Oolite Bulletins

When browsing the wiki I came across this gem: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planet_Scanner. Anyone knows more? Was MrBeeb active here?

There's no board member by that name.. and the wiki page itself was only actively worked on for a few months in early 2009. The very last edit by DrBeeb was on the same day I joined the BB, in fact. Don't recall ever seeing him or mention of his WIP at the time.

The project page itself only ever got a couple of mentions here at the BB (well after the project itself was abandoned). The only comment of relevance seems to be this one:

Commander McLane wrote:

Svengali wrote:

A source for names could be the [wiki]Planet_Scanner[/wiki]. I've only noticed it while cleaning up the WIKI a while ago, but maybe it gives some inspiration.

It should be noted that the Planet Scanner project itself—if it ever went so far as to being a project—seems to be dead. As far as I can see nothing has happened with it since 2009, and—contrary to what the link may suggest—there never was any debate about it here on the BB.

Ok then. I love the idea and I think I heard mentions of an OXP changing the name of a planet... was it Aquatics...? Help...

I thought I could fiddle some with the 'Eight' to make them similar to Frontier universe as an OXP. So add planets via some existing System *e*ux OXP and add names and stations to them via others, but the planets in the chart need to be renamed first.

Could I just urge some caution on this. The problem (which has been discussed before) is that many missions rely on sending the player to specific destinations ie named systems, and if an OXP changes planet names this can cause problems or even break missions.
For this reason a wiki list has been compiled showing the systems used by existing OXPs, and these at least should be left alone if possible. Consider also that as more systems are used by OXPs, the pool of un-used planets is reduced and that renaming these would effectively deny them to OXP authors to use in the future as well.

Smivs wrote:

Could I just urge some caution on this. The problem (which has been discussed before) is that many missions rely on sending the player to specific destinations ie named systems, and if an OXP changes planet names this can cause problems or even break missions.

While there certainly are OXP compatibility issues with changing basic planet data (government, economy, and tech level, especially), and I wouldn't recommend doing it lightly, name is one of the easier ones to cope with, since you can (and probably should) just specify "%J007" rather than "Lave" in the mission text.

If the change is specified in the planetinfo.plist file rather than applied by script, it's also possible for the two OXPs to be used by the same player, so long as they aren't both installed at once.

I was going to rename some systems in Gal 1 per this excellent map by Selezen.

http://daftworks.co.uk/elite/data/_uplo ... verlay.png

Matching systems using Selezen's map and FFEStarsys is !FUN! because depending on how you rotate the 3D map you get slightly different results.

I won't touch any other details (tech level, government), and obviously the Old Worlds stay the same.

* means there is 100% coverage on Selezen's map. The prize goes to 2 systems
^ means the systems are only a few pixels away from each other on Selezen's map

FFE sector -3 -1
Sotera (#171) -> Ayethti
FFE sector -3 -2
Isti (#96) -> Liaaess
FFE sector -3 -4
Azaqu (#19) -> Excanlia ^ (FFEStarsys used)
FFE sector -2 -4
Anlama (#163) -> Ethwagre * (I don't like the FFE name but the coverage is 100%)
Ditiza (#217) -> Andancan
FFE sector -1 -3
Isence (#35) -> Etharin ^ (so close FFEStarsys had to be used)
FFE sector -1 -4
Reinen (#111) -> Ayaness ^
FFE sector -1 -7
Zaalela (#201) -> Ioedin ^ (why is the name different on Selezen's map?)
FFE sector 0 5
Rilace (#222) -> Veraeth ^
FFE sector 1 -5
Ribiso (#115) -> Cephiol (FFEStarsys used to find the name)
FFE sector 1 -6
Mariar (#225) -> Zeessce (FFEStarsys used to find the name)
FFE sector 2 -4
Zadies (#131) -> Intiol *
FFE sector 3 -2
Veis (#81) -> Edlave ^
FFE sector 3 -4
Xezaor (#198) -> Ceina ^ (again, FFEStarsys used)
FFE sector 3 -5
Solageon (#230) -> Aackess/Exenve (same distance to both)
FFE sector 3 -7
Qubeen (#233) -> Celiaol ^
FFE sector 4 -3
Beesor (#203) -> Intanay ^
FFE sector 4 -6
Atrebibi (#242) -> Qugrees ^ (FFE Starsys used)
FFE sector 4 -7
Raleen (#240) -> Sophize ^
Ququor (#40) -> Quedso ^ (so close I had to use FFEStarsys to read the name )
FFE sector 5 -2
Anerbe (#126) -> Urfaho
FFE sector 5 -3
Zasoceat (#221) -> Roayean ^
Anlere (#135) -> Enanve ^ (had to use FFEStarsys to find the name)
FFE sector 6 -3
Aerater (#120) -> Daanay ^
FFE sector 7 -2
Qudira (#116) -> Raorda ^
FFE sector 8 -2
Ribilebi (#162) -> Inethho ^ (so close I had to use FFEStarsys)

... and here's the crux! (FFEStarsys used to determine directions & distances, that's why it's different from Selezen's) and the sectors might be slightly off because it all depends on rotation
FFE sector -1 -2
Esredice (#106) = Delta Pavonis
Inera (#33) = Luyten 205-128
Veisti (#104) = Luyten 347-14
FFE sector 0 -2
Leaorce (#61) = Luyten 145-41
Rexebe (#232) = Beta Hydri
FFE sector 1 -2
Teen (#209) = Luyten 97-12

These two rely on the assumptions above:
FFE sector 2 -2
Anbeen (#143) -> Zeancan
Edorte (#200) -> Ackandso

Alternate FFE sector 0 -2 (per Selezen's map):
Esredice (#106) = Beta Hydri
Inera (#33) = Luyten 145-41

Almost wrote Beta Lyrae here, with a pun on "hoopy night life", before remembering it's a different Beta!

That's 34 systems which can be identified on the Frontier map, plus 10 Old Worlds / Frontier Colonies, 44 in total. 44 out of 256 is 17%!

EDIT: Actually, I had an even better idea. Is it possible to do something like: Esredice (Delta Pavonis) or will the .plist bork out due to brackets, asterisks whatever?

EDIT 2: Is it possible to add a grid to the long range chart? Sorta similar to the Frontier grid...

cim wrote:

name is one of the easier ones...since you can (and probably should) just specify "%J007" rather than "Lave" in the mission text.

Indeed, this is the way to do this as it ensures a consistency of naming for the player - they can be sent to a named planet and it will have that name. However this still leaves a problem.
Say a member posts a bug report about an OXP saying something like "I followed the instructions to fly to the planet Replacementname, but the ship I was to have met wasn't there."
This is going to be a problem if the author doesn't know about a planet called 'Replacement name' and didn't sent anybody there in the OXP. Of course, by a process of Q&A's it would eventually be resolved and the author will be able to work out which system the player is actually at and can start investigating the problem. Still a lot of hassle though!

Zireael wrote:

EDIT: Actually, I had an even better idea. Is it possible to do something like: Esredice (Delta Pavonis) or will the .plist bork out due to brackets, asterisks whatever?

So long as you stick the value in quotes, it will be fine.

Zireael wrote:

EDIT 2: Is it possible to add a grid to the long range chart? Sorta similar to the Frontier grid...

Yes, if you make it part of a background or overlay image.

Smivs wrote:

However this still leaves a problem.

As I said, it shouldn't be done lightly. Though I could say that about a lot of things which are theoretically possible to OXP...

Here's a first version of the OXP (renamed only the systems listed in crux and Zadies).

Feel free to test and tell me how the grid works without BGS and with it, and can something be done about the end of the name being covered by 'distance'?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gh9svwnilq87d ... %200.1.zip