Oolite Bulletins

The test savegame was slightly wrong, as noted in one of the posts above (it had the wrong galaxy key). You're best off starting from a 'proper' savegame that hasn't been messed about with.

I spotted a slight glitch with the Unit 2 selector button; I've fixed the problem and have refreshed the download link.

Something I meant to return to is the fact that I've built in the ability to add/remove ships from the set the player can choose from. So, if the campaign's going well I can maybe add an ex-police viper into the mix; if the campaign's going badly I can start removing models because of a lack of spare parts. Taken to extremes this can be a useful way of managing the overall difficulty, by giving or taking away ships based on how well/badly the player is doing.

So now I’m working on the script for Op Envoy, the grand plan in which the plucky members of the Zabe Resistance attempt the retake their homeland. I’m trying to come up with some interesting, multi-stage missions, drawing again on experiences with ARMA as well as taking some inspiration from that 90s classic, TIE Fighter. There may not be that much player choice (you’re meant to be following orders, after all) but I’m trying to create experiences where you have to carry out your role alongside different callsigns, providing support as necessary and generally doing your bit for the cause.

I haven’t completely ruled out going to a higher command level, that is, giving the player the opportunity to command whole groups instead of single units. This shouldn’t be too difficult technically; it’s just a case of replacing the current units with group leaders which each have their own subordinates. I might save this for the ultimate objective: launching an assault on Biesmaan itself. Lots of options present themselves – maybe you decide to send in 4th Armoured Squadron for a frontal assault while 9th Signals deploy ECM and 1st Recon provide fighter cover? Of course, the limitations in the AI may mean this all turns into a furball very quickly, and there will probably be many losses due to collisions, but at least it would feel a bit different from the usual lone wolf approach when it comes to playing Oolite.

But back to Op Envoy. The ideas I have for various phases so far are largely based on the systems the Resistance have to travel through. Thoughts include evacuating industrial workers, destroying food resources, conducting force recon on suspected enemy positions etc, with maybe the odd solo mission thrown in.

Hiya.
Why is there a Mac OSX folder in your updated download? and why is it empty?
Just enquiring, in case you uploaded a wrong file or something.
I've just completely re-loaded my game, with new up-to-date oxp's all round, and have just brought my new Jameson into G5, to try it out without all my old skeletons in the save game.
I'm just arriving at Ceused now.

a couple of minor issues.
1/ In the ship selection, the Krait comes up looking more like a Mamba, but with funny spinning things, like ear rings (!?) where does the ship image come from? Dictators?
2/ You might know this, but the ships still aren't spawning after launch from non-main stations, and sometimes from the main station. they always re-appear after hyperspace though.

other than that, all good.

They do seem to be almost invincible. my team came across the Leviathan & accompanying Hydras & all, that can make mincemeat of me in seconds if i don't keep them at >20km, yet these 4 mini ships seem to get away with close combat. Are they too tough? or maybe they're just benefiting from there being 4 of them, so the [target assign] function of the military ships keeps switching between the revolutionaries.

Hi Yodeebe. I've been on an Oolite break for a bit but it's always good to be prompted back into action!

I've uploaded a v1.2 with a few quick fixes:

• Don't know how the OS X folder got in there - probably happened when I first made the zip file, but I've removed it anyway
• There was a glitch in the ship selection menu which displayed a Mamba instead of a Krait. The 'earrings' are actually the two turret subentities that are used by the Krait's plasma cannons
• Units seem to be appearing OK after launch in my latest version, including non-main stations - possibly I've fixed an earlier glitch without realising it so try v1.2 and see how you go
• I've added some more varied NPC comms
• I've retextured the dictatorship vessels slightly so as to distinguish them from the ones appearing in the Dictators OXP, but note there's still a dependency with this expansion

On the question of invincibility, I was going to say that I've found units quite vulnerable and have often had to support wingmen who are sending me low energy warnings. However, I've realised I've managed to mislead myself a little.

You see, I'm using a trick to give the units different energy ratings depending on their rank. An ensign will have only 1/4 of the maximum energy as stated in the shipdata, while a commander will get the full value. While this works quite well in some respects, it does mean that for an ensign, almost as soon as they get attacked they'll hit the low energy threshold (25% of max energy) and their engine will start to cut out, even though they're actually at the top of their effective energy (around 2500 in this case) and so aren't in any immediate danger.

I've had a think and have come up with a new mechanism to reduce this confusion. Basically, I'll give all units a base energy level as a proportion of the max energy, and then will make the rest up based on rank.

So, if x = rank number (1 to 4, with 1 lowest and 4 highest),
let ratio r = x/4

then E(effective) = E(max)*(1/3 + 2r/3)

If E(max) is 5000, this would mean an ensign would have an effective energy of 2500, a lieutenant 4166 and a commander the full 5000. The low energy threshold would be 0.25*E(max) = 1250, and so would only come into play when a ship is approaching real danger.

I'll try this mechanism out a bit more in-game and will play around with E(max) to see what works best.

In the meantime, if anyone wants to try it out, the relevant bit of code for GWunits.js is:

Cool, thanks.
If I replace the oxp with the new one, do I need to start the missions again, or will it continue as normal, but with the changes?

No, you're ok to just overwrite the previous version of the oxp and your savegame will continue where you left off.

Added it to the [wiki]Oolite Missions[/wiki] overview.

Thanks for adding that, Maik.

I was going to do more work on this OXP over the weekend but for one reason or another it didn't quite happen. However, I've scribbled down some more mission ideas so it's just a case of turning it all into reality.

A bit I'm working on now is a mission where your fleet has to pick up a group of evacuees, and your job is to provide protection as the transports attempt to dock with your carriers. It's quite a complicated mult-phase set-piece so I need to coordinate things with lots triggers and timers working away in the background.

A key bit of progress though is that I've got SaveAnywhere working again, so my plan to have the player operating from a carrier for the endgame looks like it'll work.

Mind telling me how you got SaveAnywhere to work? CSOB is said to have made it work, but I can't find his fixes...

Zireael wrote:

Mind telling me how you got SaveAnywhere to work? CSOB is said to have made it work, but I can't find his fixes...

There's a direct link to the corrections from my wiki page. Here it is again.

https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?f= ... 60#p148328

This is a do-it-yourself fix to modify your own broken save anywhere oxp and it works. Have fun with that.

CommonSenseOTB wrote:

There's a direct link to the corrections from my wiki page.

As well as from the [wiki]Save Anywhere[/wiki] page itself.

What's this, a rare update to one of my OXPs? Well, sort of...

I mentioned to some fellow commanders at the Xmas meet-up that I was struggling a bit with the final stages of Resistance Commander, a.k.a. Operation ENVOY. I have a good idea of what I want to happen, and have come up with a few technical options for specific moments, but putting it all together in-game is another matter. This realisation came after I spent almost a whole day just trying to get a few ships to go from A to B in a fairly precise manner according to a script. At that rate, it would take me absolutely ages to create all the different missions I had in mind.

So, if are some scripters who'd like a challenge, I'd welcome your help. To show what I'm trying to do, I've started to put together a bit of a design document that sets out some of the missions and the key phases in each. None of it's particularly difficult in pure scripting terms, it's just that there's a lot to get through.

Op ENVOY [warning: spoilers]

Equally, if people have ideas for missions that might fit into the general plot then I'm open to suggestions.

Finally, I have done a small update to the main OXP, by implementing the slightly revised energy calculations mentioned in a previous post.

I'm trying to play Resistance Commander, but nothing happens when I press F7 or 7.
I've tried with two different ships, Rigel and Anaconda, nothing happens in Esbeema, Biesmaan or Zabe.
I have already installed OXP's previously, and most worked perfectly.
The only problem I had before is that the ANA (advanced navigational array) did not work until I modified the file keyconfig.plist, changing the key trigger of "^" to "%"
I'm using mac OSX snow, keyboard set to "international english". The problem could be the keyboard language?
Any suggestions?
Take this opportunity to say I love Oolite and new missions and play every day while awaiting the start of chemotherapy. Oolite is a powerful ally to keep my mind focused.
Thank you so much!

Greetings commander, from a comrade up north-east.
I think the problem is that our beloved Zabe has been well & truly 'occupied' by those villainous Biesmen. (grrrr), and you need to head out to one of the sympathetic outposts (Biarra, Inriisus, Esbeena, Solaerin, and where I'm operating, around Ceused) that are allowing us to re-group & carry out preparational sorties, before the final push to re-take the motherland.
Our operational commanders in these main system stations will be glad to have you on board, and will allocate you your squadrons, & missions.
Well worth reading the PDF in the download in detail, for more info.

The Resistance has established five regional
commands in the following systems:
• Esbeena
• Biarra
• Ceused
• Solaerin
• Inriisis
To visit a regional command, press F7 when docked
at a relevant station.

I'm currently doing well up in the North East, but I've heard they could really do with some help in Solaerin!

I hope to meet you in a seedy spacebar just before the final push into Zabe, or possibly even a surprise attack on Biesmaan, but don't tell anyone!

Good luck commander.