I think I have an idea to make the stations explorable

FSOneblin · Post by **FSOneblin** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:41 pm

Ok, You know how text can pop up when you dock for a mission, right? I descovered pictures can pop up for the millitary fisico. So, you can just, when you dock on a station, make it so that a "do you want to explore the station?" thing pops up, Then a picture will pop up, then 3 options, Go right, go left, go back to ship.

Thoughts?

Cmdr. Maegil · Post by **Cmdr. Maegil** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:37 pm

Hm, thatt's been done already in text for an OXP, and I don't think just static images would make so much difference.
If you want it just right, find a free 3D FPS engine that can handle NPCs and a) merge it to the code, or b) harass someone else to do it

Wolfwood · Post by **Wolfwood** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:51 am

Yup, static images would not serve the purpose too well in the modern gaming world. It might be fun for us old-timers who have seen such things before, but any new players would be immediately alienated.

HueijRevisited · Post by **HueijRevisited** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:29 pm

I haven't played it yet, but didn't LittleBear implement some sort of IF game in Assasins?

Captain Hesperus · Post by **Captain Hesperus** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:31 am

HueijRevisited wrote:
I haven't played it yet, but didn't LittleBear implement some sort of IF game in Assasins?

Yes. With a tiny smidgen of help from yours truely....

Captain Hesperus

Post by **Disembodied** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:40 am

A station bar might be a possible option as a place to visit... it would be a good place to find out about any special events. Or even just to buy the guysngals a round of drinks to celebrate a particularly profitable run... Za Brew for everybody! I just made a pile on Platinum!

FSOneblin · Post by **FSOneblin** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:47 am

Ok, now that I look at it, it seems a bit more complicated than before. Man, assassins looks awesome.

pagroove · Post by **pagroove** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:09 am

You are now standing in Lave Station 1 arrivals. Your ship is safely stored. A docking fee of 1 credit will automatically deducted from your account for each 24 hours you stay docked.

------------------------
1. Go to the bar to check out special mission, events or to drink a ...
2. Check the specials market (Yes, we have some special cargo deals)
3 Feeling sick? Have a Space flu Go to medical bay
4 Take a transport for a shore leave on the planet
5 Check the job board (corporate missions)
6 Visit the local police
----------------------------

Wolfwood · Post by **Wolfwood** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:57 am

Hehe, that's actually not exploring, pagroove - it is just like having the standard Function keys represent different stuff you may want to do...

pagroove · Post by **pagroove** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:09 pm

Well it's better than nothing

I do not see that we implement a FPS 3d engine into Oolite. Then it's going to be a different game

bones0 · Post by **bones0** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:10 pm

The first idea reminds me to one of my first websites. It was a collection of 3D-pictures (POVray) with clickable areas (image maps) leading to other pictures. The main theme a spaceport, some possibilities to take a taxi and go into the city (where some pictures were only pencil sketches - after some months of work I got a bit bored

The page is still online as a "museum".

The text adventure idea is definitely fun too. Just might be a little bit too retro for some

Regards
bones#0

Captain Hesperus · Post by **Captain Hesperus** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:52 pm

bones0 wrote:

The text adventure idea is definitely fun too. Just might be a little bit too retro for some

True, but Oolite is a retro-themed game.....

Captain Hesperus

Arexack_Heretic · Post by **Arexack_Heretic** » Thu May 01, 2008 5:17 pm

Would that be the site based in EF?
With a bio of a single captain or the tourist information site about that planet with the obsession for parkingmeters?

Even though the concept of oolite is "elite- exploiting current computing technology"
I agree that a FPS would not really fit the minimalist interface, which engages the imagination, something sadly underdeveloped in the current generation of gamers. Not their fault, I blame the lazy attitude of game-companies, with their reliance on compensting quality story and depth with blitzy graphics and borrowed fluff from other venues. (sorry. rant over now)

On the other hand, probably half the oolite players disagree and would demand a FPS element if feasable. Those commonly not the ones who'd have to do the programming. :p

A static immage displaying a selection of interiors would be fun, but quite a bit of work to produce.
You'd have to follow a modular -shoebox cutouts- type of production sceme to produce enough different images to prevent it being too repetitive.
On the other hand, if text can be overlaid, a single image for each screen for each type of station would probably suffice. As a atmospheric background.
If interative elements (characters) are displayed in such environments, it would again require quite a number of those elements and number of required images multiplies allarmingly. (even if interaction itself is through text only)
a system for overlaying various functional parts of the displyed imagery would then be required to reduce the bloat.
(such 'procedural' coding is what made the original elite universe so much bigger and richer than it's contemporaries)

Selezen · Post by **Selezen** » Thu May 01, 2008 6:36 pm

One hangar/station model - many textures?

Cmdr. Maegil · Post by **Cmdr. Maegil** » Thu May 01, 2008 6:52 pm

Selezen wrote:
One hangar/station model - many textures?

Then there'd be the civilian, police/military and thargoid carriers, and of course the seedy bars...

Yummy stuff.