Oolite Bulletins

Buy a python (or a rusty python if you have Murgh's rsuty ships in). 100 tones a run, but need to stick to safe systems whilst you build up some money.

Judebert wrote:

My only complaint about the Cobra MkIII is the cargo space. I'm having trouble *affording* a new ship on ~1500 credits / run. To make more, I need to carry more goods. And I can't even get shipping contracts.

I know what you mean but it is possible. Once you have got enough credits to cover basic running costs then I would suggest taking any cargo contract that you can fit in your hold and deliver on time, the idea here isn't necessarily to earn lots of money but to improve your cargo contract reputation, with a better reputation comes better (and higher paying) contracts. At one point I was shifting food over 40-50 LY for a couple of hundred credits!

LittleBear wrote:

Buy a python (or a rusty python if you have Murgh's rsuty ships in). 100 tones a run, but need to stick to safe systems whilst you build up some money.

That's the way I did it. I worked with the Cobra mkIII until I could afford a regular Python, then used that shuttling between a Rich Ind. and Poor Ag. Now I have a fully kitted Python ET and love it.

No need to stick to safe systems either. If you stay out of the lane you very rarely encounter anyone.

Get a Mosquito Trader

I only bought a python to build up enough cash to get a combat ship!

It is a good ship to trade up to after the Cobra. A few runs in this cheap cargo hauler and you start getting enough cash together to buy a better ship. I went, Cobra III, python & then several OXP cargo ships. Stayed in a PCC for a while doing missions and building up cash and then an I.C. If Ramon's Mosquito Trader had been around then, I'd probabley have bought one.

How goes your pimped Cobra?

Almost finished!!

Cool! Would like to feature her as the Cottenmouth Cobra flown by a fellow assassin you have to duel. (Spot the reference )

"Silly Commander, likes to play with Military Lasers" (one of her Comm hails!)

I'm currently saving up for a Python Class Cruiser. I'm shuttling between a poor agricultural and rich industrial, and I should have enough money about the time I hit Dangerous. (Currently Competent.)

I'm trying to avoid the majority of non-mission OXPs: I want to win under the intended constraints. That said, I've put in a few of the high-ranked Oosat2 OXPs: hoopty, fuelpods, rusty ships, and toroid stations (which are incredibly neat).

I was shuttling people for a while, but didn't seem to get any better contracts that way. I can't find any cargo contracts at all, anywhere.

There seem to be a lot of pirates about, but perhaps a python for the interim, just to quickly build capital... hmmm....

Up to you how you play, but I think the game is harder and more fun with all the OXPs in. Remember, the NPCs get the OXP ships too! They don't upset game balance. If you play with no OXPs in then you'll meet pirates in mambas, cobras etc. If you install the Supercobra OXP, sure you can buy a supercobra, BUT so can pirates and you'll meet them in combat!

There's no such thing as a player only ship. All any ship OXP does is to add the ship to the Oniversive, both for the player and NPCs. Some ships are NPC only, but none are player only

EDIT: There isn't really such a thing as intened constrains! Elite was open-ended and Giles deliberatley desgined Oolite to be user-modded, to make the game even more open ended! The PCC is a user-modded ship (by Giles! - you wont ever see it unless you have this OXP in)

Damn much fun because it is really hard to make profit on regular contracts - not platinum transport you can do on FdL NG as i did or on ship of your choice. See, this monster ship crawls on injectors two times slower than FdL NG does without them! Good energy banks, but not so good generator and no military shield option. And cargo scooping is like huntiing butterflies while riding an elephant. Given "regular" contract gives you 500..1000cr per witchjump and ship repairs being expensive.. and hardened missiles are not cheap to, and you cannot even q-bomb because you canot escape the explosion..
So until escorts get available to player it is really challenging.

I wonder if military Anaconda command vessels are that bad too

My next ship will probably be Kukri MkII

update: i forgot about manual docking.. do you think you are good in it? Try that on Anaconda!

LittleBear wrote:

Up to you how you play, but I think the game is harder and more fun with all the OXPs in. Remember, the NPCs get the OXP ships too! There's no such thing as a player only ship. If you can buy a supercobra then you'll meet pirates in supercobras. Any OXP only adds a ship to the Oniversive, both for the player and NPCs Some are NPC only, but none are player only

Supercobra pirates are surprisingly weak and do not have much extra equipment. And for some reason unlikely to attack if not provoked.

Ok supercobra is a bad example, think they have their own (rather weedy) AI.

But usually when sombodey does a ship, they will give the ship a role chance EG:-
roles

pirate (0.3), hunter (0.2), trader (0.5)

When Oolite calls to add a pirate (for example) the OXP ship will be on the list to be chosen.

Never played with the NG, maybe you bought a lemon! But that's what variety is all about!

Judebert wrote:

My only complaint about the Cobra MkIII is the cargo space. I'm having trouble *affording* a new ship on ~1500 credits / run. To make more, I need to carry more goods. And I can't even get shipping contracts.

Your profit margin goes way up if you *ahem* find your cargo, rather than buying it...

I'm currently running a new game using a Llama (mmm... pointy) and usually make 4000-5000 credits a run. The best run I've ever made was in a Josher through an Anarchy system... 12000 credits!