Hints OXZ (Development Thread)

[Cody]

I must contend that the Belgian oude geuze and oude kriek are superior to the framboise.

I'll bow to your superior judgement, but isn't "kriek" cherry-flavoured? I have never liked cherries!
Mention of "oude" though has me reminiscing about oude kaas and a cheese shop in Haarlem.


Note to self: must get cheese (or oude kaas) mentiond in Oolite fiction somewhere.

[Old Murgh]

I'll bow to your superior judgement, but isn't "kriek" cherry-flavoured? I have never liked cherries!
Mention of "oude" though has me reminiscing about oude kaas and a cheese shop in Haarlem.

Note to self: must get cheese (or oude kaas) mentiond in Oolite fiction somewhere.

Kind of you Yes oude kriek must be made from the sour cherries of Schaerbeek, but after the wild fermentations, it is robbed of all sweetness. It tastes more like almonds, except it is crazy acidic. The term oude is pertinent because plain kriek is mostly made with a sweet cherry syrup, while oude kriek and oude geuze, EU protected appellation terms, must adhere to the ancient methods. My impression is that cheeses don't get equally strict protection but the term oude would give me some comfort.

Yes, it feels very right that there is sophisticated cheese in the ooniverse.

[Cody]

My impression is that cheeses don't get equally strict protection but the term oude would give me some comfort.

Some cheeses have very strict conditions of production, Roquefort being a good example (and a very fine cheese).
The Dutch "oude" I think simply implies old as in aged (or matured), much like a vintage cheddar.

Yes, it feels very right that there is sophisticated cheese in the ooniverse.

Indeed!

[Old Murgh]

Some cheeses have very strict conditions of production, Roquefort being a good example (and a very fine cheese).

Yes, I was mostly thinking of how so many get away with labelling as edamer or gouda or gruyere when they’re not made remotely near their origins.

«The Cheesemonger» might well be a very sinister and eccentric crime cartel boss, dispensing cheese anecdotes and stinky cruelty with equal gusto.

[Cholmondely]

1) Prices: what would be reasonable bar prices for a bar on an orbital station? And what would be reasonable bar prices for the planet, beneath? Stranger says in his economics essay (my "translation"):

Purchasing Power of the ₢
...
Why is it that a ton of wholesale alcohol costs about 25₢ but a drink in the (Random Hits OXP) seedy bar costs about 4₢ (albeit with a snack, but also hundreds of kilograms in one sitting heavily uporotyh!)? A hundredfold margin - this is something rather bizarre...

2) Trying to make sense of the Life in the Frontier code below:

2a) What is this all about: r3? c3? a4? etc.
r3: "flag_offerToCounter=0,credits>=150",
c3: "I could offer a drink to everyone at the counter (should cost no more than 150cr)",
a3: "goNav:bar3",
c4: "Exit the Bar",
a4: "time:300|goNav:area3_1"


2b) And what is this: $LIQUOR$ ?

I found this in LITF_EventsCatalog.js (line 29):

Code: Select all

this.arrLiquors = [ "Trumble Bubble", "Thargoid Slingshot", "Witch Red Wine", "Injector Thunder", "Shadow Rum", "Thyme Hopper", "Double Halo Talon", "Ginger Blitzer", "Cosmic Fluff", "Perfect Storm", "Radioactive Phantom", "Perfect Scooper", "Vodka Square Wave", "Milky Engine Twister", "Imaginary Alien", "Gin Octopoid Walk", "Sherry Robo Punch", "Shield Light Ale", "Glowing Asteroid", "Gleaming Q-Whiskey" ];

Life in the Frontier bar-visit code:

Code: Select all

LITF_Navigation.js (lines 795+)
/////////////////// SPECIAL LOCATION ///////////////////

this.bar0 = {
	text: "The place is full of pilots. You don't see free seats at the tables, so you decide to sit at the counter. Everyone is pretty chatty: you hear talks of all kinds, public or private, and the usual jokers who take the opportunity to have a nice drink with friends.",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
    r1: "flag_drinkChallenge=0",
	c1: "A group at a table repeat loud: 'CHALLENGE! CHALLENGE!' Maybe I could check?",
	a1: "goNav:bar1",
    r2: "flag_chatBartender=0",
	c2: "I could talk a bit with the bartender",
	a2: "goNav:bar2",
    r3: "flag_offerToCounter=0,credits>=150",
	c3: "I could offer a drink to everyone at the counter (should cost no more than 150cr)",
	a3: "goNav:bar3",
	c4: "Exit the Bar",
	a4: "time:300|goNav:area3_1"
};

this.bar0_1 = {
    text: "Suddenly, a brawny bouncer blocks you right at the entrance of the Bar. He's staring right into your eyes. 'We don't like cheaters or drunkard here, and you don't seem a cheater to me. Get lost', he says to you with a deep, serious voice.",
    c1: "I think I'll follow your advice",
    a1: "goNav:area3_1"
};

//

this.bar1 = {
	text: "You sit in front of a $SPECIES_S$ that explains to you the rules of the challenge. 'A liquor is chosen. I drink a glass. You drink a glass. Again. Until one crashes. The bet is 50cr. You're in?",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
    r1: "credits>=50",
	c1: "Yes, you can count me in",
	a1: "credits:-50|goNav:bar11",
	c2: "Not tonight, thanks",
	a2: "goNav:bar0"
};

this.bar11 = {
	text: "Today the liquor is the $LIQUOR$. 'First glass is mine'. The $SPECIES_S$ raise the glass and drink the content in one gulp.",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "It's my turn",
	a1: "goNav:bar12"
};

this.bar12 = {
	text: "You raise your glass and drink. It burns, but you can stand it.",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "It's your turn",
	a1: "goNav:bar111"
};

this.bar111 = {
	text: "'NEXT ROUND! You're not a newbie, I see!'\nThe $SPECIES_S$ raise the glass and drink the content in one gulp.",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "It's my turn",
	a1: "goNav:bar112"
};

this.bar112 = {
	text: "You raise your glass and drink...",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "It's your turn",
	a1: "goNav:bar1111"
};

this.bar1111 = {
	text: "'NEXT ROUND!'\nThe $SPECIES_S$ raise the glass and drink the content in one gulp.",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "It's my turn...",
	a1: "goNav:bar1112,bar1112,bar1112,bar1112,bar1113,bar1113"
};

this.bar1112 = {
	text: "You raise your glass and drink...",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "It's your turn!",
	a1: "goNav:bar1111,bar1111,bar1111,bar1111,bar1114,bar1114"
};

this.bar1113 = {
	text: "You focus on the glass... but now you see two glasses on the table. No, three glasses... dancing glasses. You move your hand but you can't take them, they always slip away. Then table becomes bigger and someone turn off the lights.\n\nYou awake in the street, outside the bar. Your rival pats you on the shoulder: 'You're not bad. But I won. Thanks for the money.'",
	c1: "...burp",
	a1: "flag_drinkChallenge:1|flag_getDrunk:1|time:3600|goNav:area3_1"
};

this.bar1114 = {
	text: "'NEXT ROUND!'\nThat said, the $SPECIES_S$ collapses on the table! You raise one arm for victory while the other pilots at the table applaud you. The bet is yours. Too bad you're drunk, after all, because you can not keep your balance. The owner goes with you to the exit and gently throw you out. 'You can go back when you learn how to walk alone!'. The door closes but you can hear the laughters from inside.",
	c1: "It's ok. I won!",
	a1: "flag_drinkChallenge:1|flag_getDrunk:1|credits:100|time:1800|goNav:area3_1"
};

//

this.bar2 = {
	text: "The $SPECIES_S$ bartender pours a glass of liquor, and you start chatting. After a bit, the bartender tells you: $GOSSIP$.",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "Ok, I think it's enough for now",
	a1: "time:300|goNav:bar0"
};

//

this.bar3 = {
	text: "The customers at the counter rejoice and take their drinks. Many begin to sing. After everyone has been drinking his glass, another commander stands up and offers another round. And you have to start over!",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "Let's go, another round!",
	a1: "credits:-50,-150|reputation:5|goNav:bar31",
	c2: "Ok, I'm out, I don't want to go too far...",
	a2: "flag_offerToCounter:0|time:600|goNav:bar0"
};

this.bar31 = {
	text: "You have just finished your glass, when another commander stands up and offer another round! Screams of joy and new songs! The party goes on!",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "Let's go, another round!",
	a1: "reputation:3|goNav:bar311,bar313",
	c2: "Ok, I'm out, I don't want to go too far...",
	a2: "flag_offerToCounter:0|time:1200|goNav:bar0"
};

this.bar311 = {
	text: "And this glass is empty too! You try to say something when someone offers a new round! The glasses go around the counter, and you find one in your hands. This things could never end...",
	background: "litf_bg_localbar.png",
	c1: "Let's go, another round...",
	a1: "reputation:2|goNav:bar31,bar313",
	c2: "Ok, I'm out, I don't want to go too far...",
	a2: "flag_offerToCounter:0|time:2400|goNav:bar0"
};

this.bar313 = {
	text: "You say: 'Another round!', but there isn't another round. And there isn't the counter anymore. You open your eyes and you're on the street. The bar is closed since an hour at least. You decide to keep sitting in your place for a while, just to clear your mind.",
	c1: "Five minutes. Five minutes and then I go...",
	a1: "reputation:-15|flag_getDrunk:1|time:14400|goNav:area3_1"
};

////

[Disembodied]

1) Prices: what would be reasonable bar prices for a bar on an orbital station?

Is it necessary for the player to actually buy drinks at the bar with in-game money? ₢ prices are for items purchased in bulk, for interstellar trade; it's possible that local currencies are used in stations for things like food and drink. It could just be assumed that the player has sufficient walking-around money to take care of such things. When you enter the bar, "You rake around and find enough [[Rizalan groats]] in your pocket to cover the price of a few drinks …" and take it from there. Avoiding the whole question might be easier, especially since the amounts of money involved aren't going to give a player any problems.

[Cody]

[barkeeper looks disdainfully at your groats] You havin' a laugh, mate?

[Disembodied]

Hang on, I've got … three Riinusian thalers, six Terean buckerels still a good eight months from expiry, nine Ra zednickels - one of them is a bit clipped, I grant you - and a Reortish twelve-fennik note. Slightly soiled.

[Disembodied]

There's a good novel, set in pre-Revolutionary New York in the eighteenth century, called Golden Hill, written by Francis Spufford (author of The Backroom Boys: the Secret Return of the British Boffin which included a brief history of Elite, amongst other things). At the start of Golden Hill a young man arrives from England and wants to cash a large money order - but one of the problems he faces is that the American colonies don't have much in the way of their own mint. Here's a bit describing how people might cope with a bewildering variety of coinage (along with promissory notes and other, even less official, forms of currency):

Lovell opened a box with a key from his fob chain and dredged up silver—worn silver, silver knocked and clatter'd in the battles of circulation—which he built into a little stack in front of Smith. "A Mexica dollar, which we pass at eight-and-fourpence. A piece of four, half that. A couple of Portugee cruzeiros, three shillings New­-York. A quarter-guilder. Two kreutzers, Lemberg. One kreutzer, Danish. Five sous. And a Moresco piece we can't read, but it weighs at fourteen pennyweight, sterling, so we'll call it two-and-six, New­-York. Twenty-one and fourpence, total.

[Cholmondely]

1) Prices: what would be reasonable bar prices for a bar on an orbital station?

Is it necessary for the player to actually buy drinks at the bar with in-game money? ₢ prices are for items purchased in bulk, for interstellar trade; it's possible that local currencies are used in stations for things like food and drink. It could just be assumed that the player has sufficient walking-around money to take care of such things. When you enter the bar, "You rake around and find enough [[Rizalan groats]] in your pocket to cover the price of a few drinks …" and take it from there. Avoiding the whole question might be easier, especially since the amounts of money involved aren't going to give a player any problems.

Good point. Thank you.

But the main Orbital Stations are put in place via a combination of GalCop with the local system government. Hence the perceived issues with those in the anarchies, and the increased number of OXP stations in the wealthier systems.

Since the local government has a role, it makes sense that the main Orbital Stations outside anarchic systems would accept both the local currency as well as credits. No?

Thanks for the optional get-out! But I think that I do want a minor charge for drinks at the main Orbital Station bars - a fraction of a credit. Enough to register, but not enough to deter too much. And enough that every once in a blue moon, he won't be able to afford it. But am I being reasonable?

Also, if I can get the code straight, then other oxp writers will have it as a template: for example, Murgh will have it sorted out it if he wants to do something with his restaurants in his Lave.oxp. And I'll have learned a little more about the thrills of programming. And I would argue, it helps with the immersion, even if just a little.

[Cholmondely]

There's a good novel, set in pre-Revolutionary New York in the eighteenth century, called Golden Hill, written by Francis Spufford (author of The Backroom Boys: the Secret Return of the British Boffin which included a brief history of Elite, amongst other things). At the start of Golden Hill a young man arrives from England and wants to cash a large money order - but one of the problems he faces is that the American colonies don't have much in the way of their own mint. Here's a bit describing how people might cope with a bewildering variety of coinage (along with promissory notes and other, even less official, forms of currency):

Lovell opened a box with a key from his fob chain and dredged up silver—worn silver, silver knocked and clatter'd in the battles of circulation—which he built into a little stack in front of Smith. "A Mexica dollar, which we pass at eight-and-fourpence. A piece of four, half that. A couple of Portugee cruzeiros, three shillings New­-York. A quarter-guilder. Two kreutzers, Lemberg. One kreutzer, Danish. Five sous. And a Moresco piece we can't read, but it weighs at fourteen pennyweight, sterling, so we'll call it two-and-six, New­-York. Twenty-one and fourpence, total.

I like it. I'd love* to include/encounter this sort of thing. But I'll settle for starting with the drinks and just using credits!

*As with Repair Bottery:

The idea of repair bots which randomly choose which items they repair makes no sense to me. Who would devise such a thing? And why? Who would sell it? Who would buy it?

Repair bots randomly cannibalising less useful pieces of equipment to repair more important pieces makes a lot more sense. Or even cannibalising another broken piece: the Selezen v2.11 capacitor can be adapted from the broken port Beam Laser to fix the aft Military Laser.

Or try this: Presumably in the early days of repair-bottery the bottologists devised bots which repaired one thing only - such as the early Aegidian bots which only repaired the first Aegidian-manufactured advanced space compasses - but not the later models, or the Dyballic or Cholmondolian Space Compasses with different parts and different wiring. Then, maybe Dybal Space Manufacturies produced a bot which fixed both Dyballic and Aegidian models - but not those ghastly Cholmondolian ones. The second generation of Dybalistic bots also fixed Dyballonian Beam Lasers. Etc, etc.
The complexity would be beautifully byzantine - and gloriously balance out the banal simplicities of choosing lasers simply based on range, damage dealt out, laser temperature rise and cost. It would probably also be a palpitating nightmare to write the suite of relevant .oxps - and take forever to do so.

[Cody]

Lovell opened a box with a key from his fob chain and dredged up silver—worn silver, silver knocked and clatter'd in the battles of circulation—which he built into a little stack in front of Smith. "A Mexica dollar, which we pass at eight-and-fourpence. A piece of four, half that. A couple of Portugee cruzeiros, three shillings New­-York. A quarter-guilder. Two kreutzers, Lemberg. One kreutzer, Danish. Five sous. And a Moresco piece we can't read, but it weighs at fourteen pennyweight, sterling, so we'll call it two-and-six, New­-York. Twenty-one and fourpence, total.

<chortles> Like it - brings back memories of travelling around Europe before the advent of the Euro, back when you got a stamp in your passport every time you crossed a border. I always carried a small bag of coinage from various countries.

[cbr]

Code: Select all

{
"education_bar_gossip" = ("%N is my name, how do you like %H, like %R isn't it!", "%N is not my name, [parcnumbers] guesses left matey!");
"parcnumbers" = ("two", "three", "four", "five", "six");
}

Small example on how to add variation to text

[cbr]

Another code snippet:
Using random (bar) background images

Declare const

Code: Select all

const bartalkpignoir = ["bartalk01.png", "bartalk02.png", "bartalk03.png", "bartalk04.png"];

Used with random in screen overlay

Code: Select all

overlay: bartalkpignoir[Math.floor(Math.random() * bartalkpignoir.length)]

[Redspear]

«The Cheesemonger» might well be a very sinister and eccentric crime cartel boss, dispensing cheese anecdotes and stinky cruelty with equal gusto.

Spread 'em Cheesemonger!

Not so fast GalCop...

He's right Jacobs, drop it... You too Ritz.

But, Seargeant Jack?

That's Sergeant... Monteray Jack

Gasp!!!

That's right, I was under your noses all this time.

You may have sniffed out Inspector Roquefort but you didn't think that I, the great Cheesemonger, would be so foolish as to only be planning one whey to ripen my schemes to maturation did you?

But how?

Simple. You faced the great Cheesemonger, queso facto, your fate was sealed. Speaking of which... Meneer Edammer... Bring me the parafin wax.

...No! Please I beg you, NO!

MooHOOHOOHAHAHAHaaaa...