Oolite Bulletins

Yup... it's the slogan emblazoned on the inside of every Convenience Store's docking bay. You can buy slaves there, almost always very cheap, and legally ship them out to the main station. At least, I'm pretty sure it's legal: there are certainly no legal complications when I fill up the Radio Maru with narcotics in a Convenience Store and ship them in-system -- often for a whonking great per-ton profit. I've never stooped to slave-running, though, but I don't think it would make any difference. The only thing illegal about slaves, narcotics and firearms is launching from a main station with them in your hold.

Hi

Wouldn't it be far easier to just make "F4 while docked" a "free slaves"-switch? Thinking of bringing them all to the local authorities (Police) which means you get a bounty for the pirates and you might even get something for/from the other ones.

It might be included as a gameplay-option since some people for sure like to stick to the "old" game.

Regards
bones#0

PS: I don't know how easy or hard it might be to implement it; didn't look into the code (yet)

I think (although I don't know for sure) that OXPs can't assign new commands to keys -- so any use of F4 would have to be enabled inside the game. It might be possible, though, to make an OXP produce a mission screen which pops up on docking, if you have slaves on board and if other conditions are met, e.g. you are a paid-up member of Amnesty, you're in the right kind of system, etc., which gives you the option to free them. My preference would be for no bounty at all: I think the reward should be the warm fuzzy feeling of doing the right thing. It makes the player more committed to the idea, even though the financial loss is pretty negligible, really. Also, slavery is not illegal in Oolite, so who'd pay the bounty? Some cultures and legal systems permit slavery: probably some planets' economies are slave-based. The only accepted crime is shipping slaves out of a main Coriolis station (presumably without a licence: does anyone know what happens if you take a cargo contract to ship X tons of slaves, or narcotics or firearms, to Y? Do you incur any legal penalties when leaving the station?).

One problem with such an OXP would be spotting the difference between genuine slaves, and scooped pilots. The latter are listed as "slaves" in the manifest in flight but are liberated on docking, if they have insurance, or arrested, if there's a bounty on their heads. Possibly, if the OXP was called late on in the list -- i.e. after any insurance and bounty claims are dealt with -- this wouldn't be an issue.

P'raps they should be listed as Asylum Seekers instead of Slaves.

As the "arrivial screen" comes up on docking, once captured people have been ransomed they would not be on the cargo list anymore. So only "proper" slaves will be left. The mission screen could be used as an Incoming Message from a variety of organisations (randomised) appealing to your better nature or threatening you to free the slaves onboard with a yes or no option. Only trouble is I don't think there is a command to remove a specific item of cargo. You can award a specific item with awardCargo [type] [amount] and you can remove all cargo but I don't think you can remove just the salves if the player choses to free them. removeallcargo: slaves would be needed.

Would it be possible to store what cargo the player is carrying as a set of variables, remove all the cargo, and then award the original cargo back again, minus the slaves?

Disembodied wrote:

Would it be possible to store what cargo the player is carrying as a set of variables, remove all the cargo, and then award the original cargo back again, minus the slaves?

Yes, but I think a script can not see the amount of cargo. So it does not know how much to award back.

Tut. Oh well. Do you think something like this would be a valid scripting request? If so, what would be the easiest/most useful way to do it?

Disembodied wrote:

Tut. Oh well. Do you think something like this would be a valid scripting request? If so, what would be the easiest/most useful way to do it?

Put the request in the topic "scripting request". I think it is useful to be able to use a function like: amount = player.hasCargo("cargoName").

It is also a pity that awardCargo() has no removeCargo() counterpart. For UPS I had some nice missions in mind to use such functions.

---
And to the slave liberation part:

When you scoop the right escapepods (with slave hunters) and barrels (with a slave) in UPS, you will meet a certain slave that will lead you to a whole planet in need of liberation.

Thanks, Eric. I'll put your suggestions in the Scripting Requests thread. And thanks for the UPS teaser!

Did anybody create an OXP for these Amnesty/Emapcipation Stations?
Picked up a cargo of 'em in pirate loot and I don't want to sell them. Can keep them in the hold forever. I'm not a coder so please let me know if any bright sparks have brought the torch of freedom to the Ooniverse!

Can't help but just wanted to welcome you to the BB Demonic - hope you have a good time here - we're a very friendly bunch!

Demonic wrote:

[...] Can keep them in the hold forever.

The problem with that is, when you launch from a main sysytem station with them on board, you'll be tagged as an offender. The best way around this at the moment – until a clever person come up with an Emancipation OXP – is to assume in your head that you're setting them free...

thanks for the welcome. its kinda weird. I played Frontier many years ago and was delighted to discover its been re-invented for macs...high fives to everyone who has given me a chance to mis-spend my life all over again!

And yes, with the slaves i meant to say can't keep em in the hold forever. i figured it would lead to trouble and sold them in a "democratic" system. i convinced myself it was better than the alternatives...i must be going soft, getting sentimental about 'zeros and ones'

First of all a warm welcome, Demonic, from my side as well!

Demonic wrote:

I played Frontier many years ago and was delighted to discover its been re-invented for macs

Errm, no. And you'd better not let the Elite-lovers on this board hear that. Frontier has never been re-invented for Macs. Oolite is a re-creation of Elite, and has nothing to do with Frontier. In fact, there are some board members who wouldn't even consider Frontier to be a legitimate sequel to Elite, and therefore disregard its whole story and even existence.