Oolite Bulletins

First of all, I would just like to say how happy I am to have discovered Oolite, and a massive thank-you to everyone involved. I never got into the original Elite (my big brother had it on our ZX Spectrum but I think I was a little too young for it), but later was massively into Frontier on the Amiga. Oolite is the first version of Elite I've tried where I can actually dock manually!

Anyways, a couple of questions:

1) What exactly is the difference between 'Strict' and 'Unrestricted' mode? If you play 'Unrestricted' with no OXPs installed, is that exactly the same as 'Strict' mode?

As I missed out on Elite the first time round I'd like to play it as 'authentic' as possible for a while, but imagine in the future I will try out some OXPs. (I presume if I have a save game in 'Strict' mode I can't transfer it to 'Unrestricted' mode, or vice versa).

2) Does having an analogue joystick make a significant difference? If so could anyone recommend a half-decent cheap-ish one (e.g. about £15). I know you get what you pay for, but I can't really justify much more than that. can you get one with 'precision' mode (whatever that is) for that sort of price?

Thanks all!

Hi antonvaltaz, welcome

There are still differences between strict and non-strict without OXPs.

some for instance are that you can buy other ships, hardened missiles...

you can use your savefile if you tinker with it.

re: the joysticks: I don't know



Have fun!

Rxke wrote:

you can use your savefile if you tinker with it.

Ooh, that's good to know - is there a guide available to transferring save files between 'strict' and 'unrestricted' modes, or is it pretty self-explanatory?

It is very easy. In your strict mode save file there will be an entry looking like this: You only have to remove it to make the save file compatible with non-strict gameplay.

Thanks for the prompt replies guys!

Just a follow-up question: Is the 'strict' gameplay mode based on any specific version of Elite (e.g. I understand from Ian Bell's website that the original BBC version had some differences - apart from graphics - from the Archimedes version, and then Elite Plus for DOS etc)?

IIRC it's closest to the BBC disc version (with the extra missions)

another_commander wrote:

It is very easy. In your strict mode save file there will be an entry looking like this:

Code: Select all

<key>strict</key>
<true/>

You only have to remove it to make the save file compatible with non-strict gameplay.

Make a backup, though. If you edit the savefile with e.g. Word, it will become unreadable, because Word adds formatting etc.

Best to use a bare-bones text-editor.

Hi antonvaltaz, if you want to get the Elite feel, make sure you know that Oolite is much harder. Go ahead and complete the native missions (check the EliteWiki--->Oolite--->Missions).

After that, you can try out OXPs, I would recommend Assassins, Imperial Courier, other ships and juicy equipment. Then, restricted play would make a difference.

Welcome to the forum

Hi antonvaltaz

I use a Logitech Attack 3 joystick. It's been well used for a couple of years now, but it still does all I need.
11 buttons and I've seen it on offer for £12.99 very recently. (Amazon)

Commander Learner wrote:

if you want to get the Elite feel, make sure you know that Oolite is much harder.

Do you mean that Oolite 'unrestricted' is harder than Oolite 'strict'?

Or do you mean that Oolite 'strict' is harder than actual Elite?

Cheers

Hi anton - a huge welcome to the Oolite forums!

I don't think you will find it any 'harder' to play 'unrestricted', unless you venture too early into dangerous systems (anarchy/feudal), where the greater variety of ships allowed in unrestricted might prove more hazardous to the inexperienced pilot with a relatively cheaply equipped ship. Oolite is a little more tricky than Elite, as the AI and flight models are more sophisticated than was possible in the days of 8-bit computing.

The most obvious differences are the graphics, and this becomes even more apparent when you start to explore some of the oxps that have been produced by many of the outstanding contributors to the game. There are oxps that enhance the ships and the planets to(and beyond!) the standard of many commercially produced games.

By all means start as the game was originally envisioned by Giles Williams, then you can rediscover the game as it has been enhanced over the last 3 years. Giles' provision for oxps was a stroke of genius, and it will take David Braben's team a lot of work to make Elite IV a significantly better game than Oolite.

Come on Braben! The whole world's waiting for Elite 4

The reason Oolite is a great game, is because Elite was the best game ever created

OXP's etc are merely side shows, what oolite does is make elite playable on a modern PC properly

in terms of frontier and the rest, they are mere side shows to elite, they do not supercede elite in any way in terms of whats special about them

Other games that are a bit like elite, always fall down in some aspect or other- they overcomplicate, or, they are uneven, or, they provide too many goals, or, so many other things

the fact is, that in elite/oolite you go faster, you slow down, you pitch up or down and you role left or right, and you fire one type of weapon into your crosshairs- you do all this in a 3d universe- which is simple enough to allow a little imagination(or a lot)

Braben is right when he says he wants subsequent games to add something substantial to the game, but dont think for a minute that Oolite and her OXP's do that. adding substantially to Elite is a very very tricky proposition indeed.

Well I think Oolite will keep me busy for a loooooong time so I'm in no rush for Elite IV (which I'm sure won't run on my crummy old PC anyway!)