Witchspace Question for Story and OXP

[treczoks]

Hi!

I have an idea for a story and an OXP, but I need some clarification before I do something that does not work out in the OOniverse.

Am I right to assume that a "regular" witchspace exit needs a gravity well, but this gravity well could theoretically be a large body of mass that is not a sun? (Of course, to actually set this "black system" as a witchspace target, one would need a piece of special equipment.)

With the computer power being available in OOlite times it should be easy to automatically track and shoot another ship without human intervention (theoretically only, as this would unbalance the game). Is "Computer-aided targeting is a commonly-agreed-upon No-No in the Ooniverse" a well-enough explaination, if based on a serious incident in the past?

Is it possible to set up such a "black system" as an OXP - as a kind of "interstellar space" analog to a thargoid attack, but outfitted with a large moon-object , no sun, and a station? Does the rendering engine aktually work properly when there is no sun? It can not be pitch black in that interstellar space, or the thargoid attacks would be a quite black affair (I had'nd had such an attack since I started with Oolite, so I can't tell).

Yours, Christian

[Lestradae]

With the computer power being available in OOlite times it should be easy to automatically track and shoot another ship without human intervention (theoretically only, as this would unbalance the game). Is "Computer-aided targeting is a commonly-agreed-upon No-No in the Ooniverse" a well-enough explaination, if based on a serious incident in the past?

Just my opinion, but I do think an ingame explanation would be neat. Perhaps in the past automated ship systems led to terminator-style catastrophies, therefore any sort of automated weapons system was declared a war crime in and of itself by GalCop?

Is it possible to set up such a "black system" as an OXP - as a kind of "interstellar space" analog to a thargoid attack, but outfitted with a large moon-object , no sun, and a station? Does the rendering engine aktually work properly when there is no sun? It can not be pitch black in that interstellar space, or the thargoid attacks would be a quite black affair (I had'nd had such an attack since I started with Oolite, so I can't tell).

That is entirely possible, you just place that into an interstellar space (which can be defined via planetinfo.plist, including the option that the event/object is only there if a special piece of equipment is owned via mission variable)

Hope that helps a little

L

[treczoks]

Just my opinion, but I do think an ingame explanation would be neat. Perhaps in the past automated ship systems led to terminator-style catastrophies, therefore any sort of automated weapons system was declared a war crime in and of itself by GalCop?

Thats exactly what I thought, maybe even "not only legally outlawed, but even calling the wrath of everybody", like a kind of taboo. Thats where my story idea aims at... (See .sig) - Might even generate an interesting cultural clash with the OSE OXP, which defines a planetwide AI named "Node Zero" involved.

That is entirely possible, you just place that into an interstellar space (which can be defined via planetinfo.plist, including the option that the event/object is only there if a special piece of equipment is owned via mission variable)

OK, great, so I can add this feature to the story, too.

Thanks!

Christian

[Disembodied]

With the computer power being available in OOlite times it should be easy to automatically track and shoot another ship without human intervention (theoretically only, as this would unbalance the game). Is "Computer-aided targeting is a commonly-agreed-upon No-No in the Ooniverse" a well-enough explaination, if based on a serious incident in the past?

My personal take on this is that artificial intelligence – and even just any great density of computing power – is a no-no. The whole trading in "computers" thing suggests this, as well as the continuing necessity (which, fortunately, is also much more fun) for living beings to fly and fight. Why do we trade in "computers"? Why so much shunting of hardware, and not software? And why are computers bought on a TL 15 planet no more valuable than ones bought on a TL 1 planet?

One explanation could be that these "computers" are relatively simple devices for number crunching. Maybe they're like Babbage machines, kept deliberately simple in order to prevent runaway singularities ...

[Commander McLane]

Is it possible to set up such a "black system" as an OXP - as a kind of "interstellar space" analog to a thargoid attack, but outfitted with a large moon-object , no sun, and a station? Does the rendering engine aktually work properly when there is no sun? It can not be pitch black in that interstellar space, or the thargoid attacks would be a quite black affair (I had'nd had such an attack since I started with Oolite, so I can't tell).

http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planet ... r_settings

You can easily force a misjump by pitching/rolling during the last seconds of your hyperspace countdown. So why don't you just have a look at interstellar space?

[Lestradae]

The whole "AI's are really, really banned from GalCop" idea reminds me of the Dune novels:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_universe

... especially of a historic, cataclysmic event in that series' timeline called Butler's Jyhad:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butlerian_Jihad

"Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."

Actually, something like that would go a long way towards explaining the obvious lack of AIs and automated systems in the Ooniverse. Perhaps that could be the stump for a bigger background story about that.

The special OSE world with the post-singularity-AI named Node Zero would actually fit into that scenario, not be a culture-clash at all. This world is supposed to not be part of GalCop, and is on the farthest reaches of GalCop space. And it is heavily patrolled by INRA Battlestars, the biggest ships in OSE by far with hilarious firepower and nearly indefeatable. INRA being the post-ELITE organisation that plays the role of men in black in the Ooniverse ...

Perhaps that AI has not done anything that gives reason for fears, and going to war against it might lay waste to the surrounding systems at least, so as long as it doesn't do anything outright hostile, it is left alone, while INRA is watching ... and waiting.



L

[Sendraks]

This world is supposed to not be part of GalCop, and is on the farthest reaches of GalCop space.

It doesn't even need to be that "far" it could be smack bang in the middle of galaxy one, but gal-cop mandate states that the co-ordinates are not made available to the public. In fact, running with the "MIB" concept, the co-ordinates are only found on INRA vessels and nowhere else. Anyone mis-jumping into that system is.................punished.

Depending on how sinister you wanted to make branches of Gal-Cop, you could have any number of systems "off-limits" that are being used by the Government for singular purposes. Why have a prison planet on the galactic charts? Take it completely offline, that way no one can get in and stage a rescue.

[Lestradae]

All great ideas for oxps, for sure ...

Systems can even be scripted into interstellar space. Only thing is, I believe no sun can be added, or has that been changed in the more recent trunk developments?

Cheers

L

[LittleBear]

You can with planetinfo create a point in interstalla space as a new system. and you can add moons ships and stations. There is no AddSun command. So a rouge planet in interstella space with an orbiting station would be spot on with what the game can actually do!

If you check the planetinfo page on the wikki it gives instructions for how to set it up. I'm assuming the new point would be added to the maps, but i've never tried it.

[Screet]

You can with planetinfo create a point in interstalla space as a new system. and you can add moons ships and stations. There is no AddSun command. So a rouge planet in interstella space with an orbiting station would be spot on with what the game can actually do!

WHAT??? Why did I not yet encounter OXPs to take advantage of that? It should be great for some storylines, including navy missions against such hidden pirate bases instead of weak in-system rock hermits!

BTW: L, maybe you should add (or ask for people who would like to do it) some mission style things to the special planets.

Screet

[Thargoid]

I was considering something along these lines for the upcoming TCAT. Sounds like it's a go-er now. Hadn't thought of using a planet, only a station...

[Eric Walch]

You can with planetinfo create a point in interstalla space as a new system. and you can add moons ships and stations. There is no AddSun command. So a rouge planet in interstella space with an orbiting station would be spot on with what the game can actually do!

WHAT??? Why did I not yet encounter OXPs to take advantage of that? It should be great for some storylines, including navy missions against such hidden pirate bases instead of weak in-system rock hermits!

I once made an oxp for that. (Achenar.oxp). There is just one problem. When launching from such a station you end up in normal space. A bit stupid for a story. With a carrier you can still imagine the carrier jumped while docked, but not with a station.

[Lestradae]

BTW: L, maybe you should add (or ask for people who would like to do it) some mission style things to the special planets.

Originally, I thought to make a series of missions ranging from Competent to a small bit beyond ELITE connecting the eight special systems - I'm sure an epic story could be made from it. If someone was game to make one I'm sure to help bandy ideas around until a storyline emerges - but as already said, after realising what sort of workload I took on myself with OSE I decided not to do it myself.

Node Zero would surely have to figure in such a storyline. I guess if someone was game, the OSE test thread would be the place to discuss it further.

I once made an oxp for that. (Achenar.oxp). There is just one problem. When launching from such a station you end up in normal space.

Would it be very difficult to alter that behaviour in trunk, and/or add a sun to such a scripted quasi-system in interstellar space? It would give a lot of leeway to create additional system to the 256 already available ...



L

[aegidian]

Last time I looked at the code (way way back,) I was toying with the idea of systems existing halfway along witchsppace routes. I'm not sure how much of this I ever implemented or whether it remained on the back of an envelope somewhere.

[Lestradae]

Last time I looked at the code (way way back,) I was toying with the idea of systems existing halfway along witchspace routes. I'm not sure how much of this I ever implemented or whether it remained on the back of an envelope somewhere.

You are saying that perhaps you implemented this partially "back then"? Then it might be great if you could remember where you mislaid that envelope! Would it be possible to get you to have a look into the code again?

Especially if it was possible to add suns or even the position of a new system on the F6/F6 galactic sector screen - as said, that would have great oxp potential ...

Sidelines, what I always wanted to know: "The planet Rear is scourged by evil disease." Does that line actually exist in a planet description somewhere in Oolite?

Cheers

L