[RELEASE] Two mini OXPs from Caracal

[Switeck]

Y'know, we just discussed that on IRC. One flaw with the current code is that some stations launch their own normal defenders, which are in addition to the ones launched by the OXP itself.

That explains what I was seeing.

I was getting additional furballs every time I entered or left a Rock Hermit or Pirate Cove...and it was often coming pirates first, in groups of 3 or more.

I could redock and launch again and more would be launched, making my escape-by-docking only a delayed death.

I did however have furball odds set to 0.5 (50% chance of happening) and total numbers set to 4 (16 enemies?) -- but it seems like a station is remembered as always "furballing" and the number of enemies is reset each launch...so you could get more each time.

[Cody]

and making them target the player immediately,

As long as they're still all having a go at each other as well... that's half the fun of a furball... it's every man for himself.

[caracal]

I was getting additional furballs every time I entered or left a Rock Hermit or Pirate Cove...and it was often coming pirates first, in groups of 3 or more.

The Fugitives in a Furball always launch before the cops. And the OXP does nothing to affect any ships that would otherwise be there anyway. As for entering versus leaving, hmm ... the check should only happen when you enter the main station aegis, according to the docs. But yes, it does check every time you launch from any station.

I could redock and launch again and more would be launched, making my escape-by-docking only a delayed death.

Yes, it doesn't in any way "clean up" previous furballs, so if you dock and then re-launch fairly soon, it's likely that ships from the previous event will still be alive. And even angrier.

I did however have furball odds set to 0.5 (50% chance of happening) and total numbers set to 4 (16 enemies?) -- but it seems like a station is remembered as always "furballing" and the number of enemies is reset each launch...so you could get more each time.

The number of enemies is always reset, yes. A size factor of 4 should give you 8 Fugitives and 8 police, which are (as mentioned above) in addition to any leftovers from previous furballs and any other ships that would normally be there. Using a probability of 0.5 shouldn't always trigger a furball, although I guess Math.random could be "repeatable" like many other random numbers in the game, so maybe once a station has hit the number, I guess it could always be the same number. I'll have to check on that.

[caracal]

and making them target the player immediately,

As long as they're still all having a go at each other as well... that's half the fun of a furball... it's every man for himself.

With the current AI, they'll always switch targets to anybody who hits them with a laser shot or fires a missile at them. So even if they start with the player as their target, that's likely to change fairly soon, as other brawlers and cops start shooting at them. If all of them targeted the player, then you'd have to wait until the cops showed up. Just like a normal pirate attack.

[Smivs]

Just had a quick furball....and it was quick, too. (I should mention that I have Galactic Navy OXP installed.)
A Rogue Frigate launched from the Station and let rip with his plasma turrets! Within about three seconds everything in the area, including myself, was space-dust.

[Cody]

That's like dropping a caracal (the cat) into a furball of domestic moggies.

[caracal]

Just had a quick furball....and it was quick, too. (I should mention that I have Galactic Navy OXP installed.)
A Rogue Frigate launched from the Station and let rip with his plasma turrets! Within about three seconds everything in the area, including myself, was space-dust.

Gack!

"Waiter, I ordered the Pirate Surprise ... ?"

"Sir, that is the Pirate Surprise."

I'll have to watch out for that myself, since I also have GalNavy installed. A frigate, eh? Yowtch!

[Switeck]

Here's a little code example to make things even more interesting/complex:

this.startUp = function ()
{
this.furballProbability = 0.11; // 0.0 = never, 1.0 = always; 0.05 = roughly 1 in every 20 times
this.furballSizeFactor = 4; // exponential: 1=2 ships (1 bad, 1 cop), 2=4 (2 bad, 2 cops), 3=8, 4=16, etc.
}

// Base this on the configured probability
if (Math.random () >= this.furballProbability - system.government/70 )

// Decide how many ships are involved, based on the configured size factor;
// divided by two because they come in two waves
var nShips = Math.round (Math.pow (2, Math.ceil(this.furballSizeFactor - system.government/2 + 0.5) )) / 2;


If I got all this correct, it makes Furballs far more likely in Anarchy systems than Corporate State systems. Also, the resulting Furballs will tend to be bigger.

[caracal]

Here's a little code example to make things even more interesting/complex:

Thanks for the feedback, Switeck! I was trying to keep Furball as simple as I possibly could, but it has grown beyond its humble beginnings. Adding a "government sensitivity" option doesn't sound like a bad thing. I'm working up a new release, will see about adding that to it.

[Switeck]

Kinda like a shootout at an "Old West" (USA) bank, most of the time there's nothing...very rarely there's a pirate or more making a mad dash for it or even standing their ground and fighting at the stations.

I'd figure many get away.

With more work, you could possibly make a full-blown mission out of it.
...Though I don't know what the plot would be.

[Vaztr]

Caracal,

I'm having trouble reaching your website so that I can add Furball to my OXP mirror site www.alaise.com.au/oolite/OXPList.html

Do you know what the problem might be

Thanx

VAZ

[Cody]

There have now been fifty downloads of Caracal’s Furball oxp, since I ‘adopted’ it… I’ve no idea if that’s a decent number or not. However, Caracal’s site appears to be up again, and the download link is now working. The links to Furball and Target Range, in the first post of this thread, are also working again.

Would a Wiki wizard be kind enough to update Caracal’s Wiki page (i.e. remove the ‘broken link’ message)… I’ll keep the oxp available in my box, as an alternative.

[Commander McLane]

Would a Wiki wizard be kind enough to update Caracal’s Wiki page (i.e. remove the ‘broken link’ message)…

Done.

[Cody]

Thank you sir!

[curtsibling]

Dog Day Station

Dixeza station… it was high summer dirtside, and somehow the general feeling of heatwave irritability had made it’s way into orbit. In the spacer bar, people were tetchy, short-tempered… two spacers squared off over an Argellian love slave and all hell broke loose. Who or why didn’t matter… everyone got stuck in. Suddenly, all involved ran for the ship bays and launched… and it carried on outside in station space. Man, you should have seen them… thirty maybe forty ships, all having at each other, and the GalCop Vipers in the middle, trying to sort it all out. Laser beams criss-crossing everywhere, pilots ejecting, missiles like a swarm of hornets. Enough to bring a warm glow to a combateer’s heart… and a wicked grin to his face.

Been thinking of installing this OXP, Commander El Viejo just sold it to me with this tale!