Oolite Bulletins

sniperscope?

My OpenGL skills aren't quite up to that one right now . Hopefully the quicker cooling rate will keep them happy. You can miss more often.

My to do list today:
1) Need to add the cooling fins purchase.
2) Make it so you can't be elite in twitch mode and you can't switch twitch mode off once selected. (Need a box to confirm the use of twitch mode popping up too)
3) The recording of prices once they've been viewed. This is quite tricky, mainly because I have to save the prices (in memory and to file when the game is saved).

Shouldn't take long.

I'll let you know when it's done, then i'll clean it up and submit a patch for testing

-Nic

Murgh wrote:

twitch mode seems like it already has a lot of what it set out have. what else do 'twitches' need?

sniperscope?

How far do you wanna go? Elite the Shoot-em up?

I'd say cheap Docking computers.... Maybe... If you're really a twitch type of guy....

Also in twitch mode, have more ships outside the typical spacelanes, or just more ships, period.

Hmmm.... Arcade-style power-up thingies floating around, (maybe as DeathAction, you blow up ship, it leaves a 'Power-Up' like special cargo, giving you temporarily super-strong shields or lasers?

the 'cloak-mode' is available in that way, no? So should be possible to come up with something like that...

How far do you wanna go? Elite the Shoot-em up?

Nope not that far, same game, just requiring less time

I'd say cheap Docking computers.... Maybe... If you're really a twitch type of guy....

They're cheap enough as it is. I like the game hard, but quick to do something. No hanging around going in a straight line for ten minutes.

Also in twitch mode, have more ships outside the typical spacelanes, or just more ships, period.

Yup. Very much like that idea I'll do that if there are no objections.

Hmmm.... Arcade-style power-up thingies floating around, (maybe as DeathAction, you blow up ship, it leaves a 'Power-Up' like special cargo, giving you temporarily super-strong shields or lasers?

I think that may be heading to far towards arcade game play. I like the kind of "realism" Oolite delivers, just not the time it takes to get from place to place.

Thanks for your suggestions

Cheers,
-Nic


EDIT: It is quite awesome to add a few hundred traders and pirates to every system.... Just a tad overkill, I think

I was just thinking about how you could further *ahem* desecrate the Elite feeling by making it a 3D 'brainless' shoot-em-up, heehee.

I guess the way you see it will still retain the original feel, which is a good thing.

But IMO, sacriledge or not, the idea of a simple shooter, based on the Oolite-engine still has some merit, I'm sure there are probably better-looking spaceshooters/engines around, but none that'd be as easily "tuneable" as "Oolite-Total-SpaceWarIII" heehee.

It would be a great way to get 'kids' into programming etc... I mean, the 'fun' way...

(Imagines Thargoid Bosses etc... Could be fun, if you're not an Elite-fundie, heh)

Anyone heard of a game called Bang! Gunship Elite? That's pretty much an Elite style shoot-em up.

The load/save routine does show the ship that the saved pilot flies.

Heh...If I don't feel like fighting, I position myself going horizantal with planet, so that it's just at the edge of my HUD as a red circle. Then I press 'J', go further until the red circle becomes a green circle and is in the middle of the HUD, turn around towards the planet, and find the station. There are almost never any ships that route

That's the standard routine, but some people still find that too bothersome, hence the t'riggerhappy' version.

I'm new to Oolite. Three days new. It's now 2.39AM and I'm dog tired, but itching to get to dock without getting smeared by pirates or far more important maybe actually getting through the dock in one piece. (G4 laptop keyboard, no joystick).

Right now it's all painfully slow. But really I love the feel of Oolite - light years better than EV etc..

So all yours tips are gold dust, thanks. (I know nuUthing).

How many elite outsiders (I did play the original wireframe version of the game about a thousand years ago tho) are going to tough it out to get fluent in the sim? Maybe popularity isn't the only worthy goal in town tho...

I do agree that mass locking is REALLY frustrating (I work at the same time so I don't get bored) I nearly gave up because of the waiting and waiting. A bit of a cruel introduction in my view.

I also agree that there is no early incentive to go exploring. Maybe that's a good thing too tho.... I use the apple screen grab utility to record trading prices, (making money is very very slow for a beginner)

My initial and unworthy ideas are these:

1. I need to see around me when I'm dog fighting. Especially as just about everything else is more lethal than me.


2. Bigger bonus payment for fragging pirates?

3. Intro tips and training "yard".

4. Dialog with ships that post mayday to negotiate price of helping trader out...seems a bit odd just to se mayday... maday... and not be able to do anything about it.

5. 'B' for boarding disabled pirate ship so that the novice can tractor the ship into port for salvage or transfer to ship or take over cargo or use it as an auto wingman?

6. Voice Comms welcome at docking, or at least a string of text...

7. On-line address of some stuff so I can do without sleep....

Thank you everyone that's done something to build this beatiful sim. Awesome.

Gandr

Hi Gandr,

Welcome aboard...

This could solve many of your boredom issues:

NoSleep wrote:

When you first enter a new system, orient yourself toward the planet like this...



and take note of your radar, showing this...



if you now swing your ship up (or down) until the radar shows thus...



...you will be at 90 degrees to the corridor, so speeding in this direction is the most direct way to get out of it. Just hit 'Jump' for a few seconds then re-orient toward the planet.

And buy Witchdrive fuel injectors as a first priority. Find a Rich Industrial near to a Poor Agriculttural and tow Computers, Luxuries and Machinery from the former, to the latter, and Food, Textiles, or (especially) Radioactives and Liquor from the latter to the former.

Always buy Gold when it's below 38 Creds, hoard it and sell it wherever it's over 40. Always buy Platinum when it's below 68, hoard it and sell it wherever it's more than 70, always buy Gems when below 38, hoard and sell whenever over 40.

If pirates are a big problem and you don't want to become one, buy a big gun and fit it aft. If pirates are a problem but you want to become one, buy a big gun and fit it forward.

Just "Another Helpful Hint for Living from the Committee's Almanac."

My way of starting out 'fast' is to... ditch the Cobra!
Yes, that's right, such a good ship, but it takes aaaages to deck it out, and I can't be bothered by mundane trading (much)

So I go to the nearest hitech world, sell it and buy a cheaper ship, use the spare change for military lasers and good shields, and a fuelscoop and other assorted goodies, money permitting...

and then try and make more money by going into bountyhunting fat traders (after jumping for free through a wormhole)

I've only been playing Oolite for a few days as well, much repect to Giles and a huge up to Winston, and Nic's windows installer for their contributions. What is really good is the way Giles has set it up to be expandable and the contributions of so many of you guys out there.

I've been playing Elite for 20 odd years and still enthralled by it. Oolite is awsome, I love the blue exhausts and the much improved grahics. The game play is a little different to what I've been used to but there are many improvements.

As far as starting off is concerned, the first thing to do is avoid combat as much as possible untill you have enough muscle and defences to make a decent scrap and hopefully come out on top.

So this is my strategy

1. Find a good trading route like Isinor - Tionisla and trade furs computers platinum gold etc.

2. Avoid the space traffic as per johnnycuba's post in this thread

3. Buy as a first priority witchdrive fuel injectors, extra cargo hold and a docking computer.

4. Now you can trade up rapidly and begin arming..... Military laser, energy unit, (the one with the copper cloured top as I recall), ECM system, shield boostersetc

You can use the normal space routes between planets now and dogfight with confidence! but don't be too adventurous and take on too many at a time, also try to keep your status clean.

I'm above average and blinging up my cobra with all the gismos, i'm saving up for the Naval shield boosters right now (they'd better be good for 47750 Cr)


loving it!!!!

TGHC

TGHC wrote:

I'm above average and blinging up my cobra with all the gismos, i'm saving up for the Naval shield boosters right now (they'd better be good for 47750 Cr)

Worth every shekel IMHO. Especially if you can get the regular shield boosters first!

The effects of shield boosters and energy units are cumulative? An Extra Energy Unit plus a Naval Energy Unit is better than just a Naval Energy Unit by itself?

Hmm. I have a Hamadryad that came with a Naval Energy Unit, and I couldn't fit the Extra Energy Unit. I just assumed that the Naval one included whatever the ordinary one had.

neilplus wrote:

The effects of shield boosters and energy units are cumulative? An Extra Energy Unit plus a Naval Energy Unit is better than just a Naval Energy Unit by itself?

Hmm. I have a Hamadryad that came with a Naval Energy Unit, and I couldn't fit the Extra Energy Unit. I just assumed that the Naval one included whatever the ordinary one had.

I believe the effects of the two energy unit types are cumulative, as are the effects of the two shield booster types.

Also, not every ship type has been set up to allow use of all equipment. So it's possible to have a ship that will allow use of the Naval Energy Unit, but not the Extra Energy Unit. I don't know if that's the case with the Hamadryad - have a look in it's shipdata.plist.

Of course I could be wrong with the above. It's happened before...