Mission selection

[radcapricorn]

I don't know, maybe it was discussed before, at least i dind't find such topic.

There are missions built-in to Oolite and missions provided by OXPs. As for now, mission screen appears as soon as you dock the station. It briefs you with the mission and provides an opportunity to accept or reject it. But there are times when several OXPs could 'clash' in the way that the last processed script will provide you with the current mission, even though some other mission may have been offered too, but you just didn't see it. And also there are some missions (the ones from OO-Haul come to mind) that don't allow you to trade if you accept them - you just get launched back into space immediately, which (to me at least) seems somewhat strange.

So a suggestion is this: how about making some kind of 'mission screen' accessible on station dock via some hotkey or F-key combo that will allow you to list all available missions/announcements? Those people who are familiar with X2: The Threat (please don't throw stones or trumbles at for mentioning this) know that there were things called 'Bulletin boards', which you could look through while docked at the station to read 'news' (which were just short game universe based stories), play a lottery or find a mission. My opinion is that it will solve mission offering problems, and bring even more fun to the Ooniverse. Imagine Ooniverse news generated in the way similar to how planet descriptions build up along with those prescripted ones provided by some OXPs...

Of course, the main part of this suggestion is just a convenient way of mission selection (to let you dock, trade and then see if something interesting for the carreer is offered), and all this news/lottery/whatever stuff is just an 'expanding' look over it.

[Eric Walch]

There are missions built-in to Oolite and missions provided by OXPs. As for now, mission screen appears as soon as you dock the station. It briefs you with the mission and provides an opportunity to accept or reject it. But there are times when several OXPs could 'clash' in the way that the last processed script will provide you with the current mission, even though some other mission may have been offered too, but you just didn't see it. And also there are some missions (the ones from OO-Haul come to mind) that don't allow you to trade if you accept them - you just get launched back into space immediately, which (to me at least) seems somewhat strange.

That problem can be bypassed by careful scripting. (The engine itself does not offer protection against bad scripts). Most important missions are already clash proof for some time. A few weeks ago I browsed through the wiki and re-uploaded the last few missions that could clash. All mission oxp's as shown on the wiki are in that current version now clash proof.

btw. oo-haul only launches you from the special station were no other missions are offered anyhow.

So that problem should be history. And I assume new scripters will now know the problem and make their scripts clash-proof from the start.

Mission selection as you describe can be created within an oxp. Look for example in random hits or lave academy were you can browse through different mission offers and select one.

[radcapricorn]

Wow , thanks for such a deep explanation. I definetly should look into those.

[Screet]

And also there are some missions (the ones from OO-Haul come to mind) that don't allow you to trade if you accept them - you just get launched back into space immediately, which (to me at least) seems somewhat strange.

For the Thargoids, I really wish I could save, for OO-Haul I find it so wierd because that immediate launch comes without a refuel (like with the navy missions) so that it's difficult to fulfill the mission. I typically head to those stations because of lack of fuel!

Screet