Oolite Bulletins

Hey all, yet another old Elite- but new Oolite- player reporting in.

I was basically planning to stick to lurking for a while, but it seems that I am kind of stuck in the game at the moment, and was kind of hoping you might be able to help me out:

I just started out, and am now at Ensoreus, with 4t of computers in the hold. However, I am trying to get to Isinor, which I thought should be easy since it is a confederacy. However, after eleven tries, I still have not made it there- I usually survive the first one or two pirate encounters, but almost invariably, eventually a wing of renegade vipers or something like it turns up, destroys my shields in a couple of shots, follows up with a missile, and that's basically that.

Is there any way to avoid this? Or is a confederacy simply too tough when you just have a pulse laser and nothing else?

(by the way, I have no osx'es installed- or rather, I put them in the add-ons initially, but removed them since at first I thought they might be the problem. I have version 1.65 installed on a run-of-the-mill Windows computer)

That sounds quite odd, I dont think I have ever been attacked by renegade vipers, but I play on 1.71 (test version) so maybe thats different.

I dont remember confederacies being *that* dangerous.

With no OXPs installed I don't think there should be any renegade Vipers -- and Confederacies should be reasonably safe. Are you sure the Vipers are renegades? Is your legal status "Clean" or might they have a reason to shoot at you?

You should try to clear the cache. For that you should hold the shift-key while starting Oolite.

It's a bit crazy
I just had another go, came close to the planet- then assortment of eight ships turned up, opened fire, and back at Ensoreus it was, heheh

Oh well, maybe I am just very unlucky today, and it's just a matter of persistance. Still having fun though

I'll try clearing the cache first then
Ships are really an assortment- the vipers, I think, may have been with add-ons installed.
Good to know that this does indeed seem to be odd- I was gettin nervous that after years of believing I might be a fair pilot I might actually prove to suck at Elite, heheh

Erai wrote:

It's a bit crazy
I just had another go, came close to the planet- then assortment of eight ships turned up, opened fire, and back at Ensoreus it was, heheh

Oh well, maybe I am just very unlucky today, and it's just a matter of persistance. Still having fun though

Try getting out of the space lane. When you witch-in, turn at a right angle to the planet and run the engines up to full power. maintain course for 30 seconds or so. Change course back towards the planet and fire up the in-system jump drive and you should avoid all those nasty piratical types. Perform this procedure until you have the Creds to buy 1) a Beam Laser and 2) an ECM (the jury's out on which should be your first buy). Once you have both, then you can start mixing it up with the big boys, then you can start saving for Witchdrive Fuel Injectors and Shield Boosters. Obviously, these items are the first four steps on 'How to Build an Iron Ass'.

Happy Trading!

P.S. Why not buy one of my 'lucky' Trumbles. Guaranteed to improve your chances at not being killed or your money back*. Only Cr30. Buy one while I'm still not in jail.
*Money back guarantee only applicable with official certification of purchaser's death.

Captain Hesperus

I went for ECM first and, because I am lame, a docking computer next
Beam laser will be next- I put it lower on the prio list because it mostly helps you win battles effectively, whereas ECM helps you survive in the first place- and I noticed that other ships in Oolite use missiles rather abundantly.

Not aiming for the planet initially did seem to be the trick, by the way- although I still find Oolite a good deal harder then the versions I knew... what's the deal with opponents actually dodging and weaving effectively, oi!

Five kills in runs during which I survived myself so far. Ah, just 6395 to go, should be eeeeeasy for my fast draw and sharp mind (ehm... trumbles you said? Why, what a great idea!)

i agree, i think it is a bit harder initially

Erai wrote:

I went for ECM first and, because I am lame, a docking computer next

The bummer thing about Docking Computers is that (most of the time) by the time you can afford them, you are more or less compenent to dock yourself (I'm not including myself in that, obviously)

Erai wrote:

Beam laser will be next- I put it lower on the prio list because it mostly helps you win battles effectively, whereas ECM helps you survive in the first place- and I noticed that other ships in Oolite use missiles rather abundantly.

Note also that In the event of them firing an ECM-hardened missile, ECM has a reduced chance of detonating them, they are not immune to ECM.

Erai wrote:

Not aiming for the planet initially did seem to be the trick, by the way- although I still find Oolite a good deal harder then the versions I knew... what's the deal with opponents actually dodging and weaving effectively, oi!

Erai wrote:

Five kills in runs during which I survived myself so far. Ah, just 6395 to go, should be eeeeeasy for my fast draw and sharp mind (ehm... trumbles you said? Why, what a great idea!)

Captain Hesperus

docking computers just save a lot of time, hit the button as soon as you see the big S and you're there.

Hermits don't let you use them but they have nice big ports so are easy to dock with from an angle.

It's a bit of a faff with Secom stations etc and makes me appreciate the times i can use the computers.

Hoopy wrote:

docking computers just save a lot of time, hit the button as soon as you see the big S and you're there.

Hermits don't let you use them but they have nice big ports so are easy to dock with from an angle.

It's a bit of a faff with Secom stations etc and makes me appreciate the times i can use the computers.

Actually yesterday I used the computer to dock with a hermit.

I did not use it with the dodec station in the Tionisla graveyard, but Shift+C would probably have done the trick there as well. Did not know docking with targeted stations was possible then, but then again... that occasion was really too momentous to desecrate with a docking computer anyway

actually i remember trying it once, it drove me into the side of the hermit... And watching it try with a moving behemoth was a bit scary too!

Is it just main stations that let you do an instant dock?

Hoopy wrote:

Is it just main stations that let you do an instant dock?

Yep. (The ReadMe could be a little more explicit about that fact.)