Oolite Bulletins

"Press space Commander?"

It's taken me *three* attempts to get Atomic Annie to Israra (Feudal, G2) in v1.80.

First attempt: Hired a couple of Sidewinder escorts, launched, then followed the Medical Anaconda Electric, or Contrary? and her escorts to Israra space and arrived with full fuel tanks. Left Electric behind at the beacon on a direct heading to Israra Station - and got jumped by a band of half-a-dozen pirates. Despite taking out at least one ship Atomic Annie got clobbered with VERY heavy and accurate fire within seconds, and my two escorts were taken out seconds after I got the dreaded "Press Space, Commander".


Second attempt: Hired a couple of Sidewinder escorts, launched. No convenient hitch-hiking this time, witched to Israra under my own power and wound up at Israra beacon with not much more than fumes in my tanks. Hit the torus drive, then got mass-locked by - you guessed it - another band of half-a-dozen pirates. Atomic Annie again got clobbered with VERY heavy and accurate fire within seconds, but despite taking out at least one ship I got the dreaded "Press Space, Commander".


The only consolation I had was seeing for a brief moment on the comms screen (seconds before Atomic Annie blew up like a firework) was some pirate I'd locked onto saying "Help! I can't shake the Anaconda!"


(The third time I did the old "go the long way round off the main route" trick and got to the main station without a scratch. But bloody hell... it was never this tough before!)

Ranthe wrote:

The only consolation I had was seeing for a brief moment on the comms screen (seconds before Atomic Annie blew up like a firework) was some pirate I'd locked onto saying "Help! I can't shake the Anaconda!"

Priceless!

- Neelix

So is she called Atomic Annie because of how often she blows up?

N

mossfoot wrote:

So is she called Atomic Annie because of how often she blows up?

N

Nah, it was mostly because of my former tactic of deploying defensive Q-mines...

(Though at this rate I might have to reinstate such a policy - such is the Ooniverse post-'4004' it seems!)

Ranthe wrote:

It's taken me *three* attempts to get Atomic Annie to Israra (Feudal, G2) in v1.80.
...
bloody hell... it was never this tough before!

Sounds like you'd be a prime candidate for testing this, then..

I'm currently staying with one of the Rock Hermits in Zaonce and I've been quite happily blasting asteroids while watching the regular habitant cruising around in his shiny Worm. Poor fellow was on the opposite side of my radar when he suddenly cried to the comms:

"All ships, maintain safe distance."

Made me smile. Maybe he was a veteran reliving a battle or maybe he was just seeing some imaginary ships around him, solitude taking its toll. Who knows, but these random comms add a lot to the game.

A big Thank You to all who post their exploits here!

Nowadays I can't find the energy or time (or as a good gaming session would need, both simultaneously) to play Oolite (or the Other space game either, haven't launched the standard Beta even once ), these stories are a great way to stay tuned.

Thanks & keep 'em coming!

Zieman wrote:

... or the Other space game either...

I like that - the Other game! Henceforth, I will refer to Elite: Dangerous as TOG!

First thing I'm doing when I have a deck to play this game on again is lobotomize that AI.

ClymAngus wrote:

First thing I'm doing when I have a deck to play this game on again is lobotomize that AI.

Castrating the uber-ships would make more sense..

Diziet Sma wrote:

ClymAngus wrote:

First thing I'm doing when I have a deck to play this game on again is lobotomize that AI.

Castrating the uber-ships would make more sense..

The oxp's are optional the AI I fear is not. You do have to ask yourself what is worse, a disgardable horror or a pervasive one. Also unfortunately at least some of the ships of which you maybe speaking are written into the fiction. If the audience want the death machines they see in the fiction then by lord lummy we must not disappoint our fans must we?

ClymAngus wrote:

If the audience want the death machines they see in the fiction then by lord lummy we must not disappoint our fans must we?

If they want death machines, can they really complain when those machines kill them?

For the record most of my works have some pretty psychopathic restrictions to stop your average player getting ironed flat by one.
Unless some large parts of the ship design plist have suddenly become obsolete then. They are exotic, rare, expensive and player orientated. I am "pro-fun."

What do you think I designed here? A Rattlecutter? Of course! The first thing I think when I build a ship is; I wonder how can I shoot my own cock off with this?

For shame Disembodied, for shame.

ClymAngus wrote:

They are exotic, rare, expensive and player orientated.

Sounds like the way to go then! I think the new AI is a lot more fun, too: it's maybe needing some minor adjustments, but it's a huge improvement over the obligingly dim NPC opponents of old. Previously, ships like the Cat and the Iguana were made into dangerous adversaries via a brute-strength-and-ignorance approach, and now they've got brute-strength-and-a-modicum-of-cunning. Dialling back on the brute strength, but keeping the cunning, seems like the way forward to me.