Oolite Bulletins

Hi all. I'm a science fiction novelist and I got the idea the other day that I'd really like to fly my own ships. I've got a bunch of 3D models already made, as I do all of my own artwork, but after spending DAYS researching I was amazed to find that what I wanted to do was virtually impossible.

Now I remember modding games back in the days when every game had a bunch of community created modding tools and it was as easy as converting a 3D model into the right format, dropping it into a folder, and editing some text files that defined which models/textures were used as well as the stats of the ship in question.

Finally I found Oolite, and it seems like it's been made to be modded, so that sounds great, but I've not been able so far to find any really definitive info on modding it. Are there any guides on adding ships to the game? What about weapons or other equipment, is it possible to create custom items with your own stats? I'm very excited about creating some stuff for Oolite and would be glad to share my content with others, I just need to know where to start. Thanks!

Hi and welcome. Oolite has indeed been designed to be fully moddable. To get you going with OXPs (Oolite eXpansion Packs), start from the wiki pages here: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXP_howto. Take note that there is plenty of reading to do and that is because almost everything in the game can be changed. You can add ships, create new graphics, new effects, new HUDs, new weapons (offensive or defensive, with own stats if you so wish), new sounds and music, new AI for ships, new UI, change the way space and planets look, script missions and events if you want and even modify core functionality to a point where an entire new game has been created. There is plenty of information to absorb, but you can of course start by focusing on the area you are interested in and you can ask questions here if things get tricky.

Welcome authormoreau!

authormoreau wrote:

converting a 3D model into the right format, dropping it into a folder, and editing some text files that defined which models/textures were used as well as the stats of the ship

The easy way is if you take an existing ship oxp and modify it. Here is a help howto convert a Wavefront (.obj) model format to .dat for Oolite. Copy your texture file (must be in .png) into the Textures folder and modify the Config/shipdata.plist as you wish.

Feel free to ask anything you need. Good luck!

Welcome aboard...

authormoreau wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 5:28 am

I'm a science fiction novelist...

Pulp sci-fi, eh? The 'Golden Age', when rockets were rockets? <grins>

Yes. One of my series is Rocket Riders of the 27th Century, and it is a modern take on the atompunk style classic pulpSF. Rocketships, rayguns, martians, oh my!

Two quick questions:

1. Let's say I want to start very small, anyone have a link to creating a new type of ship weapon? And if I create one, how do I get it, do I have to buy it somewhere?

2. Let's say I want to start BIG. Would it be possible to essentially "wipe" the game of ships, systems, weapons, etc... and start with a clean slate in some fashion so that I know that anything inside "my" game is stuff that I made for my universe? (sorry if the question is kinda vague, bear with my while I'm learning). Right now, trying to learn things, I'm worried that it's going to get confusing fast having my content in-game alongside tons of other stuff.


Also, my intention is that if I can ever get my "total conversion" done, so essentially a RR27K universe to explore that expands with every new story I write (and then add content to the game). Just figured it might be fun to play around in my own universe, and that some others might enjoy it too.

1. For example Railgun is an equipment what you can buy in F3 screen, then prime and activate to fire.
2. To define a different galaxy you must make a scenario, as in SOTL OXP.

Okay, cool. So if I make my own Galaxy it'll kinda separate my content from the rest of the game eh? Going to do some reading tonight. Thanks for the links.

authormoreau wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 3:25 pm

Also, my intention is that if I can ever get my "total conversion" done, so essentially a RR27K universe to explore that expands with every new story I write (and then add content to the game).

That sounds very cool. I'm gonna have to check out your books.