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Hi all, Dr. Tripsa here just recently found oolite and boy does it bring back memories I have some pretty basic questions about the OO'Verse
if you all don't mind. Bear with me I know most of these are probably answered somewhere but I have no idea where.

1. is the 'verse 'fixed' or random? eg will planets and systems always be the same between saves?

2. is it possible to establish 'special' stations, in vanilla or OXP, with more to do than trade? such as perhaps providing a link to a web page for further expansion of oolite based roleplay?

3. does interstellar War ever happen, can it? eg can I one day find ships blockading another systems witchpoint?

if these are dumb or confusing again please forgive my phrasing

Hi Dr.Tripsa and welcome. I'll answer the first query - the Ooniverse remains the same (and all players have the same Ooniverse).
<wanders off, humming a Led Zeppelin tune and thinking of Childhood's End>

Welcome, Dr Tripsa,
I'll take your second question. There are loads of 'special' stations - all OXP - which include Seedy Space Bars, Constores and Black Monk Monestaries to name but a few. Many mission OXPs also have special stations.
The OXP table is the place to look. It is sortable into catagories which makes it easier to find things, and as you'll see you are spoilt for choice.

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

Hi all, Dr. Tripsa here just recently found oolite and boy does it bring back memories I have some pretty basic questions about the OO'Verse
if you all don't mind. Bear with me I know most of these are probably answered somewhere but I have no idea where.

Welcome Dr.Tripsa. You will find that the people here are very friendly, and in general quite eager to provide answers or give you links to where questions are answered.

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

1. is the 'verse 'fixed' or random? eg will planets and systems always be the same between saves?

What El Viejo said.

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

2. is it possible to establish 'special' stations, in vanilla or OXP, with more to do than trade? such as perhaps providing a link to a web page for further expansion of oolite based roleplay?

Not sure about this one. There are certainly OXP's that will implement stations which provide more than just trade. I recommend that you have a look through the [wiki]OXP List[/wiki] on the Wiki. I don't think you can put links in the mission pages though. So external web pages are probably a no go for now.

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

3. does interstellar War ever happen, can it? eg can I one day find ships blockading another systems witchpoint?

There is one fundamental difference between Oolite and Elite that is important to understand. Elite was player-centric. That means that when you encountered a ship or pirate in Elite, the game added that ship so that you would meet it and allow you as the player to interact with it.
In Oolite the system is set up when you enter it, and from that point on things just happen. You are not the center of the universe, and the ships around you throughout the system will interact with each other regardless of where you are and what you do. So pirates will attack traders, the police will attack offenders and fugitives etc. whether you are present or not. So skirmishes will happen around you all the time. As for right out wars and blockades, yes that can happen too, but will require you to install some of the OXP's. There are some that will give you wars on a larger scale. Again, look at the [wiki]OXP List[/wiki] on the Wiki.

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

if these are dumb or confusing again please forgive my phrasing

No, they are not, and there is nothing to forgive..

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

Hi all, Dr. Tripsa here

Welcome to the friendliest board this side of Riequat.

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

1. is the 'verse 'fixed' or random? eg will planets and systems always be the same between saves?

I'm going to revisit this question.

8 galaxies with 256 systems in each galaxy that don't change or move.

But, within each system, if you load a saved game and launch then you will have different ships in that system each time because each system is re-generated when the game is re-started. Also (as I've recently discovered - because there's always more to discover) the locations and number of space hermits and asteroids in the system will be different.

This means that when you jump from Planet A to Planet B, you can not be sure whether you will see asteroids on the way to the station, or pirates, or traders or in what proportions. For example, if Planet B is an Anarchy, you will very probably see lots of pirates, but just occasionally, none at all.

Dr.Tripsa wrote:

1. is the 'verse 'fixed' or random? eg will planets and systems always be the same between saves?

One other point worth mentioning here: prices will fluctuate between visits, so although on e.g. an agricultural world food, booze, textiles, furs etc. will be cheap, and machinery, computers, luxuries etc. will be expensive, exactly how cheap or expensive will vary over time.

Thank you all for your very helpful and insightful replies!