Oolite Bulletins

EDIT: I'm not going to bring this up again, or discuss it myself... just throwing ideas in. Those that are involved (wiki manager(s)) can consider or dismiss the ideas, maybe after a little debate.

Not sure exactly where to put this, and I didn't want to start a new thread... this place seems appropriate though.

First, THIS thread, re: OXP rating system, 3rd post from the top:
https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?t=7332&start=15

(1) (First Point)
I think it's a good idea, but it could be expanded. In my opinion, many (though not all- some have good write-ups) of the OXPs downloaded from the wiki just do not have enough information on their respective wiki OXP pages... if there IS a page, and not just a download link.

I would like to suggest that NO OXP be included in the wiki unless there is some kind of write-up, and except in a few cases there should be screenshots. ("Docking Clearance" for example... you don't really need a screenshot... "Target Reticle Sensitive" doesn't REALLY need a screenshot... descriptions are good enough).

If the main OXP page on the wiki references "Martian_Clowns.oxp"... but there is NO wiki page on it, just a download link, then I am NOT going to download it.

If the OXP author is asked to provide content for an OXP page, and he just says "Adds clowns from Mars to the Ooniverse, with thier own unique ships and unusual weapons", that still isn't good enough.

Things start to approach acceptible if there are screenshots, and the description is "The helium shortage has lead Clowns from Mars to form their own crime cartel. They raid the Ooniverse out of spite, in their custom designed ships (the "Bozo" Advanced Silly Fighter). Two unique weapons: the "Water Cannon" looks like a flower on the Bozo's hull, and sprays water at opposing ships, forcing the lasers to cool off at such a rate that the lasers crack. The "Joy Buzzer" is an enhanced modification of ECM systems, electrocuting opposing pilots and turning their brains into Silly Putty." Okay, then NOW I know what the OXP is about, and whether I might want to download and try it.

(2) (Second Point)
I'd like to suggest that all OXP's in the wiki denote whether they will leave a "footprint" in the savegame (variables, constants, flags, objects....); even if the OXP is removed later. I know it has been said to me before, "it doesn't hurt your savegame, it only adds a few K to the savegame size". Still some people would like to know ( I would).

Also, it is only logical isn't it, to include this information?

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I realize that some authors of good OXPs can't be contacted, and who has time to experiment with EVERY OXP to check them out, derive info, re-work the OXP sections on the wiki? Who would WANT to? "Just do what could be done", and establish some practices from now on before an OXP is included in the wiki.

Otherwise clowns might fry your brain!

For me, I'd rather the Author have the option on what to include. Some of the OXP's out there SHOULD be surprises on exactly what they do. I know Cataclysm is a Mission OXP. That's all I need to know. I'll discover it when I get lucky enough to "set it off". The story will be a surprise - Like reading a book.

As for the save game thing - How do you handle things like my OXP? On it's own, it doesn't touch the save game file. However, it has an API for other OXP's to leverage that in turn stores info in the save game file. So, is it my OXP that does this, is it the OXP, or is it both because it only happens when both are present?

I say this as someone who is an OXP author (Or author-in-progress ), someone who has contributed backstory to someone else's OXP, and as a consumer of OXP's.

Point taken, but I'm not downloading OXPs with clowns.


What I think I want to say is that there should be SOME info in the write-up, and maybe SOME quality control.

What if there was a ship OXP, "Ultimate Fleet", that adds ships like "Grendel", "Hercules", "Bigfoot" ... and you download it, the ship names sound interesting... and the ships turned out to look terrible, with awful specs. AND/OR they were all superships with a million pylons, dozens of energy banks, and warehouses of cargospace.. and moved 100 times faster than a Constrictor? Okay, just remove it... except that the author forgot to tell you that half of the ships only cost 100 Cr a piece, but the other half are "reward" ships for doing certain missions... there is 100 or so versions of each ship type... there are 500 different missions... a LOT of NPC characters involved... all controlled with 20 or so scripts... his variable and constant names share the same names with a lot of other OXPs for some reason...

... and it leaves the savegame about 100 times larger than it was.

Yes, back up savegames before you try an OXP. I learned to do that... but I never would have downloaded "Ultimate Fleet" if I had known. There should be some warnings.

It looks like you do feel the need for an oxp review site, which sounds like a pretty nice idea, but it's hardly got anything to do with OXP licensing as such.

Split to own thread.

JeffBTX wrote:

I would like to suggest that NO OXP be included in the wiki unless there is some kind of write-up, and except in a few cases there should be screenshots. ("Docking Clearance" for example... you don't really need a screenshot... "Target Reticle Sensitive" doesn't REALLY need a screenshot... descriptions are good enough).

Screenshots is a problem.

Currently, the Wiki has disabled file uploads and you currently can't inline-link to external images (there is an option but it is turned off).

Only one man (winston) has access to change this, and he's not on here much. Have PM'd him.

I have been creating new Wiki pages for new OXPs without screenshots, as we can always add them later if we are given the ability back. For example see the page I created in the last few days for the Venom.OXP.

Can the wiki pages have a VOTE button for people to have their say? There might be an add-on for it somewhere.

If it's a half decent one it will store IPs of voters to stop them spamming. Or require a login.