Oolite Bulletins

I have bad news.

I think I may have to opt out of the manual creation, due to insufficient time and a complete crash of all creative ability.

I've spent the last couple of days staring at the manual, and I think that frankly I've done a piss-poor job of it, whilst managing to add nothing to it during those two days.

With the advent of the wiki, I think that there is far more relevant content there than I could ever put into the manual in the same allotted time.

If desired, I will post what I have done to the Wiki (in a dedicated wiki section, maybe) for input by other forum/wiki users. Once the manual is up to scratch, then I would be happy to compile it and put it into a PDF file for Oosat. I would also be happy to add any graphics required. Let me know what you think and I'll get on it today.

I apologise for the delays and this final creativity crash. I was really looking forward to creating something great, but I feel that the community as a whole could do a far better job than me alone.

It's okay, I know only too well how creativity and enthusiasm wax and wane.

Thanks for what you've added to Oolite and take a good relaxing break!

hey. happy recovery.

on the wiki there is a section waiting for you to snugly slip in what you feel is fit to print.

and then the mob will have its way with it

Don't be too hard on yourself, Sel...

I'm pretty sure you were doing a great job, but the wiki... Oftentimes, when I read something there, had to think of you, thinking, 'darn, I hope Selezen wasn't working on that part...'
While a good thing (the wiki happening) it must've felt like your work taken out of your hands, in many respects.

I still think a nice all-in-one manual would be a good thing, to get people stated and get them in the mood. The wiki is great, but it's more of a ultimate reference manual, than a 'get into the groove' thing.

I for one am still looking forward to seeing what you have done...

I bet it's great!

Well, it's true that a lot of what I had planned has gone into the Wiki already. My equipment description section has become a section all of its own on the Wiki.

I've just finished uploading some of the development stuff, including some images of equipment. I have another couple that I was working on. I've integrated the work into the existing Oolite Equipment section, including creatings an Oolite Equipment Info template. Example: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Energy_Bomb

I've also started adding the fluff I was writing for each equipment entry. I didn't get much done, unfortunately. Example: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Fuel_Scoops

I'll start moving the Pilot's Reference Manual into the Wiki soon.

Apologies again for the failure. My creative interests seem to have gone into graphics and programming rather than writing at the moment.

Hi selezen, have to say I love what you've done so far - particularly like the use of Dilbert! (shouldn't that be DOolbert?)

Ha ha. I'd love to take credit for the Dilbert thing, but the lovely Dilbert himself did that - it's from the original entry. My stuff is (i think) everything above that!

Eek. That reminds me, talking of programming, I was meant to send you those Obj-C books but I completely forgot.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that too!!!

I'll still have a read, if it's still OK...

I hope you didn't feel too bad, back in February. It seemed like you considered it a failure you didn't manage to write that manual on your own. This is the great thing about this kind of open projects though. Everybody works on what they do best, you did a great job with the graphics to turn the OoLite game more alive. That's a great contribution and I want to thank you for it. And of course, even now in October, the wiki still needs a lot of work. It's creative people like you who add a lot of value. The wiki allows for it to be done in an incremental way. A little bit at a time and with a lot of people simultaneously.

Jo

Thanks for that. Yeah, I did regard it as a bit of a failure.

Never mind though. God bless the Wiki.

WB matey, hope all is well.

Lave Academy High Directorate
Lave Orbit, Navy Command Station 2, Galaxy One

Dear Commander Jameson,

We, the Gubernatorial Grandees of the Lave Academy, wish to congratulate you on your success in winning the Aegidian Award for Astrogatory Achievement. Your mastery has surpassed all efforts in the past six years in this regard!

It is with great pleasure that we, the Gubernatorial Grandees, present you with this Matriculation Prize of a Cobra Mark III for your very own. You will find your name and success emblazoned on the Owner's Panel to the left of the entrance to the Bridge. Your trophy has, naturally, been mounted above.

You will find that your prize has been equipped with the following:
• a Full Tank of Quirium fuel (seven Light Years hyperspace jump range)
• a Pulse Laser
• Three Missiles.
This is of course in addition to the 100 credits in Prize Monies.

We hope that you will take this token of our kind regard, and use it with Justice and Charity.

Yours sincerely,

Arch-Admiral B. O. von Fünkelkrimner
Commodore Xx'z'th Wrth'ringe
Commodore Sir Galston Dashworthy
Commissar Senior Captain Dorothea Yevgenny
Captain V. U. Molyneux
Captain F. B. T. O'Gimlet
Captain F. Ereira
Captain D. H. Selezen

We wish to remind you of the dangerous nature of Lave's pirate infestation.
You may prefer in future to avoid the Lave system until you have both developed a successful strategy for dealing with our local pirates - and possess relevant upgrades to your space-craft (such as an ECM, Witchdrive Fuel Injectors and a more effective laser)!

Cobra Mark III

Pilot's Manual



Introduction
Welcome to your new Cobra Mark III! This versatile and sturdy spacecraft has been made by Faulcon deLacy Spaceways for some four decades now (with constant renewal, redesign and updating by our renowned team of ship architects and astro-engineers). We take great pride in presenting you with one of the very best spacecraft to be found anywhere in the 8 galaxies!

The Cobra Mk III has attained a highly popular customer base due to the innovations in design within the spaceframe. These include:
• Revolutionary modular design of the internal workspace, since replicated out on license to other manufacturers.
• Superior structural integrity and inertial stability, even at high velocities.
• Comfort and luxury throughout the living area, with the new holoStim facilities fitted as standard.


Whether your new spacecraft is a personal purchase, a gift or a matriculation award from the Elite Lave Academy, you will want to read this manual first to fully familiarise yourself with your new ship.
_______________________________________________________________________________


Table of Contents

Statics: Your ship
Bridge
Living Sections
Cargo Bay
Engineering

Dynamics I: Flight
Launching and Docking
Interplanetary Navigation
Intragalactic Navigation
Intergalactic Navigation

Dynamics II: Combat
Basic Combat Issues
Purchasable Possibilities

Control: Astrogation Console & View-Screens

Appendices Appendices 1&4 would not be written within 'game-style'
Appendix 1: Troubleshooting for some common issues
Appendix 2: Extra (Standard) Equipment
Appendix 3: Extra (Optional .oxp) Equipment
Appendix 4: Game Tutorial & Game Expansions Manager
Appendix 5: History of your Cobra Mk III

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm thinking of resurrecting this project which could contain the following works:

- Introductory short letter warning of the dangers of Lave's pirates (- previous post)

- Flight Manual for the Cobra MkIII (- 'front matter' is shown above)

- Lave Academy Careers Pack (short notes on possible careers - trader/contract trader/pirate etc)

- Guide to Galaxy 1 (with ClymAngus's map and a bit of lore based on agreed sources)

- Galactic Cooperative of Worlds Handbook on Trade and Politics
-- contains notes on Interplanetary Trade
-- contains notes on Politics

- Jane's Shorter Digest of Galactic Ships
_______________________________________________________________________________

The Manual text could refer to the strict game, with short references to the standard (strict) 'F3 ship outfittting options' in Appendix 2.

Ideally it could translate into the other languages without too much fuss (i.e. not containing the masterful Mr Gimlet's innuendo)

I would plagiarise shamefully from cim's Ship Manual in the ship library, Selezen's Pilot's Reference Manual, and the wiki generally.

Would it be an idea to include as footnotes in the Manual text relevant details from the .oxps from Norby's list as relevant? i.e.:
ByronArn.AutoRefuel
Combat Simulator
Lone_Wolf.ETTHomingBeacon
Norby.MinerCobra
Thargoid.Neo-Docklights
Thargoid.LaveAcademy
Thargoid.TAP
TionislaReporter
Thargoid.TrafficControl
Norby.ReverseControl
Thargoid.RingRacer
Norby.SafetyCatch
Start Advice
The Collector
Welcome Mat
ILS Instrument Landing System
Norby.TorusToSun
Commander_McLane.Total_patrol
Norby.VariableMasslock



______________________________________________________________

I'd appreciate some feedback on the above!