Cholmondely wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 6:26 pm
On another point: the .oxp difficulty rating on your wiki page is currently set to Level 2 (Indicates that a OXP alters Oolite or adds a few more opponents, but stays generally within Oolite's own difficulty. This indicator is suitable for missions for beginners and ships that have only a few aspects over Oolite's own range.)
I'd argue that it is between levels 2 & 3 on Svengali's rating, and that the orange rating of Smiv's Gameplay and Balance Indicator is more indicative and more helpful.
But I'm not an expert on this, and would like to hear other views!
You asked for it
Firstly, I personaly prefer svengali's level indicators over Smivs' colour chart for reasons I've mentioned
here and even suggested my own 'system', if one truly be needed,
here.
As for whether or not it should be 2 or 3 using svengali's ratings, let's have a closer look...
Level 1
Indicates that a OXP adds or alters aspects of the game a little bit, e.g. reduces the ambient lighting level or gives NPCs weapons from native Oolite.
This indicator is suitable for planetpacks and ship-OXPs that are adding e.g. rearlasers for NPCs.
Level 2
Indicates that a OXP alters Oolite or adds a few more opponents, but stays generally within Oolite's own difficulty.
This indicator is suitable for missions for beginners and ships that have only a few aspects over Oolite's own range.
Level 3
Indicates that a OXP adds a bit stronger opponents or alters Oolite in a way to make it harder for the player.
This indicator is suitable for above average rated commanders.
Given that level 1 includes rear-mounted lasers for NPC ships, level 2 might be a little more difficult than you suggest.
So the question perhaps comes down to whether or not Hyperdrives, "stays generally within Oolite's own difficulty."
I would argue that it does and here's why...
It doesn't
necessarily make
any combat or docking or other gameplay element or encounter any more difficult than before. It does however present, in particular, two difficulties to the player:
- It can and likely will reduce hyperspace options
- It will make you more likely to run out of fuel for your injectors
They're potentially quite significant but neither directly affect the 'beginner' who's playing as such.
Why? Because the beginner typically starts without witchdrive fuel injectors and because the Zaonce/Tionisle to Isinor route is likely still available and the Leesti to Diso route certainly is.
So given that level 2 suggests things that the beginner can cope with, and that most ships can get their range up to 7LY using this oxp (with at least some surviving a degree of equipment damage to keep it at that range), I think level 2 is about right.
Does that follow?
EDIT:
And on the subject of Smivs' system (which has since those earlier links been increasingly adopted) and systems generally...
Imagine an OXP 'supership', available to the player at a suitably super-high price, and that appears rarely (but devastatingly so) as a pirate.
Now try to rate the difficulty/balance of that oxp. Which colour should be assigned to it?
Makes the game much harder as when it shows up it's often devastating. As long as that's even close to being true then it doesn't need to show up often for it's effect to be marked.
Makes the game much easier as when the player can afford one they're outperforming nearly every other adversary by some distance.
So do you pick balanced? But the game is now anything but, the middle ground has been lost or at least erroded.
That's why I suggested a simply warning label for some oxps.
The wiki/boards can do the job of explaining the details.
Hyperdrives
