Enhanced Vipers

Viper-E Patrol
Size (W×H×L)	50 m×18 m×65 m
Cargo capacity	1 TC
Cargo bay extension	N/A
Maximum speed	0.35 LM
Manoeuvrability	Pitch: 1.8 Roll: 2.8 Yaw: 1.8 Thrust: 35
Energy banks	3
Energy recharge rate	Excellent (4.5)
Gun mounts	Fore: 1x
Missile slots	2
Shield boosters available	Yes
Military shields available	N/A
Hyperspace capable	N/A
OXP or standard	OXP
Available to player	N/A
Base price	N/A

Overview

This OXP adds enhanced Viper Patrols, Viper Pursuits, and Viper Interceptors, to richer, stable systems; GalCop Deputies to stable poor/average systems; and Bounty Hunters to unstable/dangerous systems. They are not über ships - far from it - but with the advent of heavy pirates and heavy assassins into the core game, some toughening of GalCop Vipers seemed appropriate.

Hopefully, the sight of a squad of Vipers being trounced by a gang of bandits, or getting slaughtered by a bunch of assassins, will become less common. Some enhanced Vipers have highly skilled pilots, so any players acting as bandits should beware.

History

In a dangerous Ooniverse, the richer stable systems had traditionally been safe havens for traders. However, in the poorer, less well-policed systems, piracy was increasing. When tougher ships became available, pirate clans grew bolder, and those safe havens became the target of increasingly frequent raids. GalCop Vipers bore the brunt of these raids, and their losses began to mount. When trade started to suffer, the wealthy merchant guilds got together, and decided something had to be done. After much haggling, they struck a deal with GalCop, Faulcon de Lacy, and Griff Industries, to finance the building of enhanced replacements for the ageing Vipers. With a view to spreading the potential benefits to poorer systems, the Bounty Hunters Guild was brought onboard. As is often the case though, budgetary constraints - brought about by spiraling costs and pocket-lining by unscrupulous bureaucrats - limited the scope of the enhancements.

Nevertheless, GalCop's enhanced Vipers are now starting to make their presence felt, and this it is hoped will eventually turn the tide, and perhaps restore some semblance of normality. The improved performance and durability of the enhanced Vipers has also attracted the more skillful pilots, and recruitment - which had been declining - is on the up.

Viper-E series

The Viper-E series is a combined effort of Faulcon de Lacy and Griff Industries. By using advanced technology, it was possible to improve the original Vipers to a certain extent. Moreover, even a cost-effective upgrade of the earlier models is possible.

	Viper-E Patrol	Viper-E Pursuit	Viper-E Interceptor
Picture (click to fully expand)
Size (meters: WxHxL)	50 × 18 × 65	50 × 18 × 65	50 × 18 × 65
Mass (tons)	34.041 t	34.041 t	35.218 t
Cargo capacity (tons)	1 (not expandable)	1 (not expandable)	1 (not expandable)
Maximum speed (LM)	0.350	0.380	0.520
Maneuverability	Pitch: 1.80 / Roll: 2.80 / Yaw: 1.80	Pitch: 1.80 / Roll: 2.80 / Yaw: 1.80	Pitch: 2.00 / Roll: 4.20 / Yaw: 2.00
Thrust	35	40	55
Energy banks	3.0	3.0	5.0
Energy recharge rate	Excellent (4.50)	Excellent (4.50)	Excellent (6.50)
Gun mounts & Turrets	Fore: 1x Rear: N/A Port: N/A Starboard: N/A Turrets: N/A	Fore: 1x Rear: N/A Port: N/A Starboard: N/A Turrets: N/A	Fore: 1x Rear: N/A Port: N/A Starboard: N/A Turrets: N/A
Missile pylons	2	2	3
Shield Upgrades	Boosters	Boosters	Boosters
Hyperspace capable	No	No	Yes
Available to player	No	No	No
Base price (Cr)	N/A	N/A	N/A

GalCop Police Deputies

To protect the less advanced and average systems with stable governments, a contract with the Bounty Hunter Guild was signed. In exchange for a number of Viper-E Pursuits and some credits, their experienced pilots would act as deputies there.

Click on thumbnails to view full-size images:

• 

  GalCop Police Deputy
• 

  Bounty Hunter Guild

Remarks

Additional to the enhanced Vipers the GalCop police emblem and individual escape capsules are added to all core-vipers. Viper Pursuit, in the core-game just shown as Viper, is now correctly named.

The package is adjusted to Illicit Unlock OXP, Sniper Gun.OXP, Carriers.OXP and Carriers with turrets.OXP.

Credits

• Cody (concept and lore)
• Griff (models and basic textures)
• another_commander (basic specular map escape capsule)
• LittleBear (ranks of the BHG which I shamelessly copied from (Random Hits OXP)

Requirements

Oolite V 1.88 or higher.

Download

The Enhanced Vipers could be found on the Expansions Manager or alternatively here: Enhanced Vipers OXP

License

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
To view a copy of this license visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0.

Version History

• Version 0.50 / 2021-10-07:

initial release

• Version 0.51 / 2021-10-07:

removed a test routine in the script

• Version 0.52 / 2021-12-03:

small tweaks to adjust better with other OXP's

Quick Facts

Stronger GalCop Space Police will offer better protection for traders

Version	Released	License	Features	Category	Author(s)	Feedback
0.52	2021-12-03	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0	Ship	Ships OXPs	Montana05, Cody	BB

Links

• Faulcon de Lacy (manufacturer)
• Griff Industries (manufacturer)
• GalCop Police (Space Police)
• Viper (Oolite) (the standard model)
• Viper Interceptor (the standard model)

• Piracy (pirates in GalCop space)
• Law (the law in GalCop space)