Oolite Bulletins

Hi Commanders.

I have a very small problem concerning the galactic chart: either I’ve forgotten something basic (highly possible), or something is different.
I’m sure that on 1.72.2 I could select a system on the long range chart (by typing in the system name), go back to the short range chart, select a local system, and the long range target would stay selected through multiple jumps until reached. Good for planning long routes.
I don’t seem to be able to do this now on 1.73.2.
Is it me? Have I forgotten how? Any suggestions?

I think you are right. This was changed recently, most likely unwillingly so. Given that the behaviour you describe exists in 1.65 - which to all intents and purposes is still the reference version as far as gameplay is concerned - I would think that this is something that would require fixing.

On some further investigation, it seems that this feature was not working exactly as you describe. The system selected by typing the name would remain marked only until launch or until a screen other than short range chart was selected. In this context, it does not appear to be a very functional feature and probably changing it to what it is now was acceptable.

You are not referring by any chance to the systems marked with 'x' when a mission is running, are you?

I can see two main options, to increase the functionality of the long range map:

1) We cound have it remember one selected system, if we single click on it - and be able to toggle the 'permanently pinned system'

2) Whenever we're back to that screen it remembers exactly where we were the last time, but the slate is wiped clean just before a script changes anything!

Or hidden oprion 3: a combination of the two.

Option 1 is relatively easy to implement, but it will still require some thinking:

What happens if a script changes the name of the highlighted system, after we highlight it? Chances are that something else has changed beside the system name. Or do we just react to techlevel/economy changes? And how?
Or we could keep the highlight no matter what, and add a new function to js so an oxp can check if they're changing a highlighted system...

What kind of functionality would be best to have, and why?

I've also had a look at 1.65, and as far as I can tell, the long range chart doesn't seem to remember any previously selected system.

That is, switching between long and short range screens makes Oolite forget the system on the long range chart.
However, if we switch from the long range map to any other screen, pressing F7 will still show the last system selected on the long range screen.
This seems to happen with both 1.65 and 1.73.2, and I think it happened this way with 1.72.2, though I haven't tested that yet.

Does the situation change with some extra equipment on board? I must confess I just tried this with a fresh jameson (no save games here...)

Second attempt to post this reply!! The boards are terrible this morning.

OK, I'll have to go and uninstall 1.73.2 and reinstall 1.72.2 to check. This will take some time as RL is pressing.

However, I'm clear in my memory that the long range target is preserved through multiple jumps - I've used it many times. I believe this feature goes way back, as I must have learnt it somewhere. Maybe to Elite/Elite Plus.
It only works if the target system is typed into the find system: just selecting with the cursor doesn't work. I get the same function with a virgin Jameson or an established savegame, with or without extras.

While I'm off dealing with RL, here's a screenshot showing both target systems selected. I cannot recreate this screenshot on 1.73.2.




Regards

another_commander wrote:

On some further investigation, it seems that this feature was not working exactly as you describe. The system selected by typing the name would remain marked only until launch or until a screen other than short range chart was selected.

Maybe in 1.65, but I tested yesterday that the green mark stayed up after launch and docking with 1.72 as shown in the previous message. (It is not saved however)

Try this in 1.72.2:
1- Go to Galactic Chart, select planet by typing its name.
2- Once planet is marked, go to Short Range Chart and pick a nearby planet.
3- Go to Galactic Chart again. Planet is still marked.
4- Go to the F7 screen.
5- Go back to Galactic Chart. Planet is not marked anymore.

Now repeat steps up to 3. After 3, launch from station, then go to Galactic Chart. Planet is not marked.

I am not sure how exactly you managed to have it constantly showing, the marked planet is lost once you leave the F6 screens. If you have a step by step guide to make it stay on, I would be interested to hear it.

Not much time to test oolite atm (will do so in the evening), but it all sounds a bit inconsistent.

Maybe the 1.72.2 behaviour 'just happened'...
What long range behaviour should we go for in 1.74?

PS: El Viejo, I think I've got a similar screenshot somewhere, but in the one I had, the marked system was marked via scripting.
Still, now I'm really curious to see if I can get that screenshot with a normal jameson & 1.72.2!

another_commander wrote:

Try this in 1.72.2:
1- Go to Galactic Chart, select planet by typing its name.
2- Once planet is marked, go to Short Range Chart and pick a nearby planet.
3- Go to Galactic Chart again. Planet is still marked.
.....
Now repeat steps up to 3. After 3, launch from station, then go to Galactic Chart. Planet is not marked.

I am not sure how exactly you managed to have it constantly showing, the marked planet is lost once you leave the F6 screens. If you have a step by step guide to make it stay on, I would be interested to hear it.

I just tested again with 1.72.2.

1- Type a name until the one I wanted was the only one marked green.
2- Go to short range screen, select a system in reach.
3- Launch and look at the Long range screen (still marked)
4- Dock (still marked)
3 -Launch again, press F7 than back to long range (still marked)
4 - jump to ext system (Still marked on long range)

Whatever I do It remains marked with the green square.

Curioser and curioser! Maybe a different behaviour between windows & mac?

Yesterday we discovered a bug in trunk (not present in 1.73.2) that only seemed to affect windows. After a few false starts, I tracked it down to an improperly set variable, something that didn't cause any problem at all for either macs or linuces...

OK, I've just gone from Isenrire to Reteti (6 or 7 jumps) with the long range target preserved all the way.

I like this feature and will miss it.

Perhaps we should be cautious with our terminology in order to avoid confusion.

If I understand all of you correctly, it is not and was never the target on the long range chart which stayed. But it was the search result(s) after a name search.

Those two should not be confused. The system marked with the green square and its name displayed next to it is not the currently targeted system. The currently targeted system (= target) is the one marked with a vertical cross. It may or may not be also found by a search. These two are simply unrelated.

Alright, call it the long range destination. It doesn't alter the fact that it persists through multiple jumps, including quick saves.

Eric Walch wrote:

another_commander wrote:

Try this in 1.72.2:
1- Go to Galactic Chart, select planet by typing its name.
2- Once planet is marked, go to Short Range Chart and pick a nearby planet.
3- Go to Galactic Chart again. Planet is still marked.
.....
Now repeat steps up to 3. After 3, launch from station, then go to Galactic Chart. Planet is not marked.

I am not sure how exactly you managed to have it constantly showing, the marked planet is lost once you leave the F6 screens. If you have a step by step guide to make it stay on, I would be interested to hear it.

I just tested again with 1.72.2.

1- Type a name until the one I wanted was the only one marked green.
2- Go to short range screen, select a system in reach.
3- Launch and look at the Long range screen (still marked)
4- Dock (still marked)
3 -Launch again, press F7 than back to long range (still marked)
4 - jump to ext system (Still marked on long range)

Whatever I do It remains marked with the green square.

Most interesting. I seem to be losing the marker on step 4. After docking, the system is not marked anymore.