[WIP] GalCop Missions

[phkb]

'm also wondering about targeted cargo pirate missions -- does the OXP increase the likelihood of seeing cargo containers of the mission type? I got a mission for alien items, which I took thinking the mission would make more of them drop (normally you never see alien items canisters), and I didn't notice any after quite a bit of pirating in the target system.

Well, it's supposed to, but there is a bit of RNG in play. First, it doesn't add the cargo to every possible ship. That's the RNG I have control over. But then you have the RNG in play that decides what cargo will be ejected if the NPC pilot decides to try and buy you off. And if they decide to fight you and are destroyed, there's the RNG in play in spawning the remaining cargo containers. These last two scenarios are part of the core game.

If you want to see what is going on in the first bit, you can turn on debug messages by going to the Library F4 screen, to the "Debug Options" for "GalCop Missions", and change the setting to "true". Then, jump into the target destination system, and then check the latest.log file. You should see messages like:

Code: Select all

adding 2t alien_items to [ship]

That will at least give you an idea about how many ships have had their cargo tweaked for the mission.

I wouldn't leave the debug flag on through. I use the setting while testing missions, and a lot of missions become ridiculously easy with it on.

[phkb]

does the OXP increase the likelihood of seeing cargo containers of the mission type?

Another option to make life a little easier is to use the Manifest Scanner OXP, which shows you what cargo a ship has, so you can decide which ones are worth pirating.

[Bogatyr]

Yes, the Manifest Scanner makes a lot of sense -- I haven't bought one yet since I hadn't really started doing any pirating yet, but with these GalCop missions it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the info -- knowing that the alien items pirating missions are not impossible is good enough to elect to accept them, especially since they have no time limit.

Since there's a big price on my head via Bounty System (at least for almost 2 more months, ugh, I should have abandoned that stupid trader I was escorting instead of defending him against the cops -- bad decision!), this makes "peaceful pirating" particularly challenging. But interesting!

[Cholmondely]

Is there a logic behind the use of symbols marking mission destination systems on the F6 pages?

I accepted several missions in a couple of games and the orange cross and red cross symbols seemed to be used interchangeably for the same sorts of missions.

Is this due to some confusion between GalCop Missions and Vanilla Game Missions, or is there some underlying logic which I am missing?

Reference: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/F6_pag ... t_%221%22): New F6-page page in wiki (Guide to Icons: Incomplete)

[phkb]

Is there a logic behind the use of symbols marking mission destination systems on the F6 pages?

If any mission is added to the Bulletin Board without specifying the marker shape or colour, it will default to a red plus (+). This is the default that GalCop Mission applies. However, some of the missions have two steps (eg go to this system, collect cargo, then go to a second system and drop it off). The second system in this mission will be marked with an orange square.

And occasionally, when creating a secondary mission from one of the "Investigate unknown beacon" missions, the marker will be added as an orange cross (X).

[Cholmondely]

I've not really played these - just one or two.

But, as I've been looking through Hiran's Index and looking at the equipment end of things (lasers, missiles and what not), it gives an overwhelming impression that you have really created a whole new game within the game. Very impressive! More power to your elbow!

[Bogatyr]

Is there a trick to the interstellar rescue missions? I approach the stranded ship, stop close by, but nothing seems to happen. What is the required form of contact to complete the rescue?

[phkb]

Is there a trick to the interstellar rescue missions?

If this is the "Interstellar ship rescue" mission, then you would have been given 1t of machinery after accepting the mission. You need to eject that cargo near the stricken ship so they can make repairs.

[Bogatyr]

Is there a trick to the interstellar rescue missions?

If this is the "Interstellar ship rescue" mission, then you would have been given 1t of machinery after accepting the mission. You need to eject that cargo near the stricken ship so they can make repairs.

I will check the next time I come across it. There were no instructions about machinery in the mission briefing. I think the stranded ship complained about being out of fuel, but I don't clearly remember...

[phkb]

Version 0.6.5 has been released. In this version, completing some missions will now reduce the players bounty.

[Cholmondely]

Cargo Stopper.

I'm intrigued by this one. Just after quick answers to questions, please!

From the description is "stops" the moving item, rather than being a true tractor beam.

1) Is there a difference between operation on splinters & cargo pods, versus operation with escape pods?

2) Would it be possible/easy to create a true tractor beam? Good for the Imperial Star Destroyer, the most obvious example, but potentially usable in many other situations, especially used against the player.

3) And the scoops...

I understand that we can programme lasers to fire from different spatial points around a ship. So they can be locatable at particular points on the outside of the ship. I understand that we can move the pilot's cockpit and corresponding physical point of view (even if understood as external cameras rather than a glass cockpit canopy) around the ship - hence the various occlusions in such points of view (see especially RXSoftware's Cobra Mk.3).

But are the scoops also locatable at a particular point which makes sense looking at the outside of the ship? Is it meaningful to ask where the scoops are on Redspear's FdL Lightspeeder or the Imperial Star Destroyer?

[montana05]

3) And the scoops...

Same like weapon or view positions, the scoop could also be defined. While some ships got this feature included, most will go with the default. More details could be found here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Shipda ... p_position

[Cholmondely]

3) And the scoops...

Same like weapon or view positions, the scoop could also be defined. While some ships got this feature included, most will go with the default. More details could be found here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Shipda ... p_position

Thanks for this!

[montana05]

3) And the scoops...

Same like weapon or view positions, the scoop could also be defined. While some ships got this feature included, most will go with the default. More details could be found here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Shipda ... p_position

Thanks for this!

Always welcome, BTW congratulations on your first OXZ, in case nobody mentioned before, welcome to the dark side, here is your cookie.

[Cholmondely]

Always welcome, BTW congratulations on your first OXZ, in case nobody mentioned before, welcome to the dark side, here is your cookie.

Thanking you! Is it kosher? Halal? Coptic church approved for the season? Jain monk approved? Hindu approved?

One has to be so careful nowadays...