Energy Bomb Reimagined OXP

[Redspear]

Serpent's Den, Pirate Hideout, Riedquat System, Galactic Sector 1


Pirate #1: OK scum-bags, looks like the playing field has just been levelled. With the profits from our last little... 'tour' of the locality we've got ourselves a new toy.

Too bad Beaky didn't make it to enjoy it with us. We'll get revenge for him over that damn Commander Jameson.

Pirate #2: What is it boss? A military laser?

Pirates 3, 4 & 5: Ha, ha, ha, haa!

Pirate #1: I wish! No, not THAT good but maybe not so far off.

Pitates 2, 3, 4 & 5: ...

Pirate #1: An energy bomb.

A hush descends.


Pirate #3: Isn't that the thing that wiped out a whole viper patrol in Reorte?

Pirate #1: Yes.

Pirate #4: What? The one where three interceptors just... gone?

Pirate #1: Yes.

Pirate #2: So, it just takes out all of your enemies and you survive?

Pirate #1: That's right, I just deploy this baby and... boom.

Pirate #5: Yes! That's what we've been after! Up yours Jameson!

All cheer except pirate #2.


Pirate #2: And... we'd all survive would we?

Pirate #5: What do you mean?

Pirate #2: When you, drop the bomb... We'd all... survive would we?

Pirate #5: Why wouldn't we?

Pirate #3: You mean... even though we each fly our own ship...

Pirates 2, 3, 4 & 5: ...

Pirate #1: Well... Er...

No pirate expecting to survive long enough to have any sort of career is going to 'work' with a gang that has an energy bomb, nor is such a gang likely to remain a gang for very long.

It's indescriminate nature is wholly unsuited for use by police. Its deployment would make rescues near impossible and renders squadrons impractical. Its one-shot nature also makes it a poor substitute for escorts for any slow-moving freighters. As for bounty hunters, it won't make even the biggest bounties pay, nor is it superior to an escape pod as a last ditch defence.

In short, who's going to be crazy enough to fly with a 'friend' who's carrying one?


The Energy Bomb is a weapon for a lone-wolf trader with a cargo to protect. It makes little sense for any other user.

Seems unlikey that this device was created by an active pilot.
Some desperate GalCop ploy to cull some of the more successful career pirates perhaps?
The fact that it can bring an Asp Mk II's energy banks to their knees without quite destrying it has led some to suggest Naval involvement.

Who knows, trader?
But it's yours for 900 Credits.

• Changes to the Original
  • requires 1TC cargo space (it's not occupying a pylon, so...)
  • requires Heat Shielding to be installed (another use for this otherwise overpriced luxury item)
  • does less damage (an 'escort killer', giving the richer pirates a chance to survive and also leaving mines to their niche)
  • incompatible with Quirium Cascade Mines (choice means strategy in this case and I see that as no bad thing)

Coming Soon...

[Cholmondely]

So you fire it by "dumping cargo"? Do you still need to prime it first?

[Redspear]

Theoretically rather than actually.

It should auto-assign to the tab key if available (more by tradition than choice).

Personally, I find priming things a bit fiddly but then accidental activation of such a device would be.. not good

I'm open to other key-binding suggestions.

Meanwhile, was there ever a sound file associated with the energy bomb in earlier versions of oolite?

[Wildeblood]

Meanwhile, was there ever a sound file associated with the energy bomb in earlier versions of oolite?

A very loud and simple bang, if memory serves me correctly.

[Redspear]

A very loud and simple bang, if memory serves me correctly.

Thanks Wildeblood.

I'm thinking more of a pulse... and not too loud I hope.

[Cholmondely]

I came across this in my Wildebloodificated save file (taken from an immediately saved Strict game):

Code: Select all

	<key>primed_equipment_a</key>
	<string>EQ_CLOAKING_DEVICE</string>
	<key>primed_equipment_b</key>
	<string>EQ_ENERGY_BOMB</string>

Intriguing, no?

[Wildeblood]

I came across this in my Wildebloodificated save file (taken from an immediately saved Strict game):

Code: Select all

	<key>primed_equipment_a</key>
	<string>EQ_CLOAKING_DEVICE</string>
	<key>primed_equipment_b</key>
	<string>EQ_ENERGY_BOMB</string>

Intriguing, no?

They're the default key bindings for fast activation of primed equipment. Again if memory serves correctly (drawing an even longer bow, since I never used strict mode), there's no way to change those in a strict game, because primed equipment wasn't part of the game (although the energy bomb was).

[DavidKroc]

Meanwhile, was there ever a sound file associated with the energy bomb in earlier versions of oolite?

A very loud and simple bang, if memory serves me correctly.

We all agree that in the vacuum of space there should be no sound at all, right?

[Redspear]

We all agree that in the vacuum of space there should be no sound at all, right?

And presumably that in the non-vacuum of a piloted ship there could be.

Even if only simulated by the ship itself in order to utilise the pilots hearing. Just like there aren't really MFDs in space but within the ship... or are there?

[Wildeblood]

A very loud and simple bang, if memory serves me correctly.

This sounds like the one:

:\Oolite\oolite.app\Resources\Sounds\bigbang.ogg

Confirmed by perusing:

:\Oolite\oolite.app\Resources\Config\customsounds.plist

Which says:

"[energy-bomb-fired]" = "bigbang.ogg"; // Kept for OXP compatibility


[Redspear]

Thanks Wildeblood.

The same sound you get when its a PSC* moment.

I think I've already found a few possibilitioes that are better than that (to my ear at least). Licensing and so on to check.

* Press Space Commander

[Cholmondely]

What about the AI for Energy Bomb-equipped NPCs? Will it be even vaguely sensible in scope?

I seem to recall that a_c produced an OXP with such an aim years ago.


Link will be via the wiki page: https://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Energy_Bomb

[Redspear]

What about the AI for Energy Bomb-equipped NPCs? Will it be even vaguely sensible in scope?

Who do you imagine equipping it? (See above).
Lone traders? If so then it's only likely to be (intentionally) used against ther player if they're indulging in piracy.

I did begin a non-AI script that would warn the player to leave them well alone (if energy was low enough) before starting a timer for the player to call their potential bluff or finish them off quick-smart. I can't see it coming into use very often for most players howerver so maybe for a later version.

I seem to recall that a_c produced an OXP with such an aim years ago.

I've addressed this before (about half-way down), if indirectly, and to you no less.

It's a terrible way to begin a sentence but a convenient one:...
With the greatest of respect to a_c, my understanding of that OXP was that it was made to illustrate how silly things could get if energy bombs were used indiscriminately, how game crushingly problematic it would be for pirates to have them and further how hard it was to justify the energy bomb as a player-only concession.

I agree with the first two points but not the last one because I don't think it follows from the others.

The argument in my first post here (and previously here) had (to the best of my knowledge) not been raised in any of the prior discussions, including those leading to the creation of a_c's OXP. Thus Murgh's conceeding that it was a good point and implying it was one he hadn't heard before.

If I'm wrong about that then please enlighten me. Even if I'm not then that doesn't mean that anyone has to agree that the energy bomb is a good idea but I would argue that it's not as ridiculous as some might have suggested before.

So initially at least, it would be player only and for anyone using  Weapon Laws would not be easily aquired.

[Cholmondely]

I'm afraid that I forgot our previous conversation about it.

But I was not trying to make any point other than NPC's (of whichever varieties are deemed condign) should be using it too, and they would need an AI, and that a_c's experiment might be of use in that regard.

I would presume that the AI might well be fairly complex in terms of deciding when to use it.
*Only in extremis, despite hurt to innocents?
*All the time when there are no innocents to hurt?

I've little idea - you will have more.



I've never played with an Energy Bomb, nor used the OXPs, nor tried out a_c's offering. I wonder if I ever will.

[Wildeblood]

Changing the name from energy bomb to electro-magnetic pulse blast weapon thingamy might go some way to mollifying people's distaste for this equipment item. Every video game from back in the 1980s had one of these emergency win buttons. (Do they still today?) The NPCs had guns, the player had guns and a bomb. You exchanged gunfire with NPCs until they were about to overwhelm you, then used the bomb. (A.k.a. instant-win-cheat-button.)

At least have the decency to hide the instant-win bomb in an equipment item that doesn't have the word "bomb" in the name. Alternatively, go the other way, and just call the equipment item instant win button.

Hmm. That reads as sarcasm, but wasn't intended to be. I'm just musing over the sociological aspect.