Oolite Bulletins

For your consideration and feedback...

The Laser Mount Switching System (LMSS) provides a way for pilots to have two lasers installed at each laser mount, and easily switch between them. The goal of this system is to give pilots a way of reconfiguring their ship inflight for different roles. For example, some pilots prefer to use a military laser and "snipe" their enemies from a distance. However, not every fight can be done at a distance, and there will inevitably be situations where pilots need to engage in a dogfight at close quarters. Using the LMSS, pilots can switch between their military laser and a beam laser that is more suited for dogfighting. Another example is where a ship has been set up for mining. In this instance the pilot may prefer to have their mining laser installed in the front mount. However, doing so makes it extremely awkward for any sort of battle situation. Using the LMSS, the pilot can easily switch between their mining laser and another laser (like a pulse or beam laser), so they can switch from "mining mode" to "fighting mode".

Installation
There are two components to the LMSS system: the assembly, plus an additional laser. The assemblies can be purchased at any system with a techlevel of 8. If the pilot wants switchable lasers in all four laser mounts, then four LMSS systems must be purchased. After the assembly is installed on a laser mount, the pilot can then choose what additional laser they want to install. First, they must switch the current laser to the secondary position via the "LMSS Dockside Configuration" F4 interface screen. Once the primary laser is moved into the secondary position, additional lasers can be purchased in the primary position in the normal way.

An additional piece of equipment, the LMSS Actuator Upgrade, can be purchased at techlevel 13 systems. This upgrade speeds up the switching process, almost halving the time it takes to switch between lasers.

The LMSS can be used with all lasers, including all the built it ones (pulse, beam, mining and military lasers), plus any lasers provided by OXP's.

Secondary lasers can't be viewed on the F5 ship equipment list. To see all secondary laser installations, go to the F5 F5 Manifest screen, where the secondary lasers will be listed under the heading "LMSS Secondary Laser Installations".

Flight Operation
Once the assembly and secondary lasers are installed, the process to switch lasers is as follows:
1. Select the view where the assembly is installed (front, aft, port, or starboard).
2. Select the primable equipment "LMSS Activator"
3. Activate the equipment by pressing "n" on the keyboard.
There will be a delay between dismounting the current laser and mounting the secondary one. During that delay no laser can be fired in that position.

Laser Temperature
The LMSS installs an additional laser mount beneath the existing mount, and includes an assembly and actuator to switch the mounts around. However, the heat dispersal system is shared between both mounts. Heat that is accumulated on one laser still needs to be dispersed even if the secondary laser is activated. Switching lasers does not give the pilot more firepower.

Damage
If the LMSS assembly is damaged while it is switching lasers, the laser mount will be unavailable until the next time the ship docks. Upon docking, the primary laser will be restored to its mount, but the switching mechanism will be unavailable until repaired.

Download version 2.0.0 here: https://app.box.com/s/bah2v9yjmbnnf3tcfa73hzyvue7rl1iq
To install unzip the OXP folder to your addons folder.
Download an OXZ version here: https://app.box.com/s/0bpw5ov0jjetztmtzkc6eh1id5em038b.
Just put this file in your addons folder without change.
Also available via the download managed in game.

Interesting and, I suspect, will make minimg more attractive for many.

phkb wrote:

Using the LMSS, pilots can switch between their military laser and a beam laser that is more suited for dogfighting.

Is the beam laser much better for dogfighting?

phkb wrote:

Switching lasers does not give the pilot more firepower.

I think that's probably for the best.

I look forward to trying this out at some stage.

Redspear wrote:

Is the beam laser much better for dogfighting?

I guess some of the issue relates to fighting style, but the mil laser delivers a lot of energy in a short space of time, and heats up quickly. In a dogfight, where you have to make lots of short laser bursts, I find I spend quite a bit of time waiting for the laser to cool before I can take another shot. The beam laser, as it doesn't heat up quite so fast, allows for more bursts. That's my experience anyway. YMMV.

[EDIT] However, after just reading through the 1.81 combat changes thread, it seems that the mil laser is considered a dogfighting weapon, particularly with the changes to it in 1.81. Although it's also a sniping weapon. Oh well. I thought I was on to something beneficial for everyone with this OXP, but maybe it will only appeal to miners.

Just posted an update, 1.0.1, link in first post:

• Fixed bug where docking (or dying) while switching weapons would cause some unpredictable results.
• If an OXP laser gets installed after the LMSS system, the LMSS will now not switch the laser and potentially lose it.
• If a LMSS laser is purchased to replace an existing laser, a refund is now given on the laser that is removed (100% of standard laser cost).
• Code refactoring
• Put correct tags in manifest file.

Interesting gadget.. and, I think, makes a little more sense than the Weapon Rotator.

Do the extra lasers take up any cargo space? Seems to me that they ought to.

I imagined the additional lasers being installed in hull space beside the existing laser mounts, so the LMSS assembly can reach them to switch them. So, no, no cargo space taken up at the moment, but I'm willing to consider it!

Nice OXP
I'm using it to swap between a mining & mil laser, very useful.

I wonder if you have thought about adding a sound for the change over?

I'd love to! Can anyone suggest somewhere I can find some suitable sound effects? A "clunk" type sound for the laser being mounted/dismounted and a "whine" type sound for the changeover. I'm happy to do the searching, I've just never done this sort of thing before, and I have no idea where's the best place to start (other than Google...)

phkb wrote:

Can anyone suggest somewhere I can find some suitable sound effects?

Try here (link courtesy of Diziet Sma).

Very neat idea but ... 15K Credits? I can't even afford it right now (Copperhead start). It would be very useful to mount a mining laser and, you know, get easy free credits "en passant".

What about a more accessible price tag (say, 1500 Cr) for 1 TC less? The big price tag only hurts beginners; for experienced commanders 15KCr is almost nothing from what I've heard (if the big price is intended as a "money sink"). 1 TC still hurts starting Jamesons but at least the device is affordable, and it is a real downside in the long run for everyone (well, I like choices and conundrums). Or maybe make it pylon-mounted (even better for me as I nerfed missiles to the equivalent of a Trumble fart)

Deal?

Good points... next version will reduce the TCO for the equipment, and offset the reduction with a loss of cargo space.

I think a price of 6000-7000Cr for the assembly plus a further 6000-7000Cr for the upgrade would be a reasonable price (equivalent to a mil laser).
As for cargo space I don't see this taking up any myself, as I think of the laser being stored just inside the hull in the swiping mechanism, nowhere near the cargo bay.

OK, version 1.0.3 has been uploaded (link in first post). I took a bit of a mid-point - 3600 for the assembly, 4200 for the upgrade. No cargo space. There is now a sound playing while the weapons are switched over. First time I've ever done this sort of thing, so I'd value any suggestions about the result.

One could also compensate the additional device by, instead of costing cargo space, reducing thrust, maneuverability or even top speed...

Version 1.0.4 has been released, and I've also added it to the download manager. Wiki page is also up.
In this version:

• Fixed techLevel setting for Actuator upgrade
• Fixed damageProbability of the Actuator upgrade so it can be damaged, and added a check to switch the delay back to 10 seconds when it is damaged.