Oolite Bulletins

Pleb wrote:

I've never really looked at the Personalities OXP, does anyone know why it doesn't work with the current release?

Because (1) it uses a couple of JS-methods that have been deprecated since, and needs some simple translation (that part is already done on my computer), and (2) I always wanted to tweak/rewrite some script parts, especially regarding the use of the cloaking device by the personalities, because some of that became only possible in Oolite 1.74. I just never got around to the latter.

Oh, and there is also the task of incorporating those personalities who have submitted a copy of their alter egos since the release of v 0.9.

I am definitely returning on the OXP, just can't say when.

Commander McLane wrote:

Because (1) it uses a couple of JS-methods that have been deprecated since, and needs some simple translation (that part is already done on my computer), and (2) I always wanted to tweak/rewrite some script parts, especially regarding the use of the cloaking device by the personalities, because some of that became only possible in Oolite 1.74. I just never got around to the latter.

Oh, and there is also the task of incorporating those personalities who have submitted a copy of their alter egos since the release of v 0.9.

I am definitely returning on the OXP, just can't say when.

Well can't wait for a release on that, think I must have missed out when I took a break from playing Oolite for a while.

Bugbear wrote:

On another note, it was a close thing but I was half expecting this thread to fall victim to another time -honoured Oolite derailment....

Oh no, I've derailed enough threads lately thought I'd balance the books and save one! Back to the topic at hand (see I've done it again ) it would be good to have some sneaky pirates in the game that operate like this, they can sometimes get a little predictable, even with Deep Space Pirates OXP installed. Though without Deep Space Pirates I wouldn't be able to travel so far out the planet looks like a dot and I'm still encountering Kraits who want to fight my mighty ship...

Bugbear wrote:

Without RandomShipNames installed, these guys would be a bit tricky to identify. Normally, an Offender or Fugitive is a fair target, but if it's Clean (it's green...sorry ), then I know I'd be hesitant to open fire.

Even with RSN, it might still be tricky: by no means all pirates are fans of blood'n'guts ship names, and some of the more aggressive names are taken by bounty hunters. I was attacked the other night by two pirate mini-fleets, with fighter escorts centred around two pythons. The pythons were called Sweet Ophelia and Fool, and I was joined in the fight by a bounty hunter in an Asp called Snarling Goddess ...

Disembodied wrote:

Bugbear wrote:

Without RandomShipNames installed, these guys would be a bit tricky to identify. Normally, an Offender or Fugitive is a fair target, but if it's Clean (it's green...sorry ), then I know I'd be hesitant to open fire.

Even with RSN, it might still be tricky: by no means all pirates are fans of blood'n'guts ship names, and some of the more aggressive names are taken by bounty hunters. I was attacked the other night by two pirate mini-fleets, with fighter escorts centred around two pythons. The pythons were called Sweet Ophelia and Fool, and I was joined in the fight by a bounty hunter in an Asp called Snarling Goddess ...

It's the pirate escorts with names like Brigand's Doom that have the really convincing bluff.

cim wrote:

It's the pirate escorts with names like Brigand's Doom that have the really convincing bluff.

That shouldn't happen and would be a bug, though.

EDIT: On further consideration, it could. Escorts are selling themselves to the highest bidder, after all. So, if the original hunter met his end and the escort became unemployed, it could get re-hired by a pirate. Even the very same pirate that just killed its old employer.

Commander McLane wrote:

cim wrote:

It's the pirate escorts with names like Brigand's Doom that have the really convincing bluff.

That shouldn't happen and would be a bug, though.

EDIT: On further consideration, it could. Escorts are selling themselves to the highest bidder, after all. So, if the original hunter met his end and the escort became unemployed, it could get re-hired by a pirate. Even the very same pirate that just killed its old employer.

I see a few of them around pirate coves when they're launching Pythons, so while escort swapping like that could occur, it's not the cause. I assume either they stole the ship and haven't yet renamed it, or it's a sarcastic comment about the ship's state of maintenance.

Commander McLane wrote:

Even the very same pirate that just killed its old employer.

If the price is right...

It's like in those movie/novel plots where a target offers his killer double the price of the original contract to kill the one who initially ordered the kill

cim wrote:

Commander McLane wrote:

cim wrote:

It's the pirate escorts with names like Brigand's Doom that have the really convincing bluff.

That shouldn't happen and would be a bug, though.

EDIT: On further consideration, it could. Escorts are selling themselves to the highest bidder, after all. So, if the original hunter met his end and the escort became unemployed, it could get re-hired by a pirate. Even the very same pirate that just killed its old employer.

I see a few of them around pirate coves when they're launching Pythons, so while escort swapping like that could occur, it's not the cause. I assume either they stole the ship and haven't yet renamed it, or it's a sarcastic comment about the ship's state of maintenance.

I don't use pirate cove OXP and don't know its inner workings. When spawning an escort, pirate killer names should only be given to it if it's either a trader's or a hunter's escort. Or are they spawned as escorts of the pirate cove itself? That's a case I didn't cover, and could explain what you see.

Commander McLane wrote:

I don't use pirate cove OXP and don't know its inner workings. When spawning an escort, pirate killer names should only be given to it if it's either a trader's or a hunter's escort. Or are they spawned as escorts of the pirate cove itself? That's a case I didn't cover, and could explain what you see.

I think they're escorts of the pirate it launches, but I wonder if it's launching the pirates as defense ships, so they don't end up with a pirate primary role - I'll have to check.

cim wrote:

It's the pirate escorts with names like Brigand's Doom that have the really convincing bluff.

Yeah, but they'll only appear once every hundred years, so that's OK ...

Disembodied wrote:

cim wrote:

It's the pirate escorts with names like Brigand's Doom that have the really convincing bluff.

Yeah, but they'll only appear once every hundred years, so that's OK ...

<groans>

cim wrote:

Commander McLane wrote:

I don't use pirate cove OXP and don't know its inner workings. When spawning an escort, pirate killer names should only be given to it if it's either a trader's or a hunter's escort. Or are they spawned as escorts of the pirate cove itself? That's a case I didn't cover, and could explain what you see.

I think they're escorts of the pirate it launches, but I wonder if it's launching the pirates as defense ships, so they don't end up with a pirate primary role - I'll have to check.

Yes, this is it. Once you get in a fight with a pirate cove, its launched pirates get attacked, and they're in its ship group, so it starts launching defense ships, with primaryRole = "defense_ship".

cim wrote:

cim wrote:

Commander McLane wrote:

I don't use pirate cove OXP and don't know its inner workings. When spawning an escort, pirate killer names should only be given to it if it's either a trader's or a hunter's escort. Or are they spawned as escorts of the pirate cove itself? That's a case I didn't cover, and could explain what you see.

I think they're escorts of the pirate it launches, but I wonder if it's launching the pirates as defense ships, so they don't end up with a pirate primary role - I'll have to check.

Yes, this is it. Once you get in a fight with a pirate cove, its launched pirates get attacked, and they're in its ship group, so it starts launching defense ships, with primaryRole = "defense_ship".

Thanks for the confirmation.

If it's requested I can add another check for this situation, and let them have proper piraty names.

Commander McLane wrote:

Thanks for the confirmation.

If it's requested I can add another check for this situation, and let them have proper piraty names.

I quite like the fact a ship could have a misleading name. It makes it seem a bit more realistic, pirates trying to cover their activities. Otherwise if you were a Galcop Police ship and you saw a ship called 'The Jolly Rodger' you're going to know this is a pirate vessel, without even checking the legal status of its commander.

BTW - I know there aren't any ships called 'The Jolly Rodger' but it was all I could think of!!!

Pleb wrote:

Commander McLane wrote:

Thanks for the confirmation.

If it's requested I can add another check for this situation, and let them have proper piraty names.

I quite like the fact a ship could have a misleading name. It makes it seem a bit more realistic, pirates trying to cover their activities. Otherwise if you were a Galcop Police ship and you saw a ship called 'The Jolly Rodger' you're going to know this is a pirate vessel, without even checking the legal status of its commander.

BTW - I know there aren't any ships called 'The Jolly Rodger' but it was all I could think of!!!

Or  Davy Jones Locker