Oolite Bulletins

A newbie, obviously, so I'm starting a new thread, I hope the moderator can find an appropriate place for this -
I played Elite for years, it's the only computer game that caught my interest. So I came across Oolite last week, and that's just great ! But I have a number of problems.
First, congratulations and well done to all the programmers who have created this, a really great re-creation of the game I loved so much. Except it doesn't work well, at least on my PC.
So I d/l the game and installed it. Runs fine in a DOS box on my XP-Pro, twin Xeon 2-core CPUs, 2Gb RAM, Nvidia Quadro NVS grahic adaptor. The PC runs fine in all respects, I don't suspect my hardware or software to be going wonky.
Variously, and in no particular order -
I saw on the PDF that I can switch to Full-Screen with F12. Did that, Oolite exited, ie, closed. Later I clicked on the 'Maximise Window' up in the top right of the window. Oolite exited. No I didn't click on the big X.
A new message came in to my Gmail inbox. Oolite exited.
I had a LOT of trouble with manual docking. Getting close to the space station, the response from my Microsoft joystick was very poor and laggy. I wasn't able to respond to the movements my ship needed in adjusting roll, pitch, and crashed many times. The times I didn't wipe out, I lost lots of forward shields, and sometimes items of cargo.
Eventually, I've made enough to buy a docking computer. And it doesn't work. Rather, it does work, but rarely. It sometimes enters the space station cleanly, but mostly just slams into the space station. End of game.
It spends an awful long time jerking Roll back and forth, back & forth,for no reason I can see.
Tonight, I had to go out, so I left the docking computer to it. I have just come back, 4 HOURS LATER, and it's still rocking back & forth.
My keyboard, which is normally responsive, sometimes needs 2, 3, 4 key taps before Oolite responds.
Messages stay on screen, practically permanently, Hyperspace mass-locked, whitchspace in 0s. That disappears after I look to port, rear, port, starboard, front view, most times.
Shift-F toggles frame rate display. I currently have 4-5 fps. What is all that about ?
I WANT to play this, but all of the above makes it unplayable. What is wrong ?
Thanks for your help.
and also at the same time. . .

TheTrevor wrote:

Runs fine in a DOS box on my XP-Pro, twin Xeon 2-core CPUs, 2Gb RAM, Nvidia Quadro NVS grahic adaptor. The PC runs fine in all respects, I don't suspect my hardware or software to be going wonky.

Hi TheTrevor and welcome... are you running Oolite in DosBox? No need for that, it should install straight into XP.

Wow ! Thanks for the quick response ! I followed install instructions, there is an MS-Dos batch file RunOolite, in Program Files\Oolite folder which runs Oolite. Is that not how it goes ?

another_commander wrote:

I wouldn't bother too much running the game on Windows through Dosbox. Oolite is a pure 32-bit Windows application and there are no guarantees what will happen if you run it through a DOS emulator.

I found this on another thread.

More questions... which version of Oolite, and where did you d/l it from?

The batch file contains this -
"@echo off
set GNUSTEP_PATH_HANDLING=windows
set GNUSTEP_LOCAL_ROOT=C:\Program Files\Oolite\oolite.app
set GNUSTEP_NETWORK_ROOT=C:\Program Files\Oolite\oolite.app
set GNUSTEP_SYSTEM_ROOT=C:\Program Files\Oolite\oolite.app
set HOMEPATH=C:\Program Files\Oolite\oolite.app
oolite.app\oolite.exe
"
so I just tried to run the oolite.exe file, and a dos box flashes up and disappears, and nothing else happens.

Still, glad it's me doing something dozy. Now just have to figure out what !

Sounds like DOSBox is one of your problems.

Messages staying on the screen is either because of lag or because you're running a very old version (like the last official stable 1.65) are you running 1.75.2?

And I've just noticed your graphics card: Nvidia Quadro NVS - that's a "business" graphics card - not a gaming card - Oolite uses OpenGL not DirectX, and the only Quadro NVS stats I could find are here: http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php ... &card2=190 and to be honest, if that's a similar spec to yours - you're really going to struggle (I've put up my own 7yr old 6600GT for comparison)

Given you've got Xeon processors and XP Pro I presume this is workstation/business machine rather than a gaming machine.

Hope this helps.

D/l from oolite.org. I first tried the earlier version, got prob-prob-problems. So I tried the beta version (1.75 or something ?), same probs, so I persevered, and finally posted the problems as listed

I guess I assumed the welly of a couple of Xeons would handle something that used to run on my old BBC model B ! Yes it's a business PC, I thought it if it handles Autocad and stuff, surely that's enough ? I have a Radeon x800 card here, would that improve things ? Sorry, I'm really not up on gaming kit. Steep learning curve, huh ?
And how do I get it to run except via Dos ?

Hi again... I can't offer any advice on the graphics cards, though they are both old.
Did Oolite not install a desktop icon? Or try launching it from the start/programs menu... it may help.

Good luck.

The icon is a shortcut which points to the batch file. I'll see if I can rustle up a newer card, that must help, anyway !

Guys, I have to be up for work in 4.5 hours(it's 1.30 am UK time). Thanks for your responses, it's really encouraging that I can probably fix my gear here to get the game to work.

e-you later.

Couldn't resist running from Start-Programs. Immediately a HUGE huge improvement, thank you all so much ! Now I really gotta sleep. In a minute...

Thanks again.

Cool... just like the old days on the BBC... 'I'll just have one more flight...'

TheTrevor wrote:

Now I really gotta sleep. In a minute...

Thanks again.

"Addicted, me? Nooooooo, I can stop if I want to!


Welcome aboard, commander! I hope you like coffee, you'll need it!

Manual docking may actually be a bit easier with the keys at first. Unless you've flown a lot in flight sims or whatever with the joystick lately, you may want to dock with the keyboard until you've gotten used to stick a bit. Problem with stick at first is you may tend to get a bit of pitch (up and down) mixed in with your roll.