Oolite Bulletins

Version 1.1 uploaded, download through [wiki]Wormhole restoration OXP[/wiki].

Changes:

- fixed a bug where the restored wormhole would lead to the wrong system when you had followed another ship into interstellar space;
- if you were riding another ship's wormhole, only that wormhole is restored, not two separate wormholes;
- Thargoid Witchpoint Jammers are now only encountered at the midpoints between systems, not anywhere else, in other words, no longer for multiple misjumps

 Enjoy!

Thanks McLane... got it.

Commander McLane wrote:

- Thargoid Witchpoint Jammers are now only encountered at the midpoints between systems, not anywhere else, in other words, no longer for multiple misjumps

Alright! No need to keep breeding those when I go on a misjump spree.

Made one of my regular visits to interstellar space, on this occasion in the zero-distance double system of Tetiri/Orlaed. Had a good tussle with the warships, splashed the jammers, dived into my restored wormhole - and went right through it. I had analysed it first, but after diving through it once, I could no longer get a lock on it - same old problem. Of course I had the fuel to escape, so nothing lost. I think it's Oolite itself causing this, not the OXP - but as usual I ain't sure. Most times it works fine, but there is something about zero-distance doubles that occasionly does this.

Further testing seems to show that if you target the restored wormhole, then untarget it and dive in, it doesn't work.

Yes, that's certainly Oolite doing ghost wormholes. I'm seeing that on rare occasion with the wormhole-making OXPs I goof around with all the time.

Doing some research again, I forced a Python (an offender-trader named Resounding Witness of Orlaed) and its two escorts into interstellar space. I helped them see-off the warships, and then was surprised to see the escorts splash two of the jammers, while I splashed the other two. The Python’s wormhole was then restored, but the Python ignored it and went steaming away in the opposite direction, its escorts following, until the wormhole expired. I can’t remember if this was discussed before, but is there any way that an npc can be made to resume its journey?

No, the only thing that tells NPCs to go to wormholes is designed to ONLY work correctly when the player hyperspaces out.

Switeck wrote:

No, the only thing that tells NPCs to go to wormholes is designed to ONLY work correctly when the player hyperspaces out.

Yeah, I thought so... and only pirates (and Thargoids) will use the player's wormhole.

Switeck wrote:

No, the only thing that tells NPCs to go to wormholes is designed to ONLY work correctly when the player hyperspaces out.

Though in this case the wormhole is being created by the OXP at a known position, so the NPCs could be told to fly to that position, which would look much the same.

cim wrote:

Switeck wrote:

No, the only thing that tells NPCs to go to wormholes is designed to ONLY work correctly when the player hyperspaces out.

Though in this case the wormhole is being created by the OXP at a known position, so the NPCs could be told to fly to that position, which would look much the same.

And they'd be sucked in by the wormhole upon reaching the position, giving the appearance of entering it deliberately.

This might work, but it's not trivial. At the very least it would need a new AI for NPCs in interstellar space, in conjunction with a ship script that catches the wormhole position and passes it to the AI (and I'm not even certain off the top of my head whether that's possible in the first place). I haven't gone there, because it would be a lot of work for an effect that only very few players would ever observe, although it would certainly be cool to watch an NPC continue its journey.

I'll look into it if I get some time.

Commander McLane wrote:

... it would be a lot of work for an effect that only very few players would ever observe...

Aye, that's true enough!

Artists and programmers both often do what they do, just for the sake of the art...or for their own personal amusement.
Either that or it's a cross between insanity and repetitive motion disorder.

Commander McLane wrote:

I haven't gone there, because it would be a lot of work for an effect that only very few players would ever observe, although it would certainly be cool to watch an NPC continue its journey. I'll look into it if I get some time.

Bravo. When one sees a face in some stone it can be awful fun to chisel away the pieces and see if it's really there. Then everyone else can see what you see.

Switeck wrote:

Artists and programmers both often do what they do, just for the sake of the art...or for their own personal amusement.
Either that or it's a cross between insanity and repetitive motion disorder.

Repetitive Motion Insanity Disorder.
Art and Amusement Disorder.
Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.

Repetitive Motion Insanity Disorder.
Art and Amusement Disorder.
Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.

Repetitive Motion Insanity Disorder.
Art and Amusement Disorder.
Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.

Repetitive Motion Insanity Disorder.
Art and Amusement Disorder.
Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.

I love the idea of this oxp. Its good that a "game over" situation can be avoided while the player's Commander is still alive and kicking. Being dumped in deep space with no fuel or possibility of rescue is no fun. This was one thing I truly hated about FE2!

CommonSenseOTB wrote:

Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.
Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.
Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.
Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder.

Nasty.
Compulsive Repetitive Motion Insanity for Art and Amusement Disorder Disorder.