[WIP] GalCop Missions

[phkb]

Version 0.0.7 has been released. In this version:

• Better logic for determining if a pirate ship has just been destroyed.
• Added a "+/-" indicator on the Range Finder MFD, to make it clearer in which direction the player is moving in relation to the target.

[javirodriguez]

Hi!
"Pirate hunt" missions are now working better!!!!

[pagroove]

Tried the stranded ship mission yesterday. After having found the ship with the range finder I moved in. I dropped 1 ton of machinery near the ship but nothing happened. Tried to poke the ship and also tried with the comms oxp to greet the ship in the hope that it would be moving. Eventually tried shooting it. None of these actions had the result that the stranded ship would scoop the machinery and move on.

Am I doing something wrong or is this mission broken?

[phkb]

It sounds like I've broken it somewhere. I'll investigate and get back to you.

[pagroove]

ok thnx

[phkb]

And, yep, there are bugs. A couple of them, actually. I did a couple of tests: in the first one, the stricken ship was able to scoop the cargo and fly off; in the second the cargo just circled around the stricken ship, never getting close enough for it to complete the process. I've done some tweaks, and once I get another chance to test it, I'll get an update out.

Thanks for your help with this!

[phkb]

OK, version 0.0.8 is now available from the wiki or links in the first post. In this version:

• Better logic for determining what is a witchpoint buoy.
• Better client name generation using PhraseGen tool.
• Fixed minor text issue with the "decline mission" for escape pod messages.
• No mission accept/complete confirmation emails will be sent for secondary missions when the source of the mission is an NPC from an escape pod or a ship.
• If player ejects escape pod while in pod occupant is communicating, conversation will stop and mission offering will be correctly terminated.
• Fixed error when scooping escape pod with no "crew" set (ie equivalent to scooping 1t slaves)
• Improved robustness of "Rescue Stricken Ship" missions.
• Fixed issue where stricken ships were not communicating with player correctly.
• Fixed error when firing on the stricken ship after it was repaired.

[lohcek]

Took a Collect data cache mission in Ontiat. Get in system, find comm relay signal, fly way out there to the relay. Three Offenders await me and attack on sight. After several tries (still pretty new to the game) I manage to blow them all up and scoop one escape pod. But I can't figure out the data cache bit.

When I target the comm relay I get no options under Broadcast Comms. I presume this is how I would transmit my unlock code. Is this where I find the cache or do I have more flying around to do. Or could this just be a bug?

[phkb]

You should get Broadcast Comms options when you target the relay, so it might be a bug. I'll check shortly and get back to you.

[phkb]

I just tested the same scenario, fly to cache, get attacked by goon squad, fight them off. However, when I target the data cache I get a "Transmit passcode" as an option on Broadcast Comms. Do you have a save file I can examine that might help track down the cause?

[lohcek]

Unfortunately I decided to restart. I figured the problem was introduced by adding OXP's with an existing save.

So I started over and things seem to be working as expected. I haven't been offered the same kind of mission yet, but I'll let you know (and preserve the save!) if it doesn't work again.

Thank you for checking it out.

[phkb]

Version 0.0.9 of GalCop Missions is now available via the download manager. In this version:

• Added "Gather ingredients" mission (type 53).
• Fixed issue where missions with a deposit could have a negative net payment if the player's reputation is low.
• Fixed issue with manifest entries not reflecting the state of progress correctly.
• Reworked how textures are specified in mission definitions.
• Added overlay images to charity missions.
• Added routines to control the creation of asteroid fields, so they will be created in the same place in each system, and reused for future missions.
• Fixed issues with mission descriptions missing some text elements.
• Fixed issue with cargo recovery mission text containing ">undefined".
• Fixed issue with RRS reputations causing a JavaScript error when opening the "Reputation and Awards" F4 screen.
• Headings on the reputations page will now be suppressed if there are no related items to display.
• Converted text for mission types 74, 100, 101 and 102 to use the PhraseGen tool.
• Some tweaks/fixes to mission text.
• Code refactoring.

[gsagostinho]

Today I finally had the time to try this OXP and, first of all, this is an absolutely amazing extension, phkb! Having so much fun with this And the use of the e-mail system is really great, it's so nice to receive e-mails other else than shopping/bounty/repair reports

But here are a couple of suggestions and bug reports:
- perhaps it would be good to only let the player accept a mission if he/she has all the required equipment. For instance, I received an e-mail from an unkown commander asking me to meet him at a waypoint. Once I get there, we entered a staring contest as I thought I should simply show up. It turns out that in order to send him the password that he was waiting for, I needed a Broadcast Comms MFD (which may be obvious once you think about it but was not mentioned in his e-mail). Had to go shop one and come back.
- in this same mission, I ran into another problem: I transmitted the password with my newly bought Broadcast Comms MFD, but after the other ship said that my code was fine nothing else happened. I decided to go back to the main station as this had become a second staring contest. Getting there I realized that the mission is still opened, I still have the "Meet a ship at the waypoint" on my F5 screen, I did not receive the compensation money for getting there and, worse of all, the waypoint disappeared from my compass!
- in another mission, I was supposed to find a blackbox in between two systems. I ended up running out of time, but then I realized that perhaps I should have forced a misjump in that route. Was that the case? If so, perhaps that's a little bit too crypctic.
- finally: I got an offer for a delivery mission which required 946 Cr of deposit and would pay me 971 Cr, giving a net gain of only 25 Cr. How are these values calculated? Any business that would require me to deposit 40x my possible gains would be classified as a scam

small edit: concerning the first case, the meeting point reappeared on my compass but still nothing happens when I get there.

[phkb]

Thanks for the bug reports, gsagostinho. They should keep me busy for a while! In some cases I thought I had restricted the mission to only when the player has certain equipment, but I've obviously missed a few cases. I'll report back on all of these shortly.

[gsagostinho]

Thanks for the bug reports, gsagostinho. They should keep me busy for a while!

My pleasure. Please let me know if I can be of any help with these. This OXP is really so awesomely fantastic, I haven't done anything else today except play with it I can see myself "testing" it for maaany hours to come

In some cases I thought I had restricted the mission to only when the player has certain equipment, but I've obviously missed a few cases. I'll report back on all of these shortly.

Could it be because that specific mission was accepted via the e-mail system instead of the bulletins?

Also, concerning the staring contest bug, I just remembered that I first transmitted a greeting before transmitting the password, could this perhaps have contributed to the bug?