Oolite Bulletins

Hi,
I'm just playing this great game since a week but I've a question I was unable to find answer to:
Is it possible to remove a weapon from a slot (like aft slot) without buying another one to replace it?
The same way you can remove all missiles?

Thanks!

alocritani wrote:

Hi,
I'm just playing this great game since a week but I've a question I was unable to find answer to:
Is it possible to remove a weapon from a slot (like aft slot) without buying another one to replace it?
The same way you can remove all missiles?

Thanks!

Hi Alocritani, and welcome to the Board.
It's not possible, I'm afraid, but you can downgrade, so say you had a Aft military laser, you can downgrade to a pulse laser, and as far as I know you get a refund on the cost difference.
I'm just interested, why would you want to remove one?

For most equipment (but not the lasers) you can install the Sell Equipment OXP, which allows you to sell the equipment and get back about 60% of the original cost.

You could always edit your save game file (do not use Windows Notepad, use something like Notepad++) to remove the equipment, but you won't get money back.

Smivs wrote:

I'm just interested, why would you want to remove one?

When a decent Jameson has given his hard earned money to the workshop to mount a shiny new laser as front weapon and than discovers that they messed up and mounted it as side weapon. Very frustrating and money gone. Mounting a pulse laser on the next overhaul might give some refund though.

Eric Walch wrote:

Smivs wrote:

I'm just interested, why would you want to remove one?

When a decent Jameson has given his hard earned money to the workshop to mount a shiny new laser as front weapon and than discovers that they messed up and mounted it as side weapon. Very frustrating and money gone. Mounting a pulse laser on the next overhaul might give some refund though.

In my case, I'd like to mount a mining laser on a side, in order to use it if I find some asteroids, but keeping not-mining laser on front, in case of bad meetings...
One day I may need money and decide to sell my mining laser, but at the moment I found no way to do this, simply because there's no way to do it!

Thanks!

alocritani wrote:

In my case, I'd like to mount a mining laser on a side, in order to use it if I find some asteroids, but keeping not-mining laser on front, in case of bad meetings...

You can do this for most ships like the Cobra Mk3, but some ships don't have the side mounts (eg the Adder which only has a front mount). What ship are you in?

I think the side mount is the best place to fit a mining laser as its next to useless for combat. You can find your asteroid and cruise up next to it, and find the asteroid in your sights without having to do much adjustment. I myself have mining lasers on both my left and right side mounts.

alocritani wrote:

One day I may need money and decide to sell my mining laser...

You could use the money earned by mining instead.

Timewise, mining is a money pit (time = money!) unless you are also using the Ore Processor OXP with your mining laser and fuel scoops. Even then, it's semi-marginal as the amount of items per asteroid are limited and seldom will an asteroid be worth more than ~1k credits and will often take ~15 tc from your cargo capacity. It was a stretch for me to mine more than 2 asteroids before needing to empty my 35tc load using a Cobra 3, and going to/from asteroid field and main station or even nearby Rock Hermit was the biggest time-eater involved in the process.

Trading between in-system stations -- even the Rock Hermits and main station found in plain Oolite with no OXPs -- can net considerable profits (1+ k credits per run if the prices vary alot.)

With stuff like Superhub, Hoopy Casinos, and other stations that are often in close proximity to the main station...the time used to do this can be only a minute or 2 per run. Anything as big or bigger than a Python can about clean out a station of items worth buying in 1 visit. Even a Cobra 3 might only need 2-4 visits.

It would be nice if mining paid a bit better. After the expense of mounting the gear and then the time it takes, one doesn't end up with a lot of anything valuable from it. I can usually do better doing "the party run" from, say, any agri-planet to someplace like a Seedy Bar, with a load of booze and/or food. They often have some gold, platinum and/or gems at a good price and also some minerals to ferry back to the planet when you head back to buy more booze and food. Good way to stuff your safe a bit for a "rainy day" and still make a reasonable amount on regular trade at the same time.

Mining, though, you can spend quite a while busting up asteroids and processing ore and get just a load of mostly cheap stuff (minerals). If the rates at most Rock Hermits weren't so unprofitable, it wouldn't much be worth the effort.

Still, doesn't hurt to have a mining laser on one of your side mounts and the ore processor, in case you find an area with enough asteroids to be worth the trouble. I like a military laser on the other side anyway, for when there's an opportunity to get in a good broadside. I've noted the pulling up on the side of a ship one is pursuing doesn't seem to send them into evasive action as easy as pulling up too close behind them, and the AI doesn't seem to use side weapons much, if at all. Can get a "free" volley in on the prey and then turn to hit them in the tail as they break to try to run.

I thought I read on the Wiki that you don't get gems, gold or platinum from asteroids in Oolite. Can others either confirm or deny this? I'm pretty sure in the original there was a small chance that you could. Granted it was pretty darn small but I'm was sure there was a chance nonetheless. It's also possible I remember incorrectly. If it were the case that you could, then mining might be worth it over the long term.

It's also worth it from the safety aspect, if you find a relatively stable system then you won't get harassed much while mining. If you find a belt with a Rock Hermit too then there may be profit to be made bringing stuff to it too. So mining in conjunction with a bit of trading could be a relatively safe way to raise some steady income. I wouldn't sell minerals to a Rock Hermit though, that's a waste of time.

It's almost a shame that you don't (AFAIK) get kills for destroying asteroids, as it would also be the pacifist's path to elite!

If you want to get more valuable stuff from asteroids take a look at the Ore Processor OXP.

Ganelon wrote:

It would be nice if mining paid a bit better.

Well, nobody says that everything you can do in the game has to be profitable.

Ganelon wrote:

If the rates at most Rock Hermits weren't so unprofitable, it wouldn't much be worth the effort.

The rates at Rock Hermits are not unprofitable, you're just thinking the wrong way around. You are not supposed to sell your minerals to a Rock Hermit. You are supposed to buy minerals from him and sell them at the main station. That's where the profit lies.

Darkbee wrote:

I thought I read on the Wiki that you don't get gems, gold or platinum from asteroids in Oolite.

Like maik said. Vanilla Oolite only gives you minerals from asteroids. However, there is an OXP for (well, almost) everything. Ore Processor.oxp is the one that lets you extract valuables (not all the time, but still it makes mining more worthwhile).

I think the Asteroid Storm OXP also gives (gave?) a chance on finding gold or what in an asteroid.
About two times I discovered a "Treasuroid", but I had only a beam or mil. laser at those times and trying to mine them resulted in destruction of whatever was there.
No other obviously asteroid-related OXP was installed.

I since have uninstalled the asteroid storm OXP because I learned I better not raise the entity count in a system. (weak PC)
So I don't really know.

I wouldn't sell minerals to a Rock Hermit though, that's a waste of time.

When mining - just for an intermittent change of gameplay every now and then - I use the rock hermits as close-by storage - selling the minerals (and all cargo) to it and going to harvest some more minerals nearby.

When I'm done mining, I pick my stuff up again - I pay the same as I was payed before, so it is like a free storage.
I then do as many rock hermit - main station runs as it takes and as I like.

That's in interesting indirect selling method you have there Snork... I've heard of cutting out the middle man but taking him and using him like a Diso hooker in loopy casino happy hour is a new one for me.