Oolite Bulletins

Another test version of Asteroids3D uploaded.

Changes:
- fixed the flickering of objects on the scanner that would sometimes occur
- splinters don't get shields anymore
- flying saucers now always find and attack the player instead of asteroids or boulders
- graceful handling of the player leaving the mission screen by launching
- graceful handling of the player docking mid-game
- game now ends on the same station where it began (not always in the main station)

If anybody is interested in spicing up the very laconic mission screens, or even the equipment description, I'd be happy.

Smivs wrote:

Don't forget parallax! If you're targeting a small object you are probably quite close, and while it looks like the laser is passing through the object, in fact you're missing

I am taking parallax into account. It seems to happen on the thin "edges" of Thargons and splinters. If the laser passes through thicker parts, it hits even if the shot is further from the center of mass and more likely to miss due to parallax errors.

With the asteroids game, if the player witches out, it will automatically dock them at the main station of the system they just entered. It certainly would make it easy to avoid pirates and such. I am pretty sure that this is a bug. It just doesn't seem right.

Commander Xvyto wrote:

With the asteroids game, if the player witches out, it will automatically dock them at the main station of the system they just entered.

Heh... well worth 100Cr, eh?

It is convenient, but does unbalance the game a bit, especially for a new commander. For example, he might find a good trading deal in an anarchy. However, he is not equipped enough to fight his way through. So, he buys a game of asteroids, jumps, and bam, he is at the main station.

Edit: Just remembered that this can be avoided with torusing away from the lanes, but that actually has a good explanation, rather than teleporting to the station. Maybe the oxp could store your cargo, and give it back later.

Commander Xvyto wrote:

It is convenient, but does unbalance the game a bit, especially for a new commander. For example, he might find a good trading deal in an anarchy. However, he is not equipped enough to fight his way through. So, he buys a game of asteroids, jumps, and bam, he is at the main station.

Aye, all that... and you get congratulated for completing the game, even if you jump out without zapping any 'roids!

Yeah... The thargs that spawn (at least for me) were shooting the asteroids. I don't think that was supposed to happen.

Commander Xvyto wrote:

The thargs that spawn (at least for me) were shooting the asteroids.

Yep, they still appear to shoot at 'roids sometimes.

Commander Xvyto wrote:

With the asteroids game, if the player witches out, it will automatically dock them at the main station of the system they just entered. It certainly would make it easy to avoid pirates and such. I am pretty sure that this is a bug. It just doesn't seem right.

And it's not supposed to happen. Thanks for reminding me that I need to do something about jumping out of the middle of a game.

El Viejo wrote:

Commander Xvyto wrote:

The thargs that spawn (at least for me) were shooting the asteroids.

Yep, they still appear to shoot at 'roids sometimes.

Yep. Turns out it's not enough to force the player as a target on them. Will be fixed in the next test version (together with the jumping-out stuff).

Fixed the above mentioned issues and introduced a rudimentary scoring system: you're now informed about your difficulty level and the time needed on re-docking.

Changes:
- improved the finding and attacking of the player by flying saucers
- graceful handling of the player jumping out mid-game
- introduced a rudimentary scoring system, informing the player of the time needed to finish the game

I am pretty close to being in the position of releasing my 3rd ship OXP (Within the next week or so). A Cylon Raider which will add a new hostile ‘Alien’ race in to the Oolite universe.

It is the first time that I have delved in to trying to write a script and AI. I have had some help from Smivs with the script and have based the CylonAI loosely on the Thargoid AI so I am not producing anything ground-breaking however it is a first for me. Hopefully it will be the first step on a long journey to writing more complex scripts.

I am also going to have my first attempt at producing an emission map to complement the standard texturing.

The reason for the post is to ask, as this is the first OXP that I have included scripting, AI and a emission map if anyone would be interested /willing to have a look at what I have prior to an official release.

I will go through the OXP and carry out some play testing myself in order to hopefully get things sorted out but a quick review by someone more knowledgeable after I have done this would be much appreciated as it may pick up errors I do not spot.

I'll volunteer for that, Shipbuilder. Sounds like a good test scenario for my personal WIP OXP.

@Rese249er - The oxp has progressed somewhat since I first posted the request for a tester. Having said that I have no problems sending a copy over so that you can test it in its current form.
I am thinking of releasing this oxp with 2 versions. One for less powerful machines and one for higher specification machines.

The reason for this is that the 3D model was the first detailed model that I produced in Wings 3D, really as a teach yourself how to use wings exercise, and therefore at that stage I did not intend to release it as part of an oxp. As a result the model has a lot of fine detailing which some machines may find a little resource hungry.

I have tested the oxp with the detailed model on my machine at home and have not had any issues but that is not to say it will be the case for everyone (I don’t have a powerful PC by any stretch of the imagination however I have a cheap graphics card installed which will help).
The version of the oxp with the detailed model is 95% complete – I just have a limited amount of extra detail to add to the emission map.

With regard to the version for the less powerful machines I have revisited the 3D model and reduced the complexity. I also intend to provide this version with a smaller texture map say 512x512 or 1024x1024 to help save on computer resources.

I will PM you with a link containing the latest version containing the detailed model tonight sometime.
Along with any comments that you have regarding the oxp in general I would be interested to know how this behaves on your system and also what type of specification you have so that I can get an idea of how this will perform on other people’s system.

Also if it helps with your own WIP OXP all the better.

As a side note - Did you manage to convert your .obj to .dat file you posted about previously ?

No, I didn't, but that was more along the lines of filling a gap that didn't really exist. Genesis was what I wanted. My current OXP has no new models.

Here's an OXP I've been tinkering with for a while, now in a mostly functional form.

When using, go into the shipdata.plist and replace like_ship = "FA_Sunracer-player" with an appropriate ship for your Ooniverse.

Download is here.

Please post comments and troubleshoot solutions here.