IntroductionLong ago in a galaxy far, far away, I used to play table-top RPGs
. The group I played with used a large variety of different rules systems. We often created rules ourselves to cover situations not defined by the official books, or modified rules to suit our needs. These types of rules are known in RPG lingo as "House Rules" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_rule).Oolite as we all know is an open-ended game. It has been referred to as a sandbox game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game) as well. There is no way to “win”. You can complete missions and contracts, but the player usually establishes his or her own goals, in part governed by certain rules of conduct. Thus the challenge or obstacle one must overcome is largely player-defined.
House RoolsOver the past couple of weeks I have been playing Oolite and I have arrived at a comfortable spot within the game as far as my ship and credits are concerned. During this time, I tried out several aspects of the game and left others for future exploration. I also changed some of the OXPs I used, and even modified the details of some of those addons.
With some knowledge and experience under my belt, I feel like starting anew with some different variations of the game. It occurred to me that most Oolite players must inevitably go through this process at one point or another, which lead me to a few ideas.
The “rules of play” that I have set up for myself will have a large impact on the gaming experience that I have. I choose to include or exclude certain types of activities, the ships I can use; establishing my “Role-Play” so to speak. In essence I use these “house rules” so that I can tailor my Oolite experience to match my tastes.
I am fairly certain that everyone does this so I figured that most people would like to see what conditions other Jamesons are out there plying the space lanes under. I am sure that there are variations of play that I have not yet imagined, and I know that there are OXPs(or combinations of OXPs) in existence which can be used in ways I have not considered.
TemplateSo my idea, so to speak, is that we can make a new type of post or stickied post on the board here called “House Rools” where Commanders can detail an interesting way of playing the game. This post would have a title which would give the reader an idea of the nature of the rules and could include all the details of the House Rools as follows:
Background/Concept: A general description of the idea behind your House Rools. This can include fiction or flavour text at your discretion. Area: A specific area the player must get to or perhaps is limited to. Ship/Equipment: What tools the player has available or possibly must seek to attain. Trade/Contracts: The type of economic activities a player is permitted to engage in. Reputation/Rating: Any ratings can be defined here; Combat Rating, legal status, or rank with various organizations within the game. OXPs/Modifications: Which OXPs are necessary to fully enjoy the House Rools, along with optional addon suggestions, or suggested modifications. Special: Any special rules not defined in previous areas. Difficulty: A rating from 1 to 5, 5 being highest; a time to completion(short, medium, long-term) and a suggested skill-level of the Commander(New, Experienced, Veteran). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Example 1Here is an example of the House Rools I have set up for my next game:
House Rools : The Smuggler
Background/Concept: Born on Poor Industrial world in an Anarchy system, you have had to fend for yourself your entire life. These circumstances have unfortunately lead you to a life of crime as you seek to escape the poverty and chaos of your home. You have a vision of rescuing your family and retiring in style in a peaceful democratic system, but that is going to take a lot of “dishonest” work. Area: As a Smuggler you are not limited to any specific area or galaxy, but you will find yourself more attracted to lawless systems where you can ply your trade. Ship/Equipment: Start in a Cobra MK I . Use standard Oolilte ships only(retextures permitted). Ships like the Python and Boa make good smuggler ships. You can use equipment OXPs to your taste, but should avoid anything which drastically alters your power, so: no new weapons, no cargo compressors, etc. Trade/Contracts: As a notorious smuggler, you seek trade *ONLY* in the following goods: Liquor/Wines, Narcotics, Firearms, Slaves, Gold, Platinum, and Gems. Any scooped materials can be sold normally. You can accept contracts to transport these types of goods for Crime-Lords, but your independent nature prevents you from working for/with anyone else. Reputation/Rating: You hate authority, maintain offender status at least. OXPs: Illegal Goods is highly suggested. Make sure to enable the variable detection rate detailed in the wiki post! Random Hits, Free Trade Zones, and Your Ad Here are also highly suggested to give you more places to trade. For experienced commanders, OXPs like: Pirate Coves, Pirate Ambushes, Total Patrol, and Sun Skimmers; will add traffic to the space lanes and more obstacles to overcome. Special: The “victory condition” is to obtain 1 Million Credits and retire as a successful smuggler. Difficulty: 2-4. This is a long term sort of challenge which can be undertaken by New and Experienced Jamesons alike. Veterans can increase difficulty by adding more OXPs as suggested above.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Example 2Here is another example of something I had thought of:
House Rools : Flawless Victory Background/Concept: This one is simple: do you want to sweat when you exit the station? Do you want a reason to buy an escape pod? Attempt a Flawless Victory! 
Area: The goal of this challenge is to reach Galaxy 8. Special: The only rule of this challenge is simple: If you die for any reason you must start a new game! *NO* reload of save games on death! You can save your challenge if you must stop midway, but you must be flawless to be successful! Difficulty: 3-5 This is a challenge for experienced Jamesons! This a short term challenge-or is it? Change your starting conditions and OXPs for added difficulty. How will you obtain a Flawless Victory?!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ConclusionI hope everyone likes this idea. I welcome all of your comments and suggestions. I think House Rools will encourage people to contribute to the forums, will promote discussion of game play, and can potentially be a source of inspiration for future OXPs. I am curious to see how everyone else is playing!
Cheers,
MAWL
)
And I'm still not sure if scoopy missions (e.g. Cloak) will work.
