Oolite Bulletins

The Marauder is now available for download.

This is a new link for the error repaired version of this ship (though there are probably more).

https://www.box.com/s/fff62f3f5b4a4324fa5e

I like that you've given it bright colours. I wouldn't have chosen that particular colour scheme, but I like that it is bright. I was on the IRC channel the other night, whinging that I wish Griff and Killer Wolf would get over grey and discover bright colours. I also like that you've given it three exhausts, but resisted the obvious option of placing them in an equilateral triangle.

I am concerned about the grey protrusion on top, which looks suspiciously like a cockpit glass. That would make it a very small ship. If, and how, you add glowing window lights will make a big difference to the sense of scale.

Lastly, which HUD is that you're using? I like the arrangement of dials very much.

Wildeblood wrote:

I like that you've given it bright colours. I wouldn't have chosen that particular colour scheme, but I like that it is bright. I was on the IRC channel the other night, whinging that I wish Griff and Killer Wolf would get over grey and discover bright colours. I also like that you've given it three exhausts, but resisted the obvious option of placing them in an equilateral triangle.

I am concerned about the grey protrusion on top, which looks suspiciously like a cockpit glass. That would make it a very small ship. If, and how, you add glowing window lights will make a big difference to the sense of scale.

Lastly, which HUD is that you're using? I like the arrangement of dials very much.

The color is still up in the air. Personally, I like those colors, but I certainly don't expect everyone to like them. If other Ooliters are like me, if they don't like the color, open the texture.png in Gimp, and paint it some other color combination. I'm interested in what colors you would like to see, as I could make a couple of versions with different color schemes. I already have the pirate version painted black and red, instead of the blue, with the Jolly Roger on it, so making a couple other versions is no big deal.

It IS small. That's what it is designed for, small with huge engines, for speed. It is what many would call "Uber", but it's role is intended to be one of an escort, or a speed mission runner. It does have front and rear beam lasers, standard, but it's main defense is how fast it is.

The HUD is Captain Solos ModHUD. I downloaded several HUDs, and tried some of them, but I've been camping on this one for a while now. It appeals to me for some reason.

Deja-vu: it looks like frogs on ice.

How about a yellow/orange/black color scheme?

Nice one Mandoman!

Apropos size: How big (or better small) is it (WxHxL)? And if it´s main defense is It´s size and speed I assume it has no shield enhancements, no missiles and only one or two energy banks because there is no room left for any bigger additional equipment. Is that right?

I've got the feeling these are external views, and somehow the R&D department managed to cram 8 energy bars in there...

Kaks wrote:

I've got the feeling these are external views, and somehow the R&D department managed to cram 8 energy bars in there...

Added it to the WIP section of the [wiki]OXP List[/wiki]

Ooookey. Size, as listed in the .dat file, is 56.399 x 20.647 x 105.569. I take it that is in meters, however, using the grid in Blender to determine size I came up with a slightly different figure. It looks to measure out at 60.0 x 21.0 x 115.give-or-take-a-decimal. It's actually even larger than I thought it was, as I thought it was closer to 80 meters long, and 50 meters wide. Wasn't cetain about the height, though I suspected in the 15 to 20 meter range.

Now, let's consider the size vs. shields, power, cargo space, cabin space. If the average human male is about 2 meters tall, when set beside the dimensions I listed above, there is more than ample room for a decent, but small, cockpit (I had even envisioned two side by side pilot seats). The fuel storage is in the far rear of the ship, with a fuel conduit leading from the scoop up front, just behind the front laser. The scoop also serves as a loot-scoop, for picking up stray cargo in space. This is routed, and mechanically stored in the lower-mid section of the ship. That is also where scooped escape pods would be stashed, which would put a damper on cargo space, but that's not what this ship is about anyway. Number of missiles I have limited to four, though I seem to be having a bit of a struggle getting them to fire from under the ship, as apposed to the top of the ship, where the missiles seem to be coming from at the moment. That, incidentally, is one of the main reasons I haven't release the ship to open consumption.

I will now address my opinion on how ships centuries in the future will most likely differ than our present day thinking. It ain't the same. The fuel itself is imaginary for the game, so the amount of space vs. power output is also imaginary. It is more than reasonable to envision an extremely efficient, and powerful engine/motor/rocket/powerplant that would make what we use today look like behemoths. On top of that, the exhaust rockets are on the exterior of the ship, using up little, to no interior space. Also, the actual "powerplant" is at the rear of those "rockets-not-rockets". That leaves plenty of space for other presently unheard of equipment such as shield generators.

So, whatever sarcastic beliefs you have about size vs. energy capabilities are a bit ridiculous, as the whole game is fantasy to begin with. It's called Science FICTION, which means imaginary. If my take on the time line of the Oolite Ooniverse is correct, the thought that ships that far in the future would still be functioning on the basis of what we deal with today is not just unreasonable, but extremely unlikely. I said some of you would consider the ship to be Uber, but I look at your outlook as that of a retro-grouch. I mean no disrespect. I am retro in many areas of life, but Sci Fi is NOT one of those areas. It is an area where I can let my imagination run wild.

Captain Beatnik, I hate to burst your assumptions, but, as I explained above, they are waaaaaay out of date in my opinion. Come on folks, look at the tiny little ship that Warf captains in Deep Space Nine. That is a mere four centuries in the future, but that ship can take nearly the same punishment as a full size Constitution size battle ship, and deal out nearly the same amount of damage as well.

I try to stay close to Oolite guidelines, but when I encounter a ship about an eighth the size of the one I'm in, that goes twice the speed, and, if not destroyed quickly enough, will blow me to smithereens in it's death throws, I'm going to design/seek out ships, and weapons that can take on those little bombs on steroids. I won't even mention the monsters that fire what seem to be a hundred plasma bolts at me, while firing missiles, and lasers at me, all at the same time. Oh, and did I mention Thargoids?

Damn straight I'm building in what might be considered "Uber" proportions. I still stick to my intentions for this ship to be a fast courier, or escort, or mission delivery ship. It's got enough room, whatever others might consider, and that's all I have to say about that.

Colors. Ryan Hoots, I would be glad to design a version of the Marauder with a black/yellow/orange color scheme. While I enjoy the core game ships, I also like my Ooniverse to include colorful, and sometime even flamboyant ships. Just my taste, I guess.

Cmdr. Maegil, I think you have a fetish with frogs on ice, and should maybe consider seeing a psychiatrist.

Nice looking ship, that, although a bit of rounding here and there would help it aesthetically I think.
What about the spec?
Well the 'Let's be reasonable' dept. would point out that it's very similar in size to the Python (a bit smaller in fact) and has a less space-efficient shape. Therefore to make sense in relation to the core ships and allowing for some technological advance over the ageing Python it should have similar specs overall. You could up the missiles to four and the top speed to say 0.3LM without stretching credulity. And the fitment of Military Shields would not be unreasonable. Cargo, perhaps 80TC with no expansion.
The 'Anything Goes' dept would obviously go with anything!
Let's wait and see.

mandoman wrote:

Cmdr. Maegil, I think you have a fetish with frogs on ice, and should maybe consider seeing a psychiatrist.

I'm protesting against having to register with an obvious data miner just to see the images you're posting. Other image host sites require registering to upload, but not to see the images linked to elsewhere as imageshack demands.

Hi Mandoman,

I didn´t mean to be sarcastic and if you have taken my post as a offense, I apologize. No offense meant!

A size of 60m x21m x115m imho is absolutely within the normal range and MUCH bigger than what I imagined after reading that the main defense of the ship is it´s size. (Thank heavens! I can save a lot of credits because now it becomes apparent that it is not necessary to send my best spy over to your shipyard to look for some advanced nanotechnologies. )

Smivs wrote:

Nice looking ship, that, although a bit of rounding here and there would help it aesthetically I think.
What about the spec?
Well the 'Let's be reasonable' dept. would point out that it's very similar in size to the Python (a bit smaller in fact) and has a less space-efficient shape. Therefore to make sense in relation to the core ships and allowing for some technological advance over the ageing Python it should have similar specs overall. You could up the missiles to four and the top speed to say 0.3LM without stretching credulity. And the fitment of Military Shields would not be unreasonable. Cargo, perhaps 80TC with no expansion.
The 'Anything Goes' dept would obviously go with anything!
Let's wait and see.

Ok, first the stats. The cargo hold was envisioned at about 20 tons, leaving much more space for energy, engine, etc. It's role is NOT as a trader, but a trader escort, or even more, a fast mission ship. I wasn't even thinking in terms of a Python, which is a giant slug used for shipping. That alone makes the 0.6LM more than attainable. This ship is designed as a very fast escort, that can carry a bit of cargo in a pinch, making it also useful for solo, fast shipping runs that the larger haulers could not perform. Look at the size of the engines outside the ship. Those are not JUST the exhaust, but the engines as well, at the back end. I still don't see anything unreasonable about it, but that is a gulf between which there may be no bridge. The price of this ship is in the 600,000 to 700,000 range, BECAUSE it is so specialized. At least, that's my reasoning.

Cmdr. Maegil wrote:

I'm protesting against having to register with an obvious data miner just to see the images you're posting. Other image host sites require registering to upload, but not to see the images linked to elsewhere as imageshack demands.

It's free, you know. To register a membership on Imageshack.

[quote="Captain Beatnik]Hi Mandoman,

I didn´t mean to be sarcastic and if you have taken my post as a offense, I apologize. No offense meant!

A size of 60m x21m x115m imho is absolutely within the normal range and MUCH bigger than what I imagined after reading that the main defense of the ship is it´s size. (Thank heavens! I can save a lot of credits because now it becomes apparent that it is not necessary to send my best spy over to your shipyard to look for some advanced nanotechnologies. )[/quote]

No worries. I'm still working on it, but I don't think the size is going to change.
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Here is a sample of what I came up with for the requested orange/black/yellow. Remember, .png images are easily uploaded to Gimp, and repainted to taste.