BroadcastComms MFD
Contents
[hide]- 1 Overview
- 2 Detail
- 3 Usage
- 4 External access
- 5 Using script_info to control messages
- 6 Introducing more ship personality types for Broadcast Comms
- 7 Installation
- 8 Requirements
- 9 Download
- 10 Licence/Author
- 11 Version History
- 12 Digebitian Variant
- 13 Cmdr Wyvern's variant
- 14 OXP's using Broadcast Comms
- 15 Links
- 16 Quick Facts
- 17 Gameplay and Balance indicator
Overview
This OXP provides a means by which the player can communicate in a real way with other ships. That is, the types of communications the player transmits will have a bearing on the game in some way, depending on the transmission type.
It seems like such a simple OXP on the surface -- you send messages to other ships -- but adds so much functionality to the game. All at once, you can find other ships heading your way in a convoy, you can bribe (with credits, a boon to those of us who don't carry cargo) or scare off pirates, or taunt them into messing up a shot. You can call for help from other ships or even the police.
Useful, compact, entertaining.
Not to be confused with CommsLogMFD which keeps a long record of Vanilla game (non-Broadcast Comms) messages which you can scroll through.
Detail
There are 11 types of transmissions:
- Requests for wormholes (broadcast ie. to all ships in range)
This transmission asks if anyone is going to your hyperspace destination. The message is only available if a destination has been set and the players status is not "red".
Ships can respond in three ways: (a) Not at all. (b) By telling the player they are headed somewhere else, or (c) by telling the player they are heading to the players destination.
This message can be sent repeatedly. - Send distress message (broadcast ie. to all ships in range)
This transmission requests immediate assistance against attackers. NPC ships may or may not choose to help.
Only available when the player ship is under attack.
This message can be sent repeatedly. - Send greeting to target
This transmission sends a basic "Hello" message to the ship the player is targeting. The other ship may choose to respond or not. Once a response has been received from the other ship, no further greetings can be sent to that ship. - Send taunt to target
This transmission sends a taunt to the other ship, and the other ship may or may not respond. But regardless of a verbal response, the other ship may do one of the following:
(a) Nothing at all
(b) If they are currently attacking the player, they might get angry and their accuracy might decrease for a few seconds, or increase for a few seconds.
(c) If they are not targeting the player at the moment, they might choose to start targeting the player instead.
Multiple taunts can be sent to other ships. - Issue threat to target
This transmission issues a threat to the other ship. Depending on who that ship is targeting, the response may be different:
(a) If the other ship is targeting the player, there is a small chance they might choose to flee.
(b) If the other ship is not targeting the player, they will possibly choose to attack the player.
Only one threat can be issues to a ship. - Offer bribe to target/Offer bribe to nearest attacker
This transmission offers money to a ship that is attacking the player. That ship can respond in a two ways.
(a) They can reject the offer. The amount the player can offer will then increase by a factor of 2 or 2.5 and the player can then try the bribe again if they wish. If the amount of bribe increases beyond the players current credit balance, the offer to bribe will be removed.
(b) They can accept the bribe. In this case, the bribe amount is deducted from the player bank account, and the ship targeting the player will break off their attack. If they are part of a pirate band, the pirate who accepted the bribe will share the spoils and they will all break off their attack.
If the attacking ship is targeted by the player, they will see the next bribe amount in the message text when selecting the message. If the player doesn't have a target (for instance, they are fleeing from a group of ships), the bribe amount will only be displayed when the transmission takes place. This is because it is not known who is the closest attacking ship until the transmission occurs, and the bid amounts are stored for each pirate group or ship. If a ship from one pirate group moves closer than another pirate group, the amount of the bribe will be adjusted accordingly. - Demand cargo from target
This transmission sends a demand for cargo to the other ship. They can either accept or reject the demand. If they accept the demand, they will drop some cargo and flee. If this action is performed in sight of a police vessel or the main station, there is a chance the victim will report the crime and the player will receive an increase to their offender status. - Surrender to target/Surrender to nearest attacker
This transmission sends a surrender message another ship. There is a small chance the attackers might accept the surrender. In that case they will stop attacking the player and wait for the player to dump some cargo. If the player doesn't dump any cargo, the pirates will start attacking the player again. If the player decides to use the lull in hostilities to start attacking the ships the pirates will get really angry and get a temporary boost in their accuracy. - Offer to rescue escape pod (only if fuel scoop is fitted)
This sends a message to the targeted escape pod, asking the occupant if they would like to be scooped and returned to the main station. Commanders should check that they have available cargo space before scooping escape pods. - Target last comms message
This will switch the players target to the ship that last sent a comms message. - Keep away from my target
This will send a message to all ships in range, telling them to stay away from the players current target. Only ships that aren't fighting against the player will potentially respond. Enemy ships will ignore this message.
Usage
The BroadcastComms MFD (Multi-Function Display) is available for purchase for 200₢ at all stations, regardless of techlevel.
After displaying the BroadcastComms MFD and priming it, press the "b" (Mode) key to select a message from the available options.
The selected message is marked with a ">" in the MFD.
You don't need the BroadcastComms MFD to be visible, though. There might be situations where it is not be visible, so changes to the selected message will also be displayed as a console message.
Once the desired message is selected, press the "n" (Activate) key to send the message.
- See MFD for more details on managing MFDs. See Priming Equipment for details on how to prime OXP equipment such as BroadcastComms!
External access
For devotees of The Dark Side who wish to their OXPs to access these comms features, press here -> -> ->
Installation
Place the 'BroadcastCommsMFD.oxz' into your 'AddOns' folder and when you start the game, hold down 'Shift' until you see the spinning Cobra.
Alternatively, you can download the expansion using the expansion pack manager in the game itself.
Requirements
This expansion pack relies on having multi-function displays available in your HUD. You must at least be using Oolite version 1.79, and your HUD must have at least 1 MFD defined.
Download
Download BroadcastCommsMFD_1.3.7.oxz
Download BroadcastCommsMFD.zip v1.3.7 (extract OXP folder to AddOns)
Download BCC_Testbed.zip which is a small OXP to demonstrate the script_info integrations. This is also included in the "Resources" folder of the main OXP.
Licence/Author
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
The expansion pack was developed by phkb and zireael.
With thanks to: cim, Norby, Wildeblood and marte for their suggestions and fixes.
Version History
1.3.7
- Better handling of unpurchased equipment. MFD will not be shown at all in this case.
1.3.6
- Better handling of damaged equipment - MFD will now show a "damaged" message.
1.3.5
- Really fixed JS error when targeting wormholes (or any entity that doesn't have a script object).
1.3.4
- Fixed JS error when targeting wormholes (or any entity that doesn't have a scriptInfo object).
- Fixed JS error where a ship may not be in a group when attacking the player and a bribe is offered.
1.3.3
- Added check for existing message before trying to add custom messages via bcc_custom_messages.
- Removed debug message.
1.3.2
- Fixed issue with not being able to replace core messages with custom ones.
1.3.1
- Fixed issue with some transmissions defaulting to a blank message.
- Added checks for "bcc_disable_defaults" when validating new external messages, making it easier to replace core messages with custom ones.
1.3
- Added ability to control messages via script_info.
- Added TestBed OXP (in Resources folder) for demonstrating how to use the script_info integrations.
- Fixed issue where requesting docking clearance from a station with no docks would not be correctly interpreted.
1.2.12
- Improved integration with Bounty System OXP.
- Improvements to the process of surrendering to police, as suggested by Milo.
- Added method to allow message responses to be overridden by another OXP.
1.2.11
- Fix for issue where surrendering to police was not implemented correctly/completely.
1.2.10
- Tweaks to routine that stops timers.
1.2.9
- Fixed missing expansion in bribe message.
1.2.8
- Added missing ";" to role-categories.plist.
Digebitian Variant
For those in search of a more refined vocabulary and mode of expression, there is finally a Digebitian Variant available. Produced with the utmost skill and hand-tailored finesse in the workshops and laboratories of Lesser Walsingham, Xenon Industries are proud to present you with BroadcastComms Digebiti Variations.
If you wish for a taste, see here: Jack Sterling (profile by Smivs - see especially the link at the bottom of the page) & here (a rant about being diddled in the Shipyards). The thread with the fons et origo is here.
You can add this to your game by downloading BroadcastComms_Digebiti_Variations.oxz (also available through the in-game Expansions Manager - HUDs section).
Cmdr Wyvern's variant
See Cmdr Wyvern's piratical dialectic here (2022)
OXP's using Broadcast Comms
- GalCop Missions (for some of the missions)
- Tionisla Orbital Graveyard (for interrogating the monuments)
- Iron Ass OXP - vol IV (for conversations with the Refugee Adder)
Links
- Communication
- In-flight communication (2007)
- Comms Oxp Discussion (2011)
- Conversations with NPCs (2013)
- Help us make Oolite more immersive! (2013)
- communicating with other ships (2013) also discusses speech recognition software
- Zireael's Dropbox (2014) has a couple of relevant .js scripts if you know how to deal with them: see OXP howto if you are so inclined.
Quick Facts
Version | Released | License | Features | Category | Author(s) | Feedback |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.3.7 | 2023-10-17 | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | Hud MFD | HUDs OXPs | phkb, zireael | Oolite BB |
Gameplay and Balance indicator
Communication usually makes things a little easier! Especially when it influences the other's actions...