New-pilot questions mostly to do with suns and cargo hauling

[Talisker]

Right. So.

I am plying my trade as... OK, a trader mostly, with the occasional foray into pirate-baiting if a good opportunity comes up that has brought me up to Average. I've been running between pairs of likely planets, the usual thing, technology one way, wilderness goods the other, until I get a cargo commission and go hurtling across the galaxy. Load delivered, I then find another pair of planets and start again until something else interesting happens, or I get bored and start filling in my Explorer's Club sheet.

On the long journeys, I've been sun skimming. This is indeed nice and fun, but: often, my condition quickly deteriorates - temperature is up but not too bad (I never stick around long, and have extra heat shielding), and yet I often find myself in Yellow condition or worse.

0) What does the condition indicator even mean?

1) Is my ship getting damaged? I seem to have to overhaul quite often even if I'm not getting into firefights.

2) Is this a function of the individual sun's size/heat/activity? I think I read somewhere that the stars are different temperatures, but what that really means, I'm not sure. Do the various sizes of corona and sun proper, and colours, indicate temperature/likelihood of hull damage?

I think I'd like to get into cargo hauling for a while. See the Galaxy a bit. But there are questions there too.

1) The 35t and under jobs are few and far between. Am I hurting my chances of finding them by trading along the same routes all the time? And if so, is that hurting my chances of ever getting the shiny contracts (no matter how patient I am) because I'll never find the sub-35 contracts at a rate for my reputation to build faster than it naturally decays?

2) Say I wanted to get something with a bigger hold, and become a hauler full time. A Python is the budget option (and I only have about 40 grand in the bank, so a trade-up is a way off yet) but, if I read correctly, it doesn't allow a fuel scoop. What gives? Adding a scoop seems to be a pretty important thing for a cargo runner - and, anyway, I just like doing it! Do I need to hold off until I can afford a Python Class Cruiser or a Python Clipper? Or

3) Is there a better, obvious step up I am missing if I find the 35 ton contract limit annoying, and want to save my credits up and get a low-cost hauler that can refuel without docking?

For whatever it helps, I have Commies, Clippers, Liners, UPS, Constores and a few others installed, but am not averse to adding new ones at all, as long as they're reasonably balanced. My goal is to be a part of the world, not the invincible king of it

[Smivs]

The Python can have fuel scoops, although I notice these are not listed on its Wiki page. About the only useful thing it can't have is Military Shield Enhancers.
I had a Python for quite a while, and while fairly slow and un-responsive, it is a good budget freighter. Just don't mistake it for a fighter

[cim]

0) What does the condition indicator even mean?

Green: no powered objects or extremely large masses nearby; torus drive available
Yellow: powered objects or extremely large masses nearby; torus drive unavailable
Red: hostile powered objects nearby or extremely large masses very nearby or hull temperature approaching critical level or energy low; torus drive availability depends on why you've gone to condition red

You won't be able to sunskim without getting close enough to the sun to go to condition yellow; you should with heat shielding be able to get out long before condition red (temperature) and shouldn't need to get low enough for condition red (altitude).

1) Is my ship getting damaged? I seem to have to overhaul quite often even if I'm not getting into firefights.

General wear and tear adds up, especially when you use the hyperdrive. It's worse if you do get into fights. Try to divert to a high-tech system for your overhauls, if you can spare the time - they do a better job for the same price. Sun-skimming - unless you hit critical temperatures - will not.

2) Is this a function of the individual sun's size/heat/activity?

Yes and no. Some suns are larger than others (see the different sizes on F6) but if you have heat shielding installed you should be able to skim all of them safely.

1) The 35t and under jobs are few and far between. Am I hurting my chances of finding them by trading along the same routes all the time? And if so, is that hurting my chances of ever getting the shiny contracts (no matter how patient I am) because I'll never find the sub-35 contracts at a rate for my reputation to build faster than it naturally decays?

No, you should be able to find 35t jobs anywhere. But not very often...

2) Say I wanted to get something with a bigger hold, and become a hauler full time. A Python is the budget option (and I only have about 40 grand in the bank, so a trade-up is a way off yet) but, if I read correctly, it doesn't allow a fuel scoop. What gives? Adding a scoop seems to be a pretty important thing for a cargo runner - and, anyway, I just like doing it! Do I need to hold off until I can afford a Python Class Cruiser or a Python Clipper? Or

Pythons can fit fuel scoops. I think it's a typo on the Wiki page.

3) Is there a better, obvious step up I am missing if I find the 35 ton contract limit annoying, and want to save my credits up and get a low-cost hauler that can refuel without docking?

There's nothing in the core game between the Cobra III and the Python for cargo space. The [wiki]Z-Ships[/wiki] Porcupine is fairly cheap and has up to a 65TC cargo bay, though. You should be able to afford a trade-in at the moment. I flew one for a while with my trading commander, and they're okay. It'll make you more profit than a Cobra III, but if you're going to do serious trading it'll just be a starter ship while you raise the money for something bigger. You might be better just saving up for the Python, though.

[Cody]

Tip for sunskimming... when the sun mass-locks you, hit the injectors and dive in (if you have some fuel left, of course).
As soon as the tank starts gulping fuel, stop the injectors and pull directly away from the sun.

[Talisker]

Ah - cool, that (a Python with scoops) would certainly do for a start then! Can just continue my current life and accumulate another 50k or so.

I suppose the other option is adding a passenger berth, as another way to motivate a bit more travel. Some of the taxi jobs look like they'd pay all right, and my Cobra has pretty good upholstery.

[Okti]

<never misses a sale opportunity>

Have a look at AutoSkim.oxp

[snork]

typo on the wiki

fixed

------------

Me too your question made me think of the Z-ships / porcupine. They are well balanced with core Oolite, I think.

About looking for contracts <35t - I think it is still so that whenever you go look up a contract market, the game will remember its content and only change it once a "Oolite-week" or so. Same for the ship market, iirc.
So pendulating between two close-by systems that have no suitable contracts on offer will not make new contract offers show up, but every n-th visit.

I have not checked this behaviour lately (in Oolite 1.76, that is)

Yes and no. Some suns are larger than others (see the different sizes on F6) but if you have heat shielding installed you should be able to skim all of them safely.

In a Cobra3, yes. In a Python with no fuel left or a broken fuel-injector, it can get tight already.
In an even slower ship, it can get very tricky.

I suppose the other option is adding a passenger berth, as another way to motivate a bit more travel. Some of the taxi jobs look like they'd pay all right, and my Cobra has pretty good upholstery.

definitely. Like cargo contracts, better reputation brings better offers. Only in the galactic sectors' rim can you find "maximum distance" offers.

And sometimes them passengers pay a nice bonus for extra fast delivery.

[Talisker]

Hee hee, I decided to go the Python route, so ran backwards and forwards between Red World A and Cloudy World B until I finally broke the 200k-including-trade-in mark - at which point I docked, went to look at the ship market, and... the half-dozen or so Pythons I'd been eyeing up the last week had vanished.

All sold, apparently overnight.

There is a Porcupine in their place, but I'm just not sure I like the cut of its jib.

Time to hit the road in search of just the right ship!

Thanks for the advice everyone

[Switeck]

1) Is my ship getting damaged? I seem to have to overhaul quite often even if I'm not getting into firefights.

Time passing seems to be a key in when you need an overhaul, barring damage. Even bumping into the docking port while docking might make that sooner.

1) The 35t and under jobs are few and far between. Am I hurting my chances of finding them by trading along the same routes all the time? And if so, is that hurting my chances of ever getting the shiny contracts (no matter how patient I am) because I'll never find the sub-35 contracts at a rate for my reputation to build faster than it naturally decays?

Reputation is random in when it decays, but I think it's a random chance of decreasing by 1 point each jump (7 is max reputation, gained 1 point per successful contract.) There are ways to stack up multiple contracts to the same destination too.

Cargo Contract Cruelty (starts with the 2nd paragraph):
https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.ph ... 63#p161763

2) Say I wanted to get something with a bigger hold, and become a hauler full time. A Python is the budget option (and I only have about 40 grand in the bank, so a trade-up is a way off yet) but, if I read correctly, it doesn't allow a fuel scoop.

Pythons have a fuel scoop as standard equipment, therefore fuel scoops are not extra equipment for them.

The same systems tend to go through long spells (like days!) that they either have the same cargo contracts (and ships for sale) or have no contracts at all.

[JazHaz]

Hee hee, I decided to go the Python route, so ran backwards and forwards between Red World A and Cloudy World B until I finally broke the 200k-including-trade-in mark - at which point I docked, went to look at the ship market, and... the half-dozen or so Pythons I'd been eyeing up the last week had vanished.

All sold, apparently overnight.

Lol. Just what has happened to me. Been looking to upgrade from the standard Python, to a Python Class Cruiser. Lots of those available recently, but as soon as I have the 350kCr+ they've all gone.

I'm thinking it *may* be down to the fact I've removed the original PCC.OXP and replaced it with Staer9's shipset? Perhaps the chances of finding a PCC has changed between the two?

[Talisker]

Eventually found myself a nice Python Courier to celebrate my 64th bounty and get (temporarily) out of the game. Not entirely sold on the Courier part, but it's OK. I have some cargo space and big engines.

Thing one: of course I manage to buy a factory-spec ship multiple jumps from the nearest place that sells Docking Computers. I still remember how to do it, but tedious? Hell yes.

Thing two: Life sucks without Witchies. And they can be surprisingly hard to track down when it's particularly inconvenient. These two factors combined are somehow more annoying that the sum of their individual irritations.

Thing two (a): Refueling from big suns in a Python class anything without said speed enhancers is indeed dicey.

These things now remedied, I'm off to see the Galaxy!

[Talisker]

I appear to have fallen in with a bad crowd.

Do I want to deliver 65 tons of narcotics to Zadies within 12 days mumble hours?

You betcha.

[Smivs]

Go for it!
Choose a direct route involving short jumps, and sunskim your way there. You will become an Offender upon launch, but a few jumps should clear that so with luck you'll be Clean by the time you arrive. A direct short-jump route should keep you on time as well.
Happy smuggling

[snork]

You will become an Offender upon launch,...

yeah, right.

I once chose to accept an offer for 81 tons of narcotics, as the target system was only 2 jumps away.
I had from time to time forgotten about a ton of narcotics / slaves / arms in the hold, and that always gave me mild offender status.
So I thought I could live with that.
Well, it seems the criminal offense is measured is per ton of contraband, so I was most wanted fugitive.

I found this out only after a while though, because on launching from the station I ran into my first furball. Very cool.

In this situation even helpful, as I killed one of the (other) fugitives before I jumped out of that system …

[Talisker]

OK, so maybe leaving the station with a hold that blatantly full of contraband wasn't such a hot idea - at least, not right behind a GalCop Viper.

After a somewhat tense race to the jump point, subsequent hops gave me time to ditch Fugitive status, and now I think I have a taste for This Sort of Thing.

Woohoo, Oolite is fun for so many reasons.