Oolite FAQ - New Forum Members Please Read......

[another_commander]

And what`s the use of the escape pods for the player himself? If something goes wrong i can always just to load a saved game, and afaik there is no permadeath mode.

Using the escape pod instantly cleans your criminal record, so that's one potential use for the player.

Oh, and maybe we should add a permadeath mode...

[Cody]

If something goes wrong i can always just to load a saved game

Not if you're playing in Ironman mode!

Oh, and maybe we should add a permadeath mode...

A splendid idea!

[Amon2501]

Using the escape pod instantly cleans your criminal record, so that's one potential use for the player.

Oh, and maybe we should add a permadeath mode...
[/quote]

I think a permadeath mode will conflict with the game concept itself. A permadeath means no saves allowed, but one can`t play an open-world game with just one sit. Only if you could host a cloud savegames (then death means your savegame will be deleted from the server). Also you could use the Encrypted savefile + internal game timer pair.

1. When the player quits the game while docked, it saves his last state automatically, you cant save manually at all.
2. When the player isnt docked, that internal timer are increasing constantly. Let`s call it the "Actually played" timer. And the game is saving that value somewhere where the player cant reach to copy it for the further use (and cheating).
3. When loading, the game decrypts the savegame and compares the timer`s value stored inside the savefile with the value of the "actually played" stored somewhere else outa player`s reach (i dunno). If it differs, game over then. So one could not just to close the game`s window, when something goes wrong implying he werent flying that last time.

(sorry guys, English isn`t my native, i hope you could understand my idea for than cheat-proof mechanics)

EDIT

Oh and here is the easiest permadeath mode realisation of all: just completely disable the saving ability. And when the player wants to sleep, he should just pause the game, minimise the game window, then either suspend his pc to ram or disk (even the stationary pc`s could do it nowadays). Of course that should be put in the game manual.

[Amon2501]

Tell me please which actions or events leads to the maintenance overhaul being required? Afaik its the colliding with other ship or cargo container, but sometimes i see the fuel cost`s grow just by itself. What should (and should`nt) i do to maximize that maintenance intervals?

[Cody]

It's linked to your ship's trade-in value, which lessens over time with wear and tear.

[Nite Owl]

Bumping into stuff should have little effect on your Service Level if your shields are up. Battle Damage is also generally negated by your shields. The main source of Service Level Wear and Tear comes in the form of Witchspace Jumps. The more jumps you make the lower your Service Level gets. The ideal situation would be to have the Maintenance Overhaul done at a planetary system with a tech level of 10 or more. The higher the tech level of the planetary system the more jumps you can make before the next Maintenance Overhaul is needed. Should you find yourself in need of an overhaul while you are in a low tech level planetary system you would have a choice to make. Do the overhaul knowing that it will not last that long and cost you again in a shorter amount of time or run the risk of waiting until you can get to a high tech level system. The second option runs the risk of a miss-jump. The result being that you end up in Interstellar Space facing Thargoids and/or even getting trapped there without enough fuel to make a return jump back into normal space. Quite the dilemma and one of the reasons for my recent installation of a gauge on my HUD to track my Ship's Service Level. Not an easy task coding wise but well worth the effort once given advice from the usual gang of suspects.

[Amon2501]

I had the least mid-maintenance period when i`ve got hit by 2 or 3 missiles(not in a row of course), then i`ve crushed the escape pod, then i`ve got rammed 3 times by the ships, who were after the same cargo i was collecting. My shields never were empty, but the fuel prices gone high. And there was the maintenance available at the closest 14 TL planet. No questions if i was hit while shields were down, but i always kept an eye on that. And that was about 5 or 7 jumps after the previous maintenance been done.

[Amon2501]

Today i`ve jumped to Zabeso as the closest high TL system, for having the overhaul maintenance. I didnt carried any parcels just a cargo to sell. soon after the jump i`ve been attacked by a pirates. Standard cargo for your life thing. But the police patrol was nearby so they had joined the fight too. And there were so much offenders and fugitives. I couldnt even count them. Short after that fight begun, the another wave had arrived. Many fugitives and offenders jumped there just like somebody called for the reinforcements, so that became a really huge swarm about 25 or more ships. Too bad i accidentally hit a Clean vessel and became an offender too, then died shortafter (enemy for the pirates and for the Cleans too). My questions is What was that? And where can i participate in such battles? Never seen such amounts of pirates even in anarchy systems.

[Cody]

Zabeso is right next door to a couple of feudal systems - could be raiders from either (or both).