Black Monks - what are they for?

[Wiggy]

I've had the Black Monks OXP installed for some time. I even took a loan from them. (And paid it back!)

Apart from a few renegades attacking me in low-tech planets, nothing else seems to happen. I even managed to blow up a Black Monks' Base, and still nothing happened.

Is there any more to this? A simple yes or no will do - no need for spoilers.

[Cmdr. Maegil]

I've had the Black Monks OXP installed for some time. I even took a loan from them. (And paid it back!)
Is there any more to this?

Yes. Take a loan and DON'T pay it back on time. You may also drop by their bases and make excuses. Most amusing!

[LittleBear]

Really a "flavour" OXP rather than a mission OXP. If you are starting a new commander, the ability to take a loan provides an alternative to downgrading your ship to get started.

[Jack_H]

Are they galaxy 1? man i wish i had known about that. ive been busting my hump in this cobra mk iii of mine. got twenty grand in the bank, but i need an extra fifty before i can upgrade to a python.

[Killer Instinct]

126% Interest

[Arexack_Heretic]

Are they galaxy 1? man i wish i had known about that. ive been busting my hump in this cobra mk iii of mine. got twenty grand in the bank, but i need an extra fifty before i can upgrade to a python.

Wait a while longer before upgrading to a freighter...you need cash to fill that hold commander.
Not litterally offcourse.

Although.... megabucks are the major export product of Quequese, a tech 10 dictatorship in a less travelled sector of galaxy 3a.
The inflation rate is such that the currency is now widely enjoyed as toiletpaper or litterbox fillings in the surrounding systems.
Making money is the planet's mayor industry, with fully two thirds of the population and a large fraction of the android/robot labour force working in this sector.
Incidentally, a smart commander could make some money of his own by bringing in a cargo of unprocessed cellulose. (eg. wood)

[Commander McLane]

There was also the story of those bunch of folks who, stranded on the ancient earth, made leaves their currency. In an attempt to fight the skyrocketing inflation they started to burn down all the woods later. (non-subtle reference )

[LittleBear]

They are in all Galaxies at Tech 11+.

They will lend you 20K and demand that you pay-back 30K within 4 months (in fact 16 hyperspace jumps). This allows you to kit out your Cobra III with Beam Lasers, ECM fuel injectors, large cargo bay etc and still have more than enough cash to fill up with 35 tons of Computers / Furs and make the trading runs. If you are canny, you should make enough cash to pay the Monks back and have a faily well sepect cobra and about 1,000C in the bank after paying them back. I playtested with a new Jameson and despite the high interest rate, it should give you a good start in the game! If you take the loan and trade wiseley, you will make much more money than by not taking it.

BUT if you dis the Monks (by not repaying on time) then nasty things will happen to you, Accursed Debtor!

[Cmdr. Maegil]

There was also the story of those bunch of folks who, stranded on the ancient earth, made leaves their currency. In an attempt to fight the skyrocketing inflation they started to burn down all the woods later. (non-subtle reference )

Douglas Adam's Hitchiker's guide. Good until the third book, then it becomes... overstretched. Was it the sad attempt to do humor instead of humour or just plain sequel sindrome?

[Arexack_Heretic]

The monks are more into hemor than humour.

(ie they find you more funny when turned inside-out)

[drew]

The monks are more into hemor than humour.

Oh very droll!

Cheers,

Drew.

[Wiggy]

I did try not paying the loan for a bit, but the gunships got quite arsey.

Am I right in thinking the Renegade ships are part of the OXP? They seem to have the same threefold lasers and hard missile volleys.

I was expecting to get into some kind of Holy War between them and the Monks.

Blowing up the Monk's base was very difficult. It involved nudging the anti-Q bomb satellites out of the way, a passing Anaconda convoy, some help from the police, 4 Q-bombs... and a bottle of ordinary household bleach!

[LittleBear]

Different OXP, but I gave them similar AIs so they fight in the same sort of way.

[Jack_H]

Ok, I did what MAegil said and didn't pay it back. now whenever i hyperspace or exit a station i get attacked by guys thgat are so freaking awesome, the only way i I could kill them was witha Q-Bomb. So i did that...but then another one came and thena nother.

And then the OXP seems to be makig OOlite screw up all the time. So i have a save game half way through the OXP or whatever and I can't even run the game.

Is there some kind of mission screen to tell you how to get them off your back? or should I just go repay the money?

[LittleBear]

I'd repay 'em as fast as possible! You won't survive the Black Monk Credit Control Department. The OXP is a feature rather than a mission OXP. You really are not meant to take them on, the Gunships are there to make sure you repay. The readme did warn you not to default and before your loan became due you should have seen Gun Ships blowing other defaulters to bits. I'd reckoned the player would take the hint!

When you say its screwing Oolite up, are you getting Oolite hanging and then resetting to strick gameplay when you try to save? If so this is a known occasional bug in Oolite, rather than somthing to do with the OXP. Open your save file with notepad and change your commander's name (eg from Jameson to Jameson1) and exit notepad. You should find when you load up this commander you can save normally.