Noobie! Advice on which version to use...

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Sat May 17, 2008 11:28 am

Hi!

I've been a long time fan of Elite, way back to when I owned my BBC B! I then progressed to the BBC Master version, Arc Elite, a clunky old PC version about 16-17 years ago, and then finally I have been playing emulated versions since.

I'm not overly technically savvy and some of the references to file tyopes etc here are confusing me a bit.

I have got version 1.65 downloaded, and was looking at some OXP's. Some of them suggest they work OK in version 1.7 upwards. Is it a good idea to go to a higher version? I.E. as a nooobie to Oolite, what is the best way to go forward?

Any recommendations on OXPs for a new player?

Thanks in advance...

pleb87 · Post by **pleb87** » Sat May 17, 2008 11:38 am

Hi there! In my opinion the best version to use is the most recent (1.71.2 I believe). Or compile using the 1.72 trunk. See the thread in this forum for help compiling under windows.

Post by **another_commander** » Sat May 17, 2008 11:39 am

Welcome to Oolite, dalek501.

I fully recommend you move to the 1.71.2 version. Playability wise, it has improved a lot over the older versions, it has reached a very high level of stability and you get also the benefit of all the new features that have been added to the game since 1.65 - which are, in fact, plenty.

Additionally, you can help us improve it even more by playing through it and letting us know of any issues you may encounter.

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Sat May 17, 2008 12:08 pm

Thanks very much for that. I will get downloading now!

I'll report back on any problems too. I can't wait to get back into it to be honest. I've haven't played a game since that has ever engaged me like Elite did.

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:31 pm

Hi, I've searched the threads for this and I can't find a definitive reply.

Basically, I'm struggling with the new controls and would orefer to use the older BBC controls. I've managed to edit the .plist to get them but it seems that instead of having roll controls on the '<' and '>' keys, they are now yaw keys.

Is there a definitve BBC plist file that say puts the yaw controls on the arrow keys so that I can use the "classic keys?"

pleb87 · Post by **pleb87** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:41 pm

Not as far as I know, you'd have to re-write the controls yourself using the .plist file I'm afraid...

Post by **Disembodied** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:55 pm

dalek501 wrote:
Hi, I've searched the threads for this and I can't find a definitive reply.

Basically, I'm struggling with the new controls and would orefer to use the older BBC controls. I've managed to edit the .plist to get them but it seems that instead of having roll controls on the '<' and '>' keys, they are now yaw keys.

Is there a definitve BBC plist file that say puts the yaw controls on the arrow keys so that I can use the "classic keys?"

OK, don't take this as gospel -- make a copy of the original keyconfig.plist before trying this -- but I think what you need to enter in the keyconfig.plist is:

Code: Select all

key_roll_left				= ",";
key_roll_right				= ".";
key_pitch_forward			= 255;		// up arrow
key_pitch_back				= 254;		// down arrow
key_yaw_left				= 253;		// left arrow
key_yaw_right				= 252;		// right arrow

If you've got an XML keyconfig.plist then you'd need to make the entries look like this:

Code: Select all

<key>key_roll_left</key>
<integer>44</integer>
<key>key_roll_right</key>
<integer>46</integer>

and

Code: Select all

<key>key_yaw_left</key> 
<integer>253</integer> 
<key>key_yaw_right</key> 
<integer>252</integer>

A warning: I don't really know what I'm talking about here!

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:57 pm

OK thanks, I'll have another play with the plist file

**Edit to say thanks to Disembodied who posted just as I was posting this!

Post by **Disembodied** » Sat May 17, 2008 2:06 pm

... of course, if you do what I said above in the first entry, you should get your roll left and right on the < and > keys, but you'll get your pitch up and down on the up and down arrows. My bad! These should of course read

Code: Select all

key_roll_left				= 44;		// ,
key_roll_right				= 46;		// .
key_pitch_forward			= 115;		// s
key_pitch_back				= 120;		// x
key_yaw_left            = 253;      // left arrow 
key_yaw_right            = 252;      // right arrow

key_increase_speed			= 47;		// /
key_decrease_speed			= 32;		// spacebar

to match the original BBC configuration.

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Sat May 17, 2008 2:17 pm

Thanks you mate, that seems to have done the trick!

I'm seem to be spending the day getting the controls and some OXPs... tommorrow I think I'll be having a fully fledged go at the game itself!

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Wed May 21, 2008 9:58 pm

Instead of starting a new thread I thought I'd continue here with a couple of niggles I have. So far I'm enjoying the game again. Its like I'm 13 again!

But I'm having a little problem getting the Advanced Space Compass to work. Looking through some threads it looks like either the "\" or "^" key should toggle it, but neither seems to affect anything. I have edited the keyboard plist for BBC controls (as you can see above), and having said that I can't see any reference to the "^" key in the plist.

Another smaller problem that is just me doing something wrong. I have the System Redux folder inmy add ons but I don't seem to be seeing anything. Should it affect every planet or only some? So far I have only seen 'standard' planets. Any ideas?

Post by **Disembodied** » Thu May 22, 2008 12:01 am

I used to use \ as the Advanced Navigational Array control (the thing that shows you the available jump routes, if you have it fitted) on my keypad but wasn't able to set it in the plist in 1.71. However ^ (SHIFT-6) works as default. There's maybe some technical jiggerypokery needed to set \ as a key in the plist. You might need to set another key for the Advanced Space Compass (or wait until someone who knows what they're talking about steps in). Personally, I use ; . My plist entry reads

Code: Select all

key_next_compass_mode		= 59;		// ;

which works fine.

No idea about your planet problems, though. There's always the "pressing SHIFT when starting up" trick; that might be worth a go!

TGHC · Post by **TGHC** » Thu May 22, 2008 8:36 am

dalek501 wrote:
Its like I'm 13 again!

Well that's older than most of us are

Try # for the avanced space compass, that works for me, without any fiddling.

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Thu May 22, 2008 9:34 am

TGHC wrote:
dalek501 wrote:
Its like I'm 13 again!
Well that's older than most of us are

Try # for the avanced space compass, that works for me, without any fiddling.

13.. yeah 13.... I can't believe I'm enjoying a game so much 22 years later!

What does that say for current games? They may look the business but nothing did it for me like Elite did!

Thanks for the # tip. That seems to have done the trick. It must have been the only key I din't try!

As for the System Redux... I tried the 'Shift' trick which didn't seem to do anything? But are the textures supposed to appear on every planet? Or have I just been unlucky and not seen planets that have them yet?

dalek501 · Post by **dalek501** » Thu May 22, 2008 9:55 am

Its OK, I think I have sorted it. The program I was using to unzip the files wasn't putting the files in the right place. I changed the zip program and hey presto!

I'd better redo all the OXP's I have then! Just in case I'm missing anything!

**EDIT.... yes most of the OXP's were installed wrongly!

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