Oolite Bulletins

I'm quite happy with the standard HUD and don't much care for the others I've seen.

However I would like to modify the crosshairs, extending then more inwards. When I tried modifying hud_ng.oxp I didn't get anywhere. Apparently the line
completely disables the standard HUD.

Can anybody suggest a way to do this?

Ah my favourite hobby horse....... I would like the crosshairs to change colour when lined up on the target, that would favour more economy with the laser heating.

Gah, what next, lasers refusing to fire unless they'll hit something, then you're one step from having the computer do everything for you!

TGHC said:

Ah my favourite hobby horse....... I would like the crosshairs to change colour when lined up on the target, that would favour more economy with the laser heating.

And Helvellyn responded:

Gah, what next, lasers refusing to fire unless they'll hit something, then you're one step from having the computer do everything for you!

FWIW, I'm more on TGHC's wavelength on this one. I've played OOlite quite a bit in the past, and am just getting started on it again after a long hiatus, I had forgotten just how persnicketty the targeting system is - and how hard it is to get a visual on anything that is not within spitting distance of you. I, for one, would appreciate a color-changing laser crosshair as TGHC suggests. And maybe a gamma adjustment slider to make distant objects more visible.

My other big gripe regarding targeting in general in Elite and it's descendants was the need to physically place one's crosshairs on the target to get the ship's computer to ID and recognize it (for missile launch and such). I'd much prefer to simply be able to cycle through targets in scanner range, like other space-combat games. But I'll live with this deficiency, since I suppose it's all part of the *lite "experience".

All in all, despite whatever reservations I might have about specific gameplay aspects like those mentioned above, I still find OOlite to be a welcome modernization of the old classic, that adds a lot of Good Stuff while remaining mostly true to the original's "look and feel".

Different people like different aspects of the game. Allowing everybody to choose what parts of the game they want to focus on would add a lot of value to the game for those bored with certain aspects. At the same time it wouldn't detract anything at all for those who want to control everything themselves, since they could choose to ignore the automatic features.

I'm all for autotraders, autotargeter and the ability to use the autopilot on any target - including other ships.

davcefai wrote:

I'm quite happy with the standard HUD and don't much care for the others I've seen.

However I would like to modify the crosshairs, extending then more inwards. When I tried modifying hud_ng.oxp I didn't get anywhere. Apparently the line

Code: Select all

<key>dials</key><!-- these are drawn, in order, after the legends -->

completely disables the standard HUD.

Can anybody suggest a way to do this?

I wouldn't think that the crosshairs are drawn together with the HUD at all. But I may well be mistaken with that.

TGHC wrote:

Ah my favourite hobby horse....... I would like the crosshairs to change colour when lined up on the target, that would favour more economy with the laser heating.

Helvellyn wrote:

Gah, what next, lasers refusing to fire unless they'll hit something, then you're one step from having the computer do everything for you!

Erm... Not next, really! Check out my ship' controls and general behaviour on HPA2's 3rd instellment, at 'Kiddie Talk'...

Commander McLane wrote:

I wouldn't think that the crosshairs are drawn together with the HUD at all. But I may well be mistaken with that.

Well, they’re drawn “together with” the HUD in an implementation sense, but they can’t be customized with HUD plists.

Thanks for the info, Ahruman

However should you be wandering through the code and feel like lengthening those crosshairs there will be at least one grateful pilot.

Gah, what next, lasers refusing to fire unless they'll hit something, then you're one step from having the computer do everything for you!

"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever." - David St. Hubbins, Lead Singer, Spinal Tap

Gah, what next, lasers refusing to fire unless they'll hit something, then you're one step from having the computer do everything for you!

Well the Eurofighter Typhoon, (see it at Dartmouth at 9.40am on Friday) would be completely unflyable without the aid of 4 computers which compensate and correct everything to make it a pilot's dream machine!

SgtSchultz wrote:

"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever." - David St. Hubbins, Lead Singer, Spinal Tap

Killer Instinct has this as his signature.

TGHC wrote:

Well the Eurofighter Typhoon, (see it at Dartmouth at 9.40am on Friday) would be completely unflyable without the aid of 4 computers which compensate and correct everything to make it a pilot's dream machine!

I knnow all about the DORC (what a name!!). Apparently, RAF pilots were a little worried when they were told by the flight instructors that 'if the aircraft goes into an uncontrolled spin, release the control column and allow the craft to right itself'.

I can see that happening.....

Captain Hesperus

Captain Hesperus wrote:

TGHC wrote:

Well the Eurofighter Typhoon, (see it at Dartmouth at 9.40am on Friday) would be completely unflyable without the aid of 4 computers which compensate and correct everything to make it a pilot's dream machine!

Applies to modern fighters in general. The first of that breed, incidentally, is built across town. Noisy damn things. :-)

Captain Hesperus wrote:

I knnow all about the DORC (what a name!!). Apparently, RAF pilots were a little worried when they were told by the flight instructors that 'if the aircraft goes into an uncontrolled spin, release the control column and allow the craft to right itself'.

I can see that happening.....

This is what happens if you don’t…

Ahruman wrote:

This is what happens if you don’t…

If you watch closely, the pilot ejects at (bsing together some math) ~100-200m with the engines still on what looks like full bore. There's a man devoted to his job; trick is, he's paid to -fly- the planes.