Reverse Thrusters...

[Phoenix4]

Hi guys, just had a thought after being ambushed entering a system.

Most of the time I have fighters heading straight for me from the 12 o'clock position when attacking. I feel it would be a good idea to have reverse thrusters that could be purchased, thus allowing you to concentrate your fire on the attacking foe, yet keeping them at a safe distance during a head-on attack. After a few well placed hits they will undoubtedly break off the attack giving you the tactical advantage to pursue them with forward thrust. Dogfight then ensues.

Also, one other thing I recall from my early plays of Oolite (a long time ago now - I registered in 2006!) - Salvage.

I've read recently about the planned Ramora Torpedo, yet if memory serves there was once an option to tow or capture a lost ship and the ability to keep it for yourself once the pilot had launched an escape vessel. I believe I did this to obtain a nice ship - can't recall its name, but has the large scoop beneath it with the sharks teeth design.

Is that something still available that I've missed somehow?

Lastly, anything faster than witchspace injectors out there? I have a lot of OXP's installed and even at top speed some ships attack me like I'm standing still

Thanks all,

Px4

[Cmdr James]

There are a few points here. Firstly you mentioned that some ships are too fast for you, and asked about extra equipment. That wont help, as equipment is also available for NPCs, and a fast ship + speed boost will always be faster than a slow ship with the same boost. If you have problems with ships being too fast, then you can trade in your ship for something faster. Typically faster ships have other problems, providing balance.

You asked about reverse thrust, allowing you to concentrate fire whilst flying backwards. This isnt really required, you can simply turn around, and shoot backwards (buy a rear gun).

I am pretty sure that there has never been a reliable way to salvage ships for yourself, at least nothing like you are describing, but it has been discussed quite a bit.

[Screet]

I've read recently about the planned Ramora Torpedo, yet if memory serves there was once an option to tow or capture a lost ship and the ability to keep it for yourself once the pilot had launched an escape vessel. I believe I did this to obtain a nice ship - can't recall its name, but has the large scoop beneath it with the sharks teeth design.

With the dredger oxp you can buy and fire salvage missiles. These work on derelict ships only (not on NPC ships where the pilot did eject) and you cannot switch to that ship (sadly). However, the missile brings a robot autopilot aboard those derelict ships and then begins to move it towards the nearest dredger. Pirates will try to shoot it down while it's en route to the dredger, but if you keep it safe, you get money depending upon the ships tonnage and cargo. It's not much, but fun.

Concerning the injectors: If a NPC does use injectors, the NPC often does not switch them off until the fuel is exhausted. Thus it's sometimes an option to fire injectors briefly until the NPCs do the same and then drop to normal speed until the NPCs have run out of fuel.

NPCs on injectors are really bad at aiming, IIRC they only manage to hit seriously if their victim is also using injectors and trying to run away on a straight course.

Screet

[Phoenix4]

Thanks Screet, I'll look out for those.

I have yet to find any abandoned/derelict ships drifting around, but I'm still in galaxy 1. I assume more will be seen in later galaxies?

Thanks,
Px4

[Screet]

I have yet to find any abandoned/derelict ships drifting around, but I'm still in galaxy 1. I assume more will be seen in later galaxies?

It's basically just luck. Most often you do get a report when you jump into a system that there was a big fight and that dredgers would be heading for the warzone to salvage those ships. Most often I found them while traveling the lane, but sometimes they're a bit outside the main path.

In that case it's often good to have a few of those salvage missiles at hand and specifically search for the big trading ships.

Screet

[Eric Walch]

It's basically just luck. Most often you do get a report when you jump into a system that there was a big fight and that dredgers would be heading for the warzone to salvage those ships. Most often I found them while traveling the lane, but sometimes they're a bit outside the main path.

I used two different techniques to add the derelicts. In quite a lot systems I add a trader from all installed ships and turn it into a derelict. You often miss them as on the radar you often confuse them with asteroids. These ships can be any of your installed traders. Problem I had was that when the ship had escorts, they now start flying through the system as hunters.

When you get the message of a battle, I add a group of ships. To avoid the problem with to many escorts flying on the loose, these derelicts are specific defined ships with 0 escorts. Those ships are only clones from the internal oolite ships. (I might change this in future to also choose real random ships)

On the payout: don't waist time on the smaller ships. Only go for the bigger ships. You are paid by ship mass and cargo content. Large ships with big cargo holds, like an anaconda, gain easy over 4000 cr each. Small ships return almost nothing, just neglect them.

[Screet]

Large ships with big cargo holds, like an anaconda, gain easy over 4000 cr each. Small ships return almost nothing, just neglect them.

Ohhh...and very big ships which won't fit into a dredger cannot be salvaged. Once noticed that with a neolite trader (anaconda, I believe). I was astonished as I always thought that those ships genereally would be more slim than the originals.

Screet

[Eric Walch]

Ohhh...and very big ships which won't fit into a dredger cannot be salvaged. Once noticed that with a neolite trader (anaconda, I believe). I was astonished as I always thought that those ships genereally would be more slim than the originals.

That is a problem in JS I only can get the mass of a ship, not any reference to the size. Probably I should set maximum mass a bit higher in future. I just did not want to risk I send a mega-ship with a trader role to dock.

On second thought:
No, I leave the maximum salvageable ship mass at 500 tons. Oolite-Anaconda is 430 tons, while the Aquatics-hawksbill weights 193 tons. And that hawksbill is already to wide to dock with half the maximum weight.
But, ships like the ixian-freighter weight 1625 tons and still just fit in the dock. (although for me that small margin between ship- and dock-size looks not realistic)

[Thargoid]

As of 2.00 the Hawksbill will be out of the equation, as it now has the new bigTrader role rather than the trader one for this very reason. So that one is solved.