Oolite Bulletins

I recently installed the renegades OXP and found that some of the renegades have Q-bombs. Now this isn't too bad as you can run away if you're fast enough (I've not managed it yet though!).

But what about energy bombs?

It seems that there's something stopping NPCs ever having them which seems unfair. So perhaps we could let everybody have them but downgrade them to less of an uber weapon. May be they could just temporarily disable everybody's lasers for 30 seconds or something? Long enough for you to make an escape and use them as an emergency help but not so powerful that they're unfair.

That way they'd be more suited to their current overly cheap 900 Cr price. I have several hundred thousand Cr at the moment so I could buy hundreds of them, killing a dozen ships each time, and get to Elite with no skill whatsoever... So if they stay the same maybe they should cost 10,000 Cr?

Hoopy wrote:

I recently installed the renegades OXP and found that some of the renegades have Q-bombs. Now this isn't too bad as you can run away if you're fast enough (I've not managed it yet though!).

But what about energy bombs?

It seems that there's something stopping NPCs ever having them which seems unfair. So perhaps we could let everybody have them but downgrade them to less of an uber weapon. May be they could just temporarily disable everybody's lasers for 30 seconds or something? Long enough for you to make an escape and use them as an emergency help but not so powerful that they're unfair.

That way they'd be more suited to their current overly cheap 900 Cr price. I have several hundred thousand Cr at the moment so I could buy hundreds of them, killing a dozen ships each time, and get to Elite with no skill whatsoever... So if they stay the same maybe they should cost 10,000 Cr?

NPCs shouldn't have energy bombs because they'd use them on us however downgrading the power of them wouldn't be a bad idea. I like the idea of them as a sort of EMP bomb but that would conflict with the EMP missile.

You're right it would break the game if NPCs had them. But it's a bit broken saying that the user is allowed them but we're not...

What's an EMP missile? does it disable the ship it hits? If so then a 'bomb' that does the same thing over a large area would still fit in. Since it would disable the user's laser it would only be a defensive weapon so would be ok being cheap.

I agree that the energy bomb is too powerful.

IMO it should only be available in classic (restricted) mode.

The argument that "you can get to Elite with no skill" would apply to Q-bombs, too.

The energy bomb is an element from the original game. I think it would be a shame to play with it too much. Certainly, it does break the equitable kit rule for NPCs. But NPCs ships and players' ships are not handled the same way for energy, for instance.
Currently, it does deliver a certain amount of 'damage', and some big ships can actually survive a blast.
Another mitigating factor is that you can only carry one, unlike the Q-bombs and other missiles.

The opportunity for killing huge numbers of ships is limited (though it did come in handy in the Assassins missions!)

Perhaps it is a relic of a different gaming age: but then, if you don't like it, you don't have to use it!

When your energy banks are screaming at you is tab or esc?

Of course you could always consider that old chestnut why does your energy bomb not blow your own ship up?

<sneaks out the side door>

Hoopy wrote:

It seems that there's something stopping NPCs ever having them which seems unfair. So perhaps we could let everybody have them but downgrade them to less of an uber weapon. May be they could just temporarily disable everybody's lasers for 30 seconds or something? Long enough for you to make an escape and use them as an emergency help but not so powerful that they're unfair.

NPC ships can have energy bombs but it has only a 1% change of being used. Oolites own system ships are not equipped with it and most (all?) other ship also not. There is a lot of code in the program for handling this bomb by a NPC ship.

I've just tested it with a ship with this bomb on board. I let the ship launch it with a script command. Impressive, it looks graphical just like the Q bomb exploding. Only the chain reaction is not happening. I had to run for it. The second time I waited to long and became barbecue myself

Eric Walch wrote:

I've just tested it with a ship with this bomb on board. I let the ship launch it with a script command. Impressive, it looks graphical just like the Q bomb exploding. Only the chain reaction is not happening. I had to run for it. The second time I waited to long and became barbecue myself

I've never ever seen an anergy bomb do that, but there again I don't ues it....................................................................very often

I've never ever seen an anergy bomb do that, but there again I don't ues it....................................................................very often

You are right, I didn't look good enough. When "has_energy_bomb" is set it has a chance to fire a weapon with the role of "energy-bomb". I just looked into shipdata: The q-mine also has the role of "energy-bomb". So, although it is called energy_bomb in the script, it is actually an q-bomb the NPC ship launches.

Eric Walch wrote:

I've just tested it with a ship with this bomb on board. I let the ship launch it with a script command. Impressive, it looks graphical just like the Q bomb exploding. Only the chain reaction is not happening. I had to run for it. The second time I waited to long and became barbecue myself

Never seen that, but it would be a good modification to make the player energy bomb work like that - still (more or less) in the spirit of the original, but more realistic. Better still would be to vastly downgrade the power of both, since I'm not a fan of weapons that a puny little ship can carry being able to cause major damage to a military fleet without too much effort, but the game still has to be recognisably Elite.

Helvellyn wrote:

Never seen that, but it would be a good modification to make the player energy bomb work like that - still (more or less) in the spirit of the original, but more realistic. Better still would be to vastly downgrade the power of both, since I'm not a fan of weapons that a puny little ship can carry being able to cause major damage to a military fleet without too much effort, but the game still has to be recognisably Elite.

Two comments there, the first well that is a Q-mine, that's precisely what it is and does. The second ........ Enola Gay.

Edit: well what a coincidence look what just popped up

i'm trying to do assassins without energy bombs. although i tried once and they survived! q bombs aren't so bad as they often outrun them unless you time the launch just right, so at least there's some skill involved

he he! A ship with 1000 or more energy will survive an e-bomb blast, but will be badly damaged. It also goes nuts and is likely to spew out all its missiles at the attacker. E-bombing in assassins can therefore make things harder as otherwise neutral or friendly ships will target the player

Hoopy wrote:

i'm trying to do assassins without energy bombs. although i tried once and they survived! q bombs aren't so bad as they often outrun them unless you time the launch just right, so at least there's some skill involved

Assassins IMO is quite brilliant, you have to carefully plan and execute a variety of different strategies to complete all the missions.

LittleBear wrote:

he he! A ship with 1000 or more energy will survive an e-bomb blast, but will be badly damaged. It also goes nuts and is likely to spew out all its missiles at the attacker. E-bombing in assassins can therefore make things harder as otherwise neutral or friendly ships will target the player

I think the Soin Sisters and the Mega Kraits are a case in point.....

Captain Hesperus