Oolite Bulletins

The listings below will be updated regularly
last update 6th march, 2015

With the imminent arrival release of Oolite v1.80 and the changeover to OXZ format I am taking a look at my OXP portfolio.
Including collaborations and re-makes I have 24 OXPs which are listed here on my wiki page. Some are going to be much easier than others to convert, and some may not be converted at all, which is the reason for this post. I'm hoping for a bit of feedback to help me make some decisions, some of which are going to be difficult. Here are my thoughts so far.

Straight-forward conversion to OXZ format:-
(These will be done ASAP)

Aliens - Now converted to OXZ
Contractor - Now converted to OXZ
Cup of Tea - Now converted to OXZ
Delightful Docking - Now converted to OXZ
ExtraFuelTanks [- Now converted to OXZ
GalDrivePod - Now converted to OXZ
TOGY Memorials - (Done but waiting for main TOGY OXP to be converted to OXZ)
Teretrurus v2.0 - Now converted to OXZ
YellOo Cabs - Now converted to OXZ

Conversion to OXZ anticipated but will need extra work:-
(Work and time needed, so conversion could take some time)

Clippers - Provisionally converted to OXZ - graphics/HUD update pending
Combat HUD - Now converted to OXZ
BattleDamage - Now converted to OXZ
Better Screens - Now converted to OXZ
Giant Space Pizza - Now converted to OXZ
Star Jelly - Now converted to OXZ
Xeptatl's Sword (Major overhaul now underway by spara)

Collaborations:-

Liners - Thargoid has now 'adopted' this project and has done/is doing the conversion. Now converted to OXZ
Chopped Cobra - This is really Staer 9's baby, but I have some interest in it and host the OXP. Staer 9 seems to be MIA, so if/when I get time I will try to look at this. It should not be a massive job.

OXPs that will not be converted. :-

Accessories
No longer maintained or supported. Now redundant as the new default items are as good or better.

Cloak Repair
No longer needed as all Cloaks are repairable in v1.79/1.80

Jellybaby Dispenser
This one has had its day, I'm afraid, and will not be converted. No longer maintained or supported, this will remain available as an OXP for now,

Smivs'Shipset
No longer maintained or supported. Effectively replaced by The Classic Ships

ToughGuys
No longer maintained or supported. This OXP has been very hard to maintain as it has to work with so many combinations of shipsets, and development as a 1.8 OXZ is unlikely. Cim's 'Skilled NPCs' does much of what TG does, and would therefore be a worthy choice for those wanting a harder life in the future.

WonderWorm
I do not consider this OXP as suitable to be offered via the Expansions Manager on grounds of responsibility. No longer maintained or supported, this will remain available as an OXP for now.




Original post:-

Accessories and Smivs'Shipset:-
Yes, two of my most popular OXPs with approaching 5000 downloads between them, but I really don't know what to do with these in the longer term.
My feeling is that with the new improved default ships, demand for re-texture sets will fall dramatically and that the non-shader sets will be worst hit. To update these OXPs would be a lot of work, but take-up is likely to be much lower than with previous versions of Oolite and so I have to ask myself whether it is worth the effort. The existing OXPs will continue to work, but in truth it is unlikely that they would be actively maintained or developed. However I am reluctant to just let them die a natural death.
I know many people like the styling and the fact they are brighter and much more visible than other shipsets (including the new default set), and the visible damage feature does also seem very popular. Also, like myself, many of you also seem to like the shapes because they are very close to the original Elite shapes. A bit of nostalgia.
One option I am considering is to merge both OXPs back into one 'unified' set which would replace all the standard ships and objects in 1.79/1.8 giving players the option of returning to the 'classic' shape ships. This would probably be called the 'Classic Gold Shipset'.
These would be based on the skins from the current OXPs, but these would be made less fussy and a bit more neutral to give a broader appeal. I would take more inspiration from the current default set in terms of colours and any detail styling to more closely mimic the look of the current default ships but without the pastels and with improved and more realistic detailing.
Also, although these will be designed pricipally as a non-shader set, they would gain normal and specular mapping to bring them alive on shader-capable computers.
The ships would look great on non-shader hardware but would also look excellent on higher-end machines. It would incorporate an improved version of the visible damage feature, and the extra variants that feature in the current Smivs'Shipset. And perhaps most importantly it would keep the original ship shapes alive for those who like them.
This would involve a great deal of work (as I would be more or less starting from scratch) and clearly would not be a quick job, particularly if the visible damage feature and integration with an updated BattleDamage OXP is needed.
So I'm looking for thoughts, comments and feedback to give me some hints as to what you might want - would there even be a demand for a set as described above? Is that what you'd want or would I do better keeping things more as they are? Are there features that are un-necessary, or features that you would like to see? And are the proposed upgrades/changes to my other OXPs in line with what the community wants? Please let me have your thoughts.
Thanks,
Smivs

Hi Smivs. Nice list.

A few things.

Liners.oxp.

The thing I want to add to this oxp is custom BGS tunnels for the Liners that have a dock. But I understand that Thargoid maintains the package now? It's ok. I don't plan to do this too soon anyway.

BGS screens.

Isn't your set just a replacement of the background screens? If so then I think a manual install is better or a duplicate BGS with your screens in.

Your ship sets.

Please continue them. I'm a fan of your set. They add variation to the club of ships.

I think your ships are worth to receive normal and specular maps and use in addition to increase variety in the next Oolite also.

The v1.8 is not correct imho due to is not equal with 1.80 in an ordered list, I suggest to avoid it and use 1.80.

You are right about ToughGuys, this is replaced by the better aim of NPCs and blockades by the new populator also.

Should not be any problem with [wiki]Better_Screens[/wiki] if you put it into an oxz, but I have another idea: these simple backgrounds should be in the core for low-end users, due to much better than the current empty ones and other players almost surely will install [wiki]BGS[/wiki]. There are shipyard="shipyard.png"; and similar lines in screenbackgrounds.plist but no such images yet, so adding is simple, need a decision only.

pagroove wrote:

Liners.oxp.

The thing I want to add to this oxp is custom BGS tunnels for the Liners that have a dock. But I understand that Thargoid maintains the package now? It's ok. I don't plan to do this too soon anyway.

I converted and uploaded it to the wiki, but am quite happy for it to continue to be a group effort. New dock tunnels sound like a great idea when you have the time to do it.

Master Smiv Sir

Keep the old smiv's ships going. I think there are still a lot of people using low spec PCs, laptops and or netbooks that cannot handle the uber goodness of the new kit. My netbook certainly can't. Likely these low spec units will be around for a long while yet.

Slightly off topic I came across the oolite log today. I am getting this error as regards the gun in your ship set. Indeed my cobra appears without a gun. This error is multiple entry in the log until the startup is complete by the looks of it. Can you help Sir?
BBD

Bangbangduck wrote:

I came across the oolite log today.

Careful, you will find yourself checking that log after nearly every flight/session - it becomes almost automatic.

I have a shortcut to the logs folder on my desktop.

I'm doomed aren't I..

BBD

Bangbangduck wrote:

I'm doomed aren't I..

BBD

From a normal life, probable.
To a better life, debatable.
To the dark side, inevitable.

Gimi wrote:

I have a shortcut to the logs folder on my desktop.

I have a quick-launch button on my task bar for Notepad++ wherein the log is always open. <chortles>

Gimi wrote:

I have a shortcut to the logs folder on my desktop.

Ditto. Very handy it is, too, since the logs are in a hidden folder in Linux.

<Smivs sniffs a derailment coming on...>

Ha, probably no more than I deserve

Thanks for the feedback so far chaps, keep it coming.

@BBD No idea what's causing the gun issue you spotted. I'll have a poke around and get back to you on that.

Smivs

Bangbangduck wrote:

Slightly off topic I came across the oolite log today. I am getting this error as regards the gun in your ship set. Indeed my cobra appears without a gun. This error is multiple entry in the log until the startup is complete by the looks of it. Can you help Sir?

Code: Select all

20:36:16.952 [setup.ship.badEntry.subentities]: Failed to set up entity smivsgun

I'm struggling to pin this down and cannot even re-produce it at the moment. The subentity is named as 'smivs-gun' (with a hyphen) in all the plists as far as I can tell, so I'm not sure at this stage where the 'smivsgun' (no hyphen) is coming from.
Could you confirm exactly which version of the shipset you are using, and also whether you are also using BattleDamage OXP or any other OXPs (by me or anybody else) that may have an affect on the main shipset, please.

Smivs wrote:

Bangbangduck wrote:

Slightly off topic I came across the oolite log today. I am getting this error as regards the gun in your ship set. Indeed my cobra appears without a gun. This error is multiple entry in the log until the startup is complete by the looks of it. Can you help Sir?

Code: Select all

20:36:16.952 [setup.ship.badEntry.subentities]: Failed to set up entity smivsgun

I'm struggling to pin this down and cannot even re-produce it at the moment. The subentity is named as 'smivs-gun' (with a hyphen) in all the plists as far as I can tell, so I'm not sure at this stage where the 'smivsgun' (no hyphen) is coming from.
Could you confirm exactly which version of the shipset you are using, and also whether you are also using BattleDamage OXP or any other OXPs (by me or anybody else) that may have an affect on the main shipset, please.

There's are references to 'smivsgun' subentity at least in TG4.0.

spara wrote:

There's are references to 'smivsgun' subentity at least in TG4.0.

Ah, that could be it - thanks Spara. I'll investigate further...