Oolite Bulletins

Cody wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:06 pm

montana05 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:03 pm

... because without any missions, it would be a reason to visit the stations ?

Fuel, all equipment, grade-A maintenance?

With most of the stations between systems ? Possible but not likely.

I thought the only base in IS was the HQ in G5. Where are the other bases? I know there's a sunward base at Xeer.

Cody wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:18 pm

I thought the only base in IS was the HQ in G5. Where are the other bases? I know there's a sunward base at Xeer.

It's been a while since I looked at the code, so please correct me if I am wrong. As much as I remember, there were stations except the HQ spawned between systems. However, from some of my experience I could predict that while the gov is providing you it's usually slow, so you will be happy to accept deals with independent contractors if necessary.

montana05 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:27 pm

It's been a while since I looked at the code...

Apart from tinkering with the descriptions.plist, I've never looked at the code, nor do I wish to! <shudders>

Umm...

On the one hand, if I turned up at a UK naval base, where I knew nobody, I would not expect to be able to either sell them stuff or to be able to get them to fix my yacht if it sprang a leak...

But I don't really know. I do remember being able to drive into a local RAF base to get a haircut about 20 years ago, and the security chaps would just let me in...

Montana's area might well be different.

The back story for HIMSN (fluid meritocracy) implies that there would not be supply disruptions.

montana05 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:03 pm

Cody wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:51 pm

Why have a commodity market? Surely the Navy would have contractors supplying them with all their needs.

Let me think, because without any missions, it would be a reason to visit the stations ?

So, I don't expect (now that I finally have my own barber) to visit RAF bases or naval stations. Gimi seems to have been proposing that HIMSN just serve as "eye candy" in the first instance.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reference: From Gimi's original Summary

Development.
Version 1: (Eye Candy only)
Navy units from the core ship-set. Done
Navy stations. (HQ and Outpost) Done: but need textures, markets & "welcome"
Basic scripting and and AI behaviour. Done

Version 2: (Thargoid Interaction)
War zones with the Thargoids
Capital ships Done
Additional stations (Navy Shipyard and maybe some mission related type of station)
Yearly Parade

Version 3: (Missions)
Player Missions

So this is the framework as I see it.

Gimi's later summary is here
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So, I can see the argument both ways about markets. Cody is willing to waive concerns about textures in favour of getting this out. So that just leaves the unfriendly "welcome" on docking. And copying in the "staff-only" code from the Constores.

The only original team members left are Cody and Disembodied, so I'm happy to leave the decision to them, unless there are strong feelings elsewhere...


Possible "Mission text" on arrival:

Do not disembark. This is a naval base. We do not buy goods or offer them for sale. Please leave immediately.


But what about real emergencies? No fuel (especially for Stranger's World), Thargoid attack, fleeing assassins, etc.?

Fuel - allow expensive emergency top up (maybe invent bureaucratic forms to fill in in triplicate to buy the 1ly of fuel... !)
Thargoid attack/fleeing assassins - allow a 20 minute wait and then ejected summarily...

Canonically,

Elite manual wrote:

It is rumoured that the Galactic Navy are designing their own remote-controlled fighter, and will pay well for Thargoid ones [i.e. Thargons] to study.

http://www.elitehomepage.org/manual.htm

So it might be desirable to be able to visit a HIMSN base to offload any captured Alien Items, at a suitable premium. I think trade in other commodities would be restricted to contractors, though. I'm sure a bit of smuggling of booze, narcotics, or luxuries might take place but it's unlikely to be at the cargo-container level.

If there's a Thargoid attack I'd expect the station to be fully mobilised and civilian docking prohibited - HIMSN have other things on their mind. If assassins are after you, that's your bad luck; HIMSN is not the police. If you're out of fuel, that's your bad luck, and bad planning, too. Go scrape a star.

Things *may* change, if the player could increase HIMSN's trust level - for example completing missions. For native missions, maybe completing the Constrictor mission could give you the right to dock, and the Thargoid Plans mission could give you the right to refuel (at eye-watering prices).

Cody wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:51 pm

Why have a commodity market? Surely the Navy would have contractors supplying them with all their needs.

So, after Cody & Disembodied's comments, how about this:

Do not disembark. This is a naval base. While we may be interested in purchasing Thargoid technology, we do not otherwise buy goods or offer them for sale. If you have nothing of interest for us, please leave immediately.

Buttons:
Offer Alien Items for sale - new dialogue
Stay - allows access to F2-F8 screens, modified as below
Leave - launches ship

Responses:
New dialogue for selling Alien Items giving price of 100₢ for most and 150-500₢ for a random 5% (variants of especial interest)

F3 response: Our shipyards are off-limits to civilians
F4 response: For security reasons, ship-station communications have been blocked
F5, F6, F7 work as usual
F8 response: For security reasons we only deal with approved contractors

After 2 minutes: Please leave immediately.

After 5 minutes: a knock at the door and then thrown into prison for a night (I think that there may be coding for this in PlanetFall).

Is there any coding will allow purchase of Alien Items as above on a missions screen?

Cholmondely wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 11:03 pm

So, after Cody & Disembodied's comments, how about this:

That looks suitably brusque and unfriendly to me - definitely not Just Another Station. Leaving open, of course, the possibility for players to worm their way into a closer relationship with HIMSN later on. Although even then, there may be a preference for an arm's-length approach: you could meet with HIMSN agents in a main station somewhere. Or a not-so-main station, or even asteroid, depending on the nature of the meeting.

Disembodied wrote: ↑Fri Dec 10, 2021 1:19 pm

That looks suitably brusque and unfriendly to me - definitely not Just Another Station.

Yep!

Cholmondely wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 11:03 pm

Is there any coding will allow purchase of Alien Items as above on a missions screen?

I think I could do something, but it may take some time. It sounds straightforward to implement, but programming always takes longer than what one first assumes.

tsoj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 10, 2021 10:18 pm

Cholmondely wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 11:03 pm

Is there any coding will allow purchase of Alien Items as above on a missions screen?

I think I could do something, but it may take some time. It sounds straightforward to implement, but programming always takes longer than what one first assumes.

Tell me about it. I tried what should have been a simple cut and paste to publish Malacandra's novella as a LibraryBook.oxp ...

But, thanks, if you could manage that, it would be super. I'll have a stab at the other "mission pages" and see what I do wrong...

HIMSN outpost



applying Komodo-Blue



both non shadered...

Blueing kiota dish



light medium dark blue mix komodo

Is there any way of grafting the HIMSN insignia onto the blue Komodo?