Oolite Bulletins

I have been flying around the Ooniverse for a fair few months now. Most of the OXPs that I have installed are of the purely ambient variety (apart from "Random Hits"). I now feel that I am at the stage where I'm ready to install one or two of the add-ons that change the game mechanics.

So my question to you good people is... what's you favourite game changing OXP?

I don't use any game-changers - but  Skilled NPCs can make life tougher.

Imaginos wrote:

I have been flying around the Ooniverse for a fair few months now. Most of the OXPs that I have installed are of the purely ambient variety (apart from "Random Hits"). I now feel that I am at the stage where I'm ready to install one or two of the add-ons that change the game mechanics.

So my question to you good people is... what's you favourite game changing OXP?

Broadcast Comms MFD. It seems like such a simple OXP on the surface-- you send messages to other ships-- but adds so much functionality to the game. All at once, you can find other ships heading your way in a convoy, you can bribe (with credits, a boon to those of us who don't carry cargo) or scare off pirates, or taunt them into messing up a shot. You can call for help from other ships or even the police. Useful, compact, entertaining.

Generally I'm not fond of game-changing OXPs either, but as you are looking for a change, why not try one of the big Mission OXPs?

Don't get me wrong... I'm not dissatisfied or bored with the core game... I just fancy trying something a little different. Your suggestion sounds interesting Layne.
I din't think that I'm ready for Skilled NPCs yet though Cody.

Smivs and I are probably in the minority - more useful suggestions will no doubt follow from other users.

I like what Illegal Goods Tweak does for the game. Not a major change, just a bit of a tweak to the way illegal goods are handled when docking at main stations.

Cody wrote:

Smivs and I are probably in the minority - more useful suggestions will no doubt follow from other users.

You can count me in that category as well. Granted, that has not always been the case, but I have recanted. The core game has all the diversity I need.

phkb wrote:

I like what Illegal Goods Tweak does for the game. Not a major change, just a bit of a tweak to the way illegal goods are handled when docking at main stations.

I'll second that and say Undocumented Launch is also a good combo with Illegal Goods.

A (non-OXP) game changer would also be a new Jameson. Gets me all the time!

If the idea of making trading more challenging appeals to you, try cim's New Cargoes. It will also make use of Illegal Goods Tweak and HyperCargo, if installed.

New Cargoes doesn't replace the core trading system, it just supplements it. I thoroughly enjoy the challenge it presents, and my main trading Commander almost exclusively trades in New Cargoes. It's not often I make a real killing on a trade, but it's so, so sweet when you manage to pull one off. Tracking down the clues from bar-room gossip and the TraderNet, that can lead to finding a good trade is fun, too. (hint: get a good-sized notebook, you'll need it!)

Warning: Be sure to read and follow ALL the advice and suggestions linked to in the article. If you don't, it's very easy to lose a lot of money.

Imaginos wrote:

what's you favourite game changing OXP?

Activities:
-[wiki]Black Monk Monastery[/wiki] give a challenge to repay your debt with high interest in time.
-[wiki]Deep Space Pirates[/wiki] is a must have if you want encounters out of the common spacelanes.
-Explorers' Club count your travel and provide peaceful goals.
-[wiki]In-System Taxi[/wiki] give new passenger contracts.
-[wiki]Towbar[/wiki] invite to salvage derelict ships ([wiki]EscortDeck[/wiki] can do the same with small ships).

Dockables:
-[wiki]Deep Space Dredger[/wiki] is another way to salvage derelict ships.
-[wiki]HoOpy Casino[/wiki] contain some playable card games.
-[wiki]Stations for Extra Planets[/wiki] if you have Additional Planets.

Mechanics:
-[wiki]Hyperspace Hangar[/wiki] to own more ships at the same time.
-[wiki]Interstellar Tweaks[/wiki] make interesting things in misjumps.
-[wiki]Start Choices[/wiki] to play different careers.

Missions:
-All are good.

Systems:
-Addons named after governments make nice changes in the corresponding systems.
-[wiki]Rescue Stations[/wiki] for another missions.

Ships:
-[wiki]Carriers[/wiki]: sit into one of your escorts for fight and land back on your own carrier after combat.

Weapons:
-[wiki]Armoury[/wiki] and [wiki]Missiles and Bombs[/wiki] for variety in pylons.
-[wiki]Laser Cannons[/wiki] can make more derelicts for your salvager career.

Lastly for the best pilots only: [wiki]HardShips[/wiki] and [wiki]ShipVersion[/wiki]. These make all fights harder, especially if both are installed until your ship is not get many of the new equipments.

Fuel related oxps ( [wiki]ExtraFuelTanks[/wiki], [wiki]Fuel_Tank[/wiki] , there are more)

[wiki]Random_Hits_OXP[/wiki]

I do like the following system OXPs very much, they add some special flavour to some of the government types (namely Anarchy, Communism, Dictatorship and Feudalism):

- Anarchies
- Commies
- Dictators
- Feudal States

gsagostinho wrote:

I do like the following system OXPs very much, they add some special flavour to some of the government types (namely Anarchy, Communism, Dictatorship and Feudalism):

- Anarchies
- Commies
- Dictators
- Feudal States

Those are all very good for adding some distinct features to special systems.

Unofficially, there are also Free Trade Zones and Factions, two OXPs which do something similar to Multi-government Systems.

Also, I cobbled together my own flavor OXP for Corporate systems; I call it Panem et Circenses-- it uses a modified HOopy Casino and Your Ad Here to only add those to Corporate systems. (The Commie systems have propaganda billboards; now Corporate systems have relentless advertising. Fair is fair!)

The special stations in the OXPs you listed above do not have working markets since 1.82; I am currently looking into how to fix that, as mentioned on another thread.