Elite Wiki - User contributions [en]

Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-12T09:26:03Z

Reval:

== Confiscation = Public Safety ==

'''EXCLUSIVE: The 'CPS Act' – A Shadow Decree from the Office of Galactic Security'''.

By the Principal Voice, Xexedi Enquirer.

Unimpeachable sources within the '''Office of Galactic Security''' - that enigmatic and overlooked ghost-department nested deep within the '''Galcop Administration''' - have leaked definitive proof of an imminent legislative earthquake. The measure, already treated as a ''fait accompli'' by insiders, is the '''Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety Act''' - or, the '''CPS Act'''.

=== The Mechanisms of Seizure ===

The leaked dossier reveals that the CPS Act grants unprecedented powers to '''Galcop''' enforcement units and, crucially, to '''private contractors holding specific Enforcement Licenses'''. Under this new law:

* Immediate Confiscation: Any vessel designated as an "infractor" (a classification expected to be broadly defined to include severe traffic violations, smuggling, unlicensed armed transport and piracy) is subject to immediate '''seizure''' upon apprehension.

* Privatized Enforcement: The '''Office of Galactic Security (OGS)''' will issue licenses to independent spacers and security firms, effectively deputizing them to act with the same authority as regular Galcop police vessels regarding asset seizure.

* Asset Forfeiture: Confiscated ships will not be returned upon payment of fines; they become the property of the Galcop Administration, to be auctioned, scrapped, or '''repurposed for state use'''.

=== The "Ghost Department" Role ===

While our high-profile '''Galcop Worlds Council''' provides a democratic veneer, the '''Office of Galactic Security''' operates as the executive engine driving such draconian measures (lately manifested in the form of the CSDDA and its new-hatched SDD-Network), drafting the security legislation, defining "public safety" criteria, and overseeing the licensing bureau that will regulate the new private enforcement contractors.

Sources suggest the Act is being fast-tracked through '''Galcop Parliament''' on Lave, leveraging ongoing public concerns about Thargoid incursions and the perceived overstretch of regular Naval forces, to say nothing of Police impotence in anarchic systems. By outsourcing enforcement and asset recovery, the Administration aims to flood the spacelanes with incentivized hunters without expanding the official budget.

=== Implications for the Space Community ===

For the average trader or independent pilot, the CPS Act represents a paradigm shift. The line between "bounty hunting" and "asset stripping" blurs, as licensed contractors may now target vessels for confiscation rather than mere destruction or capture of the offending crew. The **Xexedi Enquirer** warns that the definition of "infractor" could be expanded quietly, turning profitable trade routes into hunting grounds for licensed privateers acting under the banner of public safety.

As one source inside the Office grimly noted: "The law is already written; Parliament merely needs to nod. The ships are already being assessed, counted and databased."

== By Any Other Name ==

Tuners, our esteemed Editor - of whom we hear lamentably little these days - could not have laid the facts out better - ''we'' couldn't have done a nicer job of informing you.

So, those "unimpeachable sources" in the OGS, just one more on the list of too-scantly overseen 'Sealed Vaults' adroitly constructed inside our beloved Galcop Administration, saw fit to leak to 'dependable public information outlets' notice of their carrying into Law by Government Act what the same sources refer to as 'Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety'. As ably noted, the law, once passed in Parliament, will be known as the 'CPS Act'.

And ''we'', dear Tuners, will wager our last alien item that this unprecedented measure is a ''done deal''. ''They'' are out there and they are doing what they do NOW.

We've talked about Harvesters; we've talked about those contractors ''favoured'' with Galcop's seal of approval; we've talked about the suite of new assets (mainly weapons) being bestowed upon a new 'vigilante Police' tasked with bringing final order to 'disorderly systems'.

Now we must ask - '''Where is this going?'''

Some ancient poet once announced: 'A Rose by any other name is still a Rose'. A pirate is a pirate, paint him how you will.

=== Ear-to-the-Ground Morsels ===

Indulge us as we quote from a recent despatch:

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

And from another:

But PT is the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner.

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

No one among yous will accuse ''this'' unimpeachable source of not seeing it coming...

So to the none-too-subtle Galcop litany: first 'Defence' [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones''']], ''then'' their awesome and unseen [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''Pteranodon''']] missile, not forgetting the icing on their cake: the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB non-laser weapon''']]. And, Tuners, all free to ''us'' IF we can make the grade. And who could not, with just a little effort and persuasion? Because, let's face it, they ''want'' applicants; they ''need'' candidate-recruits for their new model army - call it, as they are doing, a ''Police Corps extension''.

Or, as DCC Dor Reval today coyly admitted to your faithful sleuth, 'perhaps a necessary evil.'

But we can't have neutralized 'infractors' littering the spacelanes, can we? Crippled hulks require disposal. And to solve the problem, says Dor, Black Labs once again to the rescue with a 'Tractor-Tow' (fully autonomous) AI package. ''And'' yet another sub-Division: Licensed Salvage Contractors. Where will this end?

Salvage contracting would appear the most lucrative of the lot, and one ''we ourselves'' might choose given the leisure and inclination. Reval tells that it will certainly ''pay'' and both sides, or parties, to the License Agreement stand to benefit immeasurably.

"Contractors will bring in the hulks, with generous remuneration and further incentives, and Galcop will refit them, the ships being now '''Police Property''', to expand the vehicle pool and to be deployed, eventually, crewed by experienced volunteers, on enforcement duties in the most unruly systems. Win-Win."

Now, Tuners, how often have we heard that phrase? And how often will we hear it again?

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

== Notes for Operators ==

First, it should be remembered that the Tractor-Tow AI system is not physical or solid. It relies on multiple inputs in the form of feedback pulses per microsecond. The Tractor is maintaining a continuously adjusted and precise bombardment of gravitons to keep the tractored hulk 'tethered' to the Operator's vessel. The beam is omnidirectional, forming an invisible sphere around the guiding ship.

It may be likened to a sheepdog or steer, as these animals were (and perhaps still are) employed in ancient pastoral societies.

Care is needed in the steering and manoeuvring of your ship. Warnings will be issued if you fall outside sustainable parameters.

Guiding a hulk to Station is a slow - some might find painfully slow - procedure. Much patience is required to do the job of a licensed Salvage Contractor well. Never engage Torus or injectors! - you will break the Tractor Lock.

However, should you be forced into a situation where you must '''suspend towing operations''' - through an unexpected attack, for example - you can break the current Tractor Lock by firing your '''Injectors''' for a few seconds. To resume the tow, proceed again as you did on initial acquisition.

Successful completion of a towing run brings substantial cash rewards: Your fee is calculated based on the [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized market price''']] of the ship-type you bring in. A generous proportion of '''half this value''' goes into the Contractor's account, along with any '''bonus''' accruing from the sale of '''residual cargo''' carried by the hulk.

And our graviton beam technology can handle multiple disabled vessels.

== Requirements & Procedures ==

Your vessel is expected to be fitted, at the very least, with a forward [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']] - without this weapon, there will be no neutralized ships to tractor.

The Tractor-Tow package is to be mounted on your '''AFT weapon-facing'''.

On neutralization of the selected target(s), approach, come to a stop, switch to AFT viewscreen, yaw 180 degrees until the hulk is centered in your weapon reticle. Fire a short burst of the Tractor's graviton beam until '''Tractor Lock''' is announced by the system's AI.

Turn 180 degrees again and begin a SLOW acceleration to 90-100 Lm/s. Verify on scanner (and preferably visually) that the locked hulk is being tractored with your vessel. Try not to exceed 200 Lm/s during your return tow-run and avoid sharp manoeuvres.

On entering Station Aegis, the AI will release the towed hulk for tug-operations. Upon docking, your payment will be reported and your fee transferred.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.1 of Tractor-Tow (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/0/09/Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.1 of Tractor-Tow (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/58/Tractor-Tow.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

The soundest choice if you intend to neutralize and then 'salvage' Offenders is:

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.1
* Individual hulks can lose Tractor Lock by drifting too far.
* On losing Tractor Lock, hulks drift again until re-acquired.
* Cargo bonus (market value of any cargo the hulk still carries).
* Tractor beam loses Lock if hulk's distance exceeds 5 km.
* Tractor beam loses Lock if Torus or Injectors are engaged.
* Hulk-spawn routines added for easier testing.
* Many var optimizations, cleanups, reporting & logging additions.

Version 1.0.2
* Removed extraneous line from equipment.plist
* Removed extraneous condition from tt_equipment_conditions.js

Version 1.0.1
* NPB Neutralizer marked as a dependency in manifest.plist

</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-green.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Tractor-Tow
|version = 1.1
|release = 2026-06-11
|features = Creates an immersive task
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-12T09:24:41Z

Reval: cargo bonus

== Confiscation = Public Safety ==

'''EXCLUSIVE: The 'CPS Act' – A Shadow Decree from the Office of Galactic Security'''.

By the Principal Voice, Xexedi Enquirer.

Unimpeachable sources within the '''Office of Galactic Security''' - that enigmatic and overlooked ghost-department nested deep within the '''Galcop Administration''' - have leaked definitive proof of an imminent legislative earthquake. The measure, already treated as a ''fait accompli'' by insiders, is the '''Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety Act''' - or, the '''CPS Act'''.

=== The Mechanisms of Seizure ===

The leaked dossier reveals that the CPS Act grants unprecedented powers to '''Galcop''' enforcement units and, crucially, to '''private contractors holding specific Enforcement Licenses'''. Under this new law:

* Immediate Confiscation: Any vessel designated as an "infractor" (a classification expected to be broadly defined to include severe traffic violations, smuggling, unlicensed armed transport and piracy) is subject to immediate '''seizure''' upon apprehension.

* Privatized Enforcement: The '''Office of Galactic Security (OGS)''' will issue licenses to independent spacers and security firms, effectively deputizing them to act with the same authority as regular Galcop police vessels regarding asset seizure.

* Asset Forfeiture: Confiscated ships will not be returned upon payment of fines; they become the property of the Galcop Administration, to be auctioned, scrapped, or '''repurposed for state use'''.

=== The "Ghost Department" Role ===

While our high-profile '''Galcop Worlds Council''' provides a democratic veneer, the '''Office of Galactic Security''' operates as the executive engine driving such draconian measures (lately manifested in the form of the CSDDA and its new-hatched SDD-Network), drafting the security legislation, defining "public safety" criteria, and overseeing the licensing bureau that will regulate the new private enforcement contractors.

Sources suggest the Act is being fast-tracked through '''Galcop Parliament''' on Lave, leveraging ongoing public concerns about Thargoid incursions and the perceived overstretch of regular Naval forces, to say nothing of Police impotence in anarchic systems. By outsourcing enforcement and asset recovery, the Administration aims to flood the spacelanes with incentivized hunters without expanding the official budget.

=== Implications for the Space Community ===

For the average trader or independent pilot, the CPS Act represents a paradigm shift. The line between "bounty hunting" and "asset stripping" blurs, as licensed contractors may now target vessels for confiscation rather than mere destruction or capture of the offending crew. The **Xexedi Enquirer** warns that the definition of "infractor" could be expanded quietly, turning profitable trade routes into hunting grounds for licensed privateers acting under the banner of public safety.

As one source inside the Office grimly noted: "The law is already written; Parliament merely needs to nod. The ships are already being assessed, counted and databased."

== By Any Other Name ==

Tuners, our esteemed Editor - of whom we hear lamentably little these days - could not have laid the facts out better - ''we'' couldn't have done a nicer job of informing you.

So, those "unimpeachable sources" in the OGS, just one more on the list of too-scantly overseen 'Sealed Vaults' adroitly constructed inside our beloved Galcop Administration, saw fit to leak to 'dependable public information outlets' notice of their carrying into Law by Government Act what the same sources refer to as 'Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety'. As ably noted, the law, once passed in Parliament, will be known as the 'CPS Act'.

And ''we'', dear Tuners, will wager our last alien item that this unprecedented measure is a ''done deal''. ''They'' are out there and they are doing what they do NOW.

We've talked about Harvesters; we've talked about those contractors ''favoured'' with Galcop's seal of approval; we've talked about the suite of new assets (mainly weapons) being bestowed upon a new 'vigilante Police' tasked with bringing final order to 'disorderly systems'.

Now we must ask - '''Where is this going?'''

Some ancient poet once announced: 'A Rose by any other name is still a Rose'. A pirate is a pirate, paint him how you will.

=== Ear-to-the-Ground Morsels ===

Indulge us as we quote from a recent despatch:

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

And from another:

But PT is the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner.

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

No one among yous will accuse ''this'' unimpeachable source of not seeing it coming...

So to the none-too-subtle Galcop litany: first 'Defence' [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones''']], ''then'' their awesome and unseen [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''Pteranodon''']] missile, not forgetting the icing on their cake: the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB non-laser weapon''']]. And, Tuners, all free to ''us'' IF we can make the grade. And who could not, with just a little effort and persuasion? Because, let's face it, they ''want'' applicants; they ''need'' candidate-recruits for their new model army - call it, as they are doing, a ''Police Corps extension''.

Or, as DCC Dor Reval today coyly admitted to your faithful sleuth, 'perhaps a necessary evil.'

But we can't have neutralized 'infractors' littering the spacelanes, can we? Crippled hulks require disposal. And to solve the problem, says Dor, Black Labs once again to the rescue with a 'Tractor-Tow' (fully autonomous) AI package. ''And'' yet another sub-Division: Licensed Salvage Contractors. Where will this end?

Salvage contracting would appear the most lucrative of the lot, and one ''we ourselves'' might choose given the leisure and inclination. Reval tells that it will certainly ''pay'' and both sides, or parties, to the License Agreement stand to benefit immeasurably.

"Contractors will bring in the hulks, with generous remuneration and further incentives, and Galcop will refit them, the ships being now '''Police Property''', to expand the vehicle pool and to be deployed, eventually, crewed by experienced volunteers, on enforcement duties in the most unruly systems. Win-Win."

Now, Tuners, how often have we heard that phrase? And how often will we hear it again?

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

== Notes for Operators ==

First, it should be remembered that the Tractor-Tow AI system is not physical or solid. It relies on multiple inputs in the form of feedback pulses per microsecond. The Tractor is maintaining a continuously adjusted and precise bombardment of gravitons to keep the tractored hulk 'tethered' to the Operator's vessel. The beam is omnidirectional, forming an invisible sphere around the towing ship.

It may be likened to a sheepdog or steer, as these animals were (and perhaps still are) employed in ancient pastoral societies.

Care is needed in the steering and manoeuvring of your ship. Warnings will be issued if you fall outside sustainable parameters.

Guiding a hulk to Station is a slow - some might find painfully slow - procedure. Much patience is required to do the job of a licensed Salvage Contractor well. Never engage Torus or injectors! - you will break the Tractor Lock.

However, should you be forced into a situation where you must '''suspend towing operations''' - through an unexpected attack, for example - you can break the current Tractor Lock by firing your '''Injectors''' for a few seconds. To resume the tow, proceed again as you did on initial acquisition.

Successful completion of a towing run brings substantial cash rewards: Your fee is calculated based on the [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized market price''']] of the ship-type you bring in. A generous proportion of '''half this value''' goes into the Contractor's account, along with any '''bonus''' accruing from the sale of '''residual cargo''' carried by the hulk.

And our graviton beam technology can handle multiple disabled vessels.

== Requirements & Procedures ==

Your vessel is expected to be fitted, at the very least, with a forward [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']] - without this weapon, there will be no neutralized ships to tractor.

The Tractor-Tow package is to be mounted on your '''AFT weapon-facing'''.

On neutralization of the selected target(s), approach, come to a stop, switch to AFT viewscreen, yaw 180 degrees until the hulk is centered in your weapon reticle. Fire a short burst of the Tractor's graviton beam until '''Tractor Lock''' is announced by the system's AI.

Turn 180 degrees again and begin a SLOW acceleration to 90-100 Lm/s. Verify on scanner (and preferably visually) that the locked hulk is being tractored with your vessel. Try not to exceed 200 Lm/s during your return tow-run and avoid sharp manoeuvres.

On entering Station Aegis, the AI will release the towed hulk for tug-operations. Upon docking, your payment will be reported and your fee transferred.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.1 of Tractor-Tow (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/0/09/Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.1 of Tractor-Tow (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/58/Tractor-Tow.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

The soundest choice if you intend to neutralize and then 'salvage' Offenders is:

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.1
* Individual hulks can lose Tractor Lock by drifting too far.
* On losing Tractor Lock, hulks drift again until re-acquired.
* Cargo bonus (market value of any cargo the hulk still carries).
* Tractor beam loses Lock if hulk's distance exceeds 5 km.
* Tractor beam loses Lock if Torus or Injectors are engaged.
* Hulk-spawn routines added for easier testing.
* Many var optimizations, cleanups, reporting & logging additions.

Version 1.0.2
* Removed extraneous line from equipment.plist
* Removed extraneous condition from tt_equipment_conditions.js

Version 1.0.1
* NPB Neutralizer marked as a dependency in manifest.plist

</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-green.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Tractor-Tow
|version = 1.1
|release = 2026-06-11
|features = Creates an immersive task
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Talk:Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-12T08:47:57Z

Reval: Version 1.1 renders the entire discussion academic, obviating any further need for its retention.

Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-11T08:27:25Z

2026-06-09T06:45:29Z

Reval:

== Confiscation = Public Safety ==

'''EXCLUSIVE: The 'CPS Act' – A Shadow Decree from the Office of Galactic Security'''.

By the Principal Voice, Xexedi Enquirer.

Unimpeachable sources within the '''Office of Galactic Security''' - that enigmatic and overlooked ghost-department nested deep within the '''Galcop Administration''' - have leaked definitive proof of an imminent legislative earthquake. The measure, already treated as a ''fait accompli'' by insiders, is the '''Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety Act''' - or, the '''CPS Act'''.

=== The Mechanisms of Seizure ===

The leaked dossier reveals that the CPS Act grants unprecedented powers to '''Galcop''' enforcement units and, crucially, to '''private contractors holding specific Enforcement Licenses'''. Under this new law:

* Immediate Confiscation: Any vessel designated as an "infractor" (a classification expected to be broadly defined to include severe traffic violations, smuggling, unlicensed armed transport and piracy) is subject to immediate '''seizure''' upon apprehension.

* Privatized Enforcement: The '''Office of Galactic Security (OGS)''' will issue licenses to independent spacers and security firms, effectively deputizing them to act with the same authority as regular Galcop police vessels regarding asset seizure.

* Asset Forfeiture: Confiscated ships will not be returned upon payment of fines; they become the property of the Galcop Administration, to be auctioned, scrapped, or '''repurposed for state use'''.

=== The "Ghost Department" Role ===

While our high-profile '''Galcop Worlds Council''' provides a democratic veneer, the '''Office of Galactic Security''' operates as the executive engine driving such draconian measures (lately manifested in the form of the CSDDA and its new-hatched SDD-Network), drafting the security legislation, defining "public safety" criteria, and overseeing the licensing bureau that will regulate the new private enforcement contractors.

Sources suggest the Act is being fast-tracked through '''Galcop Parliament''' on Lave, leveraging ongoing public concerns about Thargoid incursions and the perceived overstretch of regular Naval forces, to say nothing of Police impotence in anarchic systems. By outsourcing enforcement and asset recovery, the Administration aims to flood the spacelanes with incentivized hunters without expanding the official budget.

=== Implications for the Space Community ===

For the average trader or independent pilot, the CPS Act represents a paradigm shift. The line between "bounty hunting" and "asset stripping" blurs, as licensed contractors may now target vessels for confiscation rather than mere destruction or capture of the offending crew. The **Xexedi Enquirer** warns that the definition of "infractor" could be expanded quietly, turning profitable trade routes into hunting grounds for licensed privateers acting under the banner of public safety.

As one source inside the Office grimly noted: "The law is already written; Parliament merely needs to nod. The ships are already being assessed, counted and databased."

== By Any Other Name ==

Tuners, our esteemed Editor - of whom we hear lamentably little these days - could not have laid the facts out better - ''we'' couldn't have done a nicer job of informing you.

So, those "unimpeachable sources" in the OGS, just one more on the list of too-scantly overseen 'Sealed Vaults' adroitly constructed inside our beloved Galcop Administration, saw fit to leak to 'dependable public information outlets' notice of their carrying into Law by Government Act what the same sources refer to as 'Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety'. As ably noted, the law, once passed in Parliament, will be known as the 'CPS Act'.

And ''we'', dear Tuners, will wager our last alien item that this unprecedented measure is a ''done deal''. ''They'' are out there and they are doing what they do NOW.

We've talked about Harvesters; we've talked about those contractors ''favoured'' with Galcop's seal of approval; we've talked about the suite of new assets (mainly weapons) being bestowed upon a new 'vigilante Police' tasked with bringing final order to 'disorderly systems'.

Now we must ask - '''Where is this going?'''

Some ancient poet once announced: 'A Rose by any other name is still a Rose'. A pirate is a pirate, paint him how you will.

=== Ear-to-the-Ground Morsels ===

Indulge us as we quote from a recent despatch:

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

And from another:

But PT is the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner.

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

No one among yous will accuse ''this'' unimpeachable source of not seeing it coming...

So to the none-too-subtle Galcop litany: first 'Defence' [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones''']], ''then'' their awesome and unseen [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''Pteranodon''']] missile, not forgetting the icing on their cake: the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB non-laser weapon''']]. And, Tuners, all free to ''us'' IF we can make the grade. And who could not, with just a little effort and persuasion? Because, let's face it, they ''want'' applicants; they ''need'' candidate-recruits for their new model army - call it, as they are doing, a ''Police Corps extension''.

Or, as DCC Dor Reval today coyly admitted to your faithful sleuth, 'perhaps a necessary evil.'

But we can't have neutralized 'infractors' littering the spacelanes, can we? Crippled hulks require disposal. And to solve the problem, says Dor, Black Labs once again to the rescue with a 'Tractor-Tow' (fully autonomous) AI package. ''And'' yet another sub-Division: Licensed Salvage Contractors. Where will this end?

Salvage contracting would appear the most lucrative of the lot, and one ''we ourselves'' might choose given the leisure and inclination. Reval tells that it will certainly ''pay'' and both sides, or parties, to the License Agreement stand to benefit immeasurably.

"Contractors will bring in the hulks, with generous remuneration and further incentives, and Galcop will refit them, the ships being now '''Police Property''', to expand the vehicle pool and to be deployed, eventually, crewed by experienced volunteers, on enforcement duties in the most unruly systems. Win-Win."

Now, Tuners, how often have we heard that phrase? And how often will we hear it again?

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

== Notes for Operators ==

First, it should be remembered that the Tractor-Tow AI system is not physical or solid. It relies on multiple inputs in the form of feedback pulses per microsecond. The Tractor is maintaining a continuously adjusted and precise bombardment of gravitons to keep the tractored hulk 'tethered' and following in the wake of the Operator's vessel.

It may be likened to a sheepdog or steer, as these animals were (and perhaps still are) employed in ancient pastoral societies.

Care is needed in the steering and manoeuvring of your ship. Warnings will be issued if you fall outside sustainable parameters.

Guiding a hulk to Station is a slow - some might find painfully slow - procedure. Much patience is required to do the job of a licensed Salvage Contractor well. Never engage Torus or injectors! - you will break the Tractor Lock.

However, should you be forced into a situation where you must suspend towing operations - through an unexpected attack, for example - you can break the current Tractor Lock by firing your Injectors for a few seconds. To resume the tow, proceed again as you initially acquired the Lock.

On successful completion of a towing run, cash rewards will be substantial. Your fee is calculated based on the [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized market price''']] of the ship-type you bring in. A generous proportion of '''half this value''' goes into the Contractor's account.

And our graviton beam technology can handle multiple disabled vessels.

== Requirements & Procedures ==

Your vessel is expected to be fitted, at the very least, with a forward [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']] - without this weapon, there will be no neutralized ships to tractor.

The Tractor-Tow package is to be mounted on your '''AFT weapon-facing'''.

On neutralization of the selected target(s), approach, come to a stop, switch to AFT viewscreen, yaw 180 degrees until the hulk is centered in your weapon reticle. Fire a short burst of the Tractor's graviton beam until '''Tractor Lock''' is announced by the system's AI.

Turn 180 degrees again and begin a SLOW acceleration to 90-100 Lm/s. Verify on scanner (and preferably visually) that the locked hulk is being tractored with your vessel. Try not to exceed 200 Lm/s during your return tow-run and avoid sharp manoeuvres.

On entering Station Aegis, the AI will release the towed hulk for tug-operations. Upon docking, your payment will be reported and your fee transferred.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/0/09/Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/58/Tractor-Tow.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

The soundest choice if you intend to neutralize and then 'salvage' Offenders is:

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.0.2
* Removed extraneous line from equipment.plist
* Removed extraneous condition from tt_equipment_conditions.js

Version 1.0.1
* NPB Neutralizer marked as a dependency in manifest.plist

</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-green.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Tractor-Tow
|version = 1.0
|release = 2026-06-08
|features = Creates an immersive task
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-09T05:40:09Z

Reval: version 1.0.2 (removal of extraneous lines/conditions)

== Confiscation = Public Safety ==

'''EXCLUSIVE: The 'CPS Act' – A Shadow Decree from the Office of Galactic Security'''.

By the Principal Voice, Xexedi Enquirer.

Unimpeachable sources within the '''Office of Galactic Security''' - that enigmatic and overlooked ghost-department nested deep within the '''Galcop Administration''' - have leaked definitive proof of an imminent legislative earthquake. The measure, already treated as a ''fait accompli'' by insiders, is the '''Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety Act''' - or, the '''CPS Act'''.

=== The Mechanisms of Seizure ===

The leaked dossier reveals that the CPS Act grants unprecedented powers to '''Galcop''' enforcement units and, crucially, to '''private contractors holding specific Enforcement Licenses'''. Under this new law:

* Immediate Confiscation: Any vessel designated as an "infractor" (a classification expected to be broadly defined to include severe traffic violations, smuggling, unlicensed armed transport and piracy) is subject to immediate '''seizure''' upon apprehension.

* Privatized Enforcement: The '''Office of Galactic Security (OGS)''' will issue licenses to independent spacers and security firms, effectively deputizing them to act with the same authority as regular Galcop police vessels regarding asset seizure.

* Asset Forfeiture: Confiscated ships will not be returned upon payment of fines; they become the property of the Galcop Administration, to be auctioned, scrapped, or '''repurposed for state use'''.

=== The "Ghost Department" Role ===

While our high-profile '''Galcop Worlds Council''' provides a democratic veneer, the '''Office of Galactic Security''' operates as the executive engine driving such draconian measures (lately manifested in the form of the CSDDA and its new-hatched SDD-Network), drafting the security legislation, defining "public safety" criteria, and overseeing the licensing bureau that will regulate the new private enforcement contractors.

Sources suggest the Act is being fast-tracked through '''Galcop Parliament''' on Lave, leveraging ongoing public concerns about Thargoid incursions and the perceived overstretch of regular Naval forces, to say nothing of Police impotence in anarchic systems. By outsourcing enforcement and asset recovery, the Administration aims to flood the spacelanes with incentivized hunters without expanding the official budget.

=== Implications for the Space Community ===

For the average trader or independent pilot, the CPS Act represents a paradigm shift. The line between "bounty hunting" and "asset stripping" blurs, as licensed contractors may now target vessels for confiscation rather than mere destruction or capture of the offending crew. The **Xexedi Enquirer** warns that the definition of "infractor" could be expanded quietly, turning profitable trade routes into hunting grounds for licensed privateers acting under the banner of public safety.

As one source inside the Office grimly noted: "The law is already written; Parliament merely needs to nod. The ships are already being assessed, counted and databased."

== By Any Other Name ==

Tuners, our esteemed Editor - of whom we hear lamentably little these days - could not have laid the facts out better - ''we'' couldn't have done a nicer job of informing you.

So, those "unimpeachable sources" in the OGS, just one more on the list of too-scantly overseen 'Sealed Vaults' adroitly constructed inside our beloved Galcop Administration, saw fit to leak to 'dependable public information outlets' notice of their carrying into Law by Government Act what the same sources refer to as 'Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety'. As ably noted, the law, once passed in Parliament, will be known as the 'CPS Act'.

And ''we'', dear Tuners, will wager our last alien item that this unprecedented measure is a ''done deal''. ''They'' are out there and they are doing what they do NOW.

We've talked about Harvesters; we've talked about those contractors ''favoured'' with Galcop's seal of approval; we've talked about the suite of new assets (mainly weapons) being bestowed upon a new 'vigilante Police' tasked with bringing final order to 'disorderly systems'.

Now we must ask - '''Where is this going?'''

Some ancient poet once announced: 'A Rose by any other name is still a Rose'. A pirate is a pirate, paint him how you will.

=== Ear-to-the-Ground Morsels ===

Indulge us as we quote from a recent despatch:

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

And from another:

But PT is the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner.

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

No one among yous will accuse ''this'' unimpeachable source of not seeing it coming...

So to the none-too-subtle Galcop litany: first 'Defence' [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones''']], ''then'' their awesome and unseen [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''Pteranodon''']] missile, not forgetting the icing on their cake: the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB non-laser weapon''']]. And, Tuners, all free to ''us'' IF we can make the grade. And who could not, with just a little effort and persuasion? Because, let's face it, they ''want'' applicants; they ''need'' candidate-recruits for their new model army - call it, as they are doing, a ''Police Corps extension''.

Or, as DCC Dor Reval today coyly admitted to your faithful sleuth, 'perhaps a necessary evil.'

But we can't have neutralized 'infractors' littering the spacelanes, can we? Crippled hulks require disposal. And to solve the problem, says Dor, Black Labs once again to the rescue with a 'Tractor-Tow' (fully autonomous) AI package. ''And'' yet another sub-Division: Licensed Salvage Contractors. Where will this end?

Salvage contracting would appear the most lucrative of the lot, and one ''we ourselves'' might choose given the leisure and inclination. Reval tells that it will certainly ''pay'' and both sides, or parties, to the License Agreement stand to benefit immeasurably.

"Contractors will bring in the hulks, with generous remuneration and further incentives, and Galcop will refit them, the ships being now '''Police Property''', to expand the vehicle pool and to be deployed, eventually, crewed by experienced volunteers, on enforcement duties in the most unruly systems. Win-Win."

Now, Tuners, how often have we heard that phrase? And how often will we hear it again?

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

== Notes for Operators ==

First, it should be remembered that the Tractor-Tow AI system is not physical or solid. It relies on multiple inputs in the form of feedback pulses per microsecond. The Tractor is maintaining a continuously adjusted and precise bombardment of gravitons to keep the tractored hulk 'tethered' and following in the wake of the Operator's vessel.

It may be likened to a sheepdog or steer, as these animals were (and perhaps still are) employed in ancient pastoral societies.

Care is needed in the steering and manoeuvring of your ship. Warnings will be issued if you fall outside sustainable parameters.

Guiding a hulk to Station is a slow - some might find painfully slow - procedure. Much patience is required to do the job of a licensed Salvage Contractor well. Never engage Torus or injectors! - you will break the Tractor Lock.

But on successful completion of a towing run, cash rewards will be substantial. Your fee is calculated based on the [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized market price''']] of the ship-type you bring in. A generous proportion of '''half this value''' goes into the Contractor's account.

And our graviton beam technology can handle multiple disabled vessels.

== Requirements & Procedures ==

Your vessel is expected to be fitted, at the very least, with a forward [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']] - without this weapon, there will be no neutralized ships to tractor.

The Tractor-Tow package is to be mounted on your '''AFT weapon-facing'''.

On neutralization of the selected target(s), approach, come to a stop, switch to AFT viewscreen, yaw 180 degrees until the hulk is centered in your weapon reticle. Fire a short burst of the Tractor's graviton beam until '''Tractor Lock''' is announced by the system's AI.

Turn 180 degrees again and begin a SLOW acceleration to 90-100 Lm/s. Verify on scanner (and preferably visually) that the locked hulk is being tractored with your vessel. Try not to exceed 200 Lm/s during your return tow-run and avoid sharp manoeuvres.

On entering Station Aegis, the AI will release the towed hulk for tug-operations. Upon docking, your payment will be reported and your fee transferred.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/0/09/Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/58/Tractor-Tow.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

The soundest choice if you intend to neutralize and then 'salvage' Offenders is:

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.0.2
* Removed extraneous line from equipment.plist
* Removed extraneous condition from tt_equipment_conditions.js

Version 1.0.1
* NPB Neutralizer marked as a dependency in manifest.plist

</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-green.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Tractor-Tow
|version = 1.0
|release = 2026-06-08
|features = Creates an immersive task
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

File:Tractor-Tow.oxz

2026-06-09T05:36:29Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Tractor-Tow.oxz

File:Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

2026-06-09T05:35:49Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Talk:Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-09T04:45:21Z

Reval: response to phkb

NPB Neutralizer OXZ

2026-06-09T03:39:29Z

Reval:

== Galcop's Open Secret ==

Galcop reports that its Neutralizer NPB, now being retrofitted to Police [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|SDD Mambitas]], and planned for Vipers and Viper Interceptors, is a '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon that works by accelerating '''hydrogen ions''' to near-light speed and then neutralizing their charge. Upon hitting a target, the high-energy particles penetrate deep into a ship's structure, depositing their energy '''inside''' critical systems like electronics and power conduits.

This causes '''catastrophic internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power generation, and knocking out weapons, engines, and other critical systems - while throwing off relatively little energy as surface heat. In complete contrast to the external burning and blasting effect of a conventional laser, the NPB leaves its target a powerless '''drifting hulk''' without triggering fatal explosions in fuel reserves or ordinance.

Such '''soft-kill''' capability, where the ship is disabled but intact, was a key factor and a spur to Galcop, whose Black Labs invested considerable time and resources into developing and perfecting it.

Galcop sources call NPB "the perfect first-strike and last-resort enforcer. A '''sustained well-aimed burst''' can render the offending vessel essentially salvage. The resulting derelict or hulk, along with any surviving crew, can be boarded or [[Tractor-Tow OXZ|'''towed back to Station''']] for processing and penalties. No funerals (or not so many). Win-Win."

Rights to mount NPB Neutralizers are granted under '''Galcop contract'''. Such a license is issued solely to members of the '''Police SDD-Network''', along with permissions to deploy '''[[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|Ship Defence Drones (SDD)]]'''.

It scarcely needs emphasizing that an applicant's '''legal record''' must be '''Clean'''. And yes, that's a Capital C. Galcop's Civilian SDD Authority's screening and vetting border on merciless. Relatively few applicants are accepted for final consideration.

And this technology is not cheap. Galcop is not 'giving away' its Neutralizers (unlike their SDDs).

== Neutralizer Behaviour & Use ==

As already observed, the NPB Neutralizer is '''not a Laser''' and exhibits comparatively little Laser-like effect in use. But its intended effects are '''far more destructive in a shorter time'''.

On first being hit by the NPB, a victim's vessel will suffer extensive '''interior damage''', and will become essentially '''crippled'''. Drives, controls, weapons, speed and manoeuvrability will suffer noticeably. While not disabled, the victim ship is already nearing that state.

A relatively '''short further burst''' of NPB firing will cause the '''complete disabling''' of the victim's vessel. It will drift and tumble in space.

As the NPB's ''surface effects'' on a target's hull are ''low'' (only damage=3 compared to damage=12 for a standard Military Laser), using the Neutralizer as if it were a laser is not recommended. But the victim will explode if the attacking ship persists in firing on the disabled hulk.

Consequently, in the unlikely event of a pilot wanting to destroy a vessel after neutralization, extremely '''prolonged bursts of NPB fire''' will be required.

No extra score or credit will accrue from killing an already dead ship.

== NPB in Depth (Real World) ==

'''Neutral particle beam (NPB) weapons''' are directed-energy systems that accelerate subatomic particles, typically hydrogen ions, to near-light speed and neutralize them before firing to prevent deflection by magnetic fields. Unlike lasers that burn surfaces, NPBs penetrate deep into a target’s interior, causing catastrophic damage through '''kinetic penetration, thermal superheating, and ionization''' that destroys electronics or triggers nuclear fission.

The theoretical mechanics involve three key stages:

* '''Acceleration and Neutralization:''' Charged particles (like negative hydrogen ions) are accelerated to high energies (100–1000+ MeV) using particle accelerators. Before leaving the device, they pass through a neutralizer cell or gas stripper to remove an electron, creating a beam of electrically neutral atoms. This neutrality allows the beam to travel in a straight line without being deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field.

* '''Target Interaction:''' Upon impact, the neutral particles capture electrons from the target material, becoming charged ions. This allows them to penetrate deeply into the vehicle’s shell or exterior, depositing their kinetic energy internally.

* '''Destructive Effects:''' The energy deposition causes '''near-instantaneous superheating''' of the target material, potentially melting it, igniting fuel supplies, or frying onboard electronics. For nuclear warheads, the particles can induce fission processes and neutron generation, leading to premature detonation or structural failure.

Historically, the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative explored NPBs as '''anti-satellite''' and '''anti-ballistic missile''' weapons capable of intercepting targets in their boost phase. While the Beam Experiments Aboard Rocket (BEAR) project successfully tested a prototype in space in 1989, significant technical hurdles remain, including the need for '''lightweight, high-power accelerators''' and methods to maintain beam coherence over long distances. Despite recent interest in testing space-based variants, NPBs remain largely in the research stage due to the immense power requirements and engineering challenges involved in miniaturizing the necessary accelerator technology.

So, to summarize the NPB event-sequence:

1. '''Hydrogen atoms are ionized''' to create negative hydrogen ions (H⁻).

2. These '''ions are accelerated''' to near-light speed using a particle accelerator.

3. The accelerated '''ions are then neutralized''' (by stripping away the extra electron) to form a beam of neutral hydrogen atoms for firing.

The beam is '''accelerated''' as charged '''ions''', not neutral atoms. The neutralization happens after acceleration to allow the beam to travel in a straight line.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.3 of NPB Neutralizer (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/2/24/Neutralizer.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.3 of NPB Neutralizer (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/f/f7/Neutralizer.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

Sound choices if you intend to hunt for and recover infractor vessels:

* [[Tractor-Tow OXZ|'''Tractor-Tow''']]

Galcop's autonomous AI tractor beam package will lock onto and drag with it one or more neutralized hulks to be shepherded toward Station for tug operations, then refitted or broken up. A generous percentage is granted to Licensed Contractors on salvage.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.3
* OPTION: Adjust Neutralizing threshold, after which victim is definitively NPB'd.
* OPTION: Adjust Crippling threshold, after which victim's systems and armament suffer.
* Remove fuel injectors from a crippled ship, if fitted, to simulate disabling them.
* Numerous cosmetic enhancements and logical tightening.

Version 1.2a
Not a true update: simply omitted to reset the $npbTesting option on last release.

Version 1.2
* OPTION: On first NPB hit, cripple victim ship's performance and armament.
* On neutralization, disable (remove) victim's lasers and missiles.
* Crippling also disables the victim's hyperdrive, preventing escape.
* Victim crew's voice-comm reactions to being hit by NPB.
* Ship's sensors' recording of NPB weapon's effects on victim vessel.
* Prevent double score after killing a neutralized ship.
* Code refactoring, optimizations, log & comment additions and amendments.

Version 1.1
* Fully implemented Galcop License-granting conditions.
* OXP now recognizes when the NPB Neutralizer is causing the damage to a victim.
* NPB can be effected either from the world script or ship script (see NOTE).
* Changed the 'kill message' and many strings in the log entries.

/*
NOTE: there are now two options for where the NPB logic fires from:
1. This world Script's shipAttackedOther ($npbNPCScript=false);
2. The individual NPC NPB ship script's shipBeingAttacked ($npbNPCScript=true);
Both work equally well, with a possible efficiency gain using (1).
The main difference in behaviour is in the number of log entries: (2) has more. (1) is the default.
But the logging can be toggled too ($log=true/false).
There is also the option not to disable the victim, with $npbDisabling=false.
Option to cripple (or not) the victim on first NPB hit ($npbCrippling=true/false).

*/

</pre>

== Quick Facts ==

{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-blue.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = NPB Neutralizer
|version = 1.3
|release = 2026-05-20
|features = Enhances Combat
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Weapons OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-09T03:33:23Z

Reval:

== Confiscation = Public Safety ==

'''EXCLUSIVE: The 'CPS Act' – A Shadow Decree from the Office of Galactic Security'''.

By the Principal Voice, Xexedi Enquirer.

Unimpeachable sources within the '''Office of Galactic Security''' - that enigmatic and overlooked ghost-department nested deep within the '''Galcop Administration''' - have leaked definitive proof of an imminent legislative earthquake. The measure, already treated as a ''fait accompli'' by insiders, is the '''Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety Act''' - or, the '''CPS Act'''.

=== The Mechanisms of Seizure ===

The leaked dossier reveals that the CPS Act grants unprecedented powers to '''Galcop''' enforcement units and, crucially, to '''private contractors holding specific Enforcement Licenses'''. Under this new law:

* Immediate Confiscation: Any vessel designated as an "infractor" (a classification expected to be broadly defined to include severe traffic violations, smuggling, unlicensed armed transport and piracy) is subject to immediate '''seizure''' upon apprehension.

* Privatized Enforcement: The '''Office of Galactic Security (OGS)''' will issue licenses to independent spacers and security firms, effectively deputizing them to act with the same authority as regular Galcop police vessels regarding asset seizure.

* Asset Forfeiture: Confiscated ships will not be returned upon payment of fines; they become the property of the Galcop Administration, to be auctioned, scrapped, or '''repurposed for state use'''.

=== The "Ghost Department" Role ===

While our high-profile '''Galcop Worlds Council''' provides a democratic veneer, the '''Office of Galactic Security''' operates as the executive engine driving such draconian measures (lately manifested in the form of the CSDDA and its new-hatched SDD-Network), drafting the security legislation, defining "public safety" criteria, and overseeing the licensing bureau that will regulate the new private enforcement contractors.

Sources suggest the Act is being fast-tracked through '''Galcop Parliament''' on Lave, leveraging ongoing public concerns about Thargoid incursions and the perceived overstretch of regular Naval forces, to say nothing of Police impotence in anarchic systems. By outsourcing enforcement and asset recovery, the Administration aims to flood the spacelanes with incentivized hunters without expanding the official budget.

=== Implications for the Space Community ===

For the average trader or independent pilot, the CPS Act represents a paradigm shift. The line between "bounty hunting" and "asset stripping" blurs, as licensed contractors may now target vessels for confiscation rather than mere destruction or capture of the offending crew. The **Xexedi Enquirer** warns that the definition of "infractor" could be expanded quietly, turning profitable trade routes into hunting grounds for licensed privateers acting under the banner of public safety.

As one source inside the Office grimly noted: "The law is already written; Parliament merely needs to nod. The ships are already being assessed, counted and databased."

== By Any Other Name ==

Tuners, our esteemed Editor - of whom we hear lamentably little these days - could not have laid the facts out better - ''we'' couldn't have done a nicer job of informing you.

So, those "unimpeachable sources" in the OGS, just one more on the list of too-scantly overseen 'Sealed Vaults' adroitly constructed inside our beloved Galcop Administration, saw fit to leak to 'dependable public information outlets' notice of their carrying into Law by Government Act what the same sources refer to as 'Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety'. As ably noted, the law, once passed in Parliament, will be known as the 'CPS Act'.

And ''we'', dear Tuners, will wager our last alien item that this unprecedented measure is a ''done deal''. ''They'' are out there and they are doing what they do NOW.

We've talked about Harvesters; we've talked about those contractors ''favoured'' with Galcop's seal of approval; we've talked about the suite of new assets (mainly weapons) being bestowed upon a new 'vigilante Police' tasked with bringing final order to 'disorderly systems'.

Now we must ask - '''Where is this going?'''

Some ancient poet once announced: 'A Rose by any other name is still a Rose'. A pirate is a pirate, paint him how you will.

=== Ear-to-the-Ground Morsels ===

Indulge us as we quote from a recent despatch:

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

And from another:

But PT is the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner.

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

No one among yous will accuse ''this'' unimpeachable source of not seeing it coming...

So to the none-too-subtle Galcop litany: first 'Defence' [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones''']], ''then'' their awesome and unseen [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''Pteranodon''']] missile, not forgetting the icing on their cake: the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB non-laser weapon''']]. And, Tuners, all free to ''us'' IF we can make the grade. And who could not, with just a little effort and persuasion? Because, let's face it, they ''want'' applicants; they ''need'' candidate-recruits for their new model army - call it, as they are doing, a ''Police Corps extension''.

Or, as DCC Dor Reval today coyly admitted to your faithful sleuth, 'perhaps a necessary evil.'

But we can't have neutralized 'infractors' littering the spacelanes, can we? Crippled hulks require disposal. And to solve the problem, says Dor, Black Labs once again to the rescue with a 'Tractor-Tow' (fully autonomous) AI package. ''And'' yet another sub-Division: Licensed Salvage Contractors. Where will this end?

Salvage contracting would appear the most lucrative of the lot, and one ''we ourselves'' might choose given the leisure and inclination. Reval tells that it will certainly ''pay'' and both sides, or parties, to the License Agreement stand to benefit immeasurably.

"Contractors will bring in the hulks, with generous remuneration and further incentives, and Galcop will refit them, the ships being now '''Police Property''', to expand the vehicle pool and to be deployed, eventually, crewed by experienced volunteers, on enforcement duties in the most unruly systems. Win-Win."

Now, Tuners, how often have we heard that phrase? And how often will we hear it again?

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

== Notes for Operators ==

First, it should be remembered that the Tractor-Tow AI system is not physical or solid. It relies on multiple inputs in the form of feedback pulses per microsecond. The Tractor is maintaining a continuously adjusted and precise bombardment of gravitons to keep the tractored hulk 'tethered' and following in the wake of the Operator's vessel.

It may be likened to a sheepdog or steer, as these animals were (and perhaps still are) employed in ancient pastoral societies.

Care is needed in the steering and manoeuvring of your ship. Warnings will be issued if you fall outside sustainable parameters.

Guiding a hulk to Station is a slow - some might find painfully slow - procedure. Much patience is required to do the job of a licensed Salvage Contractor well. Never engage Torus or injectors! - you will break the Tractor Lock.

But on successful completion of a towing run, cash rewards will be substantial. Your fee is calculated based on the [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized market price''']] of the ship-type you bring in. A generous proportion of '''half this value''' goes into the Contractor's account.

And our graviton beam technology can handle multiple disabled vessels.

== Requirements & Procedures ==

Your vessel is expected to be fitted, at the very least, with a forward [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']] - without this weapon, there will be no neutralized ships to tractor.

The Tractor-Tow package is to be mounted on your '''AFT weapon-facing'''.

On neutralization of the selected target(s), approach, come to a stop, switch to AFT viewscreen, yaw 180 degrees until the hulk is centered in your weapon reticle. Fire a short burst of the Tractor's graviton beam until '''Tractor Lock''' is announced by the system's AI.

Turn 180 degrees again and begin a SLOW acceleration to 90-100 Lm/s. Verify on scanner (and preferably visually) that the locked hulk is being tractored with your vessel. Try not to exceed 200 Lm/s during your return tow-run and avoid sharp manoeuvres.

On entering Station Aegis, the AI will release the towed hulk for tug-operations. Upon docking, your payment will be reported and your fee transferred.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/0/09/Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/58/Tractor-Tow.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

The soundest choice if you intend to neutralize and then 'salvage' Offenders is:

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.0.1
* NPB Neutralizer marked as a dependency in manifest.plist

</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-green.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Tractor-Tow
|version = 1.0
|release = 2026-06-08
|features = Creates an immersive task
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Talk:Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-09T03:27:58Z

Reval:

Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-09T03:23:35Z

Reval: version 1.0.1 (NPB Neutralizer dependency)

== Confiscation = Public Safety ==

'''EXCLUSIVE: The 'CPS Act' – A Shadow Decree from the Office of Galactic Security'''.

By the Principal Voice, Xexedi Enquirer.

Unimpeachable sources within the '''Office of Galactic Security''' - that enigmatic and overlooked ghost-department nested deep within the '''Galcop Administration''' - have leaked definitive proof of an imminent legislative earthquake. The measure, already treated as a ''fait accompli'' by insiders, is the '''Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety Act''' - or, the '''CPS Act'''.

=== The Mechanisms of Seizure ===

The leaked dossier reveals that the CPS Act grants unprecedented powers to '''Galcop''' enforcement units and, crucially, to '''private contractors holding specific Enforcement Licenses'''. Under this new law:

* Immediate Confiscation: Any vessel designated as an "infractor" (a classification expected to be broadly defined to include severe traffic violations, smuggling, unlicensed armed transport and piracy) is subject to immediate '''seizure''' upon apprehension.

* Privatized Enforcement: The '''Office of Galactic Security (OGS)''' will issue licenses to independent spacers and security firms, effectively deputizing them to act with the same authority as regular Galcop police vessels regarding asset seizure.

* Asset Forfeiture: Confiscated ships will not be returned upon payment of fines; they become the property of the Galcop Administration, to be auctioned, scrapped, or '''repurposed for state use'''.

=== The "Ghost Department" Role ===

While our high-profile '''Galcop Worlds Council''' provides a democratic veneer, the '''Office of Galactic Security''' operates as the executive engine driving such draconian measures (lately manifested in the form of the CSDDA and its new-hatched SDD-Network), drafting the security legislation, defining "public safety" criteria, and overseeing the licensing bureau that will regulate the new private enforcement contractors.

Sources suggest the Act is being fast-tracked through '''Galcop Parliament''' on Lave, leveraging ongoing public concerns about Thargoid incursions and the perceived overstretch of regular Naval forces, to say nothing of Police impotence in anarchic systems. By outsourcing enforcement and asset recovery, the Administration aims to flood the spacelanes with incentivized hunters without expanding the official budget.

=== Implications for the Space Community ===

For the average trader or independent pilot, the CPS Act represents a paradigm shift. The line between "bounty hunting" and "asset stripping" blurs, as licensed contractors may now target vessels for confiscation rather than mere destruction or capture of the offending crew. The **Xexedi Enquirer** warns that the definition of "infractor" could be expanded quietly, turning profitable trade routes into hunting grounds for licensed privateers acting under the banner of public safety.

As one source inside the Office grimly noted: "The law is already written; Parliament merely needs to nod. The ships are already being assessed, counted and databased."

== By Any Other Name ==

Tuners, our esteemed Editor - of whom we hear lamentably little these days - could not have laid the facts out better - ''we'' couldn't have done a nicer job of informing you.

So, those "unimpeachable sources" in the OGS, just one more on the list of too-scantly overseen 'Sealed Vaults' adroitly constructed inside our beloved Galcop Administration, saw fit to leak to 'dependable public information outlets' notice of their carrying into Law by Government Act what the same sources refer to as 'Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety'. As ably noted, the law, once passed in Parliament, will be known as the 'CPS Act'.

And ''we'', dear Tuners, will wager our last alien item that this unprecedented measure is a ''done deal''. ''They'' are out there and they are doing what they do NOW.

We've talked about Harvesters; we've talked about those contractors ''favoured'' with Galcop's seal of approval; we've talked about the suite of new assets (mainly weapons) being bestowed upon a new 'vigilante Police' tasked with bringing final order to 'disorderly systems'.

Now we must ask - '''Where is this going?'''

Some ancient poet once announced: 'A Rose by any other name is still a Rose'. A pirate is a pirate, paint him how you will.

=== Ear-to-the-Ground Morsels ===

Indulge us as we quote from a recent despatch:

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

And from another:

But PT is the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner.

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

No one among yous will accuse ''this'' unimpeachable source of not seeing it coming...

So to the none-too-subtle Galcop litany: first 'Defence' [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones''']], ''then'' their awesome and unseen [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''Pteranodon''']] missile, not forgetting the icing on their cake: the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB non-laser weapon''']]. And, Tuners, all free to ''us'' IF we can make the grade. And who could not, with just a little effort and persuasion? Because, let's face it, they ''want'' applicants; they ''need'' candidate-recruits for their new model army - call it, as they are doing, a ''Police Corps extension''.

Or, as DCC Dor Reval today coyly admitted to your faithful sleuth, 'perhaps a necessary evil.'

But we can't have neutralized 'infractors' littering the spacelanes, can we? Crippled hulks require disposal. And to solve the problem, says Dor, Black Labs once again to the rescue with a 'Tractor-Tow' (fully autonomous) AI package. ''And'' yet another sub-Division: Licensed Salvage Contractors. Where will this end?

Salvage contracting would appear the most lucrative of the lot, and one ''we ourselves'' might choose given the leisure and inclination. Reval tells that it will certainly ''pay'' and both sides, or parties, to the License Agreement stand to benefit immeasurably.

"Contractors will bring in the hulks, with generous remuneration and further incentives, and Galcop will refit them, the ships being now '''Police Property''', to expand the vehicle pool and to be deployed, eventually, crewed by experienced volunteers, on enforcement duties in the most unruly systems. Win-Win."

Now, Tuners, how often have we heard that phrase? And how often will we hear it again?

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

== Notes for Operators ==

First, it should be remembered that the Tractor-Tow AI system is not physical or solid. It relies on multiple inputs in the form of feedback pulses per microsecond. The Tractor is maintaining a continuously adjusted and precise bombardment of gravitons to keep the tractored hulk 'tethered' and following in the wake of the Operator's vessel.

It may be likened to a sheepdog or steer, as these animals were (and perhaps still are) employed in ancient pastoral societies.

Care is needed in the steering and manoeuvring of your ship. Warnings will be issued if you fall outside sustainable parameters.

Guiding a hulk to Station is a slow - some might find painfully slow - procedure. Much patience is required to do the job of a licensed Salvage Contractor well. Never engage Torus or injectors! - you will break the Tractor Lock.

But on successful completion of a towing run, cash rewards will be substantial. Your fee is calculated based on the [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized market price''']] of the ship-type you bring in. A generous proportion of '''half this value''' goes into the Contractor's account.

And our graviton beam technology can handle multiple disabled vessels.

== Requirements & Procedures ==

Your vessel is expected to be fitted, at the very least, with a forward [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']] - without this weapon, there will be no neutralized ships to tractor.

The Tractor-Tow package is to be mounted on your '''AFT weapon-facing'''.

On neutralization of the selected target(s), approach, come to a stop, switch to AFT viewscreen, yaw 180 degrees until the hulk is centered in your weapon reticle. Fire a short burst of the Tractor's graviton beam until '''Tractor Lock''' is announced by the system's AI.

Turn 180 degrees again and begin a SLOW acceleration to 90-100 Lm/s. Verify on scanner (and preferably visually) that the locked hulk is being tractored with your vessel. Try not to exceed 200 Lm/s during your return tow-run and avoid sharp manoeuvres.

On entering Station Aegis, the AI will release the towed hulk for tug-operations. Upon docking, your payment will be reported and your fee transferred.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/0/09/Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/58/Tractor-Tow.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

The soundest choice if you intend to neutralize and then 'salvage' Offenders is:

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.0.1
* NPB Neutralizer marked as a dependency in manifest.plist

</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-green.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Tractor-Tow
|version = 1.0
|release = 2026-06-08
|features = Creates an immersive task
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

File:Tractor-Tow.oxz

2026-06-09T03:20:30Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Tractor-Tow.oxz

Talk:Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-09T03:11:15Z

Reval:

Talk:Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-09T01:37:54Z

Reval: why me and not Norby??

File:Tractor-Tow.oxz

2026-06-08T10:30:32Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Tractor-Tow.oxz

Tractor-Tow OXZ

2026-06-08T10:28:03Z

Reval: version 1.0 downloads

== Confiscation = Public Safety ==

'''EXCLUSIVE: The 'CPS Act' – A Shadow Decree from the Office of Galactic Security'''.

By the Principal Voice, Xexedi Enquirer.

Unimpeachable sources within the '''Office of Galactic Security''' - that enigmatic and overlooked ghost-department nested deep within the '''Galcop Administration''' - have leaked definitive proof of an imminent legislative earthquake. The measure, already treated as a ''fait accompli'' by insiders, is the '''Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety Act''' - or, the '''CPS Act'''.

=== The Mechanisms of Seizure ===

The leaked dossier reveals that the CPS Act grants unprecedented powers to '''Galcop''' enforcement units and, crucially, to '''private contractors holding specific Enforcement Licenses'''. Under this new law:

* Immediate Confiscation: Any vessel designated as an "infractor" (a classification expected to be broadly defined to include severe traffic violations, smuggling, unlicensed armed transport and piracy) is subject to immediate '''seizure''' upon apprehension.

* Privatized Enforcement: The '''Office of Galactic Security (OGS)''' will issue licenses to independent spacers and security firms, effectively deputizing them to act with the same authority as regular Galcop police vessels regarding asset seizure.

* Asset Forfeiture: Confiscated ships will not be returned upon payment of fines; they become the property of the Galcop Administration, to be auctioned, scrapped, or '''repurposed for state use'''.

=== The "Ghost Department" Role ===

While our high-profile '''Galcop Worlds Council''' provides a democratic veneer, the '''Office of Galactic Security''' operates as the executive engine driving such draconian measures (lately manifested in the form of the CSDDA and its new-hatched SDD-Network), drafting the security legislation, defining "public safety" criteria, and overseeing the licensing bureau that will regulate the new private enforcement contractors.

Sources suggest the Act is being fast-tracked through '''Galcop Parliament''' on Lave, leveraging ongoing public concerns about Thargoid incursions and the perceived overstretch of regular Naval forces, to say nothing of Police impotence in anarchic systems. By outsourcing enforcement and asset recovery, the Administration aims to flood the spacelanes with incentivized hunters without expanding the official budget.

=== Implications for the Space Community ===

For the average trader or independent pilot, the CPS Act represents a paradigm shift. The line between "bounty hunting" and "asset stripping" blurs, as licensed contractors may now target vessels for confiscation rather than mere destruction or capture of the offending crew. The **Xexedi Enquirer** warns that the definition of "infractor" could be expanded quietly, turning profitable trade routes into hunting grounds for licensed privateers acting under the banner of public safety.

As one source inside the Office grimly noted: "The law is already written; Parliament merely needs to nod. The ships are already being assessed, counted and databased."

== By Any Other Name ==

Tuners, our esteemed Editor - of whom we hear lamentably little these days - could not have laid the facts out better - ''we'' couldn't have done a nicer job of informing you.

So, those "unimpeachable sources" in the OGS, just one more on the list of too-scantly overseen 'Sealed Vaults' adroitly constructed inside our beloved Galcop Administration, saw fit to leak to 'dependable public information outlets' notice of their carrying into Law by Government Act what the same sources refer to as 'Confiscation of infracting vessels in the interest of Public Safety'. As ably noted, the law, once passed in Parliament, will be known as the 'CPS Act'.

And ''we'', dear Tuners, will wager our last alien item that this unprecedented measure is a ''done deal''. ''They'' are out there and they are doing what they do NOW.

We've talked about Harvesters; we've talked about those contractors ''favoured'' with Galcop's seal of approval; we've talked about the suite of new assets (mainly weapons) being bestowed upon a new 'vigilante Police' tasked with bringing final order to 'disorderly systems'.

Now we must ask - '''Where is this going?'''

Some ancient poet once announced: 'A Rose by any other name is still a Rose'. A pirate is a pirate, paint him how you will.

=== Ear-to-the-Ground Morsels ===

Indulge us as we quote from a recent despatch:

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

And from another:

But PT is the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner.

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

No one among yous will accuse ''this'' unimpeachable source of not seeing it coming...

So to the none-too-subtle Galcop litany: first 'Defence' [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones''']], ''then'' their awesome and unseen [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''Pteranodon''']] missile, not forgetting the icing on their cake: the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB non-laser weapon''']]. And, Tuners, all free to ''us'' IF we can make the grade. And who could not, with just a little effort and persuasion? Because, let's face it, they ''want'' applicants; they ''need'' candidate-recruits for their new model army - call it, as they are doing, a ''Police Corps extension''.

Or, as DCC Dor Reval today coyly admitted to your faithful sleuth, 'perhaps a necessary evil.'

But we can't have neutralized 'infractors' littering the spacelanes, can we? Crippled hulks require disposal. And to solve the problem, says Dor, Black Labs once again to the rescue with a 'Tractor-Tow' (fully autonomous) AI package. ''And'' yet another sub-Division: Licensed Salvage Contractors. Where will this end?

Salvage contracting would appear the most lucrative of the lot, and one ''we ourselves'' might choose given the leisure and inclination. Reval tells that it will certainly ''pay'' and both sides, or parties, to the License Agreement stand to benefit immeasurably.

"Contractors will bring in the hulks, with generous remuneration and further incentives, and Galcop will refit them, the ships being now '''Police Property''', to expand the vehicle pool and to be deployed, eventually, crewed by experienced volunteers, on enforcement duties in the most unruly systems. Win-Win."

Now, Tuners, how often have we heard that phrase? And how often will we hear it again?

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

== Notes for Operators ==

First, it should be remembered that the Tractor-Tow AI system is not physical or solid. It relies on multiple inputs in the form of feedback pulses per microsecond. The Tractor is maintaining a continuously adjusted and precise bombardment of gravitons to keep the tractored hulk 'tethered' and following in the wake of the Operator's vessel.

It may be likened to a sheepdog or steer, as these animals were (and perhaps still are) employed in ancient pastoral societies.

Care is needed in the steering and manoeuvring of your ship. Warnings will be issued if you fall outside sustainable parameters.

Guiding a hulk to Station is a slow - some might find painfully slow - procedure. Much patience is required to do the job of a licensed Salvage Contractor well. Never engage Torus or injectors! - you will break the Tractor Lock.

But on successful completion of a towing run, cash rewards will be substantial. Your fee is calculated based on the [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized market price''']] of the ship-type you bring in. A generous proportion of '''half this value''' goes into the Contractor's account.

And our graviton beam technology can handle multiple disabled vessels.

== Requirements & Procedures ==

Your vessel is expected to be fitted, at the very least, with a forward [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']] - without this weapon, there will be no neutralized ships to tractor.

The Tractor-Tow package is to be mounted on your '''AFT weapon-facing'''.

On neutralization of the selected target(s), approach, come to a stop, switch to AFT viewscreen, yaw 180 degrees until the hulk is centered in your weapon reticle. Fire a short burst of the Tractor's graviton beam until '''Tractor Lock''' is announced by the system's AI.

Turn 180 degrees again and begin a SLOW acceleration to 90-100 Lm/s. Verify on scanner (and preferably visually) that the locked hulk is being tractored with your vessel. Try not to exceed 200 Lm/s during your return tow-run and avoid sharp manoeuvres.

On entering Station Aegis, the AI will release the towed hulk for tug-operations. Upon docking, your payment will be reported and your fee transferred.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/0/09/Tractor-Tow.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.0 of Tractor-Tow (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/5/58/Tractor-Tow.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

The soundest choice if you intend to neutralize and then 'salvage' Offenders is:

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-green.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Tractor-Tow
|version = 1.0
|release = 2026-06-08
|features = Creates an immersive task
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

File:Tractor-Tow.oxz

2026-06-08T10:23:41Z

PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ

2026-06-06T07:11:11Z

Reval: rationalized prices link

Recoverable missile which "paralyses" [[Law|offenders and fugitives]].
[[Image:Pteranodon 01.jpg|thumb|right|200px|'''Pteranodon''' - Mythical bird-precursor, Terran. (Artist's impression). Credit: Xexedi University, dept. of Mythography and pre-History.]]
== A Toothless Flying Terror ==

This week, a Pteranodon is set to soar out of the hidden heart of Galcop's 'Black Labs', our faceless, voiceless '''inside informant''' told your favourite reporter earlier today. The name's meaning, in a now-forgotten Terran language, is 'Toothless Flyer'. Uncannily fitting for a '''standoff missile''' that purportedly will '''irradiate''' but won't kill.

On evidence gathered, '''Galcop''' is in the throes of a last bid to '''survive''': economizing on manpower and vehicles, downsizing the arsenal drastically, then licensing all its new assets out to civilian contractors, ''our'' Vault Whisperer strongly intimates.

And their darkly innovative PT-BVRM Pteranodon is already third in a line - or suite - of '''licensable weapons'''.

But PT is unquestionably the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond or function in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner. Our Black Lab-Rat goes on:

"The PT-BVRM was an inevitable outgrowth of the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']], in turn a child of a bout of intense brainstorming in the R&D think-tank, spurred by a need to curb the increasing and unnecessary slaughter of '''infracting entities and vessels''' in ever more lawless systems like Riedquat, Uszaa, Atriso, and a host of others with similar societal and governmental problems: Locales where Police personnel and outmoded vehicles are perpetually spread thinly. [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ#Civilian SDD|'''Licensing of Galcop assets''']] has come in the nick of time. We now have an experienced vigilante police force of growing confidence and unheard-of power to prevent the escalation of offences via fully autonomous [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones (SDD)''']] and now the Pteranodon, which extends the enforcement circumference to the System as a whole."

We tell our Black Breather that we've grasped the essentials - not a lot of mystique to the term 'standoff weapon'... So PT houses an [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ#NPB in Depth (Real World)|'''NPB Accelerator''']] like those now being fitted in alarmingly greater numbers to the ''luckier'' Harvesters' mounts. And the bird's NPB, in split-second sequence, '''curdles the innards''' of all ships in its scanner environs (not just the 'primary'), stopping them in their tracks and making them instant towbar-fodder. 'Win-Win', right, nobody dies?

"Fatalities from a direct neutral particle beam's effects are rare, those that have, regrettably, occurred more often down to collateral interior energy-damage and fires, also small explosions inside critical systems; more rarely failure of life-support. The vessel as a whole - its hull - remains largely undamaged, but in need of comprehensive refit to become serviceable again - that's engines, laser weapons, computers, all electronic components."

There's no stopping ''this one'' once it gets into its stride: "Our PT-BVRM hull is biomimetically shaped, structurally profiled after the Pteranodon's beak itself, not merely for aesthetics, but to reduce frontal area for particle impacts at high velocity and for aiding in mass distribution for stable thrust alignment and agility. This design houses over three times the inertial mass of a conventional missile, a necessity to contain the Particle Accelerator, state-of-the-art AI guidance systems, and a vastly more powerful drive. The PT attains speeds more than twice that of the ECM Hardened, crossing a system in under ten minutes."

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

"So we'll choke on fumes of roasting circuitry, gasp for any breath in a cold system-less dark, or be slowly crisped by 'resultant fires' in the cabin?" we query, for nothing more than confirmation. Do we imagine a short nod from the shadow? Nothing else to add? - The murky smear flickers off the holo. And we're left with only our Tuners.

We suddenly ''know'' how ''we'd'' prefer to go: In a blaze of defiance under the beam lasers of some honest Jameson.

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer''' - Telling you what you ''need'' to know ''when'' you need to know it.

== Insider Technical ==

[Included for those among ''our'' dear Tuners who aspire to be, or are already, Harvesters equipped with those ''oh so enviable'' Galcop credentials. For nay, the above snippets were '''far from all''' that our too-obliging source spilled to your devoted go-between... Notes are passed along exactly as received.]

'''ARMING''' of the Pteranodon's launcher is accomplished by accessing your onboard system's '''F5 screen''' and hitting '''[a]'''.

'''LAUNCHING''' a PT-BVRM missile is effectuated thus:

*'''Press [l]''' on the F5 status screen after arming.

Please find here listed, per the PT-BVRM Operator Handbook, all essential functions accessible on the mothership's F5 Status interface screen:

<pre>
F5->[l] LAUNCH PT-BVRM.
F5->[o] list and re-sort Major Infractors.
F5->[c] cycle long-range infractor targets.
F5->[a] ARM PT-BVRM launcher.
F5->[r] RECOVER PT-BVRM (if in range).
F5->[s] SAFE (disarm) Launcher.
</pre>

'LOCARS' is a useful mnemonic.

Ancillary functions:

<pre>
F5->[i] Order area-irradiation (if PT is following Mother).
F5->[d] PT 'destruct' (malfunction detected). Penalty 100 cr.
F5->[m] call PT-BVRM to Mother (for retrieval or escort).
</pre>

== PT-BVRM Operations & Behaviour ==

On launch confirmation by the BVRM package, an operator need do '''nothing'''. The first primary target is automatically assigned. After irradiation of the first primary, an operator is expected to '''cycle''' subsequent targets manually, using the '''[c]''' key from their '''F5 ship Status Screen'''.

On neutralization of the Primary, a Ptera's target may be switched to the next prioritized on the updated Offender List, or indeed any other potentially hostile vessel in the system SDD-Network has tagged for action.

Black Labs test pilots' tip: Fit an [[Overdrive OXZ|'''Overdrive''']] and '''follow missile to target'''.

If there are no more Offenders in system range, the Pteranodon will loiter until your vessel comes into scanner range of its sensors, at which a request will be sent for recovery or assignment to a different target.

It must be emphasized that '''any deployed PT-BVRM is to be retrieved without fail''' before re-docking or exiting via Witchspace to a new system. Defaulting on this obligation brings with it '''grave Galcop penalties''' and said penalties shall not be limited to those of a pecuniary nature.

== PT-BVRM Charges & Forfeits ==

The initial cost of a Galcop PT-BVRM Licence is 5000 credits, renewable every LY (Lave Year).

Every PT-BVRM launch carries an '''incremental''' tax on a base (or starting) level of 25 credits. Though 'Incremental' is hidden in the Licence small-print, it is no less real. The launch-tax increment starts at 0.05 credits and increases by the same amount on each subsequent missile deployment.

'''Loss''' of a PT-BVRM missile through destruction or negligence incurs a Galcop '''penalty''' of 500 credits. In the case of the latter, a downgrade in legal status - possibly accompanied by revocation of an operator's Licence - will result.

There are no SDD-Network bounties, credits or bonuses for the use of a PT-BVRM. Your work as an '''operator''' is considered '''preparatory''' to subsequent operations using [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''SDD Riders''']] or your own [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''firepower''']].

However, as a '''courtesy boon''', Galcop will pay a BVRM operator 2 credits for every primary infractor and 1 credit for every collateral infractor vessel irradiated.

And finally, to encourage recovery of a very expensive asset, Galcop will pay a '''retrieval boon''' of 100 credits for every successful PT-BVRM pickup.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.4 of PT-BVRM Pteranodon (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/e/ef/PT-BVRM_Pteranodon.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.4 of PT-BVRM Pteranodon (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/e/e5/PT-BVRM_Pteranodon.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

Sound, not to say essential, choices for those donning vigilante Harvester garb:

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.4
* OPTION: keep an irradiated ship's weapons intact (true='yes', false='no').
* True crippling ('no lasers') now achieved by switching the AI on irradiated vessels.
* Suppressed 'marginal energy' in the ship-crippling procedure.
* Low offender scanner colour changed to 'peach' (better contrast w/ other types).

Version 1.3
* An Irradiated ship's scanner blip flashes original colour + grey.
* High Offenders (often 'Fugitives') coloured magenta on scan.
* Low Offenders coloured orange on scan (peach v.1.4).
* In absence of data, ie. no irradiations or boons, show nothing on F5F5.
* Added shipDied w.s. event handler for final cleanup.
* In an attempt to shore up 'damaged or disabled lasers?' logic, ran into the Oolite BUG (GitHub Issue #369) preventing effectual removal and/or swapping in of equipment on-the-fly.
* Added _updateTargetInfo() + GETter HUD 1.6 timer integration, identical to SDD.
* Tightened checks for non-zero length of HighOffenders array.
* PT is now mode-of-death aware (killed, recovered, terminated, removed by system).
* Sundry additional checks and logs implemented.

Version 1.2
* F5->[i] Order an area-irradiation, if PT is following Mother.
* F5->[d] BVRM 'destruct' button (if malfunction detected). Penalty 100 cr.
* F5->[m] call PT-BVRM back to Mother (for retrieval or escort).

Version 1.1
* Prevent launch by an offender ship.
* Prevent launch while docked.
* Fixes, erasures, cleanups, checks, optimizations.

Version 1.0
* PT-BVRM Operator Statistics on F5F5 Mission screen.
* All displayed statistics saved and loaded via missionVariables.
* Galcop 'retrieval boon' paid on successful recovery of PT-BVRM.
* Galcop 'couresy boon': 2 cr for primary, 1 cr each for collateral irradiations.
* Retrieval ([r] when in scan range) and 500 cr penalty for non-retrieval.
* PT-BVRM auto-irradiates multiple infractors including Primary, on proximity.
* PT-BVRM switches targets when operator cycles through them from the F5 screen.
* F5->[o] lists and re-sorts High Offenders, showing condition, bounty, distance.
* F5->[c] cycles long-range infractor targets.
* F5->[a] ARM launcher.
* F5->[l] LAUNCH PT-BVRM.
* F5->[r] RECOVER PT-BVRM.
* F5->[s] SAFE (disarm) Launcher.

Version 0.0
*Proof of concept - functional, launchable, trackable, integrates with SDD.

</pre>

== Option ==

Version 1.4+ offers the top-of-script OPTION to keep an NPB-irradiated ship's weapons in an operable condition. Since this is '''highly unrealistic''' in terms of a [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ#NPB in Depth (Real World)|neutral particle beam's known effects]] - to whit, complete disablement of all critical systems - the default setting has been kept at 'no' (''this.$ptmWeaponsIntact = false;'').

Otherwise, the NPC-infractor victim's Javascript PriorityAI is switched to behaviour in keeping with a pirate commander's likely reaction to irreparable damage by such an unprecedented weapon, namely avoidance, fleeing, evasion.

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.92"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-violet.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = PT-BVRM Pteranodon
|version = 1.4
|release = 2026-06-05
|features = Revamps Combat
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Weapons OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Defence Rider Drones OXZ

2026-06-06T07:10:03Z

Reval: rationalized prices link

[[Image:Griff_mamba.jpg|thumb|right|200px|SDD Mambita - a very little thing, a deadly insect. Galcop's new police rider drone. This one illicitly defaced with a civilian 'Harvester' decal.]]
== Downsizing ==

'''Galcop''', in a desperate bid to save on personnel and vehicles (read: its costly Police Viper and Viper Interceptors), has sanctioned the galaxy-wide production and adoption of a '''smaller, cheaper enforcement platform.'''

The result, under consultation with several leading minds including, they claim, G.E.T. 'defector' (now Galcop DCC*) [[User:Reval|Dor Reval]], is the '''Mambita''' - a fully autonomous reduced-scale defence craft, dubbed '''Ship Defence Drone (SDD).'''

For the project, hints a confidential informant, their R&D "took the proven Mamba II design, scaled down its hull to less than half its size and dispensed with the need for an organic pilot, integrating instead '''advanced robotic AI systems''', all of which can be mass-produced." The SDD Mambita's internals are almost wholly taken up by a powerful - for any organic, 'too powerful' is putting it mildly - non-Hyperspace engine. What remains houses a laser mounting of military specification.

Mambita SDD is a fire-and-forget '''weapon''', in effect, and belongs officially to the Mine-class, being too light in mass to lock or hinder any vessel.

'''Police sources''' in this and nearby systems say they have begun a gradual phase-out of their manned Viper patrol vehicles, and are introducing cunningly programmed Mambitas to take their place. Remaining Vipers are being modified to carry Mambita SDDs as '''Rider drones''', couched along the mothership's hull, to be released and recalled when occasion demands. If it's happening here and there, Tuners, you can bet your last alien item it's happening ''everywhere''.

Trials have proven an outstanding success, we learn. "The Mambita's speed and acceleration, turn rate, and reaction-time outstrip those of opponent ships, and their diminished electromagnetic and visual profile renders the drones '''hard to detect and hit'''". Loss rates are low, far lower than those of manned Vipers in dangerous systems. The SDD's future looks rosy.

'Drop a drone' is becoming a catchphrase not only among the shrinking Galcop Police Corps, but increasingly among non-uniformed crews. And thereby hangs another Tuners' tale...

== Civilian SDD ==

At some stage in this initiative, an un-named Galcop nabob had a brainwave: A de facto space police force could soon become unnecessary. All that would be required was ''licensing'' - a stringent, Galcop controlled form of licensing, granted; a licensing of SDD for the use of '''approved civilian vessels'''. A trader vessel, for example, sporting its own Rider drone hardpoints and Mambita complement, could effectively carry its own police enforcers along with it.

Plans crystallized quickly for the formation of a new '''Civilian SDD Authority''', whose tasks include screening, approval and licensing of applicants, along with outsourcing of Mambita production for the general market. All reflecting a close and seamless integration of the 'product' not only with individual ship systems, but with the Galcop communications network itself, every aspect of SDD deployment monitored and recorded.

SDD capability requires one thing and '''one thing only''' of any applicant: an impeccable Galcop record: Oh yes, Tuners - a ''life'' of '''complete compliance''' with galactic laws. How many of us could pull ''that'' one off? A ''chosen'' few have, it seems.

The SDD Authority, thus satisfied, will grant approval and a duly legitimized '''licence''' for the carrying of Rider drones. Our hitherto faceless source intriguingly added, "and any other special armaments Galcop might later put into use."

Repeated claims are that there is little scope for abuse of the system: "'''unique codes''' are issued and hardwired in to every drone allotted; no drone can function without them. Hardpoints are mated with a '''singular encrypted link'''; an SDD will not attach itself without such a coupling. Every 'drop' is logged, every retrieval, every kill, every loss."

"The SDD, as a '''weapon''' of the ship on which it is mounted, and certainly not accounted a vessel in its own right, but a '''Mine''', carries out its allotted task of targetting offending ships of its own selection or that of its mothership, and on their elimination registers a 'kill' with the onboard and Galcop systems simultaneously." '''Galcop credits the launching vessel''' with the kill, awarding the ship its '''bounty plus 100 credits'''. Galcop sees the bonus as 'incentive to policing', but charges the licensee '''100 credits for a lost drone'''. Every SDD drop slaps on a ('negligible') '''tax'''. ''Now'' our amicable whistleblower starts to ''earn'' their Onriran dollars...

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

[*Deputy Chief Constable. Would you buy ''that'' for a Lave penny, Tuners? Our 'humble' Grocer has rocketed up in the gal if we can believe our source, and we ''know'' you believe ''us''. Now it's ''we'' who must meet ''them'' again - and you'll be right here with your devoted sleuth when ''that'' happens.]

'''--Tea Mereso, "you tuned it here first" freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

[What follows are uncut extracts from ''ongoing chats'' - straight from the mouth(s) of ''our'' prize Galcop mare (or stallion, or both). True voice obliterated for public consumption. And excuse our few interpolated comments. Tuners, if you can take all ''this'' in, you possess minds of a higher order than those of your humble recorder and interviewer...]

== Onboard SDD Mechanisms ==

An automated comm-link is established with all attached SDDs on station launch.

'''The deployment mechanism is mated with the WEAPONs (online/offline) switch.''' An organic commander must toggle ship weapons ON to drop an SDD. Toggle OFF, then ON again to deploy another Mambita.

There are various ways and situations in which deployed SDDs are recalled and retrieved:

1) Manually. In flight, from the F5 ship status screen, press [x].

2) On Torus-drive engagement, all deployed drones are automatically recalled and retrieved.

3) On requesting docking clearance, any deployed SDDs are automatically recalled and retrieved.

4) On engagement of the hyperspace motor (witchdrive), all deployed drones are recalled.

An advanced '''system-scanner''', hitherto installed only in Galcop Police Vipers, is integral to SDD, all its data instantaneously transmitted to the mothership's computers. By pressing [f] from the F5 Ship Status screen, a licensee may view and update a list of High Offenders present in the system, pre-sorted by 'nearest first'.

Those ships sporting FE Shipyards' state-of-the-art '''GETter HUD''' (v.1.6) will be able to track the closest High Offender's compass direction and hi/lo elevation status in '''realtime'''. Once this Offender is despatched (by the pilot or an SDD), new quarry, if present, will automatically be prioritized. Alternatively, the pilot may press F5->[f] again at any time.

An SDD Licensee becomes, in sum, a valued and integral part of the system's Galcop Police Network ('''SDD-Net'''). Every Police Mambita will establish a network link with the Licensee's onboard and SDD Rider systems, permitting direct subspace communication of individual '''Police SDD targets''' and '''terminations''', for which the SDD Licensee receives '''a portion of the Galcop bounty''' (this percentage colloquially known as 'police boon', its amount depending on the number of civilian Licensees in system at the time).

== Hostile encounters ==

Frequently, on encountering a group of Offender ships, deployed SDD Riders will select appropriate targets and '''initiate their own attack'''. Whether they do will depend on the gravity of the offences the scanned group has committed or is in the process of committing.

Otherwise, when their '''mothership fires''' on an identified Offender, every deployed drone will join in attacking this target. In fact, any ship their mothership fires on will become a target, regardless of legal status. The only class of ship an SDD is prevented from attacking is a vessel of CLASS_POLICE.

When the '''mothership targets''' an offending ship, any idle SDD will be vectored to engage it.

When the mothership receives '''hostile fire''', drones will be assigned to attack the attacker.

When the mothership is '''targetted by a missile''', one idle drone (if present) will be assigned to intercept the hostile that launched it. Unengaged riders might also, at discretion, target the missile itself.

When the '''alert condition''' changes to '''RED''', any currently unengaged (idle) drones will be assigned the nearest hostile to attack.

An '''automated proximity alert''' will be issued by the mothership to all SDD Riders when she approaches within 10 Lk (Lave kilometers) of a Top prioritized target, idle drones then commencing immediate attack on that offender.

== General SDD status and other observations ==

As already observed, '''the SDD Mambita is officially classed as a Mine'''. As a Mine it cannot mass-lock other ships.

All SDD Mambitas are identified with role 'police', as they are in every sense '''Galcop property'''. Additionally, as mentioned, Galcop Police Corps increasingly assigns SDDs to its own patrols, replacing organic crew and expensive Vipers.

Police SDD uses the following designation template: '''<pre>Police SDD1234</pre>''' (the 4-digit code pseudo-randomly generated on entering service.) This number is used as a seed in the encryption chain for mating with identically coded hardpoints.

Civilian SDD employs a similar form, but with 'Rider' appended, as in '''<pre>SDD1234 Rider</pre>'''A Rider is re-designated on re-deployment, updating its coupling point to sync. This is viewed by Galcop as a necessary addition to security.

On the scanner, a Police SDD can be recognized by its lollipop colours flashing '''purple and blue'''. Civilian-licensed SDDs when dropped are distinguished by their '''red and blue''' flashing blips.

== SDD Charges and Credits ==

The nominal cost of a Galcop SDD Licence is 1000 credits, renewable every LY (Lave Year).

As mentioned already, each SDD Rider deployment or 'drop' carries a small, but '''incremental''', tax. 'Incremental' is well hidden in the Licence small-print. The things they hate to tell us!

'''Loss''' of a drone through destruction incurs a Galcop '''penalty''' of 100 credits.

A Rider's '''elimination of a missile''' nets the launching vessel a small consideration: 10 credits.

On registration of a kill, each kill by an SDD is credited to the mothership pilot's Elite score (the SDD is a weapon fired by the mothership, just like any other missile or mine.) The mothership pilot's account is credited with the '''bounty''' on the destroyed vessel plus Galcop's 'policing incentive' '''bonus''' of 100 credits. All accounting occurs in realtime.

(SDD-Net's 'police boon' has been mentioned: Licensees receive a varying percentage of the bounty on any Police SDD 'termination'.)

According to Galcop's accompanying SDD-Net Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), full '''cumulative statistics''' on all aspects of charges and credits (including those for Police SDD) are to be found on the ship system's '''F5F5 Mission Screen'''. As an example, they give:

<pre>
SDD-Network:
SDD Rider Kills: 72
SDD Rider Bounty: 8341 cr
SDD Rider Taxes: 138.50 cr
SDD Drop Tax: 0.75 cr
Police SDD Kills: 3
Police SDD Boons: 58 cr
</pre>

The writers exhort us to note the inclusion of the 100-credit penalties for loss of any Riders under 'SDD Rider Taxes'.

From this it is not hard to see that, with the aid of SDDs, a reasonable living ''could'' be eked out through zealously 'harvesting' Offenders insystem - a practice Galcop is blatantly encouraging with its 'policing incentive'.

== SDD capacities by Ship Class ==

Galcop has confirmed that, on the whole, the following SDD attachment limits have been adhered to for most buyable ships in the current inventory:

<pre>
Adder: 2
Anaconda: 20
Asp Mk II: 6
Boa: 15
Boa class cruiser: 15
Cobra Mk I: 5
Cobra Mk II: 6
Cobra Mk III: 8
Cobra Mk IV: 10
Constrictor: 10
Fer-de-Lance: 6
Gecko: 2
Krait: 5
Mamba: 3
Moray Medical Boat: 4
Moray Star Boat: 4
Python: 12
Sidewinder: 2
Transporter: 2
Viper: 2
Viper Interceptor: 3
Worm: 2.
</pre>

A piloted Mambita - yes, a few such craft exist, primarily for test purposes - can 'piggyback' a single SDD, becoming, in effect, a double Mambita. (Sounds like something on the menu of our favourite Laeninian eatery.)

== Download ==

Download Version 1.9 of Defence Rider Drones (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/3/3b/Defence_Rider_Drones.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.9 of Defence Rider Drones (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/3/3e/Defence_Rider_Drones.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

Highly advisable if you intend to hunt for Offenders is:

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

[[File:Astra-Storm-Status 01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|And '''what's wrong with ''this'' picture?''' o devoted ones? Dinner at the Xexedi Torus Regency with ''Tea'' to the first of yous to spot the anomaly... Don't ''all'' breathe send at once! Our Astra wants to do a ''lot'' of ''talking'', if ''we'' do not mistake things...]]

[[File:Sigal-Storm-Manifest 01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|A holo came in this second... ''Not'' an ''old friend'' (selves note: arrange Astra chance meet). We'll become fast ''friends'' - we just ''know''. '''A Harvester's Story'''. And yous, as ever, indulgent Tuners, will be ''here'' to harvest Astra's ''friendship''. But she imparts that "this shows v.1.7 of SDD-Net's system-code, most do not have it yet." Sad faces.]]

[[File:SDD F5 Offender Tracking 01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|''Our'' old friend Duna - she's drawn to 'barbaric' system names: "F5 ship status screen after an [f]-keypress, showing updated and prioritized Offender list and realtime tracking of the closest lawbreaker on the '''GETter HUD v.1.6'''" ''We'' must get one too.
]]

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.9
* Suppressed broadcast of spawned High Offenders (use F5->[f] to list, [t] to target).
* Low offender scanner colour switched to 'peach' (improved contrast w/ other types).
* Code cleanup.

Version 1.8
* High Offenders (often 'Fugitives') coloured magenta on scan.
* Low Offenders coloured orange on scan.
* Added shipDied w.s. event handler for final cleanup.
* Nothing displayed on F5F5 if no data, ie. no kills by Riders or Police.
* Sundry additional checks implemented.
* Tightened some existing checks and conditions.

Version 1.7
* F5->[t] Cycle H.O. targets: selection will be tracked in realtime on GETter HUD.
* Auto-targeting automatically cancelled when pilot cycles using [t].
* Prefix listed High Offenders with their index number a la PT-BVRM.
* 'Licensee:' line now heads the F5F5 SDD-Net display. Shows commander and ship name.

Version 1.6
* OPTION: SDD Rider made CLASS_POLICE if masslock is desired. It will assume game-coded Police - coupled with scripted - behaviour. Careful not to hit one!
* High Offenders automatically re-sorted by 'nearest first' in all conceivable cases.
* Covered case of target being a victim of the NPB Neutralizer or in a crippled state.
* Invalid or disabled victims automatically removed from H.O. list.
* Adding a new High Offender to the list (F5F5->[f]) automatically re-sorts it.
* Docking with Station clears the current Top Target from GETter HUD display.
* "Belt'n'Braces" check for SDD-deployment FAILURE. Warning, and Action taken by CSDDA.

Version 1.5
* Nearest Top High Offender automatically re-tracked in GETter HUD v1.6, on acquisition.
* High Offenders list instantly updated on elimination of a Top target (by SDD or Mother).

Version 1.4
* +10 cr for missile elimination (by Police SDD or SDD Rider)
* Incremental 'drop tax' for SDD deployments introduced.
* F5F5 Mission screen 'SDD-Network' shows cumulative SDD Rider & Police SDD statistics.
* SDD Rider & Police SDD gains/losses tracked in-game and via missionVariables.
* Various optimizations and refactorings in all three scripts.

Version 1.3
* SDD Mambita's default forward weapon changed to Military Laser: SDD kills are now quicker and from greater distances.
* Fully implemented Galcop License-granting conditions.

Version 1.2
* SDD Licensees get random percentage of the bounty on Police SDD terminations.
* Police Mambitas report terminations on system-wide SDD Net.
* New Police SDDs establish link with player ship's SDD network.
* Idle drone(s) vectored to attack when Mother targets an Offender.
* SDD Mambita drones now know who spawned them (player or system).
* Fix: tightened condition inside the frame callback for close attacks.
* Code re-arrangement for shipSpawned() events between world- and ship-scripts.
* Tidied and deleted sundry debug log entries.

Version 1.1
* Top High Offender made SDD target on close range approach by Mother.
* Highest offender realtime viewscreen tracking integrated with GETter HUD v.1.6
* Highest bounty Offenders in system updated and listed on keypress [f] from F5 screen.
* Advisory broadcast to SDDs when Mother targets an Offender.
* Subspace (console message) comms from SDDs out of scan-range.
* Galcop prohibition on drone deployment from an offending ship.
* SDD Mambita entry and description added to the Ship Library.
* Equipment text changed.

</pre>

== Requirements ==

Defence Rider Drones ''most emphatically'' does NOT work with Oolite versions prior to '''1.92'''. It has been tested with version 1.90, in which it consistently crashes on Witchspace exit (I have no idea why - although I hear that 1.90 was plagued by instability issues.)

Though by no means a requirement, '''GETter HUD version 1.6''' is the only HUD with which '''realtime''' Offender tracking has been integrated.

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.92"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-blue.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Defence Rider Drones
|version = 1.9
|release = 2026-06-05
|features = Enhances Combat
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Weapons OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Witch-Charger OXZ

2026-06-06T06:45:24Z

Reval: link

== Life Saving Capacitor ==

A ship's '''Witchdrive''' with its Quirium fuel represents a vast reserve of '''potential energy''', essential for forming the brief wormhole that allows entry into Witchspace and transit to another planetary system.

In a recent communiqué, '''Galcop''' has reported development and final testing of a means to harness this potential energy for a different purpose.

Channeled through a Black Labs-designed '''conduit and capacitor unit''', their new defensive asset will shore up '''shield strength''' when an enforcement vessel comes under intensive and prolonged laser fire. They have dubbed the new piece of equipment Witch-Charger.

The Witch-Charger unit '''continuously monitors''' the ship's hull, shields, and energy status, actuating when one of these enters '''critical condition'''. Shield resistance is maintained and '''shored up''' during a potentially losing encounter situation, but at the expense of the vessel's fuel.

Eventually the Quirium will deplete itself but, in typical cases, well before the hostile's lasers penetrate the hull.

It has been called by newly-appointed Galcop DCC Dor Reval "a simple trade-off between short-term mobility and survival. In light of our Police Corps' current manpower predicament, this innovation has arrived not a moment too soon."

== Download ==

Download Version 1.1 of Witch-Charger (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/7/77/Witch-Charger.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.1 of Witch-Charger (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/b/b5/Witch-Charger.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

Sound, not to say essential, choices for those donning vigilante Police garb:

* [[Police IFF Scanner Upgrade|'''Police IFF Scanner Upgrade''']]

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ||'''Defence Rider Drones''']]

Galcop authorizes you to carry Mambita Defence Rider Drones, known as '''SDD''', these fully autonomous weapons to be deployed from hardpoints on your ship's hull. A Rider's single purpose is to eliminate your attackers or any other Offender you target or fire upon.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly [[Small Ships OXZ#New Prices|'''rationalized prices''']] applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of SDD-Net's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.1
* In addition to shoring up shields, Charger feeds sufficient energy to prevent core equipment damage.

Version 1.0
* Added anunciator for cumulative Witchdrive fuel drain.
* Added adjustable W.C. factors / multipliers as options.
* Added witch-drive capacitor 'drain and flow' sound.
* Added use-requirement that player must be 'clean'.
* Added check for presence of equipment.
* Added check for clean legal record before purchase.
* Added saving-cutoff for a shield if at full capacity.
* Global flag for status of Witch Charge capacitor (viable or drained)
</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-blue.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Witch-Charger OXZ
|version = 1.1
|release = 2026-06-05
|features = Boosts Defences
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

Witch-Charger OXZ

2026-06-05T07:11:03Z

Reval: version 1.1 amendments

== Life Saving Capacitor ==

A ship's '''Witchdrive''' with its Quirium fuel represents a vast reserve of '''potential energy''', essential for forming the brief wormhole that allows entry into Witchspace and transit to another planetary system.

In a recent communiqué, '''Galcop''' has reported development and final testing of a means to harness this potential energy for a different purpose.

Channeled through a Black Labs-designed '''conduit and capacitor unit''', their new defensive asset will shore up '''shield strength''' when an enforcement vessel comes under intensive and prolonged laser fire. They have dubbed the new piece of equipment Witch-Charger.

The Witch-Charger unit '''continuously monitors''' the ship's hull, shields, and energy status, actuating when one of these enters '''critical condition'''. Shield resistance is maintained and '''shored up''' during a potentially losing encounter situation, but at the expense of the vessel's fuel.

Eventually the Quirium will deplete itself but, in typical cases, well before the hostile's lasers penetrate the hull.

It has been called by newly-appointed Galcop DCC Dor Reval "a simple trade-off between short-term mobility and survival. In light of our Police Corps' current manpower predicament, this innovation has arrived not a moment too soon."

== Download ==

Download Version 1.1 of Witch-Charger (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/7/77/Witch-Charger.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.1 of Witch-Charger (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/b/b5/Witch-Charger.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

Sound, not to say essential, choices for those donning vigilante Police garb:

* [[Police IFF Scanner Upgrade|'''Police IFF Scanner Upgrade''']]

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ||'''Defence Rider Drones''']]

Galcop authorizes you to carry Mambita Defence Rider Drones, known as '''SDD''', these fully autonomous weapons to be deployed from hardpoints on your ship's hull. A Rider's single purpose is to eliminate your attackers or any other Offender you target or fire upon.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly rationalized prices applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of SDD-Net's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.1
* In addition to shoring up shields, Charger feeds sufficient energy to prevent core equipment damage.

Version 1.0
* Added anunciator for cumulative Witchdrive fuel drain.
* Added adjustable W.C. factors / multipliers as options.
* Added witch-drive capacitor 'drain and flow' sound.
* Added use-requirement that player must be 'clean'.
* Added check for presence of equipment.
* Added check for clean legal record before purchase.
* Added saving-cutoff for a shield if at full capacity.
* Global flag for status of Witch Charge capacitor (viable or drained)
</pre>

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.82"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-blue.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Witch-Charger OXZ
|version = 1.1
|release = 2026-06-05
|features = Boosts Defences
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Equipment OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

File:Witch-Charger.oxz

2026-06-05T07:07:47Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Witch-Charger.oxz

== Summary ==
Version 1.0 - This emergency capacitor conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up shield resistance when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel.

File:Witch-Charger.oxp.zip

2026-06-05T07:07:08Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Witch-Charger.oxp.zip

Defence Rider Drones OXZ

2026-06-05T06:24:17Z

Reval: version 1.9 amendments

[[Image:Griff_mamba.jpg|thumb|right|200px|SDD Mambita - a very little thing, a deadly insect. Galcop's new police rider drone. This one illicitly defaced with a civilian 'Harvester' decal.]]
== Downsizing ==

'''Galcop''', in a desperate bid to save on personnel and vehicles (read: its costly Police Viper and Viper Interceptors), has sanctioned the galaxy-wide production and adoption of a '''smaller, cheaper enforcement platform.'''

The result, under consultation with several leading minds including, they claim, G.E.T. 'defector' (now Galcop DCC*) [[User:Reval|Dor Reval]], is the '''Mambita''' - a fully autonomous reduced-scale defence craft, dubbed '''Ship Defence Drone (SDD).'''

For the project, hints a confidential informant, their R&D "took the proven Mamba II design, scaled down its hull to less than half its size and dispensed with the need for an organic pilot, integrating instead '''advanced robotic AI systems''', all of which can be mass-produced." The SDD Mambita's internals are almost wholly taken up by a powerful - for any organic, 'too powerful' is putting it mildly - non-Hyperspace engine. What remains houses a laser mounting of military specification.

Mambita SDD is a fire-and-forget '''weapon''', in effect, and belongs officially to the Mine-class, being too light in mass to lock or hinder any vessel.

'''Police sources''' in this and nearby systems say they have begun a gradual phase-out of their manned Viper patrol vehicles, and are introducing cunningly programmed Mambitas to take their place. Remaining Vipers are being modified to carry Mambita SDDs as '''Rider drones''', couched along the mothership's hull, to be released and recalled when occasion demands. If it's happening here and there, Tuners, you can bet your last alien item it's happening ''everywhere''.

Trials have proven an outstanding success, we learn. "The Mambita's speed and acceleration, turn rate, and reaction-time outstrip those of opponent ships, and their diminished electromagnetic and visual profile renders the drones '''hard to detect and hit'''". Loss rates are low, far lower than those of manned Vipers in dangerous systems. The SDD's future looks rosy.

'Drop a drone' is becoming a catchphrase not only among the shrinking Galcop Police Corps, but increasingly among non-uniformed crews. And thereby hangs another Tuners' tale...

== Civilian SDD ==

At some stage in this initiative, an un-named Galcop nabob had a brainwave: A de facto space police force could soon become unnecessary. All that would be required was ''licensing'' - a stringent, Galcop controlled form of licensing, granted; a licensing of SDD for the use of '''approved civilian vessels'''. A trader vessel, for example, sporting its own Rider drone hardpoints and Mambita complement, could effectively carry its own police enforcers along with it.

Plans crystallized quickly for the formation of a new '''Civilian SDD Authority''', whose tasks include screening, approval and licensing of applicants, along with outsourcing of Mambita production for the general market. All reflecting a close and seamless integration of the 'product' not only with individual ship systems, but with the Galcop communications network itself, every aspect of SDD deployment monitored and recorded.

SDD capability requires one thing and '''one thing only''' of any applicant: an impeccable Galcop record: Oh yes, Tuners - a ''life'' of '''complete compliance''' with galactic laws. How many of us could pull ''that'' one off? A ''chosen'' few have, it seems.

The SDD Authority, thus satisfied, will grant approval and a duly legitimized '''licence''' for the carrying of Rider drones. Our hitherto faceless source intriguingly added, "and any other special armaments Galcop might later put into use."

Repeated claims are that there is little scope for abuse of the system: "'''unique codes''' are issued and hardwired in to every drone allotted; no drone can function without them. Hardpoints are mated with a '''singular encrypted link'''; an SDD will not attach itself without such a coupling. Every 'drop' is logged, every retrieval, every kill, every loss."

"The SDD, as a '''weapon''' of the ship on which it is mounted, and certainly not accounted a vessel in its own right, but a '''Mine''', carries out its allotted task of targetting offending ships of its own selection or that of its mothership, and on their elimination registers a 'kill' with the onboard and Galcop systems simultaneously." '''Galcop credits the launching vessel''' with the kill, awarding the ship its '''bounty plus 100 credits'''. Galcop sees the bonus as 'incentive to policing', but charges the licensee '''100 credits for a lost drone'''. Every SDD drop slaps on a ('negligible') '''tax'''. ''Now'' our amicable whistleblower starts to ''earn'' their Onriran dollars...

Some '''crews''' - and this your reporter had from several horse's mouths - are noticing there can be '''profit''' in it. Some tell they are turning themselves into hunters using SDDs only. Most are styling themselves 'Harvesters' - including two of yours truly's ''old friends'' - yet another burgeoning shibboleth among SDD-packing 'commanders'.

Galcop Administration are smirking like fat felines. They get a ''free'' Police Force demanding ''no wages'' or great expenditure, merely ongoing production and licensing. Licensing fees, with taxes and penalties, swell the Comptroller's coffers and the spacelanes become safer for all (except ''perhaps'' real offenders). Win-win, they brightly assure ''us''.

[*Deputy Chief Constable. Would you buy ''that'' for a Lave penny, Tuners? Our 'humble' Grocer has rocketed up in the gal if we can believe our source, and we ''know'' you believe ''us''. Now it's ''we'' who must meet ''them'' again - and you'll be right here with your devoted sleuth when ''that'' happens.]

'''--Tea Mereso, "you tuned it here first" freelance, Xexedi Enquirer.'''

[What follows are uncut extracts from ''ongoing chats'' - straight from the mouth(s) of ''our'' prize Galcop mare (or stallion, or both). True voice obliterated for public consumption. And excuse our few interpolated comments. Tuners, if you can take all ''this'' in, you possess minds of a higher order than those of your humble recorder and interviewer...]

== Onboard SDD Mechanisms ==

An automated comm-link is established with all attached SDDs on station launch.

'''The deployment mechanism is mated with the WEAPONs (online/offline) switch.''' An organic commander must toggle ship weapons ON to drop an SDD. Toggle OFF, then ON again to deploy another Mambita.

There are various ways and situations in which deployed SDDs are recalled and retrieved:

1) Manually. In flight, from the F5 ship status screen, press [x].

2) On Torus-drive engagement, all deployed drones are automatically recalled and retrieved.

3) On requesting docking clearance, any deployed SDDs are automatically recalled and retrieved.

4) On engagement of the hyperspace motor (witchdrive), all deployed drones are recalled.

An advanced '''system-scanner''', hitherto installed only in Galcop Police Vipers, is integral to SDD, all its data instantaneously transmitted to the mothership's computers. By pressing [f] from the F5 Ship Status screen, a licensee may view and update a list of High Offenders present in the system, pre-sorted by 'nearest first'.

Those ships sporting FE Shipyards' state-of-the-art '''GETter HUD''' (v.1.6) will be able to track the closest High Offender's compass direction and hi/lo elevation status in '''realtime'''. Once this Offender is despatched (by the pilot or an SDD), new quarry, if present, will automatically be prioritized. Alternatively, the pilot may press F5->[f] again at any time.

An SDD Licensee becomes, in sum, a valued and integral part of the system's Galcop Police Network ('''SDD-Net'''). Every Police Mambita will establish a network link with the Licensee's onboard and SDD Rider systems, permitting direct subspace communication of individual '''Police SDD targets''' and '''terminations''', for which the SDD Licensee receives '''a portion of the Galcop bounty''' (this percentage colloquially known as 'police boon', its amount depending on the number of civilian Licensees in system at the time).

== Hostile encounters ==

Frequently, on encountering a group of Offender ships, deployed SDD Riders will select appropriate targets and '''initiate their own attack'''. Whether they do will depend on the gravity of the offences the scanned group has committed or is in the process of committing.

Otherwise, when their '''mothership fires''' on an identified Offender, every deployed drone will join in attacking this target. In fact, any ship their mothership fires on will become a target, regardless of legal status. The only class of ship an SDD is prevented from attacking is a vessel of CLASS_POLICE.

When the '''mothership targets''' an offending ship, any idle SDD will be vectored to engage it.

When the mothership receives '''hostile fire''', drones will be assigned to attack the attacker.

When the mothership is '''targetted by a missile''', one idle drone (if present) will be assigned to intercept the hostile that launched it. Unengaged riders might also, at discretion, target the missile itself.

When the '''alert condition''' changes to '''RED''', any currently unengaged (idle) drones will be assigned the nearest hostile to attack.

An '''automated proximity alert''' will be issued by the mothership to all SDD Riders when she approaches within 10 Lk (Lave kilometers) of a Top prioritized target, idle drones then commencing immediate attack on that offender.

== General SDD status and other observations ==

As already observed, '''the SDD Mambita is officially classed as a Mine'''. As a Mine it cannot mass-lock other ships.

All SDD Mambitas are identified with role 'police', as they are in every sense '''Galcop property'''. Additionally, as mentioned, Galcop Police Corps increasingly assigns SDDs to its own patrols, replacing organic crew and expensive Vipers.

Police SDD uses the following designation template: '''<pre>Police SDD1234</pre>''' (the 4-digit code pseudo-randomly generated on entering service.) This number is used as a seed in the encryption chain for mating with identically coded hardpoints.

Civilian SDD employs a similar form, but with 'Rider' appended, as in '''<pre>SDD1234 Rider</pre>'''A Rider is re-designated on re-deployment, updating its coupling point to sync. This is viewed by Galcop as a necessary addition to security.

On the scanner, a Police SDD can be recognized by its lollipop colours flashing '''purple and blue'''. Civilian-licensed SDDs when dropped are distinguished by their '''red and blue''' flashing blips.

== SDD Charges and Credits ==

The nominal cost of a Galcop SDD Licence is 1000 credits, renewable every LY (Lave Year).

As mentioned already, each SDD Rider deployment or 'drop' carries a small, but '''incremental''', tax. 'Incremental' is well hidden in the Licence small-print. The things they hate to tell us!

'''Loss''' of a drone through destruction incurs a Galcop '''penalty''' of 100 credits.

A Rider's '''elimination of a missile''' nets the launching vessel a small consideration: 10 credits.

On registration of a kill, each kill by an SDD is credited to the mothership pilot's Elite score (the SDD is a weapon fired by the mothership, just like any other missile or mine.) The mothership pilot's account is credited with the '''bounty''' on the destroyed vessel plus Galcop's 'policing incentive' '''bonus''' of 100 credits. All accounting occurs in realtime.

(SDD-Net's 'police boon' has been mentioned: Licensees receive a varying percentage of the bounty on any Police SDD 'termination'.)

According to Galcop's accompanying SDD-Net Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), full '''cumulative statistics''' on all aspects of charges and credits (including those for Police SDD) are to be found on the ship system's '''F5F5 Mission Screen'''. As an example, they give:

<pre>
SDD-Network:
SDD Rider Kills: 72
SDD Rider Bounty: 8341 cr
SDD Rider Taxes: 138.50 cr
SDD Drop Tax: 0.75 cr
Police SDD Kills: 3
Police SDD Boons: 58 cr
</pre>

The writers exhort us to note the inclusion of the 100-credit penalties for loss of any Riders under 'SDD Rider Taxes'.

From this it is not hard to see that, with the aid of SDDs, a reasonable living ''could'' be eked out through zealously 'harvesting' Offenders insystem - a practice Galcop is blatantly encouraging with its 'policing incentive'.

== SDD capacities by Ship Class ==

Galcop has confirmed that, on the whole, the following SDD attachment limits have been adhered to for most buyable ships in the current inventory:

<pre>
Adder: 2
Anaconda: 20
Asp Mk II: 6
Boa: 15
Boa class cruiser: 15
Cobra Mk I: 5
Cobra Mk II: 6
Cobra Mk III: 8
Cobra Mk IV: 10
Constrictor: 10
Fer-de-Lance: 6
Gecko: 2
Krait: 5
Mamba: 3
Moray Medical Boat: 4
Moray Star Boat: 4
Python: 12
Sidewinder: 2
Transporter: 2
Viper: 2
Viper Interceptor: 3
Worm: 2.
</pre>

A piloted Mambita - yes, a few such craft exist, primarily for test purposes - can 'piggyback' a single SDD, becoming, in effect, a double Mambita. (Sounds like something on the menu of our favourite Laeninian eatery.)

== Download ==

Download Version 1.9 of Defence Rider Drones (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/3/3b/Defence_Rider_Drones.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.9 of Defence Rider Drones (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/3/3e/Defence_Rider_Drones.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

Highly advisable if you intend to hunt for Offenders is:

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ|'''PT-BVRM Pteranodon''']]

The ultimate '''standoff missile''', Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system ranges. The PT fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like '''irradiative effects''' on ships inside sensor radius, partially '''disabling''' the victims. Mostly non-fatal to crew. Not a killer weapon; it expects followup action by its operator.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly rationalized prices applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

[[File:Astra-Storm-Status 01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|And '''what's wrong with ''this'' picture?''' o devoted ones? Dinner at the Xexedi Torus Regency with ''Tea'' to the first of yous to spot the anomaly... Don't ''all'' breathe send at once! Our Astra wants to do a ''lot'' of ''talking'', if ''we'' do not mistake things...]]

[[File:Sigal-Storm-Manifest 01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|A holo came in this second... ''Not'' an ''old friend'' (selves note: arrange Astra chance meet). We'll become fast ''friends'' - we just ''know''. '''A Harvester's Story'''. And yous, as ever, indulgent Tuners, will be ''here'' to harvest Astra's ''friendship''. But she imparts that "this shows v.1.7 of SDD-Net's system-code, most do not have it yet." Sad faces.]]

[[File:SDD F5 Offender Tracking 01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|''Our'' old friend Duna - she's drawn to 'barbaric' system names: "F5 ship status screen after an [f]-keypress, showing updated and prioritized Offender list and realtime tracking of the closest lawbreaker on the '''GETter HUD v.1.6'''" ''We'' must get one too.
]]

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.9
* Suppressed broadcast of spawned High Offenders (use F5->[f] to list, [t] to target).
* Low offender scanner colour switched to 'peach' (improved contrast w/ other types).
* Code cleanup.

Version 1.8
* High Offenders (often 'Fugitives') coloured magenta on scan.
* Low Offenders coloured orange on scan.
* Added shipDied w.s. event handler for final cleanup.
* Nothing displayed on F5F5 if no data, ie. no kills by Riders or Police.
* Sundry additional checks implemented.
* Tightened some existing checks and conditions.

Version 1.7
* F5->[t] Cycle H.O. targets: selection will be tracked in realtime on GETter HUD.
* Auto-targeting automatically cancelled when pilot cycles using [t].
* Prefix listed High Offenders with their index number a la PT-BVRM.
* 'Licensee:' line now heads the F5F5 SDD-Net display. Shows commander and ship name.

Version 1.6
* OPTION: SDD Rider made CLASS_POLICE if masslock is desired. It will assume game-coded Police - coupled with scripted - behaviour. Careful not to hit one!
* High Offenders automatically re-sorted by 'nearest first' in all conceivable cases.
* Covered case of target being a victim of the NPB Neutralizer or in a crippled state.
* Invalid or disabled victims automatically removed from H.O. list.
* Adding a new High Offender to the list (F5F5->[f]) automatically re-sorts it.
* Docking with Station clears the current Top Target from GETter HUD display.
* "Belt'n'Braces" check for SDD-deployment FAILURE. Warning, and Action taken by CSDDA.

Version 1.5
* Nearest Top High Offender automatically re-tracked in GETter HUD v1.6, on acquisition.
* High Offenders list instantly updated on elimination of a Top target (by SDD or Mother).

Version 1.4
* +10 cr for missile elimination (by Police SDD or SDD Rider)
* Incremental 'drop tax' for SDD deployments introduced.
* F5F5 Mission screen 'SDD-Network' shows cumulative SDD Rider & Police SDD statistics.
* SDD Rider & Police SDD gains/losses tracked in-game and via missionVariables.
* Various optimizations and refactorings in all three scripts.

Version 1.3
* SDD Mambita's default forward weapon changed to Military Laser: SDD kills are now quicker and from greater distances.
* Fully implemented Galcop License-granting conditions.

Version 1.2
* SDD Licensees get random percentage of the bounty on Police SDD terminations.
* Police Mambitas report terminations on system-wide SDD Net.
* New Police SDDs establish link with player ship's SDD network.
* Idle drone(s) vectored to attack when Mother targets an Offender.
* SDD Mambita drones now know who spawned them (player or system).
* Fix: tightened condition inside the frame callback for close attacks.
* Code re-arrangement for shipSpawned() events between world- and ship-scripts.
* Tidied and deleted sundry debug log entries.

Version 1.1
* Top High Offender made SDD target on close range approach by Mother.
* Highest offender realtime viewscreen tracking integrated with GETter HUD v.1.6
* Highest bounty Offenders in system updated and listed on keypress [f] from F5 screen.
* Advisory broadcast to SDDs when Mother targets an Offender.
* Subspace (console message) comms from SDDs out of scan-range.
* Galcop prohibition on drone deployment from an offending ship.
* SDD Mambita entry and description added to the Ship Library.
* Equipment text changed.

</pre>

== Requirements ==

Defence Rider Drones ''most emphatically'' does NOT work with Oolite versions prior to '''1.92'''. It has been tested with version 1.90, in which it consistently crashes on Witchspace exit (I have no idea why - although I hear that 1.90 was plagued by instability issues.)

Though by no means a requirement, '''GETter HUD version 1.6''' is the only HUD with which '''realtime''' Offender tracking has been integrated.

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.92"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-blue.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = Defence Rider Drones
|version = 1.9
|release = 2026-06-05
|features = Enhances Combat
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Weapons OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

File:Defence Rider Drones.oxz

2026-06-05T06:20:49Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Defence Rider Drones.oxz

== Summary ==
Galcop authorizes you to carry Mambita Defence Rider Drones, these weapons to be deployed from hardpoints on your ship's hull. A Rider's single purpose is to eliminate your attackers or any other Offender you target or fire upon.

File:Defence Rider Drones.oxp.zip

2026-06-05T06:20:15Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:Defence Rider Drones.oxp.zip

PT-BVRM Pteranodon OXZ

2026-06-05T06:09:00Z

Reval: version 1.4 amendments

Recoverable missile which "paralyses" [[Law|offenders and fugitives]].
[[Image:Pteranodon 01.jpg|thumb|right|200px|'''Pteranodon''' - Mythical bird-precursor, Terran. (Artist's impression). Credit: Xexedi University, dept. of Mythography and pre-History.]]
== A Toothless Flying Terror ==

This week, a Pteranodon is set to soar out of the hidden heart of Galcop's 'Black Labs', our faceless, voiceless '''inside informant''' told your favourite reporter earlier today. The name's meaning, in a now-forgotten Terran language, is 'Toothless Flyer'. Uncannily fitting for a '''standoff missile''' that purportedly will '''irradiate''' but won't kill.

On evidence gathered, '''Galcop''' is in the throes of a last bid to '''survive''': economizing on manpower and vehicles, downsizing the arsenal drastically, then licensing all its new assets out to civilian contractors, ''our'' Vault Whisperer strongly intimates.

And their darkly innovative PT-BVRM Pteranodon is already third in a line - or suite - of '''licensable weapons'''.

But PT is unquestionably the most frightening. It scares the Giles out of ''us'' because it will never be seen, detected, or known about by its victims, whose '''vessels will silently fail''', ceasing to respond or function in an instant. That's ''no warning'' and no ''bang'', Tuners. ''Nothing'' on a viewscreen, port, or scanner. Our Black Lab-Rat goes on:

"The PT-BVRM was an inevitable outgrowth of the [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']], in turn a child of a bout of intense brainstorming in the R&D think-tank, spurred by a need to curb the increasing and unnecessary slaughter of '''infracting entities and vessels''' in ever more lawless systems like Riedquat, Uszaa, Atriso, and a host of others with similar societal and governmental problems: Locales where Police personnel and outmoded vehicles are perpetually spread thinly. [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ#Civilian SDD|'''Licensing of Galcop assets''']] has come in the nick of time. We now have an experienced vigilante police force of growing confidence and unheard-of power to prevent the escalation of offences via fully autonomous [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''Rider Drones (SDD)''']] and now the Pteranodon, which extends the enforcement circumference to the System as a whole."

We tell our Black Breather that we've grasped the essentials - not a lot of mystique to the term 'standoff weapon'... So PT houses an [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ#NPB in Depth (Real World)|'''NPB Accelerator''']] like those now being fitted in alarmingly greater numbers to the ''luckier'' Harvesters' mounts. And the bird's NPB, in split-second sequence, '''curdles the innards''' of all ships in its scanner environs (not just the 'primary'), stopping them in their tracks and making them instant towbar-fodder. 'Win-Win', right, nobody dies?

"Fatalities from a direct neutral particle beam's effects are rare, those that have, regrettably, occurred more often down to collateral interior energy-damage and fires, also small explosions inside critical systems; more rarely failure of life-support. The vessel as a whole - its hull - remains largely undamaged, but in need of comprehensive refit to become serviceable again - that's engines, laser weapons, computers, all electronic components."

There's no stopping ''this one'' once it gets into its stride: "Our PT-BVRM hull is biomimetically shaped, structurally profiled after the Pteranodon's beak itself, not merely for aesthetics, but to reduce frontal area for particle impacts at high velocity and for aiding in mass distribution for stable thrust alignment and agility. This design houses over three times the inertial mass of a conventional missile, a necessity to contain the Particle Accelerator, state-of-the-art AI guidance systems, and a vastly more powerful drive. The PT attains speeds more than twice that of the ECM Hardened, crossing a system in under ten minutes."

A picture starts to form of a Harvester 'standing off' near a Station or a Witchpoint marker, targeting, then launching a Ptera, and sauntering off for a snack while far out in the blackness a group of hapless ships become ghosts. On re-seating itself, our gallant commander yawns as the list of the '''incapacitated''' skitters greenly down the main display. It's 'mop up' time again. Charming image to lay us down to sleep on, is it not, Tuners?

"So we'll choke on fumes of roasting circuitry, gasp for any breath in a cold system-less dark, or be slowly crisped by 'resultant fires' in the cabin?" we query, for nothing more than confirmation. Do we imagine a short nod from the shadow? Nothing else to add? - The murky smear flickers off the holo. And we're left with only our Tuners.

We suddenly ''know'' how ''we'd'' prefer to go: In a blaze of defiance under the beam lasers of some honest Jameson.

'''--Tea Mereso, retained freelance, Xexedi Enquirer''' - Telling you what you ''need'' to know ''when'' you need to know it.

== Insider Technical ==

[Included for those among ''our'' dear Tuners who aspire to be, or are already, Harvesters equipped with those ''oh so enviable'' Galcop credentials. For nay, the above snippets were '''far from all''' that our too-obliging source spilled to your devoted go-between... Notes are passed along exactly as received.]

'''ARMING''' of the Pteranodon's launcher is accomplished by accessing your onboard system's '''F5 screen''' and hitting '''[a]'''.

'''LAUNCHING''' a PT-BVRM missile is effectuated thus:

*'''Press [l]''' on the F5 status screen after arming.

Please find here listed, per the PT-BVRM Operator Handbook, all essential functions accessible on the mothership's F5 Status interface screen:

<pre>
F5->[l] LAUNCH PT-BVRM.
F5->[o] list and re-sort Major Infractors.
F5->[c] cycle long-range infractor targets.
F5->[a] ARM PT-BVRM launcher.
F5->[r] RECOVER PT-BVRM (if in range).
F5->[s] SAFE (disarm) Launcher.
</pre>

'LOCARS' is a useful mnemonic.

Ancillary functions:

<pre>
F5->[i] Order area-irradiation (if PT is following Mother).
F5->[d] PT 'destruct' (malfunction detected). Penalty 100 cr.
F5->[m] call PT-BVRM to Mother (for retrieval or escort).
</pre>

== PT-BVRM Operations & Behaviour ==

On launch confirmation by the BVRM package, an operator need do '''nothing'''. The first primary target is automatically assigned. After irradiation of the first primary, an operator is expected to '''cycle''' subsequent targets manually, using the '''[c]''' key from their '''F5 ship Status Screen'''.

On neutralization of the Primary, a Ptera's target may be switched to the next prioritized on the updated Offender List, or indeed any other potentially hostile vessel in the system SDD-Network has tagged for action.

Black Labs test pilots' tip: Fit an [[Overdrive OXZ|'''Overdrive''']] and '''follow missile to target'''.

If there are no more Offenders in system range, the Pteranodon will loiter until your vessel comes into scanner range of its sensors, at which a request will be sent for recovery or assignment to a different target.

It must be emphasized that '''any deployed PT-BVRM is to be retrieved without fail''' before re-docking or exiting via Witchspace to a new system. Defaulting on this obligation brings with it '''grave Galcop penalties''' and said penalties shall not be limited to those of a pecuniary nature.

== PT-BVRM Charges & Forfeits ==

The initial cost of a Galcop PT-BVRM Licence is 5000 credits, renewable every LY (Lave Year).

Every PT-BVRM launch carries an '''incremental''' tax on a base (or starting) level of 25 credits. Though 'Incremental' is hidden in the Licence small-print, it is no less real. The launch-tax increment starts at 0.05 credits and increases by the same amount on each subsequent missile deployment.

'''Loss''' of a PT-BVRM missile through destruction or negligence incurs a Galcop '''penalty''' of 500 credits. In the case of the latter, a downgrade in legal status - possibly accompanied by revocation of an operator's Licence - will result.

There are no SDD-Network bounties, credits or bonuses for the use of a PT-BVRM. Your work as an '''operator''' is considered '''preparatory''' to subsequent operations using [[Defence Rider Drones OXZ|'''SDD Riders''']] or your own [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''firepower''']].

However, as a '''courtesy boon''', Galcop will pay a BVRM operator 2 credits for every primary infractor and 1 credit for every collateral infractor vessel irradiated.

And finally, to encourage recovery of a very expensive asset, Galcop will pay a '''retrieval boon''' of 100 credits for every successful PT-BVRM pickup.

== Download ==

Download Version 1.4 of PT-BVRM Pteranodon (zipped OXP):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/e/ef/PT-BVRM_Pteranodon.oxp.zip

Simply unzip to your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Download Version 1.4 of PT-BVRM Pteranodon (OXZ):

https://wiki.alioth.net/img_auth.php/e/e5/PT-BVRM_Pteranodon.oxz

Place this file in your Oolite AddOns folder.

'''OR'''

Get the latest version in-game from the Oolite Expansions Manager.

== Recommended OXPs ==

Sound, not to say essential, choices for those donning vigilante Harvester garb:

* [[Police Player OXZ|'''Police Player''']]

The most notable observed effect of this tiny tweak is that ships of class Pirate no longer openly threaten or attack the player's ship. You are essentially transformed into a police vigilante, or proxy copper. Best results with an Asp or Viper!

* [[Witch-Charger OXZ||'''Witch-Charger''']]

This emergency '''capacitor''' conducts potential energy from the Witchdrive to shore up '''shield resistance''' when hull integrity is critical. If the ship remains under fire, the unit's last-ditch replenishing action will finally drain all fuel. But it represents a highly desirable trade-off between short-term mobility and '''survival'''.

* [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ|'''NPB Neutralizer''']]

Galcop's '''Neutral Particle Beam''' weapon causes catastrophic '''internal damage''' - frying computers, disabling power, knocking out weapons and critical systems - while throwing off little energy as surface heat. A direct hit leaves the target a '''drifting derelict''' without triggering fatal explosions of fuel or ordinance.

* [[Small Ships OXZ|'''Small Ships''']]

Flyable and essentially unaltered versions of the '''Asp Mk II''', Constrictor, Fer-de-Lance, Gecko, Krait, Mamba, Sidewinder, '''Viper''', '''Viper Interceptor''', Worm, and Transporter. Those ships originally sans Hyperdrive now have one; those without cargo space remain without. Newly rationalized prices applied.

* [[Media:GETTER HUD 1.6.oxp.zip|'''GETter HUD v.1.6''' - available only here!]]

FE Shipyards' premier trader/vigilante HUD now '''integrates realtime tracking''' of this OXP's closest High Offender in-system. Unzip the file to your Oolite AddOns folder.

== Versions ==

<pre>
Version 1.4
* OPTION: keep an irradiated ship's weapons intact (true='yes', false='no').
* True crippling ('no lasers') now achieved by switching the AI on irradiated vessels.
* Suppressed 'marginal energy' in the ship-crippling procedure.
* Low offender scanner colour changed to 'peach' (better contrast w/ other types).

Version 1.3
* An Irradiated ship's scanner blip flashes original colour + grey.
* High Offenders (often 'Fugitives') coloured magenta on scan.
* Low Offenders coloured orange on scan (peach v.1.4).
* In absence of data, ie. no irradiations or boons, show nothing on F5F5.
* Added shipDied w.s. event handler for final cleanup.
* In an attempt to shore up 'damaged or disabled lasers?' logic, ran into the Oolite BUG (GitHub Issue #369) preventing effectual removal and/or swapping in of equipment on-the-fly.
* Added _updateTargetInfo() + GETter HUD 1.6 timer integration, identical to SDD.
* Tightened checks for non-zero length of HighOffenders array.
* PT is now mode-of-death aware (killed, recovered, terminated, removed by system).
* Sundry additional checks and logs implemented.

Version 1.2
* F5->[i] Order an area-irradiation, if PT is following Mother.
* F5->[d] BVRM 'destruct' button (if malfunction detected). Penalty 100 cr.
* F5->[m] call PT-BVRM back to Mother (for retrieval or escort).

Version 1.1
* Prevent launch by an offender ship.
* Prevent launch while docked.
* Fixes, erasures, cleanups, checks, optimizations.

Version 1.0
* PT-BVRM Operator Statistics on F5F5 Mission screen.
* All displayed statistics saved and loaded via missionVariables.
* Galcop 'retrieval boon' paid on successful recovery of PT-BVRM.
* Galcop 'couresy boon': 2 cr for primary, 1 cr each for collateral irradiations.
* Retrieval ([r] when in scan range) and 500 cr penalty for non-retrieval.
* PT-BVRM auto-irradiates multiple infractors including Primary, on proximity.
* PT-BVRM switches targets when operator cycles through them from the F5 screen.
* F5->[o] lists and re-sorts High Offenders, showing condition, bounty, distance.
* F5->[c] cycles long-range infractor targets.
* F5->[a] ARM launcher.
* F5->[l] LAUNCH PT-BVRM.
* F5->[r] RECOVER PT-BVRM.
* F5->[s] SAFE (disarm) Launcher.

Version 0.0
*Proof of concept - functional, launchable, trackable, integrates with SDD.

</pre>

== Option ==

Version 1.4+ offers the top-of-script OPTION to keep an NPB-irradiated ship's weapons in an operable condition. Since this is '''highly unrealistic''' in terms of a [[NPB Neutralizer OXZ#NPB in Depth (Real World)|neutral particle beam's known effects]] - to whit, complete disablement of all critical systems - the default setting has been kept at 'no' (''this.$ptmWeaponsIntact = false;'').

Otherwise, the NPC-infractor victim's Javascript PriorityAI is switched to behaviour in keeping with a pirate commander's likely reaction to irreparable damage by such an unprecedented weapon, namely avoidance, fleeing, evasion.

== Quick Facts ==
{{IconOXP|ooVersion="1.92"|oxpCPU="Low"|oxpMEM="Average"|oxpGPU="Low"}}

[[File:Tag-colour-violet.png]]
{{OXPLevel|1}}{{Infobox OXPb| title = PT-BVRM Pteranodon
|version = 1.4
|release = 2026-06-05
|features = Revamps Combat
|license = CC BY-NC-SA 4
|category = Weapons OXPs
|author = [[User:Reval|Reval]]
}}

File:PT-BVRM Pteranodon.oxz

2026-06-05T06:04:37Z

Reval: Reval uploaded a new version of File:PT-BVRM Pteranodon.oxz

== Summary ==
Version 1.0 - Galcop's PT-BVRM 'Pteranodon' engages prioritized targets at full-system range. Fires neutral particles on proximity, causing mine-like irradiative effects on nearby ships. Non-fatal to crew. SDD-Network access required for deployment.