[Release] Asteroid Tweaks

[spara]

This oxp combines two of my previous small experimental OXPs, Moar Rocks and Asteroid Respawn, into one and adds an interface screen to configure them.

1. Control the number of asteroids spawned at system population by setting a multiplier that multiplies every spawned asteroid. Multiplication factor can be selected from 1-5. Note that multiplying asteroids means more entities and that means more stress to the computer.
2. Respawn destroyed asteroids when the player docks by creating a new asteroid field somewhere in system. The size of the field is the number of destroyed asteroids before docking and the placement is around a random asteroid far enough from the player. If no suitable asteroid can be found, then the asteroids are scattered around.
3. Configure settings via an interface screen. Interface screen is available at the main station and any rock hermit. If preferred, the interface can be disabled from the main stations.

Available from the in-game expansion manager.

[Anonymissimus]

It said somewhere that the menu would be always available at rock hermits, even if disabled at main stations. That's not true, the menu is completely gone.
I have pirate cove installed, but ordinary hermits are affected as well.

I installed this because the miners near to hermits tend to consume every asteroid in the vicinity, if the paler stays in some system long enough. So I'd make sure that asteroids are primarily respawned around (possibly lonely) hermits, making them somewhat easier to find.

EDIT
I just had it appear at a normal hermit. No idea what has changed or whether it's ok now...I don't think I was mistaken.

[spara]

It said somewhere that the menu would be always available at rock hermits, even if disabled at main stations. That's not true, the menu is completely gone.
I have pirate cove installed, but ordinary hermits are affected as well.

I installed this because the miners near to hermits tend to consume every asteroid in the vicinity, if the paler stays in some system long enough. So I'd make sure that asteroids are primarily respawned around (possibly lonely) hermits, making them somewhat easier to find.

EDIT
I just had it appear at a normal hermit. No idea what has changed or whether it's ok now...I don't think I was mistaken.

Thanks for reporting . A new version (1.1) is up.

* Interface menu now appears on all core spawned hermits including chaotic and pirate variants.
* Some integration with Mining Contracts OXP. If you're on a contract and dock into a hermit, a few of the asteroids to be respawned will be positioned close to the hermit. This should ensure that it's actually possible to start the game as a miner (Miner Start from Start Choices OXP) and build enough capital to get the first upgrades without venturing far from the hermit.

[Amah]

Nice! Good job spara. I just got ok by ZygoUgo to work on his Asteroids, so I might add something to the ambiance for the miners out there later this week or so.

[spara]

Nice! Good job spara. I just got ok by ZygoUgo to work on his Asteroids, so I might add something to the ambiance for the miners out there later this week or so.

That's great. Could you also put the shadered version (mainly the addition one) to the manager?

As for this oxp, as it usually goes when fixing something, ideas begin to pop. I think I'll be making the hermit thingy a bit more general trying to ensure that there's _always_ a few asteroids around hermits with or without mining contracts.

[Amah]

That's great. Could you also put the shadered version (mainly the addition one) to the manager?

sure... I'm currently cleaning up the original shipdata.plist.

As for this oxp, as it usually goes when fixing something, ideas begin to pop. I think I'll be making the hermit thingy a bit more general trying to ensure that there's _always_ a few asteroids around hermits with or without mining contracts.

[spara]

New version (1.2) is up.

* Revised respawning logic/rules to support mining as a career choice:

1. Oxp checks the number of asteroids around hermits after the population step and defines a per system high limit and low limit based on those numbers. When respawning, all hermits are checked and if the number of asteroids around hermits is between the limits, hermits get replenished up to the high limit. This ensures the mining operations continue, but it's possible that hermits dry out of asteroids.
2. If after step 1 there are asteroids left to be respawned, a random asteroid is chosen far enough from the player and the rest of the missing asteroids are added back as an asteroid field.
3. If step 2 fails, rest of the asteroids are scattered around far enough from the player.

[spara]

A new version (1.3) is up.

* Splinters and boulders are taken into account when calculating the number of asteroids to be respawned. This should keep the number of entities reasonable by preventing spawning new asteroids just by shooting asteroids. Four boulders count as one asteroid and 4 splinters count as one boulder.
* The configuration screen is now shown once at the beginning of a new game.

[GadflyBee]

So I decided to have a ... fun little trip ... when I got a bit bored of mining and wanted some space.

I was kinda surprised, so I have to ask --

(Note the distance from the sun.)

What exactly IS the definition of "far enough from the player"?
*grin*


(This isn't a complaint, or necessarily a bug -- the only thing I'm worried about is, having something this far out of the system will probably never get mined, so if this happens a lot then over some amount of time most of the asteroids will be floating out of the system, meaning barely any IN it. Which depending on how long that amount of time is, could possibly be a problem and should probably be at least thought about, in the off-chance you haven't.)

(Also, I don't know that this is necessarily your OXP -- it could be something else.)

(Thanks for a very fun OXP!)

[Cholmondely]

I hate the way the configuration interface works, it is just so immersion-breaking

I created a small OXP for myself to default the Asteroid Tweaks settings, moving the settings into Library Config and then suppressing all the prompts the original OXP will display. If there's interest I can post a copy in my box.com account.

This is something which I would greatly appreciate, if you are happy to publish it...




Including this just to keep things together...

A long time ago I mused that there should be an entry in the Oolite system menu for OXPs. This would be used for out of game configurations, like Asteroid Tweaks. I did not do any kind of station interface for the Asteroid Tweaks, because it felt wrong to put these kinds of meta game settings there. Instead I chose to force the settings once after installing the oxp. An annoying decision, now that you think of it .

[phkb]

Here you go: SilentAsteroidTweaks.oxz

[spara]

I've not really followed the board lately, just then and again visited to see what's going on. And this one slipped my attention totally. I've been building a personal oxp collection for some Oolite moments and I was a bit annoyed of this oldie and it's old school prompts. Hey, the game was dfifferent in 2015 . Sooo, I removed the prompts and added a Library integration only to find out I was beaten to it . Anyways, here's my new version (1.4): https://app.box.com/s/lu3zvosgfij6gwqddnvssgzs4fz0z3cj. I'll update it to the manager when oxz uploads are working again.

Version 1.4
* Defaults changed. Respawn: true, Multiplier: 1.
* Custom configuration interface removed.
* Library integration added.
* The oxp can also be configured from by editing the script. Just change the values at the top of the file.

[spara]

I've not really followed the board lately, just then and again visited to see what's going on. And this one slipped my attention totally. I've been building a personal oxp collection for some Oolite moments and I was a bit annoyed of this oldie and it's old school prompts. Hey, the game was dfifferent in 2015 . Sooo, I removed the prompts and added a Library integration only to find out I was beaten to it . Anyways, here's my new version (1.4): https://app.box.com/s/lu3zvosgfij6gwqddnvssgzs4fz0z3cj. I'll update it to the manager when oxz uploads are working again.

Version 1.4
* Defaults changed. Respawn: true, Multiplier: 1.
* Custom configuration interface removed.
* Library integration added.
* The oxp can also be configured by editing the script. Just change the values at the top of the file.

[spara]

I've not really followed the board lately, just then and again visited to see what's going on. And this one slipped my attention totally. I've been building a personal oxp collection for some Oolite moments and I was a bit annoyed of this oldie and it's old school prompts. Hey, the game was dfifferent in 2015 . Sooo, I removed the prompts and added a Library integration only to find out I was beaten to it . Anyways, here's my new version (1.4): https://app.box.com/s/lu3zvosgfij6gwqddnvssgzs4fz0z3cj. I'll update it to the manager when oxz uploads are working again.

Version 1.4
* Defaults changed. Respawn: true, Multiplier: 1.
* Custom configuration interface removed.
* Library integration added.
* The oxp can also be configured by editing the script. Just change the values at the top of the file.