Oolite Bulletins

Posted: **Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:28 pm**

Todo - for the navy:

Minesweeper.
The model in the galactic-navy.oxp is basically a viper cruiser with a big round dish. I have in mind changing this to an asp explorer with a horizontal radar bar like you see on ships. Unfortunately, that particular ship has max_cargo=0 despite a likely_cargo=1. But you get the idea - perhaps a moray star boat or just use one of the regular vipers? The bushmaster would look good here too - and the model has conspicuous scoops.

Navy Shuttle:
This is a Worm. I'd better do a navy livery for it - think:jeep.

Medship:
This is a moray medical boat - the question here is - do I keep the red livery or go with a different navy one?

Officer Pod:
This is a special escape pod - uses the std pod - I could just use a worm for this a la Random Hits? Then it would be the same model for the navy shuttle... give it a chance that it is launched throwing sparks.

Admiral Kurtz has his own Pod - do we want a special livery for it?

I must remember to give the big ships more than one escape pod.

Lander
What is this? Not in the wiki?

Headhunter:
Do I want a special livery for these kraits?

Role of the Rattlecutter ... should I put the cutter in here or wait to do the oxp that it is in? (Ark says I should wait and do the oxp. I thought that it may be nice to put it in select megaships earlier than that.)

Posted: **Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:25 pm**

I think the medship should have red on white livery, like a combat medic uniform maybe?

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:14 am**

What is the difference between scan-class military and police?

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2009 6:22 am**

IIRC it's just an AI difference, maybe Mil doesn't chase offenders? I forget.

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2009 6:33 am**

Simon B wrote:
What is the difference between scan-class military and police?

Police will do all the policing stuff.

A "military" scanclass will basically not do much more than add to your vessel's description "Military Vessel" instead of "System Vessel".

For OSE, I use that scanclass in conjunction with a fitting AI written for these ships that is recycled from an Assassins one (LB suggested it as useful for military ships) and call these ships with the de facto custom role "military").

As far as I can see, the scanclass just gives the flavour to that. If someone knows more and any of the above is not correct, please clear it up.

L

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2009 6:36 am**

wackyman465 wrote:
IIRC it's just an AI difference, maybe Mil doesn't chase offenders? I forget.

The navy ships are all scanclass police.
They all have their own custom ai - and autoai is explicitly turned off for some of them.

Hmmm... the rogue frigate is also scanclass police.

Perhaps there's a difference in how ias react to them?

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2009 6:40 am**

Who scans as military then?

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2009 12:31 pm**

wackyman465 wrote:
Who scans as military then?

I've never seen it.

I've been wondering about the effect of changing the navy ships to scanclass military.

If the megaships wan't chase fugitives unless they are police in scanclass (presumably doing an autoai to some police type?) but they will act if an escort is attacked - perhaps allowing an escort-role of police will have some megaships defended by one or more police vipers ... who respond to fugitives. Others are on a mission and have other things to worry about?

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2009 12:40 pm**

Pet peeve: RTF ... there are many oxps with readme and other info files stored as rich text format documents. This is what they look like:

Code: Select all

{\rtf1\mac\ansicpg10000\cocoartf824\cocoasubrtf440
{\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset77 Helvetica-Bold;\f1\fswiss\fcharset77 Helvetica;\f2\fswiss\fcharset77 Helvetica-Oblique;
\f3\fnil\fcharset77 Verdana;}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red249\green249\blue249;\red68\green68\blue68;\red0\green104\blue153;
}
\paperw11905\paperh16837\margl1440\margr1440\vieww18260\viewh13480\viewkind0
\deftab720
\pard\pardeftab720\sl380\sa220\ql\qnatural

\f0\b\fs44 \cf0 Behemoth.oxp\

Apart from the italics in there, the formatting instructions actually tell the document not to use any. All this could have been plain text. Fortunately, the simplicity of the document means that OOo can figure it out.

But why go through all the bother of making your poor player open a wysiwyg editor just to read this stuff? If it was a nice flyer then maybe ... but what about PDF then? Or have I just been spoilt because OOo not only natively saves to PDF but also can import and edit PDF documents?

The rtf document above would be very nice with nome images and a fancy heading...

Posted: **Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:52 am**

Resource - if you find fancy textures and special maps a bit beyand you, have a look at these examples.

Basically I've found a gratis collection of maps - diffuse, specular, and normal. Most are reworks of math functions but some are genuinely useful for being tricky to reproduce.

I'm experimenting with the thargoids again - looking at organic patterns. There are also some tricky rocky patters that aught to look good on asteroids.

Posted: **Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:58 pm**

BUMP:

Hi Simon,

What is the status of this project? Can I download all your new and old ships in a new package?

Really nice ships.

Grtz,
P.A.G.

Posted: **Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:31 pm**

Simon B wrote:
Pet peeve: RTF ... there are many oxps with readme and other info files stored as rich text format documents. This is what they look like:
...
But why go through all the bother of making your poor player open a wysiwyg editor just to read this stuff? If it was a nice flyer then maybe ... but what about PDF then? Or have I just been spoilt because OOo not only natively saves to PDF but also can import and edit PDF documents?

Do you really want 100MB pdfs (I know about compression)? rtf has a bit more features than txt, so it is a very nice format to give structured infos. And it isn't much bigger than txt. Most users can read it, so where is the prob? Yes, we could make nicer docs (like KZ9999's great stuff), but for me traffic counts more than a doc nobody takes a look in .-) That's why we have the WIKI. Wrong? And I'm still thinking that additional stuff shouldn't be shipped in the oxp. A readme is enough.

btw: Really nice work, Simon.

Posted: **Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:07 am**

Svengali wrote:
Simon B wrote:
Pet peeve: RTF ... there are many oxps with readme and other info files stored as rich text format documents. This is what they look like:
...
But why go through all the bother of making your poor player open a wysiwyg editor just to read this stuff? If it was a nice flyer then maybe ... but what about PDF then? Or have I just been spoilt because OOo not only natively saves to PDF but also can import and edit PDF documents?
Do you really want 100MB pdfs (I know about compression)?

The kind of file I've been finding in rtf converts to pdf (using openoffice.org defaults) to have only around 10-20kB.

rtf has a bit more features than txt, so it is a very nice format to give structured infos.

- most of the rtf files in oxps do not actually benifit from the structured part. That's my complaint.

And it isn't much bigger than txt. Most users can read it, so where is the prob?

Well, the same argument works better for HTML. Why not just use html and then everybody can read it instead of just most people?

Yes, we could make nicer docs (like KZ9999's great stuff), but for me traffic counts more than a doc nobody takes a look in .-) That's why we have the WIKI. Wrong? And I'm still thinking that additional stuff shouldn't be shipped in the oxp. A readme is enough.

Well sure, but this is not an argument in favour of writing rtf format documents in oxps.

I agree with you - additional stuff shouldn't be shipped in the oxp.

The text readme.1st files are usually plenty and should be text only. Maybe a url to further info for those who are interested and that is what the wiki is for.

I've been going through many oxps - particularly older ones like to have the readme in rtf, often with no useful formatting. I understand that the main reason for this is because rtf is the default for wordpad - which, in turn, was due to a security update.

rtf format is often required in "windows shops" where there is concern about spreading viruses. But it is not reliable as doc format can be renamed .rtf and retain macro execution in Word.

For all that though, it could be worse - at least I have not found doc files.
Thus rtf attachments are preferred to doc attachments.

I think I'd just like to see people think a bit about the formats they use in terms of their function and knock-on effects. Lets just not use a more compex format than is actually needed.

Posted: **Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:21 am**

pagroove wrote:
BUMP:

Hi Simon,

What is the status of this project? Can I download all your new and old ships in a new package?

Really nice ships.

Grtz,
P.A.G.

The latest stable oxps are available on the wiki page.
The rest are in development.

If you mean the neolite-navy.oxp - it is unfinished ... I have the thargoid ships to go, and some tweaking on the models (getting turrets round the right way on the seccom station for eg.)

But, if there is a general itch to play with this before it's finished, I can put the current edition up for download.

I also have schoolwork - and I'm running around rebuilding some lost directories that were not in backup.

I've just passed assignment deadlines and Software Freedom Day, there are two more assignments to go and Richard Stallman to pick up and ferry around. It is also a special anniversary for our household.

So the next stage may just be a bit slow coming.

Posted: **Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:27 am**

Simon B wrote:
Well, the same argument works better for HTML. Why not just use html and then everybody can read it instead of just most people?

Oh. It wasn't so clear for me that Linux-users have problems with this format. Mac and Win seems to be well with it. I'll revert to txt for my own stuff - it's enough to give the licensing info and some links if necessary.

Oolite Bulletins

RFC: Fancy classics

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