Oolite Bulletins

DredgerMan, With GalCop Rewards on it's own you have only one way to earn points and that is to buy equipment without redeeming a voucher to get it. Some equipment is expensive enough to award you over 200 points.

Obviously this a limited way to get points. If you want a more sustainable way to earn points you will need another OXP. Currently there is only one that does that and that is [wiki]Safe Docking[/wiki] which I released at the same time. If you don't know already, that involves you earning points for docking slowly (but not too slowly) and not scraping the sides. If you haven't already I suggest you take a look but given you are gaining a few points per system that suggests you already have that installed.

Phantor

Having checked things after I got home from work, I take it when you say equipment, you mean everything on the F3 screen? I checked the points and I get 0,1 or 2 points just for topping up the fuel (depending on how empty the tanks were). So those must have been the points I noticed before.

And the 200 plus must have come from when I bought a mil shield.

Question though, since the maintenance is showing on F3 will that give points too? That would be nice. And what about the F3-F3 screens (new ships)?

As for the slow docker, I am way tooooooo lazy to dock myself. A quick Shift C is just what a hard working trader needs after a session of pirate/bugs/asteroid bashing.

UPDATE:

Not sure why but suddenly my points were doubled? I may have missed a notification (annoying that you can't look back at them when things have gone quiet/pirates have croaked/pods have been scooped) but i am pretty sure I didn't buy anything expensive. A few repair costs here and there due to a non-functioning repair system but that is about it. Nothing that would explain an increase from 243 to 486.

DredgerMan wrote:

I take it when you say equipment, you mean everything on the F3 screen?

Not everything. The default list is any equipment who's Equipment Key matches the following (using regular expressions):

EQ_ADVANCED_COMPASS
EQ_ADVANCED_NAVIGATIONAL_ARRAY
EQ_CARGO_BAY
EQ_WEAPON_PULSE_LASER
EQ_CLOAKING_DEVICE
EQ_DOCK_COMP
EQ_ECM
EQ_ENERGY_BOMB
EQ_ENERGY_UNIT
EQ_ESCAPE_POD
EQ_FUEL
EQ_FUEL_INJECTION
EQ_FUEL_SCOOPS
EQ_GAL_DRIVE
EQ_HEAT_SHIELD
EQ_.*MISSILE
EQ_MULTI_TARGET
EQ_NAVAL_ENERGY_UNIT
EQ_NAVAL_SHIELD_BOOSTER
EQ_PASSENGER_BERTH
EQ_QC_MINE
EQ_RENOVATION
EQ_SCANNER_SHOW_MISSILE_TARGET
EQ_SHIELD_BOOSTER
EQ_TARGET_MEMORY
EQ_WEAPON_BEAM_LASER
EQ_WEAPON_MILITARY_LASER
EQ_WEAPON_MINING_LASER
EQ_WEAPON_PULSE_LASER
EQ_WEAPON_TWIN_PLASMA_CANNON
EQ_WORMHOLE_SCANNER

DredgerMan wrote:

Question though, since the maintenance is showing on F3 will that give points too? That would be nice.

Repairs has the key EQ_RENOVATION so yes.

DredgerMan wrote:

And what about the F3-F3 screens (new ships)?

Sorry no. I don't know if that is even possible, but it's an interesting idea.

DredgerMan wrote:

As for the slow docker, I am way tooooooo lazy to dock myself. A quick Shift C is just what a hard working trader needs after a session of pirate/bugs/asteroid bashing.

Aw! That means you miss the Dockmasters' insults for poor docking

DredgerMan wrote:

UPDATE:

Not sure why but suddenly my points were doubled? I may have missed a notification (annoying that you can't look back at them when things have gone quiet/pirates have croaked/pods have been scooped) but i am pretty sure I didn't buy anything expensive. A few repair costs here and there due to a non-functioning repair system but that is about it. Nothing that would explain an increase from 243 to 486.

That is an exact doubling which is strange. There is no code in there that I can imaging doing that. Let me know if it happens again.

Having had the OXp running for a couple of days and now having netted a total of 1100 reward points (including the doubling which hasn't happened again) I feel that you are too generous with the points, Phantor.

On delivering the 'secret' Thargoid plans I got at one time whacked quite severly (jumped by Thargoids, another set of thargoids, Manchi Vulture and Wasps and a load of pirates) with loss of shield boosters, mil shield, and five more pieces of equipment and an immediate maintenance session (5000 credits) required. The repairs netted me several hundred points.

And imagine what would happen if I turned in my Python ET for a BCC or Imperial Courier. I would get all those points (and probably many, many more) outfitting the new ship to Iron Ass config.

Add to that the fact that you gain a point for every trade run because of the fuel purchase and you will get a large collection of points that you would probably never use up. I just got a voucher for 4 free repairs for the cost of 75 points, which is VERY nice but I think it would have been better if I would have to 'struggle' to gain some points. Especially if you want other OXP's to start handing the points out too. At the moment I would not need to use any other, I am gaining them quite easily.

Perhaps a halfing or quartering of the points you gain through purchases might be in order?

DredgerMan wrote:

Perhaps a halfing or quartering of the points you gain through purchases might be in order?

I starting to think you are right. That or I need means to make you lose them. It was difficult to judge what level was right.

The reward for a repair without redeem is 40 points. If you do multiple repairs that mounts up. I may stop that at one repair per station visit (1 hour between visits if the same station).

I think I will halve the current points awarded for other equipment and remove fuel as a reward-able.

Regards,

Phantor

Edited because I hadn't checked my facts regarding my own OXP .

Love the OXP idea, downloading.

PhantorGorth wrote:

(1 hour between visits if the same station).

Most repairs take more than an hour to complete anyway, though.

cim wrote:

PhantorGorth wrote:

(1 hour between visits if the same station).

Most repairs take more than an hour to complete anyway, though.

Yes but I meant 1 hour after end rather than start. Anyway I found this meant adding all the equivalent code I do for Safe Docking regarding returning too soon into this OXP so I have decided to do it once per system visit per 50 hours. That is easier to do.

PhantorGorth wrote:

DredgerMan wrote:

Perhaps a halfing or quartering of the points you gain through purchases might be in order?

I starting to think you are right. That or I need means to make you lose them. It was difficult to judge what level was right.

The reward for a repair without redeem is 40 points. If you do multiple repairs that mounts up. I may stop that at one repair per station visit (1 hour between visits if the same station).

I think I will halve the current points awarded for other equipment and remove fuel as a reward-able.

Regards,

Phantor

Edited because I hadn't checked my facts regarding my own OXP .

Having thought about it a bit more and having collected about 2800 points on my new game already I wonder if there should be a bonus for traders to buy equipment. It isn't something that would suggest that a reward would be required, especially one from the OOniverse ubermeisters. I could see a Corporate world wanting to give bonusses to people who buy their goods but other worlds wouldn't, I would think. So why should a purchase be a reason to give rewards?

I would think it more likely to give bonusses to someone who did something good. And nothing that can be bought for the ship will be something that can only be used for the good of the community. Take for instance escape pod locators. In itself you could imagine Galcop thinking it a good idea for people to buy them so they can assist others by rescuing them. But after a very short while it would have sunk in that pirates will buy them too to get extra income from robbing ships. And as can be seen, the poor pod rescuers are in constant fear for their lives whilst on patrol because suddenly they are worthy of attacking.

So I think equipment should be not a reason. Perhaps something simple like assisting another vessel when they are attacked? Could the reward point be linked to the condition that will start any "Thank you for your assistance" message? Or would that require a change in the core script as additional action to be taken, rather than have a script lurking in the background, waiting for a specific condition (like the message) to be met?

I don't mind getting reward points but it would feel a whole lot better if I had the feeling I actually did something to earn them

First of all you are buying equipment at the main stations which are GalCop property. If you have Planetfall and land on a planet or go to a rock hermit you won't get any points. Basically it's a way for GalCop to drum up business.

From a non-in-game point of view I added it so that there was a way to earn some points even if you don't install any other point rewarding OXP. Though I agree that the number of points you get is too high. I have made modifications but I am waiting on my tester to come back. (Currently I can not test it myself as running Oolite is crashing my system after a few minutes) (The change is no points for fuel, points reward for most equipment are halved, repairs get rewarded once per system per 50 hours.)

As to other ways to earn points where you earn them, that is for other OXPs. I already have created Safe Docking OXP. I did discuss other ways that could be made into OXPS earlier in this thread (see here). I wrote GalCop Rewards so other people can write OXPs to use it.

Phantor

PhantorGorth wrote:

From a non-in-game point of view I added it so that there was a way to earn some points even if you don't install any other point rewarding OXP. Though I agree that the number of points you get is too high. I have made modifications but I am waiting on my tester to come back. (Currently I can not test it myself as running Oolite is crashing my system after a few minutes) (The change is no points for fuel, points reward for most equipment are halved, repairs get rewarded once per system per 50 hours.)

I'll be looking out for the update. And if you ever need another tester, please give me a holler. I'd be happy to assist. I might even be tempted to investigate creating an OXP for one (or more) of the conditions you specified. I can't remember reading the linked post but it looks like we were thinking along the same lines. Whether or not my attmpts will create anything fruitful is still up in the air though. But a simple: if condition is met, reward points = reward points +1 (or 5 or 10) should be relatively simple to build.

(Disclaimer: Simple as in I have no idea what I am getting myself into but without actual knowledge the expectation is that it should be simple)

DredgerMan wrote:

I'll be looking out for the update. And if you ever need another tester, please give me a holler. I'd be happy to assist. I might even be tempted to investigate creating an OXP for one (or more) of the conditions you specified. I can't remember reading the linked post but it looks like we were thinking along the same lines. Whether or not my attmpts will create anything fruitful is still up in the air though. But a simple: if condition is met, reward points = reward points +1 (or 5 or 10) should be relatively simple to build.

(Disclaimer: Simple as in I have no idea what I am getting myself into but without actual knowledge the expectation is that it should be simple)

I will wait a while for my tester to come back but I may come requesting help if he is unable to do it. As to developing an OXP it unfortunately isn't that simple due to the fact you should only award the new points on docking. But it isn't that hard. It's all explained in the documentation that came with the OXP. Also I will happily answer any relevant question.

Phantor

Updated Release: Version 1.0.2

http://bit.ly/Wn3d8T

Changes:

• Removed EQ_FUEL as one of the rewardable equipment. This stops you from getting the points used the for the lottery back just by buying fuel.
• Removed duplicate EQ_CARGO_BAY from rewardable equipment. (This is a removal of something redundant so not something you can test for.)
• EQ_RENOVATION now only gives Reward Points for the first purchase without redeem per 50 hours in any system visit. This is to stop players going into battle and then going in for repairs a great way to earn lots of points very quickly.