Oolite Bulletins

Start Choices Addenda

Latest OXZ update - Version 0.6.1
Updated 28 January 2019

This OXP expands Start Choices (author spara).
Two extra scenarios added:

• Expeditor Start

Start with a Transporter and 100 credits at Lave station. The ship is equipped with a fuel injector and PLC equipment only, so try to search business on a bottom of atmosphere.

• Advanced Miner Start

Start with a Bushmaster and 100 credits at Lave station. The ship is not hyperspace capable and equipped with a fuel injector, front miner laser and fuel scoops only.

I think vanilla Transporter is a bit unbalanced. If you compare ship dimensions (30х10х35) with 1 ton cargo container (approx. 9.6x5.6), you literally have no room for declared 12 tons of cargo capacity. Transporter cargo capacity is reduced to 8 tons. Transporter is also too slow and too poorly shielded for autonomous work. It is quite adequate as light cargo shuttle, but for dangerous in-system work (Deep Space Pirates rulez!) you need another ship. Cobra Mark I may be or Python. But wait, if you already have hyperspace capable ship, you have no pressing need for mining business.

Well, if you want to try hard in-system miner scenario, you need ship without hyperspace capacity, but with more advanced specs than vanilla Transporter. Not too fast, 200+ or so, and with fair 20 tons cargo capacity.
Bushmaster is a good ship for such role. Compare specs:

Transporter

Dimensions 30х10х35
Max speed 100
Max energy 150
Energy recharge rate 3
Cargo capacity 12 (8)
Laser mounts: Front
Missile pylons: no

Bushmaster

Dimensions 50х10х70
Max speed 280
Max energy 240
Energy recharge rate 2.5
Cargo capacity 20
Laser mounts: Front
Missile pylons: 2

Lave is a not good place for mining business so I use the same trick as spara in his Miner Start scenario – friendly ship that provides wormhole to more safe nearby system.

You must have original Start Choices installed for Expeditor scenario.

Credits:
Start Choices (author spara).
Bushmaster models and texture maps from Staer9's Shipset (Staer9, Griff).

And thanks sanata for idea of expanding playable ship choice!

Welcome aboard, Commander - cookies in the jar!

Excellent! Can I again suggest adding a manifest file?

I notice you've copied the Staer9 Bushmaster data/texture files as-is from the Staer9 shipset. This issue is fairly small, because the Staer9 shipset OXP isn't getting regular updates, but if there was ever an update to the Staer9 Bushmaster in the original shipset, and a player has both it and the Start Choice Addenda installed, then it will be unclear which version of the files will "win", because one version will overwrite the other when the game compiles all the files from all the installed OXP's.

There are a couple of options (should you think it worth doing the change): (1) You could rename all the Bushmaster files in your OXP, adding something like "_sca" to the filename. That would keep all your files distinct from the Staer9 shipset ones. Or (2) Require that the Staer9 shipset be installed, which can be referenced in the manifest.plist fie. That way, any updates to the Staer9 shipset are automatically picked up in your OXP.

Otherwise, this is looking great!

Thanks, phkb!

I agree, adding a manifest file will be a good habit even for OXP format.
File names distinct from original Staer9 Bushmaster - good idea. I prefer to add to game Bushmaster only, not rest of shipset.
I'll be offline till Monday, so plan to continue next week.

Version 0.6 - Bushmaster data files and links updated (prefixed as sca_Staer9_bushmaster) to prevent possible conflicts in case of future updating of Staer9 original shipset. Manifest file also included.

Update: fixed syntax error in manifest.plist. Re-upload archive file under the same link.