Oolite Bulletins

Ever since the founding of the Elite Federation, a pilot's combat rating has granted a certain prestige or scorn depending upon their official designation. This was being recognised by the Galactic Navy as well as by other, more nefarious organisations eager to lure capable combateers into their service.

Under increasing pressure to act, GalCop decided to more formally acknowledge a pilot's Elite Rating and to link it to it their own official licensing system. This new type of pilot's licence would grant certain privileges upon the achievement of each combat rank. Privileges would include permission to fly more trade capable vessels and to equip certain upgrades.

In further efforts to dissuade piracy, the more extreme, combat capable craft would be hidden behind the highest ranks. If GalCop had refused to unlock them altogether, it was reasoned, then pilots would likely have gotten them elsewhere and indeed moved elsewhere in order to do so. The fact that many of the smaller trading vessels are also moderately combat capable meant that this strategy was only partially successful.

Despite this trade-friendly stance, the largest freighters would only be entrusted to highly experienced commanders. The safety of a considerable crew along with not insignificant merchandise was very much a serious matter for GalCop's accountants.

This OXP is designed to accompany a new game start. It adds a player progression path based on combat rating rather than just credits.

The player begins their career in a humble Adder rather than the more familiar Cobra Mk III. Each time their combat rating improves this will be recognised by GalCop and new equipment of ships will be unlocked as follows:

• Trainee 3rd Class (harmless)
  • Adder

• Trainee 2nd Class (mostly harmless)
  • fuel scoops, large cargo bay

• Trainee 1st Class (poor)
  • Cobra Mk I, advanced space compass

• Pilot 3rd Class (average)
  • extra energy unit, passenger berth

• Pilot 2nd Class (above average)
  • Moray, advanced navigation array

• Pilot 1st Class (competent)
  • wormhole scanner, galactic hyperdrive

• Warrant Officer ('right on commander')
  • Cobra Mk III, Python

• Flight Officer (dangerous)
  • Fer de Lance, Boa Mk I

• Captain (deadly)
  • Asp Mk II, Anaconda

• Commodore (elite)
  • Boa Mk II

In order to make the ship progression a little more satisfying, ship speeds have been altered/allocated as follows:

• Adder - 0.24LM
  • original value

• Cobra Mk I - 0.26LM
  • original value

• Moray - 0.28LM
  • between elite and oolite values

• Cobra Mk III - 0.3LM
  • original elite and non-player oolite value

• Fer de Lance - 0.35LM
  • the same speed boost the default player ship receives in the standard game

• Asp Mk II - 0.4LM
  • original value

Ship prices have also been altered to further accommodate this progression path.


Coming soon...

v1.1 https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/ ... icense.oxz

Music credits: Geoffrey Burch

EDIT: updated to 1.1 to address missing file and minor corrections

Proto wiki page up:

 Pilot Licence

• v 1.2 https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/ ... icense.oxz
  • player starts with a beam laser as per adder of elite manual

The player is still disadvantaged by being slower, having only one energy bank and poor recharge rate but...
The beam laser is quite an upgrade and also one that can't be damaged.

Given the requirement of kills for player progression, this should make things a little more fun and also much more tolerable if combined with  Weapon Laws