Oolite Bulletins

Phew! After scouring the top right for ages I now have my first clue in G2! I was seriously starting to think I wasn't going to get one . . . I entered around the centre about a third of the way from the left and split into two commanders in the end.

Oh well, off to get my head kicked in At least I now have a trail to follow.

PS I haven't been reading any of the ROT13 stuff as I don't want to cheat, I assume that was you guys talking amongst yourselves!

m4r35n357 wrote:

PS I haven't been reading any of the ROT13 stuff as I don't want to cheat, I assume that was you guys talking amongst yourselves!

It might not have been rot13 – there's every chance it was just the Riedquat ale ...

Heh, could have been

Anyway I am now on the trail of the blighter, shame about the discontinuity of the galactic hyperspace jump WRT clues, but I suppose I COULD have cheated (then again if the "cheat" is to identify the trail of clues then I wouldn't really consider it cheating at all).

OK, a spot of space lunch & then oblivion awaits!

Ian.

m4r35n357 wrote:

Heh, could have been

Anyway I am now on the trail of the blighter, shame about the discontinuity of the galactic hyperspace jump WRT clues, but I suppose I COULD have cheated (then again if the "cheat" is to identify the trail of clues then I wouldn't really consider it cheating at all).

The easiest cheat (probably not a cheat at all) is to install the constricor_morehints OXP, which simply adds hints to some more planets in G2, just to let the lost player stumble across one with greater probability.

Actually, the discontinuity of the galactic hyperspace jump is not so much a shame, but one of the cases where Oolite is an improvement over Elite, especially when you consider that different versions of Elite had different (and mutually exclusive) behaviours. It allows scripters to emulate each of them on choice.

Smivs wrote:

V jnf haqre gur vzcerffvba gung gur Gunetbvq Cynaf zvffvba jnf qrcraqrag ba pbzcyrgvat gur Pbafgevpgbe uhag. Gur Jvxv frrzf gb guvax fb nf jryy.

Commander McLane wrote:

The code itself is under the same impression, making a_c wrong this time only:

Code: Select all

		if (galaxyNumber === 2)
		{
			if (!missionVariables.thargplans &&
				missionVariables.conhunt === "MISSION_COMPLETE" &&
				...

*Takes foot, inserts into mouth *
This will teach me to post from memory, without physically checking the facts first.

OK, I get the point about the new way being better, so since the mission is native perhaps part of the cheat OXP could be incorporated into the game itself . . ? Not for my benefit now of course

Ian.

I spent several hours jumping and docking all around Reesdice and Xeer (I even remembered the name 'Reesdice' from back 20 years ago!) but nothing...

Drove all over the system, checked bars and Rock Hermits, the sun, the jump-point, and all points in between. Nothing.

Downloaded and installed the Constrictor Mission Hints OXP. Did nothing, as far as I could tell. Searched these forums for a bit.

Then did some more searching the forum this morning and found someone saying check the F7 system info screens. DUH. I wish I'd known that.

Suggestion: the original mission message should have a mention of "check the system info screens around there" or something similar, as that screen is normally superfluous with the advent of pressing "i" while having the local systems map open to check Anarchy/Corporate State and Industrial/Agrarian stuff for trading/fighting. There's simply no need to look at that screen normally.

Just jumping around from system to system thinking that there'll be a hint when you dock isn't exactly fun when it turns out there's nothing you can do to advance the story unless you search the internet and find that you're supposed to check that screen that's useless at all other times.

Oathbreaker, it is possible someone else has already killed the Constrictor - it is on offender after all. Check in your save file for this
If you haven't killed it yourself and see this the constrictor may already be dead.

Smivs wrote:

Oathbreaker, it is possible someone else has already killed the Constrictor - it is on offender after all. Check in your save file for this

Code: Select all

<key>mission_conhunt</key>
	<string>MISSION_COMPLETE</string>

If you haven't killed it yourself and see this the constrictor may already be dead.

Ummm... not in Reesdice or Xeer. The only not-in-game hint I needed to get somewhere was "Hey, check the F7 screen that you normally have no reason to check except for fluff."

I think. Unless you're saying it's possible he was whacked in G1. Which I didn't think possible after reading this morning.

I think this mission structure and hint giving method (and lack of clue as to the method of accessing the hints) is pretty true to the original BBC code and hence remains in Vanilla Oolite? Agree that it is a pain.

Hint for the next stage - be very methodical in G2. It hasn't gone far, but maybe a bit further than you thought before the locals noticed anything.

Capt. Murphy wrote:

I think this mission structure and hint giving method (and lack of clue as to the method of accessing the hints) is pretty true to the original BBC code and hence remains in Vanilla Oolite? Agree that it is a pain.

Hint for the next stage - be very methodical in G2. It hasn't gone far, but maybe a bit further than you thought before the locals noticed anything.

Something that's true to the original BBC code does not necessarily equal good game design.

I want this game to be accessible and easy to get into for the average gamer today. Old guys like me who still remember reading every single word in a thick manual back 20 years ago will have plenty to keep them occupied, we don't need everything to be as intricate, harsh, unforgiving and secret-key-combination type stuff as it was back then just shits and giggles or so we can stomp our canes and say "Harrumph! Back in MY day..."

Once you have the part about just checking the system info screen at every system, then the rest is just patience and floating around doing whatever you do. A hints OXP is just fine for the people who want it to go quicker.

But hiding the whole "Hey, check the F7 screen for clues" is not cool. That's like telling someone to assemble a big piece of furniture from Ikea and not telling them there's a manual hidden behind the sofa.

Maybe it could trigger a snoopers-like news alert?

Isn't there already an additional hint OXP for the Constrictor OXP?

But, yes, there's no reason why another OXP couldn't inject messages into the Snooper's system.

Think I must be missing something here, when I docked it used to always open in the F7 screen. I think?
Don't actually remember when that changed.
Some time after me doing the Constrictor mission, Version 1.65.

rot13

Jura V jnf uhagvat gur Pbafpevcgbe, V frnepurq gur fhebhaqvat flfgrzf sebz rkvgvat gur Tny whzc va T2 va na bhg tbvat fcveny. Cvpxrq hc gur genvy dhvgr dhvpxyl. Gung jnf lrnef ntb naq znl unir punatrq ol abj.

Seemed an obvious search to me at the time.

Must admit, even in the original Elite on the BBC and early Oolite I found the constrictor mission to be a little disappointing, bit too easy.

Happily can't say the same for most of the oxp missions available now.
Assassins is my personal favourite, still haven't managed it without multiple "Press Space" commands
As a constant mission based game enhancer, can't get past Random Hits.

Then that's my personal Ooniverse

Alex wrote:

Must admit, even in the original Elite on the BBC and early Oolite I found the constrictor mission to be a little disappointing, bit too easy.

Play it with griffs ships. The Griff constrictor has a aft laser. That makes the fight a bit harder because the original has no aft laser.

Or restart the mission with a player score >2560. Than also it becomes more challenging for an experienced player.

However, the Constrictor is the first real mission the player gets. That should be an easy one.