Oolite Bulletins

Thargoid wrote:

I was considering something very similar, having read this thread earlier.

I already experimented with it when I wrote the Missile Analyser. Just let the missiles explode on 200 meters from the target instead of 25 meters. So far away they only scratch the paint of normal ships, but for putting a missile out of fight this distance is enough. And intercepting the target within just 200 meters is much easier. I was in doubt to add it to the analyser but at the end I decided against it. A separate oxp would be better.

I used the name "interception missile". I think "AB missile" or "Anti Ballistic Missile" is a better name.

For the distance I only tested it against the "ECM hardened missile". The required distance is very depending on frame rate. Every frame the position of ships is recalculated resulting in larger distances per frame at a low frame rate. The lowest possible frame rate is 4. At even slower situations, Oolite start to slow time itself.

Lets assume two standard missiles at 25 meter from each other at a speed of 750 meter/sec. (just outside the normal explosion trigger).
At a frame rate of 4 the missiles each travel 750/4 = 187.5 meters and will have past each other and are now 350 meters from each other. They missed the trigger moment.

With a triggering distance of 200 meters and 200 meters from each other at one frame they have past each other 175 meters at the next frame. That is just inside the 200 meter range.

This means that 200 meter trigering is even enough for the lowest frame rate.

With a frame rate of 40 each missile ravels 19 meters per frame. At such good frame rates even normal missiles will always work as AB missiles. A special AB missile does make sense at slow computers like mine.

Thargoid wrote:

It's set up as an equipment piece (rather than a pylon-based one) which fires an anti-missile dart targetted on an incoming missile.

I don't like that. Making it equipment implies that is auto reacts on an incoming missile. I think you always should need a player reaction on an incoming missile otherwise you remove the thrill out of the game.

hm..I tested that modified missile interception pack, and...they just detonate too far away from targeted missile. I dunno why, but it just happens. Tried several times, it never hits.

Sarin wrote:

hm..I tested that modified missile interception pack, and...they just detonate too far away from targeted missile. I dunno why, but it just happens. Tried several times, it never hits.

I just tested it against the default missiles. When it detonates far from the missile it does little damage. It could be that there exist missiles with a higher energy. It is just a matter of figuring out whit settings are optimal against missies in contrast to against much slower ships.
However with two missiles head-on, their speed difference is 1500 m/s. At this speed frame rate makes a large difference.

EDIT:
You could try to open the oxp, look into the AI folder for the file: missileRack_iRackAI.plist. Open that file and change the two occurrences of "setDesiredRangeTo: 200.0" into "setDesiredRangeTo: 100.0" (original value of a plain missile is 25). Now it detonates closer to the target and does more damage. Only at the lowest frame rates you run the risk it passes its target between two frames.

Oolite internal missiles have a strength of 5 (max_energy = 5). Those of missiles & bombs mostly have a strength of 10. (And some much higher). And need a closer explosion to damage them.

Commander McLane wrote:

I don't so much like the doomsday-machine idea. For the most part this is because it is so utterly unrealistic. Have you any idea how much it takes to get rid of a planet?

Sure it would take a lot to destroy a planet, however it's biosphere would usually be a delicate system. Dump a 'relatively' low amount of energy, or contaminate, into the atmosphere and it would rapidly become an unpleasant place to be

Gunney_Plym wrote:

Commander McLane wrote:

I don't so much like the doomsday-machine idea. For the most part this is because it is so utterly unrealistic. Have you any idea how much it takes to get rid of a planet?

Sure it would take a lot to destroy a planet, however it's biosphere would usually be a delicate system. Dump a 'relatively' low amount of energy, or contaminate, into the atmosphere and it would rapidly become an unpleasant place to be

Agreed, but this would have little to no visible effect, as far as a game like Oolite is concerned. The planet would still exist, there would be no explosion, even no change in texture, if we are talking about the built-in textures. Everything would be exactly the same before and after. Okay, you could modify the F7-screen short description, but that's about it.

And I think that would be a little anti-climactic, as far as at least my personal expectations for something called a doomsday-machine would be concerned.

Gunney_Plym wrote:

Commander McLane wrote:

I don't so much like the doomsday-machine idea. For the most part this is because it is so utterly unrealistic. Have you any idea how much it takes to get rid of a planet?

Sure it would take a lot to destroy a planet, however it's biosphere would usually be a delicate system. Dump a 'relatively' low amount of energy, or contaminate, into the atmosphere and it would rapidly become an unpleasant place to be

Or, get an asteroid to float past on the right trajectory and you can move the planet to a closer or further orbit - boil or freeze it, no need for any 'materials' per se (assuming you can move asteroids about)

Cheers,

Drew.

Commander McLane wrote:

Agreed, but this would have little to no visible effect, as far as a game like Oolite is concerned. The planet would still exist, there would be no explosion, even no change in texture, if we are talking about the built-in textures. Everything would be exactly the same before and after. Okay, you could modify the F7-screen short description, but that's about it.

And I think that would be a little anti-climactic, as far as at least my personal expectations for something called a doomsday-machine would be concerned.

Yes, the planet would still be there. But the texture and description could be changed, maybe also it's tech level etc.

It could be useful as motivation for mission scenario.

Thargoid wrote:

I must admit there I disagree, at least from a realism viewpoint if not a gameplay one. The next small logical step from having something detected is to automatically do something about it. And if it's something like destroying incoming missiles, then it would be a no-brainer to do it.

Where do you stop automating then? It's also a no-brainer to have laser turrets mounted to your ship with computer-guided targetting which automatically lock onto any hostiles in the vicinity...