Oolite Bulletins

This is probably one of those suggestions that sounds good on paper but would probably piss the player off to no end...but here goes...

I find it hard to believe that all ships in Oolite that you buy at the various shipyards are all checked and specc'd to the same standard.

Would a Python purchased at a TL4 (for arguments sake) really be as reliable as one purchased at a TL14?

Would you really trust the shipyard at an Anarchy to really give a toss about the alignment on your second hand Cobra III's torus drive? (Come to think of it, are the ships actually brand new with that brand new smell, or are they second hand, with that three month old feline litter tray smell?)

In short, shouldn't it be possible to find that you've bought yourself a lemon, then be forced to embark on finding another buyer more unlucky than you to offload said lemon...

I always assume the ships are second hand. Some, like the Python are old, out-of-production models so 'New' ones are not available. In my mind I picture some sort of rigourous GalCop check on ships for sale that ensures they are in good order when they are sold.
The equivalent of (in UK terms) a car with a new MOT, a full service and an AA check-over.

Oh great, Space Spivs.

I'm robbin meself commander! New lick of paint, only 250 billion miles on the clock. Grannies little run about really, lovely lady, lovely. Pussy cat, literally. Couldn't do the pressure any more see? Caused her ears to pop. Not really making any money on it. Sellin it for a friend I am, Giles honest truth commander. Saintly I am. Yours, all yours, no one elses not for 100, not for 75, not ever for 65 but 60 thousand credits, it's a steal! You'd be barmy to miss a deal like this. Park your card in the reader and you can fly her away today. Plenty of life in her, plasticoat still wrapped round the injector coils, practically factory fresh she is. Trig told me; Chitinous Caligula Slake he says; you must be mad, 60, for that? Did you cook your brain when you entered the atmosphere? Double it he says. But I am an honest crustacean commander! My word is my bond! 60 not a credit more, not a credit less. Yours, bish bash bosh, splash the cash and off in the black, don't look back! Done and dusted, proper job. Lovely jubley!

http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic855473_lg.jpg

I always thought of new ships to be new. Every dealer would have a certain selection of ships available (sometimes none). You have to choose among the ships in the showroom, there is no built-to-order. That's why you may or may not get some extra equipment.

However, given the fact that you're also re-selling your old ship in the process, it could of course also be that the dealer just refurbishes your ship and then sells it to the next guy walking in. Therefore your 'new' ship may also only be the refurbished old vessel of the last guy walking in.

Both assumptions seem to make some sense.

There are also the rusty ship sets, collections of ships which are clearly second hand, and more or less beat-down, for a considerable discount. If you have those installed, it would make sense to assume that only those rusties are second-hand, and therefore the original ships are new.

By the way, 'new' doesn't necessarily mean that the design is new. It may be 40 years old like in case of the Cobra III, or hundreds of years like in case of some other ships. But that doesn't mean that they're not still in production. I guess that a Python fresh out of the production line will be different in some details from a Python that came fresh out of the production line a generation ago. But overall it's still the same ship.

Ford T's have been in production for many years, and probably the later cars were different in some details from the earlier cars. But still they were the same car, and every car was new at its time of production. The modern american fashion of changing car models almost on a yearly basis doesn't need to be the standard of how space ships are going to be produced in the coming millennium. I assume that if something has been thoroughly tested and is trusted, it may stay relatively unchanged for very long periods of time. It seems that in the Ooniverse the innovation cycle for the general features of space travel seems very slow, almost non-existent. Actually the only major innovation we know of is the discovery of the wormholes, and the resulting switch from Generation Ships to jump-capable ships for interstellar travel, and that happened many centuries ago. Everything else seems to be on the level of equipment only, and therefore doesn't need basic changes of ship layout and design. So there is really no reason why a successful ship shouldn't be continually produced and sold for centuries.

I have the rusty shipsets installed, but they bring a question to mind. How would ships in space get rusty? Rust/oxidation requires the presence of oxygen and (for quickest results) water in at least vapour form.. Which are noticeably lacking in space.

Ok, there might be some oxygen present if the ship was stored in a pressurised docking bay for a very long time, but then rust inside the stations would also be an issue, I'd think? Mostly one would expect rust on a ship that spent a good bit of time in a dirtside junkyard or salvage lot so it had been left exposed to the planetary weather, I'd think? But the usual way I'd think of it, most old ships would be sold off at a station, fixed up a bit (maybe) and then sold off again to a new owner.

On a side note, stations in ill repair could be a fun addition. Rattletrap old relics with rusty supports and graffiti stained walls and sparking panels, and lacking some facilities they should have. Or a station might be recovering from battle damage, accident/disaster, or just poor management. It could make for an unpleasant bit of "reality" in a few systems advertised as being high TL.

Commander Flatulus: "Load me up with hardheads and top up the tanks, I'm in a hurry!

Docking Bay Worker Mgoor'bi: "Sorriness is, sir. Hardheads we have not. Fine standard missiles we have, though. Just came in today, yes. You want?"

Flatulus: "What? This is listed as a TL 12 station! How can you not have hardheads?"

Mgoor'bi: (shrugs apologetically) "Many are the flyboys and flygirls fighting the Thargoids, sir."

Flatulus: "Yes! Yes, you idiot! I am fighting Thargoids on a Naval reserve mission! I need hardheads, Gilesdangit!"

Mgoor'bi: (checking something on computer) "I understand, sir. Hmm.. Commander Maryram maybe will not launch today, yes? I perhaps can transfer one hardhead from her ship. But there will be charge for removal, restock, refurb, and button polishing. We do for you, yes?"

Flatulus: "Ridiculous! I can't go into a fight with just one hardhead! How much would all that come to, anyway?"

Mgoor'bi: "Small is amount. 200 over cost of hardhead. We do?"

Flatulus: "This is outright robbery! I should... Ok, fine. Do it. Then top up the tanks so I can get out of here, you cretin."

Mgoor'bi: "Sorry to correct sir, but I am crustacean, not cretin. Is easy mistake to speak. Great warrior like sir's self surely needs not many missiles. Use lasers. Zap-zap. But perhaps if lasers are missing targets, they must needs be aligned. I take look. "

Flatulus: "No! Keep away from my FrOoking lasers! Just install the hardhead and top the tanks so I can get out of here."

Mgoor'bi: (muttering) "Oh noes.."

Flatulus: "Eh? What's wrong now?"

Mgoor'bi: "Your ship fuel very low, sir. Very low indeed. We can only give enough for next station travel. War-time rationing, sir. Very sorry. We do? We do for you? Yes?"

Flatulus: "Ok, listen up! This will not do at all! I need full fuel for fighting!"

Mgoor'bi: (shrugs and points out the bay door) "Out there you will find star. Plenty fuel. Can't miss, is big bright thing. Or next station is 4.6 LY, also out that way.." (gestures at the bay door)

Flatulus: (taking off helmet and flinging it to the deck and then pulling on his own hair) "Gaaaaaaah! And people keep asking how we are losing this war!!!"

Mgood'bi: "Tell them you be losing it well, sir. Very well. Now, one hardhead and 1.2 LY fuel. We do? We do for you?" (big hopeful smile)

Nice one Ganelon. Another gem...