Fuel is always in plentiful supply - isn't it?

[SandJ]

Main stations always have an endless supply of Quirium fuel. It never runs out - how can it run out when it comes from the sun in an endless supply?

Who, what, why: How can an airport run out of fuel? That news story has given me half an idea for a mission OXP that might be suitable for new newbies.

On docking:

"Thank you for docking at this time of crisis, Commander. The sun's been a bit quiet lately, and there's been a public holiday down on dirtside resulting in heavy traffic, so we're out of fuel. The contents of your engine's tanks have been sequestered by GalCop for emergency use by the Planetary Governor's Office. Your contribution is gratefully received. You are now welcome to leave and go sun-skimming, or you can wait six hours while we see if we get some more stock. Feel free to go asteroid hunting while you are waiting; we will pay you a generous 1₢ for each one you clear from the space lanes."

Is stealing the contents of your fuel tank too mean?

If this were to occur, it would need balance. How's this?

"However, our engineers have devised a temporary fuel scoop / cargopod / heat shielding arrangement that will bolt on to most vessels. We are looking for volunteers to go sun-skimming and return skimmed fuel to us. This device will fit your ship - they have checked already. If you volunteer to go and scoop fuel, we'll pay you 75₢ for each time you bring it back full. There's no safe way to connect it to your fuel system I'm afraid, so don't try. And DON'T try and hyperspace jump with it attached: at best it will fall off and at worst I dread to think what might happen."

Witchspacing out with it attached results in Fugitive status and the device disappears (or 50% chance of a Q Bomb explosion?) After 7 sun-skimming trips, the fuel-shortage problem ends and the device is removed (and the pilot has enough Credits to buy Fuel Scoops).

This should probably not be triggered when the pilot has passengers or cargo to deliver to a timescale ... but it will only take about 3 or 4 Oolite hours which should not really be too much of a problem.

I expect a mission such as this would be tedious for an experienced player so should never be triggered once the player has lots of kills or, say, has the cloaking device. Or, maybe better yet, never trigger it for a player who has fuel scoops fitted already.

Any mileage in this? Can someone "take this idea and twist or modify it in a different way as a return suggestion so another person can see a part of it that can apply to the oxp they are working on"?

[Thargoid]

If you can wait until 1.77, then maybe offer them a fuel collecting ship to do it in - perhaps slow and lightly armed (eg can only pack a pulse laser or plasma cannon, and with only a forward mount) and without jump capability. They can use other people's wormholes, but they're in a crap ship, lose their own one permanently and get a nice juicy bounty on their heads too for nicking the ship...

They start without fuel, but if they come back they get paid maybe 100cr for every LY of fuel, or something like that (so if they do use any up, they're burning profits). Or have it store the fuel away (empty the tank every 7ly scooped, or perhaps more frequently) into a larger tank which is inaccessible to the player, then pay a lower bounty per LY but on more fuel, to make it worthwhile.

[SandJ]

Or Fuel Pods similar to mining pods like you see at the Seedy Space Bars? That is, as you scoop fuel, every so often a pod is ejected that makes its own way back to the planet. You can sit and scoop fuel all day, if you want, ejecting these pods ... and wondering how many will get stolen on the way. Payment is received as each one arrives at the planet's surface. Plus a free tank of fuel when you dock at the main station.

[Switeck]

I wouldn't mind fuel prices going up and down a bit. Even needing 50 credits instead of ~15 credits to go from 0 to 7 LY of fuel would be interesting...plus, you could sell all your fuel to the station for a "small processing fee". (Maybe 1-5 credits?)
A Poor Agriculture anarchy probably pays the most for fuel prices, while a rich industrial democracy probably pays the least. (Corporate States would have extra taxes...just because. )

[SandJ]

I wouldn't mind fuel prices going up and down a bit. Even needing 50 credits instead of ~15 credits to go from 0 to 7 LY of fuel would be interesting...plus, you could sell all your fuel to the station for a "small processing fee". (Maybe 1-5 credits?)
A Poor Agriculture anarchy probably pays the most for fuel prices, while a rich industrial democracy probably pays the least. (Corporate States would have extra taxes...just because. )

IIRC, you could trade fuel in Frontier, so if desperate you could go sun-skimming for a few credits a time. I'm a bit surprised that doesn't exist even as an add-on to Oolite, but then, I wouldn't buy petrol from a petrol station that I know is buying its petrol from my neighbours who make their own at home.

However, liners, sun research stations, rock hermits and so on may be glad of fuel deliveries. How about an OXP that says:
- when player docks,
- if station is not a main station,
- a mission screen pops up asking if the player wants to sell their fuel (and contents of their Fuel Tanks if FuelTanks.oxp is installed);
- if yes then the player gets paid ½ the system price for their fuel and their fuel set to zero.

[Switeck]

I'd recommend against automatically having the OXP drain Fuel Tanks OXP's Fuel Tanks. The player can do that manually if desired, though not while docked, or it can be an extra option. The 3 LY Fuel Tanks are 1-shots and cannot be refilled by sun-skimming. It would be a money loss for them to be drained even at places paying 4x normal fuel costs!

[pagroove]

Also it would be nice if the Fuel Stations have to be resupplied.