Oolite Bulletins

I was largely responsible for removing the markets from Liners way back when. This was when markets could not easily be manipulated, and at the time it just didn't seem right for them to have markets.
They are (mostly) luxury liners and there just didn't seem to be any sense or logic in them buying and selling stuff like minerals, alloys, firearms etc. Even computers and machinery stretched the imagination a bit as they are cutting-edge craft with (presumably) plenty of spare parts etc on board anyway.
I accept that there could be a limited (buying) market for say food and luxuries - items that could be sold on to passengers - but I don't see them as bulk sellers of anything really. There is a case for them making fuel available to other ships.
The arguement that there is no point in having them dockable if there is nothing to do there is a bit weak to my mind. You can dock there because you can dock there, why do you need a reason? Having a market really just seems a bit too player-centric as it adds a questionable feature that can be exploited by the player.
Much better might be something like the OXP that allows you to explore and experience stations (can't remeber its name now - sorry) but one where you can maybe visit one of the high-end restaurants, or a casino or somesuch. Have a reason to dock with them that makes sense in-game.
PHKB's tweak sounds like a good compromise though if they have to have a market.

Smivs wrote: ↑Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:28 pm

The arguement that there is no point in having them dockable if there is nothing to do there is a bit weak to my mind. You can dock there because you can dock there, why do you need a reason?

<nods sagely>

Smivs wrote: ↑Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:28 pm

The arguement that there is no point in having them dockable if there is nothing to do there is a bit weak to my mind. You can dock there because you can dock there, why do you need a reason? Having a market really just seems a bit too player-centric as it adds a questionable feature that can be exploited by the player.

This really brings home how cool it would be to be able to have dockable locations that aren't main stations as passenger destinations … of course, how the game would identify and keep track of this specific Rock Hermit, or (even worse, since it can travel from system to system) that specific liner, is a question for greater minds than mine. But a little bit of player-centricity here might not go amiss, if the act of taking a non-station passenger contract also created its destination.

Cody wrote:

Smivs wrote: ↑Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:28 pm

The arguement that there is no point in having them dockable if there is nothing to do there is a bit weak to my mind. You can dock there because you can dock there, why do you need a reason?

<nods sagely>

You need a reason for why you should dock there, not for why you can.

Any reasons need not include a conventional market.
Some examples:

• Small chance to pick up a passenger to be dropped off at main station - very small reward
• Chance to use limited (and perhaps overpriced) shipyard facilities - maybe just maintenance and fuel
• Small selection of Your Add Here pictures displayed - an amusing distraction

They don't even have to be finacially rewarding, they just need to have some entertainment value.

Maybe the passenger leaves behind a trumble?
Maybe the maintenence work was low quality but high price?
Maybe there is some small (potentially humourous) charge upon leaving the liner?
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Disembodied wrote: ↑Tue Jul 31, 2018 10:46 am

Still, though, if nothing else, a liner's arrival might easily put a short-term dent in a station's food supplies. And there might be a similar demand for liquor, wines, and luxuries for the top-end passengers.

That's an interesting idea. After the arrival of a liner in the system, the main station's market might be severely depleted. For some commodities, the station's buying price might therefore be higher than usual, but there'd be a ticker message on the station's market screen explaining that an even better price would be paid if you can locate and trade with the liner.

Arguments in favour of or against Markets on dockables other than main stations have always been and remain very much a matter of personal game play preference.

Among the many attractions of Oolite , A Major one has always been the "Your Game, Your Way" aspect.

The purists of the old Elite, can play One Station per System, While the in system traders welcome increased possibility to turn a profit within a system rendering each system a Mini Game within a much larger one.

Whatever your point of view. You are Correct.

I came across a liner last night when I was in need of an overhaul - in fact that was why I was in the system, it was TL13 and could do the work. So I docked with the liner and checked what was available there, and found out that I couldn't buy or sell anything, or get any contracts, but they could do the overhaul, sell me missiles, etc. etc. So I paid for the overhaul there (can't say off-hand how the price compared to a normal station because that pilot has 20 million or so in the bank and I don't worry about petty cash) then docked at the main station to check out contracts. One thing I noticed was that all of the contracts on offer at the main station were new - I didn't get the usual slight time crunch because of the time spent on the refit. I don't think this is a particular problem, but I thought I'd mention it.

ffutures wrote:

and found out that I couldn't buy or sell anything

I'm assuming you have Liners Markets installed. Were there at least prices on things? Or was everything zeroed? What sort of liner was it?

Probably not, everything was zeroed. I didn't notice the type. A big red one, if that helps?

LinersMarkets.oxz should fix the issue with the buying/selling on liners. Not sure what happened with the contracts, though. Strange.

I am not sure who is maintaining this OXP nowadays, however here some suggestions:

Shiplibrary.plist:

Aurora Galaxy Liner - Heavy Transport
Cruise Security Vessel - Medium Fighter (Sidewinder-X)
Cruise Ship ‘Ronald’ - Heavy Transport
Diamond Class Shuttle - Medium Transport
Emerald Class Liner - Heavy Transport
Inter-system ferry - Medium Transport
Jade Class RunAbout - Light Transport
Lifeboat - Evacuation-ship
Tigershark - Heavy Transport/Freighter

I did find a re-texture of the orisis-hospital as well, please let me know if you are interested (new emission map and using Oolite shaders)

Why would you like to change the role of these liners?

cbr wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 9:52 am

Why would you like to change the role of these liners?

I guess the answer is here

cbr wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 9:52 am

Why would you like to change the role of these liners?

Seriously ? CBR, I respect you a lot and learned a lot from your OXP's, did you actually check the current role ? For my feeling its a a copy & past. Your texture of the hospital is not bad, however, I guess my retrieved one isz bit better.

According to the shipdata.plist from this oxp.
are given als roles for the aurora.

the shipdata.plist doesnot contain the words 'medium' or 'freighter' mentioned in viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20714&p=271187 for any of the liners ships.