Oolite Bulletins

Hi all. Just started playing this game yesterday. I used to play EliteII years ago and I have just stumbled across this.

Anyway, iv started off trading. iv got the hang of getting from one place to another, the use of the auto docking, what kind of place sells certain things cheap and buys high, how dangerous places are etc. But this is all that iv done.

Firstly, I'm thinking of getting a bigger ship for carrying more cargo. Can all ships carry all the extra equipment? If so, what ship seems the best for its price in terms of cargo hold? If this is not the most important thing then what is?

Secondly, iv noticed there's huge profits to be made trading illegal goods. Iv seen people on here mention permits. What are these and where do you get them from? If indeed they are what I need.

Iv noticed people talk about fighting other ships which I haven't tried yet. Why do people do this? iv noticed 'bounties' mentioned on here. How does this work? Will I need good weapons? A different ship?

I was under the impression the cargo scoop was to collect fuel from a sun? What other uses does it have and is it actually worth collecting fuel from a sun rather than buying it? It is easy enough and cheap enough to dock then purchase is it not?

If I get a bigger ship will my equipment transfer to my new ship?

Iv noticed screen shots of peoples cross hairs saying what's in front of them but mine don't. Why?

What is the best way to make money and what other fun things are there to do on this game?

Lastly, if there's anything you could add that I could do to get the best out of this game I would highly appreciate it!

Thanks guys!!

DenProject wrote:

Firstly, I'm thinking of getting a bigger ship for carrying more cargo. Can all ships carry all the extra equipment? If so, what ship seems the best for its price in terms of cargo hold? If this is not the most important thing then what is?

No, not all ships can carry everything, but in my experience most equipment tends to be available on most ships. This information should be available per ship on the wiki.

DenProject wrote:

Secondly, iv noticed there's huge profits to be made trading illegal goods. Iv seen people on here mention permits. What are these and where do you get them from? If indeed they are what I need.

In the core game, there are no permits. Leaving a station whilst carrying illegal goods will get you a record, selling slaves is ok if you find some, but leaving the station is a bad idea with them still on board.

DenProject wrote:

Iv noticed people talk about fighting other ships which I haven't tried yet. Why do people do this? iv noticed 'bounties' mentioned on here. How does this work? Will I need good weapons? A different ship?

You start in a cobra, which is a fine ship but the standard pulse laser is pretty weak. You might want to avoid combat until you can afford a better weapon.
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DenProject wrote:

I was under the impression the cargo scoop was to collect fuel from a sun? What other uses does it have and is it actually worth collecting fuel from a sun rather than buying it? It is easy enough and cheap enough to dock then purchase is it not?

No, it isnt worth sun skimming. The best use of the fuel scop is to pick up cargo that is dropped from ships when they are destroyed.

DenProject wrote:

If I get a bigger ship will my equipment transfer to my new ship?

No, but you will get resale value for it (included in the price you get for your ship).

DenProject wrote:

Iv noticed screen shots of peoples cross hairs saying what's in front of them but mine don't. Why?

That is something you can buy as an add on for your ship.

DenProject wrote:

What is the best way to make money and what other fun things are there to do on this game?

Depends what you like, most people seem to enjoy combat, particularly with Thargoids.

DenProject wrote:

Lastly, if there's anything you could add that I could do to get the best out of this game I would highly appreciate it!

I would say you should play it without any OXPs and just fly around, there is lots to discover (missions etc) that are best if you just stumble across them.

Welcome aboard, DenProject. You'll get many varied opinions and answers to your questions.
My initial advice is similar to Cmdr James' last point - at first, just fly around and get the feel of the core game.

Hi, DenProject, welcome to the friendliest board this side of Riedquat! I'll try to go through your questions, although some of the answers will be purely my own preference and you may have different opinions.

DenProject wrote:

Firstly, I'm thinking of getting a bigger ship for carrying more cargo. Can all ships carry all the extra equipment? If so, what ship seems the best for its price in terms of cargo hold? If this is not the most important thing then what is?

Tricky: there are a LOT of different types of ships available via OXPs, so I think I'll stick to the core ships for my answer. The Cobra III isthe best all-round ship, by a long way. If you want a bigger cargo hold, you can try saving up for a Python, but it's a slow beast. The Boa and Boa II are much faster than the Python (although slower than the Cobra III), but significantly more expensive. In terms of gameplay though I think you'll have more fun in a Cobra III than you will in a Python or a Boa.

DenProject wrote:

Secondly, iv noticed there's huge profits to be made trading illegal goods. Iv seen people on here mention permits. What are these and where do you get them from? If indeed they are what I need.

You can make a lot of money selling narcotics (not so much with firearms and slaves) – but prices fluctuate a lot. If you launch from a main system station with any narcotics (or slaves or firearms) in your hold, you'll get a criminal record, and can expect bounty hunters and the police to make your life difficult. And short. But if you buy these items elsewhere, or salvage them in space, then you can sell them freely. There are OXPs which add new stations to the game, though, and some of these sell controlled goods with no effect on your legal standing. The Convenience Stores from Your Ad Here! are one example – although quantities are often quite small.

DenProject wrote:

Iv noticed people talk about fighting other ships which I haven't tried yet. Why do people do this? iv noticed 'bounties' mentioned on here. How does this work? Will I need good weapons? A different ship?

Self-defence, fun and profit are the three main reasons. Self-defence if you're attacked by pirates; fun and profit if you want to turn pirate yourself. If you kill a ship with a criminal inside it, you'll get paid a (smallish) bounty. The Cobra III is a mean fighting ship but you will need at least a beam laser and an ECM. See the advice handed out by Mr Gimlet.

DenProject wrote:

I was under the impression the cargo scoop was to collect fuel from a sun? What other uses does it have and is it actually worth collecting fuel from a sun rather than buying it? It is easy enough and cheap enough to dock then purchase is it not?

It can be worthwhile scooping fuel instead of buying it, but usually not. However the scoops can also be used to salvage any cargo you find floating in space (or which you produce, by destroying an enemy ship). Free cargo = free money ...

DenProject wrote:

If I get a bigger ship will my equipment transfer to my new ship?

Some special items of equipment, that you might get from completing a mission, will: most won't: you'll have to buy it all again. However any installed equipment will increase the resale price of your ship. A quick note on selling ships: wait until you've just had it serviced: the selling price will be higher.

DenProject wrote:

Iv noticed screen shots of peoples cross hairs saying what's in front of them but mine don't. Why?

You need to install a [wiki]Scanner Targeting Enhancement[/wiki].

DenProject wrote:

What is the best way to make money and what other fun things are there to do on this game?

See [wiki]Mr Gimlet[/wiki] again ... but there are other careers available too: bounty hunter, courier ... there are also ways to make trading more complex and possibly more profitable. The list doesn't end here, though – see the OXP list!

DenProject wrote:

Lastly, if there's anything you could add that I could do to get the best out of this game I would highly appreciate it!

Thanks guys!!

Start with one or two OXPs – eye candy of one description or other, or ambience. See what you like. The experiment with one or two more. Pick and choose, customise your universe! And ask for advice, there's always someone prepared to empty their brains onto the board here! (For example either of the two ninjas above ...)

I would like to give a personal opinion about ships. I really think its a good idea to play in the cobra for a long time. Some of the missions (no spoilers intended) are a real adventure in a cobra, and might be a let down if you go cruising in with some kind of Star Destroyer with 150 turrets and a million missiles.

Cmdr James wrote:

I would like to give a personal opinion about ships. I really think its a good idea to play in the cobra for a long time. Some of the missions (no spoilers intended) are a real adventure in a cobra, and might be a let down if you go cruising in with some kind of Star Destroyer with 150 turrets and a million missiles.

I must emphasise Cmdr James' point again! I still fly a Cobra III and it is the best all-round ship in the Eight!
Having said that, we all adjust our own Ooniverses to some extent, but for maximum enjoyment - take it slow!

Cmdr James wrote:

and might be a let down if you go cruising in with some kind of Star Destroyer with 150 turrets and a million missiles.

what? like this one? Imperial Star Destroyer

Cmdr James wrote:

I would like to give a personal opinion about ships. I really think its a good idea to play in the cobra for a long time. Some of the missions (no spoilers intended) are a real adventure in a cobra, and might be a let down if you go cruising in with some kind of Star Destroyer with 150 turrets and a million missiles.

Thirded. This is definitely sound advice. The game is built for a Cobra III, and it can take a lot of careful tweaking before you can have as much fun in another ship ...

Staer9 wrote:

Cmdr James wrote:

and might be a let down if you go cruising in with some kind of Star Destroyer with 150 turrets and a million missiles.

what? like this one? Imperial Star Destroyer

Heh... it is a great model, S9. But it should be nuked on sight!

El Viejo wrote:

Staer9 wrote:

Cmdr James wrote:

and might be a let down if you go cruising in with some kind of Star Destroyer with 150 turrets and a million missiles.

what? like this one? Imperial Star Destroyer

Heh... it is a great model, S9. But it should be nuked on sight!

At least you can see it from a long way away , it being more than 2 km long

Staer9 wrote:

At least you can see it from a long way away, it being more than 2 km long

At 6km across, you can see this from even further away:

El Viejo wrote:

Staer9 wrote:

At least you can see it from a long way away, it being more than 2 km long

At 6km across, you can see this from even further away:

Shadered version? That looks rather different from the pictures Smivs has posted.
Are there similar versions of all the other stuff in Xeptatl's Sword?

That was an early version, but it was caught in the act of warping-out, hence the shimmering colours!

Indeed, it is so large it cannot use regular wormholes so instead relies on special Thargoid jump technology. It shimmers and flickers and then....POP! it's gone. A sight to behold indeed.

Lots of good advice above, DenProject, so not much I can add. Keep it simple to start with, stay with the Cobby 3 for a while at least, and enjoy. Any problems or questions, just ask. You'll find we're a friendly bunch.

DenProject wrote:

Firstly, I'm thinking of getting a bigger ship for carrying more cargo. Can all ships carry all the extra equipment? If so, what ship seems the best for its price in terms of cargo hold? If this is not the most important thing then what is?

most notable differences probably number of missiles that can be equipped, number of lasers that can be equipped, and military shield enhancement yes/no.

I was under the impression the cargo scoop was to collect fuel from a sun? What other uses does it have and is it actually worth collecting fuel from a sun rather than buying it? It is easy enough and cheap enough to dock then purchase is it not?

You can also get a mining laser, preferably on a side mount as it is rubbish for anything but mining, and then scoop asteroid remains and sell them. There's no big profit in it, but is a little mini-game like thingy, and is an excellent exercise in scooping things. And also trains orientation / IFF scanner understanding, without imminent dangers.

Lastly, if there's anything you could add that I could do to get the best out of this game I would highly appreciate it!

Thanks guys!!

Most fun is probably finding things out by just playing and taking notice.

Again and again Oolite surprised/s me, even though I learned a lot from the wiki and the forumers, there still is/was a lot left to find out in-game.