Oolite Bulletins

May 31, 2012
CustomLasersv0.21 WIP test version is now available for download. Requires oolite1.77trunk revision 4975.

https://www.box.com/s/c4204065566e3003fc80

What's new:
-Now works excellent with extended shipyards and ship storage helper oxps.
-Original lasers are now replaced by the virtual ones automatically when starting a new game or buying a new ship.(Not yet compatible with extended shipyards)
-8 new lasers including 2 dual mode mining/combat lasers.
-various code tweeks.

Playtest results may be reported here and are greatly appreciated.

Have fun with this!
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May 30, 2012
CustomLasersv0.2 WIP test version is now available for download. Requires oolite1.77trunk.

https://www.box.com/s/239c4936de4a870bf940

What's new:
-Original lasers are now replaced by the virtual ones automatically when starting a new game or buying a new ship.(Not yet compatible with extended shipyards)
-8 new lasers including 2 dual mode mining/combat lasers.
-various code tweeks.

Playtest results may be reported here and are greatly appreciated.

Have fun with this!
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May 17, 2012
Now available for testing CustomLasersv0.1

Requires 1.77trunk to work. Download here.


https://www.box.com/s/ddc5a83a4c923ff1261a


This oxp is about a third complete and has reached a stage where testing by many other people may be of great benefit. Things like damaged laser effects, setting damage probability and how much cargo space is taken, at least 10 more weapons, some other parts of the main code and a part of the menu are not yet complete. However there is enough here to be useable for playtesting and in this way many other eyes can see potential issues/problems that I may not be able to see.

BEFORE adding this oxp to your AddOns folder you must do the following:

SELL YOUR LASERS, preferably by using the sensible lasers oxp or if not then at least reduce your laser down to the basic pulse laser. Currently the original lasers will just disappear so just warning you. Will remedy this in the future.

Also SAVE your game first and use a different save file for testing. Just a precaution. And when you are finished testing, if you want to keep this save game for use, sell the custom lasers using the built in sell feature BEFORE you save and then remove the oxp from your AddOns Folder.

All feedback from testing is very much appreciated.

As I mentioned it is very much a work in progress so please excuse the scaffolding and watch for open manholes.

Have fun with this!

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Ideas for custom lasers have been on my hard drive since last summer but an inspiration hit me last night after a few shots of vodka while watching some classic Tom Baker Dr Who. I was up till the wee hours tweaking but now have a couple of different laser characteristics/mechanics that can be used to create laser variants and I have a couple more ideas that if they pan out will allow a real selection of laser weapons with pluses and minuses and possibly(I hope) the npc's might also equip them too. The focus will be to create Elite type lasers from elite canon but I think it might also be possible to do maaarcooose's R-Type idea(The charging laser-I have some ideas on this). And if that pans out then custom weapons might also be a possibility.

Discussion, ideas, requests for custom lasers and even custom weapons are welcome here and encouraged as there is no telling what might inspire myself and others for some cool or crazy oxp concept.

If you create an object:
- immediately in front of the player's ship
- that is very narrow but 30 km long
- that is travelling at the same speed as the player's ship
- then destroy it after a second
what happens to any ships that are located along the object's length?

If:
- the object you create is bright yellow or otherwise looks like an "energy beam"
- the object's strength can be specified in the equipment.plist / shipdata.plist
would it not behave like an energy beam weapon?

And couldn't you have multiples of them? In different directions?

In effect, couldn't you completely emulate an alternative to lasers with infinite energy, quantity, range, direction, duration etc. from within a .OXP?

An alternative weapon is discussed a lot, having writen PrimableLaser.oxp one of the problems is to trigger killed events for NPC's. The player is not credited for the kills he makes with those type of weapons, but only score and credits can be simulated. That causes a problem for mission targets.

Okti wrote:

An alternative weapon is discussed a lot, having writen PrimableLaser.oxp one of the problems is to trigger killed events for NPC's. The player is not credited for the kills he makes with those type of weapons, but only score and credits can be simulated. That causes a problem for mission targets.

Would something like this work to pass a shipKilledOther event to the player (and all currrent worldScripts)?

From the 'laser' entities shipScript. You could do similar for other relevant eventHandlers.

Untested.
Edit to add,

I've just been looking at the code for the constrictor mission. Success is done in the constrictors shipScript under this.shipDied. So the following code snippet should work from the 'lasers' shipScript, in that particular context.

requests for custom lasers are welcome here

ok.

What I would like to see is that NPCs could have a (oxp-) laser that is weak, but long range.
Possibly even weaker than a pulse laser, but that would be up to oxp-authors. Or even OXPConfig-2-able.

Then oxp-ers could come up with scripts that as effect (with some chance, the lower the chance -> the bigger the surprise when it happens )make one or two ships in a pirate pack, or one or two ships in an escort group be equipped with these lasers.

My idea about this is that them lasers would not be a threat as heavy as military lasers on NPC ships, but annoy the heck out of players trying to snipe off opponents from a safe distance, ot to flee to safe distance.

You'd always hear a hit now and then, and even though the damage from the hits is not really that "bad", I bet it would work on most players nerves, particularly in the fleeing scenario.

While I generally favour these innovations, I am starting to see a situation approaching where a viable player multi-laser set-up could become a reality.
I'm not sure I'd really want to see this, even as an OXP-only feature. All the usual arguements apply, both concerning game-balance, and adherance to canon, and I fear a repeat of what I consider to be a previous mistake, namely of allowing small ships (and specifically player ships) to have turrets.

<nods at Smivs>

Shall I release my Rainbow Laser on the condition that Gays and Lesbians will be allowed to use it?

Theres this fright goin around that anything uber might ruin the game or unbalance it. I says If it kicks butt ..release it.

I got Renegade Pirates that fire three forward Laser Cannons at me.I Got Cat's that have two forward turrets trying to fry my bucket o bolts. I got Cloaked Shps that I can't Target trying to give me a beasting. Flippin Thargoids doing all kinds of spawning and shooting at me from all roads.

Levelling the playing field (or maybe removing some oxps on my part) might help.

Duggan wrote:

Theres this fright goin around that anything uber might ruin the game or unbalance it. I says If it kicks butt ..release it.

I got Renegade Pirates that fire three forward Laser Cannons at me.I Got Cat's that have two forward turrets trying to fry my bucket o bolts. I got Cloaked Shps that I can't Target trying to give me a beasting. Flippin Thargoids doing all kinds of spawning and shooting at me from all roads.

Levelling the playing field (or maybe removing some oxps on my part) might help.

I suspect that a viable player multi-laser will happen and will be released, and many of us will disapprove while others will love it. And of course we don't have to install it
But for me this takes on an almost theological status. Just knowing that such a thing has happened and exists would upset me in some way. Something like this would not be an OXP, an Oolite expansion, because the result would not be Oolite as I understand it, expanded or otherwise.

Smivs wrote:

But for me this takes on an almost theological status. Just knowing that such a thing has happened and exists would upset me in some way. Something like this would not be an OXP, an Oolite expansion, because the result would not be Oolite as I understand it, expanded or otherwise.

Sometimes it might make sense to take a few steps back and remember that it is just a game, and other players tend to enjoy it in other ways than you do

I do understand that, Svengali, I said as much above.
Just to be clear, what I am concerned about is that the direction this discussion is taking. The thrust seems to be to have changes made to the trunk code which will facilitate the possibility of an OXP which effectively replaces the 'normal' lasers with a multi-laser set-up. I really don't think that is a good idea. Personal opinion.

Hello Smivs,

I am sure you will agree as an oxp developer, That Horse has long since left the Stable...No Uber...Uber?.

Uber exists in OXP form and has already altered Oolite beyond its original premise IMO, not withstanding the fact that those who dont want to detract from the game in its original form need not install oxps.

I my self being indebted to many oxp developers who in my humble view have encouraged a your game, the way you like it scenario. Ergo a Laser cooler accelerator(At a price of course , purchasable from the Sale Manifest F3 at tech 14 to 15), like a Beer cooler only different would be of great use to those who use Galactic Navy, TCAT, Furball, Random Hits etc.

Duggan wrote:

Hello Smivs,

I am sure you will agree as an oxp developer, That Horse has long since left the Stable...No Uber...Uber?.

Yes, and I even rode it once.

Duggan wrote:

Uber exists in OXP form and has already altered Oolite beyond its original premise IMO, not withstanding the fact that those who dont want to detract from the game in its original form need not install oxps.

Indeed that is all true

Duggan wrote:

I my self being indebted to many oxp developers who in my humble view have encouraged a your game, the way you like it scenario. Ergo a Laser cooler accelerator(At a price of course , purchasable from the Sale Manifest F3 at tech 14 to 15), like a Beer cooler only different would be of great use to those who use Galactic Navy, TCAT, Furball, Random Hits etc.

Well, this is where we differ. I've done the Galactic Navy and Random Hits thing. With a fairly stock ship. And I gave up on them eventually. They are good OXPs I must say, but eventually they do get repetitive and even boring. A good pilot in a good ship should not need multi-lasers, with coolers and uber-missiles and things to deal with that level of threat. And you don't get good by using 'cheat' OXPs that just make you more powerful. If that appeals to you Commander McLane's Killit OXP contains everything you need.
Learn your ship, learn how to use the (perfectly adequate) weapons the core game gives you, learn to be tactically astute. Learn the skills, and I promise you the satisfaction and shear fun of the game goes through the roof.
I think these things spoil a great game. That is why I don't use them. Others are free to, and that's OK by me. I would not even try to force my will on others, but I'll gladly give my opinions