Oolite Bulletins

Bicorn wrote: ↑Wed Jul 09, 2025 4:07 am

I think I'm still doing something wrong - no matter what I do I can't get the new lines to show up. They always just respond with the generic default lines.

Well, I copied the samples I gave before, expanded this line to actually have some replies: , then spawned in a Kephalan ship, sent a greeting and got a "Hiya!" response. So, I can at least confirm the concept works (ie I was able to successfully override BCC's responses). Which means there's something wrong with your implementation.

Personally, I wouldn't add a "Config" folder directly to the AddOns folder. My suggestion would be to create a folder in AddOns called "Alien_BCC_Responses.oxp", and put the Config folder in there. Then put the two files into that Config folder.

The other thing to check is latest.log. That might reveal an error which is preventing one of the files from loading.

phkb wrote: ↑Wed Jul 09, 2025 4:21 am

The other thing to check is latest.log. That might reveal an error which is preventing one of the files from loading.

This looks like the likely culprit:
07:05:15.903 [oxp-standards.error]: OXP ../AddOns/alien_comms.oxp has no manifest.plist

Hmm, nope, I added a manifest and it still doesn't work.

Bicorn wrote: ↑Wed Jul 09, 2025 10:01 am

Hmm, nope, I added a manifest and it still doesn't work.

No, the Manifest only helps Oolite (and the Expansions Manager/Oolite Starter) to recognise an OXP. It has no effect on whether it works!

Have you tried a linter?

*https://www.jslint.com/ seems to be good for Oolite's version of Javascript.
*You will need an OpenStep parser for the .plists.

BLAGH! Once again I had managed to out-smart myself.

I had made a separate Oolite install for testing so I can keep this experimental stuff from messing up my main game... and then accidentally edited files in the old install's AddOns folder instead. Once I put the files in the correct install's folder it works.

In other news, it looks like comms messages can't display unicode characters, which is a bit of a shame - I was thinking of having Odonateans communicate in indecipherable symbols.

Yes, the only characters Oolite can display are in the oolite-font.png file.

In extremis, you could change the font and include the file inside your OXP. But I doubt that there are very many spare characters to play around with. Unless there is some way of adding more known to our Admiralty.

Cholmondely wrote: ↑Wed Jul 09, 2025 3:02 pm

In extremis, you could change the font and include the file inside your OXP. But I doubt that there are very many spare characters to play around with. Unless there is some way of adding more known to our Admiralty.

Actually, it must be possible. Krager is translating everything into Russian (written in Cyrillic which has at least 33 letters - 33 capitals and 33 smalls). So you should be able to play around with those extra letters - try digging around inside your Oolite download for Cyrillic.oxp (Eastern_European.oxp might have one or two more letters!).