Oolite Bulletins

A cool feature would also be to have lasers work regardless of distance. In the original elite this was the case i seem to recall blowing a lot of stuff up before it even registered on the scanner.

another things would be a better scanner so that cargo containers can be scanned for contents prior to pick-up.

Jonah Hex wrote:

A cool feature would also be to have lasers work regardless of distance. In the original elite this was the case i seem to recall blowing a lot of stuff up before it even registered on the scanner.

Military lasers have an effective range of 30Km, the scanner is 25Km.

Jonah Hex wrote:

another things would be a better scanner so that cargo containers can be scanned for contents prior to pick-up.

There are OXPs that do this.

Disembodied wrote:

Azured wrote:

something to do with different stellar radii? It would be worth checking out at a variety of different stars.

That may have something to do with it. I was using Zaonce for calibration, but I remember routine scooping elsewhere and was surprised by the level my CT rose to.

For scooping, time within a certain range seems related to cabin temperature. I was able to scoop a full load without injectors or Torus, as long as I had heat shields. (but just barely) So it seems like heat shielding is the new pre-requisite for scooping.

That, or you have to know how to use Injectors, or Hyperspace jump.

Ganelon wrote:

But until it was pointed out that they didn't have shields and I started looking for it, as a player, I might never have noticed. If I hadn't read it here on the forum, I would have thought that the NPCs had Torus drives and got masslocked the same as I do.

I think this is an important point. One of the things that argues in favor of Player/NPC equity is that we should be able to learn new techniques for scrubbing NPC's by watching how they just scrubbed us.

This could also be useful for developing new/advanced AI's. Someone surely has a favorite strategy which is ripe for a suitably-equipped NPC AI. But if the NPC's can't be suitably equipped, it kinda blows the idea.

(It also makes testing much easier, but that's another thread...)

Ahruman wrote:

Killer Wolf wrote:

must admit i can't understand how "handwavium" Torus power is not acceptable but some kinda hypnotic trance is. would Galcop really allow huge ships to be powered by people in a trance? if it's like other equipment, what if we have a breakage factor and you end up not being able to turn it off?

The SchleepMaster 5000¾® must provide a constant stream of tailored Sleepno-Engrams™ in order to maintain the desired Taffitude℠. In the highly unlikely event of a malfunction, the user will revert to full Wakamosity℠ within seconds, with a slight headache as the only SideEffect™.

Seriously, though: a noteworthy aspect of the game is that it provides almost no technobabble or exposition, leaving it in the mind of the player (and/or their third-party fic of choice). I don’t intend to change that.

Maybe I am simple-minded, but I really don't see why the torus drive as is is any kind of problem. Like someone else said: I just assume other ships have it too and get mass-locked same as me when they run into me. I think this explanation counters a lot of the "space is too big for you to meet so many ships" etc. so it works out nicely.
I would say leave it be. Now...if Only I could figure out which version of oolite I am running and why i can't ever get a witchpoint beacon on my advanced compass thingie....

I would like the basic Elite/Oolite left to stand and all the changes as oxps.
That way the player can have or not have what they want.

Though the bug fix's in the basic game are always very welcome.

I run at least 100 oxps in my Ooniverse. Mostly ships and missions with a fair lot of eyecandy. Missions only in their pertinant G.

Still the best game in existance. In my biased opinion.

Jonah Hex wrote:

Ahruman wrote:

Killer Wolf wrote:

must admit i can't understand how "handwavium" Torus power is not acceptable but some kinda hypnotic trance is. would Galcop really allow huge ships to be powered by people in a trance? if it's like other equipment, what if we have a breakage factor and you end up not being able to turn it off?

The SchleepMaster 5000¾® must provide a constant stream of tailored Sleepno-Engrams™ in order to maintain the desired Taffitude℠. In the highly unlikely event of a malfunction, the user will revert to full Wakamosity℠ within seconds, with a slight headache as the only SideEffect™.

Seriously, though: a noteworthy aspect of the game is that it provides almost no technobabble or exposition, leaving it in the mind of the player (and/or their third-party fic of choice). I don’t intend to change that.

Maybe I am simple-minded, but I really don't see why the torus drive as is is any kind of problem. Like someone else said: I just assume other ships have it too and get mass-locked same as me when they run into me. I think this explanation counters a lot of the "space is too big for you to meet so many ships" etc. so it works out nicely.
I would say leave it be. Now...if Only I could figure out which version of oolite I am running and why i can't ever get a witchpoint beacon on my advanced compass thingie....

Oh dear - deep breath (again).

The Torus drive is a player only device - it allows the player ship to go 32x faster than any other ship in the game without burning fuel. It means the player can catch any ship that should be able to get away and get away from any ship that should be able to catch you.

TAF means, the game goes faster for everybody equally, you and the NPCs.

And that's it basically.

Or to put it another way, a the only ship possessing this magical torus drive I can make sure that, even if I'm flying a python (speed 0.2LM) I can catch an asp (speed 0.4LM) fleeing on injectors. Without using any of my fuel. You do start wondering why they never use their torus drive as soon as they're off scanner (as you would in the same situation).

Other stuff to add to the laundry list of requests:
The ability for equipment to use up cargo space
Making more ship stats alterable by script (max speed, thrust, max roll/pitch/yaw, maybe even energy recharge rate)
The ability to rotate an engine plume so its long axis isn't horizontal or vertical.

Another suggestion, from the screenshots thread,

*Having rings on planets (not all planets of course) but the ability to have them would be nice.

Articulated Turrets... instead/complementing ball turrets

1. Open-source music? Have a few different theme choices?

2. Set up a voting system on what mission-related OXPs to put into the game as standard?

3. Naev/EVN - style story arcs?

4. More obvious visual/auditory indication that you're scoring a hit with something - suggest energy blooms off of shields, or shields flickering when hit.

5. External views can be rotated via the key "V" - suggest include one perspective from behind each of the missiles you just launched as well, with a delayed camera zoom back to your ship after the missile explodes.

6. "Dodecahedron Station" should probably be replaced with "<System Name> Station" on the targeting thing.

7. Find an elegant solution to the problem of "Oh crap did I just get randomly killed by a GalCop exiting the station even though I never even saw it on screen while trying to dock?"

8. In-game nearby systems map (short navigation) could have a five-letter designation next to, or underneath the name, with or without a slash in between:
Cor
Dem
Con alt. Cnf to distinguish more visually from "Com"
Com
Dic
Mul
Feu
Ana
/
RI
AI
PI
MI
MA
RA
AA
PA

I.e., Cor/RI for Corporate State, Rich Industrial. Or colour-code it, though the attempt I've seen at colour-coding that looked rather cluttered and problematic - baby blue for communist, pink for corporate state? Maybe boxes for Industrial states and circles for Agricultural? Ref: http://wiki.alioth.net/images/d/d6/Galaxy01O1.png I'd prefer just a (Cor/RI) or (Ana/PA) notation to keep the interface uncluttered, easy to understand for newbies, clean and professional-looking.

Knowing how much so-called humour revolves around juvenile stuff, you could consider changing "Dic" to "Dict" and "Ana" to "Anar" or "Anr".

9. Well-equipped or highly skilled fighter/pirate/cop/trader NPC ships should have call signs drawn randomly from a list:
http://www.monitoringtimes.com/Military ... -APR09.pdf
http://www.f-16.net/callsigns.html
http://www.the-guide.nl/callsign/
http://www.ominous-valve.com/callsign.txt

Oathbreaker wrote:

In-game nearby systems map (short navigation) could have a five-letter designation next to, or underneath the name, with or without a slash in between:
Cor
Dem
Con alt. Cnf to distinguish more visually from "Com"
Com
Dic
Mul
Feu
Ana
/
RI
AI
PI
MI
MA
RA
AA
PA

I.e., Cor/RI for Corporate State, Rich Industrial. Or colour-code it, though the attempt I've seen at colour-coding that looked rather cluttered and problematic - baby blue for communist, pink for corporate state? Maybe boxes for Industrial states and circles for Agricultural? Ref: http://wiki.alioth.net/images/d/d6/Galaxy01O1.png I'd prefer just a (Cor/RI) or (Ana/PA) notation to keep the interface uncluttered, easy to understand for newbies, clean and professional-looking.

Knowing how much so-called humour revolves around juvenile stuff, you could consider changing "Dic" to "Dict" and "Ana" to "Anar" or "Anr".

You're talking about the Short Range chart accessed by "F6"? Try holding down "I" whilst on that screen and the planet names will change to icons representing just that.

My #1 wish: a dynamic Ooniverse, and not necessarily a procedurally generated one. Warning: wall of text follows.

Needless to say, in this Ooniverse the "galaxies" would be "quadrants" or something similar - assuming a sphere shape, eight 90 degree (horizontally and vertically) sectors would actually form one.

That aside, I have always viewed the GalCop as a very loose co-operation organ. Not even the present-day EU, not even its earlier form the EEC, but even less cohesive. About the only thing in common would be the Navy and the paramilitary GalCops. There would be several star empires under GalCop, some multi-system, some single-system, and of course there are the Multi-Government systems. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that all the Dicatorships would be a single state (however, making them one could be another way to retcon the disrepancies between Elite and Frontier (yes, I've read Selezen's most excellent work, but still): democracies = Federation, dictatorships = Empire, the rest are something that were annexed by either by the time of Frontier, rest of the differences explained away by Elite's procedural nature).

As the GalCop is increasingly occupied with stopping the Thargoid invasion and trying to fight against the total collapse of social order in some systems, they would in most cases stay neutral in the conflicts between these empires. As long as civilians are not attacked and trade is not disrupted (The spice must flow!) they will not intervene. So the territories would change over time, affected by the population/wealth/productivity etc. of the warring empires. The naval battles that the current Factions OXP puts in Multi-Government systems could be fought in "borderline" single-government systems as well.

Also, political conditions could change without an invasion (potentially affecting trading etc..): there could be revolutions on Dictatorships or Feudal worlds, turning them into Democracies or Communisms; Communism or Feudalism could develop into Corporate State; a failed revolution would bring a world into Anarchy. Being next to a state with more advanced conditions would make the revolution more likely. Wars and revolutions could also reduce a Rich world into a Poor one (though wartime economy could turn an agri-world into an industrial one), and a Poor will more likely experience revolution or fall into anarchy. However, improving political conditions could make a Poor world a Rich one. But Rich worlds would be more likely to turn into Corporate States.

All the while, the Thargoid invasions would increase in frequency and intensity. Not too fast - for example, the classic Star Control was a bit too fast IMHO, especially since you didn't know in the beginning that you were essentially under a time limit. Perhaps the "triggers" should be something more related to player's Thargoid kills, Elite rating, and especially the accomplishment of "storyline" missions in order to give the player the feeling that his actions really matter, with the galactic political and economic conditions dictating how strong the Galactic Navy and its Thargoid opponents will be, and thus what will be the difficulty of future battles. Branching storyline based on player's actions and galactic situation could also be a possibility.

Obviously, a world in Anarchy produces very little. Feudal likewise. Dictatorship and Communist, depends. Rich produces more than Poor. Meanwhile, the Galactic Navy has to prioritize. Most heavily defended would be high TL systems, high population systems, and Rich systems. An anarchy system near important worlds would be promptly "pacified", however an entire cluster of anarchy would be practically abandoned, making the worlds bordering this area even more prone to collapse. Even after a 300-year buildup the Galactic Navy is still ridiculously understrength (due to the loose nature of the GalCop) compared to the size of the area they have to guard - 2000+ systems, not to mention the witchspace lanes in interstellar space (as the Thargoids like to hang out there ambushing unwary travellers). Power projection is their major weakenss, otherwise there wouldn't be widespread piracy even in the most civilized of systems and hundreds of systems in total Anarchy. Speaking of which, Anarchies are most likely places that would make Somalia or Afghanistan look like a holiday resort - entire planets have been without effective government for decades, possibly centuries. Even Anarcies OXP is still mild compared to what these places would be like. Anyway, if the Navy prepares for a "crusade" to pacify Anarchy worlds or expects a major battle with the Thargoids, they would have to concentrate their ships in one places, making other areas vulnerable to an enterprising pirates and revolutionaries.

Of course, a Chaotic Evil player wanting to build an interstellar criminal empire would do everything in her or his disposal to cause even more Anarchy, even though that will cause problems for the Navy in the long run and make Thargoids compete for the same prey. But maybe they can be kept out of the pirates' realm? Lawful Good players would on the other hand do everything possible to help systems and end wars, even though this would mean less profits for them in the long run and make the entire Ooniverse a rather dull place to adventure in. Neutral players would just maximize profit without intervening, unless the bounty is good enough - the endgame in such situations could be quite unpredictable.

10. In-game keybind re-configuration user interface. I'm guessing this has been brought up before and I'm sure there would be bugs to work out, but as people keep having issues with modifying the file I'd say it's worth a shot.

Oathbreaker wrote:

1. Open-source music? Have a few different theme choices?

If it’s multiple-choice it isn’t a theme. You can override the theme music with an OXP, though.

Oathbreaker wrote:

2. Set up a voting system on what mission-related OXPs to put into the game as standard?
3. Naev/EVN - style story arcs?

No. There will be no changes of this type to the core game.

Oathbreaker wrote:

4. More obvious visual/auditory indication that you're scoring a hit with something - suggest energy blooms off of shields, or shields flickering when hit.

I don’t have any interest or experience with sound design. If anyone wants to contribute a complete, self-consistent sound set, I might be interested… there are already different hit and miss sounds, so replacing them with more distinct ones would be easy.

I’m not sure that a bigger visual flash would actually be a good thing. Does it really make sense to be able to easily see a hit at long range? I might do a shape-conforming shield flash effect, but it’s not a priority.

Oathbreaker wrote:

5. External views can be rotated via the key "V" - suggest include one perspective from behind each of the missiles you just launched as well, with a delayed camera zoom back to your ship after the missile explodes.

Patching in dynamic cameras turned out to be surprisingly hard when I last tried. I do intend to try again for 2.0.

Oathbreaker wrote:

8. In-game nearby systems map (short navigation) could have a five-letter designation next to, or underneath the name

Press I.