[WIP] Ship's library OXP

[Cody]

Looking good, cim... 'fewer than a hundred living Elite pilots', eh?

[Fatleaf]

Looking good, cim... 'fewer than a hundred living Elite pilots', eh?

<Checks his pulse ..... gets worried that he can't find it!>

[pagroove]

Very good. I like the docking pictures.

[cim]

Looking good, cim... 'fewer than a hundred living Elite pilots', eh?

I reckon probably thirty or so definitely alive, and perhaps the same again who aren't definitely dead but haven't been officially spotted for quite some time.

Anyway, version 0.3 is ready now. Lots more pictures, and Disembodied indirectly pointed out it needed some new things which it's very difficult to prove aren't there (can't have dredgers or gen ships ... you can meet those), so there's a few extra subchapters for those.

[Cody]

Looking good, cim... 'fewer than a hundred living Elite pilots', eh?

I reckon probably thirty or so definitely alive, and perhaps the same again who aren't definitely dead but haven't been officially spotted for quite some time.

Hmm... in that case, I'd better be a bit more careful out there.

[Commander Wilmot]

This looks useful, thanks. Could this be used to add a ship's library? It just seemed like the idea of being to add via oxp an ingame document made me wonder if you could insert an oxp with the ability to view multiple documents accessible from f4 or another key. I gather that it can only be seen in dock? Is there a way it could be triggered imposed over the view screen in the HUD or a quick version of it? That way you could have a quick reference version while you are piloting.

It might be neat to add the latest oolite fiction or whatever to the library (preferably a small document,) so if you are mass locked in a slow ship or bored heading to the main station then you would be able to read something until the other ship passed or you reached the station. The only problem is that the ship, navigation, and inventory screens pause the game as far as I know, so no time currently passes when you are in another screen and not actively piloting the ship. You would also need to have an indicator to see if your ship's status changes (and maybe any communications or distress signals,) so you know when you have become mass locked by a friendly or possibly hostile vessel and when you have reached the aegis. Of course asteroids could be a problem if the radar is n

Usually I don't mind piloting even when there is nothing much to see, but there are probably sometimes when a player might not want to stare at the screen doing nothing, such as on an extremely uneventful milk run in an anaconda with another 5-10 systems to go through on a 10-15 cargo contract.

[Cody]

... only problem is that the ship, navigation, and inventory screens pause the game as far as I know, so no time currently passes when you are in another screen and not actively piloting the ship.

Being on those screens disables flight/ordnance control - but time does pass, other ships carry-on about their business... and you can be attacked.

[cim]

Could this be used to add a ship's library?

Yes. The code should be easy to extend to allow multiple books, but there's no urgency right now because only one book has been written. If someone else wants their book including or I get bored and write another one, then I'll move on to that stage (and probably rename the OXP to "Ship's Library")

It might be neat to add the latest oolite fiction or whatever to the library (preferably a small document,) so if you are mass locked in a slow ship or bored heading to the main station then you would be able to read something until the other ship passed or you reached the station.

Ah, you've guessed stage 3 of the plan for this OXP. The catch is that mission screens in flight are horrible, so stage 2 is to implement a better approach for that sort of thing.

[Commander McLane]

... only problem is that the ship, navigation, and inventory screens pause the game as far as I know, so no time currently passes when you are in another screen and not actively piloting the ship.

On the contrary: none of the screens pause the game. Only the PAUSE-key can pause the game. And that's precisely the reason why it wouldn't be such a good idea to have extensive reading sessions while flying. The game does not pause. You continue to fly. You can run into things. You get attacked by things. You just don't see it, because you're reading a document. It's the same as reading a book while driving a car: not a good idea.

[Rorschachhamster]

... It's the same as reading a book while driving a car: not a good idea.

Well, it's not quite that bad... space is bigger and emptier.

[Commander McLane]

... It's the same as reading a book while driving a car: not a good idea.

Well, it's not quite that bad... space is bigger and emptier.

But on the other hand, in your car usually nobody tries to attack and kill you.

[Lestradae]

Just only discovered this now.

Hope this stays in development - what an ingenious idea, possible for newbies to just look up stuff on the F4 screen without having to leave the game - wish I had had that six years ago!

Right On!

L

[cim]

Yes. The code should be easy to extend to allow multiple books, but there's no urgency right now because only one book has been written. If someone else wants their book including or I get bored and write another one, then I'll move on to that stage (and probably rename the OXP to "Ship's Library")

And, done.

Ship's Library 0.5 (with multiple book support and a few other minor tweaks), and a book OXP "Extracts from the Tre Clan Addresses on Interplanetary Life" to go with it.

[Cody]

If someone else wants their book including...

What sort of book are you thinking of, cim? Thanks for the Ship's Library, btw.
Okay, just read Extracts from the Tre Clan Addresses on Interplanetary Life - excellent!

[CaptSolo]

Cim, you continue to outdo yourself and impress the hell out of me. Absolutely brilliant OXP