that are impossible to complete within the deadline - I think it would probably make sense to just remove these from the BB? For example, right now I have a "Deliver data package" mission showing. It's 1 jump of 41 hours, with a return to originating system for completion (not sure if this has to be before the deadline or not). But the mission expires in 36 hrs. It's marked with a "Close to expiry warning" but in fact it's now impossible even if I don't have to jump back before the deadline.

[phkb]

I think the Cargo Stopper might be a bit OP as a general usage piece of kit. Perhaps it should have an energy cost like the Range Finder? Or a higher cost? It makes cargo scooping kinda trivial.

Hmm. I have a couple of options with this: I could make it so that you have to target 1 cargo pod at a time, and activate it on each one (at the moment it will operate on all cargo that's in the alignment corridor), which would make it a bit more intricate to use, or reducing the corridor itself (currently it's a fairly broad, and operates out to 10k); I could make it have a limited number of uses (like the Comms Relay Beacon Switch device); I could make it's impact on cargo have a limited time frame ie, it will slow down cargo for 5 seconds, or it will reduce cargo total speed by 20% for each activation; or I could make it so it only works on cargo you've ejected yourself (although I might have a hard time coming up with an in-game explanation for that one!).

I don't want to increase the cost too much, because the Special Delivery missions are one of the "bread and butter" missions of the pack, and I wanted to make them as accessible as possible, without frustrating the player too much. The standard AI in operation for scooping operations is a bit unpredictable when presented with a bunch of scooping opportunities, and if those opportunities are close together, scooping one item can fling the others far and wide very quickly.

Another thing that seems to be a bit odd is the deadlines on some of the missions.

I think this is an issue with the way the BB presents/removes items, rather than with this mission pack itself. I'll do some tweaking and see if I can get it to be clearer.

Thanks for your help!

[phkb]

Okay, version 0.2.3 is now in the manager. In this version:

• Added the Ejection Damper equipment, as an alternative to the Cargo Stopper.
• Reduced the effective range of the Cargo Stopper to approximately 2km to make it slightly less OP.
• Added a sound effect for the tractor beam when activated.

I'd be interested in any feedback on these two devices, and whether any further tweaks might be required.

[phkb]

Version 0.2.4 is now available. Mainly bug fixes in this version.

• Linked the MFD to Broadcast Comms MFD in the Auto-Prime Equipment OXP.
• Makes use of GNN OXP if installed.
• Improved handling of player ship death scenarios.
• Fixed linkage to Home System.

[herodotus]

Seems like the latest version is spewing lots of JS errors. I get dozens of these:

22:55:56.843 [script.javaScript.exception.unexpectedType]: ***** JavaScript exception (GalCopBB_CargoStopper 0.2.4): TypeError: cargo.velocity is undefined

I don't think it affects the cargo stopper functionality in normal use, but I thought I'd mention it just in case it was a sign of some subtle breakage.

[phkb]

Hmm, that’s odd. I’ll check it out. Thanks for the report.

[herodotus]

Oooh, while you're at it, I just had a Gun Runner mission where I was supposed to "collect by any means necessary" 4 tonnes of firearms... but when I went into the mission screen to check my progress, it should "0 of 4 tonnes of narcotics". I guess there's a mismatch/copypasta error between the mission text and the actual data. Sorry I can't be more specific - I should have kept a record of the exact mission :-/

[phkb]

No worries, there’s probably enough there for me to track it down. Thanks again!

[phkb]

Version 0.3.0 is now available in the manager. In this version:

• Added investigation missions (types 130-139).
• Switched from using a dummy alloy ship entity as a navigational beacon to using a visual effect.
• Code refactoring, improving code reuse.
• Split more mission specific functions out of general script file to associated script file.
• Fixed issue with some missions having a decimal amount as part of the payment.
• Performance improvements when generating new missions for a system.
• Fixed status message with drug dealer mission (15).
• Bug fixes.

[Damocles Edge]

Can I ask 2 questions please.

Firstly is it okay to have more than 1 Galcop mission open?

I realise this may sound like a daft question only after a successful Galcop mission liberating slaves, I decided to try a gun runner mission (liberating guns from neighbouring system amid concerns of arms build ups).
Anyhow after undertaking this mission in Esbete (galaxy 2) I noticed that there was the same type of mission in nearby Atorat ( I got greedy and thought what the hell let's make it 2 of the same mission).
I then noticed whilst I was in Esbete that there was one of the new mission types investigating unknown navigation beacon - so I figure whilst I'm here I may as well add this to the 2 galcop missions that I've already undertaken (as there was no expiry for any of the 3 missions).

So I start the first of my gun runner missions (thinking that it will be very similar to the slave release mission I had just completed where I just had to use broadcast coms to request ships to drop any slaves they were carrying (firearms in this instance). Only I found that broadcast coms wasn't giving me the option of issuing the request.
Strange I thought, maybe it is because I have 2 of the same mission type and I need to leave Esbete and complete the other gun runner mission in Atorat first, this I tried but found that again in this system that I could not issue the mission specific broadcast coms message to other ships.
I decided to abandon the 2 gun runner missions (figuring maybe I had thrown a spanner in the works by undertaking to missions of the same type) and headed back to Esbete to try the unknown navigation beacon mission.
I am thinking that maybe I am missing something glaringly obvious with this mission but I cannot find any trace of the navigation beacon. My tactic has been to head out from the station towards the witchspace beacon and continue past it trying to keep a straight line course projecting from the main station and the witchspace beacon.
I have been jumping using Torus to Sun oxp and periodically checking both my Adv Space Compass and also Range Finder MFD for coms relays (not sure if it would show up here or not).
But so far I have found nothing and I have jumped (Torrus ) a real long way out.
Am I missing something really obvious here? (I normally do)
Any help or advice would be really welcome.

[phkb]

Firstly is it okay to have more than 1 Galcop mission open?

Theoretically, yes. Although, TBH, I haven't tried every combination of missions to see if there might be negative interactions, so you might have come across a scenario I need to cater for.

So I start the first of my gun runner missions (thinking that it will be very similar to the slave release mission I had just completed where I just had to use broadcast coms to request ships to drop any slaves they were carrying

In this case, no, the gun runner and drug dealer missions don't have a Broadcast comms method of asking. I suggest using your laser to request the cargo! Seriously, I'd also recommend the Manifest Scanner, that can scan ships cargo and lets you know if the ship has some of what you're looking for.

Anyhow after undertaking this mission in Esbete (galaxy 2) I noticed that there was the same type of mission in nearby Atorat

The system should allow for you to have two of the same type of mission for different systems, but not for the same system. If you end up with 2 in the same system, it's a bug.

I have been jumping using Torus to Sun oxp and periodically checking both my Adv Space Compass and also Range Finder MFD for coms relays (not sure if it would show up here or not).

(As an aside, Torus To Sun probably doesn't increase your speed over what the core game now does for you, since v1.82) Range Finder may or may not help in this instance, depending on what's waiting for you at the destination. However, you should have been able to pick up the signal soon after passing the wp beacon. I'll do some tests at my end and see what I can find. In the meantime, if you can send me a copy of your save file that could help me quite a bit.

Thanks for all your help with this!

[Damocles Edge]

In this case, no, the gun runner and drug dealer missions don't have a Broadcast comms method of asking. I suggest using your laser to request the cargo! Seriously, I'd also recommend the Manifest Scanner, that can scan ships cargo and lets you know if the ship has some of what you're looking for.

Agreed - I have been using Manifest scanner also

The system should allow for you to have two of the same type of mission for different systems, but not for the same system. If you end up with 2 in the same system, it's a bug.

Am I following your meaning are you saying that having 2 of the same mission type is fine so long as they're in different systems?
What about having 2 different mission types in the same system (in my example there was a gun runner mission and investigate navigation beacon mission both in same system (Esbete) ?

In the meantime, if you can send me a copy of your save file that could help me quite a bit.

Thanks for all your help with this!

can I attach the save in a pm?
And NO - THANK YOU Sir

[phkb]

What about having 2 different mission types in the same system (in my example there was a gun runner mission and investigate navigation beacon mission both in same system (Esbete) ?

This should be fine.

can I attach the save in a pm?

You'll probably need to use some form of web hosting (Dropbox, box.com) and share it with me that way. PM me the link to it.

[phkb]

I have been jumping using Torus to Sun oxp and periodically checking both my Adv Space Compass and also Range Finder MFD for coms relays (not sure if it would show up here or not).
But so far I have found nothing and I have jumped (Torrus ) a real long way out.

This is fixed in version 0.3.1, now available via the download manager.