Oolite Bulletins

I did a forum search for something on this topic, but came up with nothing. Please forgive me if it's been asked before, and kindly point me in the right direction!

I'm using Oolite 1.65 -- that seeming to be the stable version? I note that there are later versions available, but they seem to be test versions? I have XP SP2 -- I did see that SP3 is required but hoped I would get away with SP2.

Oolite seems to work fine, the only problem being that on-screen text messages usually do not fade away as expected, thus cluttering the display.

Will upgrading to SP3 fix that? Or is there something else I need to do?

P.S. I am an old Elite fan (Acorn computer) from 20 years back, and did reach Elite status back then!

Hi AntonM,

welcome to the Friendliest board this side of Riedquat(tm)

"Stable" in the sense of v1.65 simply means that its functionality was locked down at that point. v1.73.4 is the current "test" version, but it supports everything that v1.65 does (and fixes your sticky text issue) - most of the OXPs you will go "oh wow!" at will not work with v1.65.

Be brave and trust me when I say, download v1.73.4 (here) and fill your boots - it's quicker, less buggy, takes less memory, supports shaders and a whole host of other wonders!

Good luck Commander!

Welcome very much, AntonM!

Just for emphasis: Forget 1.65! Get 1.73.4! It's faster, prettier, better, stabler! And all the good new stuff (OXPs) won't work on 1.65 anyway.

Can't tell you about service packs, somebody else may be more knowledgeable there.

Hello AntonM.

AntonM wrote:

I have XP SP2 -- I did see that SP3 is required but hoped I would get away with SP2.

No need to have SP3, SP2 does it as well. Seems it slipped in the text at http://www.oolite.org/download.shtml.

Welcome !

SP1 here, everything is fine.

snork wrote:

Svengali wrote:

AntonM wrote:

I have XP SP2 -- I did see that SP3 is required but hoped I would get away with SP2.

No need to have SP3, SP2 does it as well. Seems it slipped in the text at http://www.oolite.org/download.shtml.

SP1 here, everything is fine.

Even better! Now who's going to say that original XP works too?

He'll see SP1 and raise you XP!

I see XP and raise you Windows 2000. This is the oldest version of Windows for which Oolite is guaranteed to work. Whenever there is a new release, the installer gets tested on a Win2K computer before being posted on the download site.

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

And thank you also for your good advice -- my problems are all solved!

Now begins the trek towards a docking computer and a rearward laser as the first stage.

AntonM wrote:

Now begins the trek towards a docking computer and a rearward laser as the first stage.

You'd be better off buying large cargo bay before docking computers....!

And I would go for a front beam laser before a rear pulse laser.

I dunno, with the docking computer you can save a huge amount of time with the auto dock. Saved time means more trading trips so you are chosing between more trips but each smaller, or bigger trips but less of them.

There has been a huge amount of discussion on the "correct" buying order, and I am not too convinced that there is any consensus.

Cmdr James wrote:

I dunno, with the docking computer you can save a huge amount of time with the auto dock. Saved time means more trading trips so you are chosing between more trips but each smaller, or bigger trips but less of them.

There has been a huge amount of discussion on the "correct" buying order, and I am not too convinced that there is any consensus.

The consensus is there is no consensus!

I bought a DC for the reason you state - to get close to the station and then auto-dock to save RLtime(tm), but after that, I'd dock properly and manually

Of course I bought it, too. But not prior to some other stuff, particularly a Larger Cargo Bay.

If you can afford a DC (1,500 credits) - a Cargo Bay Extension filled with computers bought for 73.3 each costs the same.
1 Trip to sell them for 100 credits each makes a win of 400 credits, so it pays off after just 1 jump.
If you count the jump back to the system where you can buy the DC, it makes 2 jumps (with 2 manual dockings), and you have your DC and the LCB.

Long story short - I think the LCB is too cheap.

A docking computer is little more than a luxury item, IMHO. Getting to the aegis in more or less one piece is more of a priority: Even in the so-called "safe" systems, you can be ambushed.

These items will help you out far more than a DC:
Front beam laser, or better, military.
Fuel injector.
ECM.
Better missiles.
Energy bomb.
Fuel scoop - can also scoop escape pods and cargo left behind by dead pirates.
Cargo bay upgrade.

And that's just for starters.

Actually, I did get the cargo bay first, on the business principle that it will make me money faster and put the other goodies within reach quicker -- all I had to do was master docking myself PDQ!

With nav beacons it's not that hard -- go to the slot in the space station, turn and face the nav beacon and approach it dead straight, stop, turn to face the slot again, and you'll be pretty well lined up, then just tootle along and stop when you're looking down its gullet, tweak your attitude if necessary, get your rotation right, nnd slip in (humming "Blue Danube" optional!).

DC was next on my list, then WFI, extra energy unit, ECM, shield boosters, all to cover defence, and then upgraded fore and aft lasers to military.

From my early days, 20 years back, I recall that it was MUCH easier to get kills by getting the enemy to follow you and then cook them with your aft laser, using mouse rather than keyboard controls -- it was just so much easier than trying to control the fore laser with the KBD. Now, however, I find it easier using fore laser and kbd. Is it an age thing?? Must say, though, the scanner targeting enhancement helps a lot!

Now I'm looking to go for a bigger ship, so that I can make money even faster. Or is there something else I should do first?

AntonM wrote:

From my early days, 20 years back, I recall that it was MUCH easier to get kills by getting the enemy to follow you and then cook them with your aft laser, using mouse rather than keyboard controls -- it was just so much easier than trying to control the fore laser with the KBD. Now, however, I find it easier using fore laser and kbd. Is it an age thing?? Must say, though, the scanner targeting enhancement helps a lot!

This was the same for me, it took me a while to get anywhere with the aft laser. Now whenever I see a bunch of ships hanging around suspiciously on the scanner, I go to a full stop, swing around and start shooting them with the aft laser until it overheats.

Now I'm looking to go for a bigger ship, so that I can make money even faster. Or is there something else I should do first?

If you want to take more fights, military shield enhancement is nice. You might even survive crashing into another spaceship then. Sometimes.
At one occasion I bumped two Vipers out of existence.

AntonM wrote:

..., tweak your attitude if necessary ...