Convoys

Freighters can fly in much larger groups, and introduces better-equipped convoy leaders (worth high bounties if piratical).

Overview

Freighters can fly in much larger groups occasionally. Small ships can also make larger formations to defend themselves, as can pirates, hunters and police, especially in areas of poor government. Leaders of convoys are usually well-armed ships. Local authorities can pay very high bounties for the most wanted fugitive leaders.

This OXP, as well as creating and organising convoys, will structure them too. So in a convoy of Pythons, for example, one will now find Python Leaders, Python Team Leaders, Python Pirate Bosses - very high bounty & Python Pirate Leaders - high bounty (depending on whether the convoy is trading or piratical).

Convoy leaders without bounty labels

This variant version is just the same, but the bounty levels are not indicated in the title of the ship. The bounties are otherwise unchanged. It is therefore more realistic - but also more dangerous!

Detail

Even miners and shuttles can be seen in formation.

The central ship in a convoy is the leader, named like "Boa Leader". This ship is stronger than others because it often carries an aft laser and better shields. Defeating fugitive leaders pay high bounties.

Moreover Convoys OXP contain a patch for Escort Formations which was written before Oolite 1.79 therefore missed many new ship roles.

Debate

The basic OXP announces the high bounties on pirate/Thargoid leaders. Is this reasonable?

(The "High Bounty" label) seems a bit strange. I can't imagine any pilot would be willing to wander the space lanes with a massive target painted on their back, saying, "Hey, come and kill me! I'm worth buckets of cash!"

Still, that's just me. Maybe there are some pilots like that. Phkb, 2017

On the other hand, Oolite replicates a high technology civilisation assailed by pirates and Thargoids where the ships are identifiable by computer. Traders need to know this information to steer well clear of trouble, police & bounty hunters need it to know about targets. Why would it not be programmed into the ship computer in some way?

Due to this debate, the second version of this was introduced where the High Bounty ships are not labelled as such: Your choice!

Requirements

• Oolite v.1.79 or newer
• Escort Formations by Cim

Supplements

• Freighter Convoys also by Norby is a smaller ambience-level variant of this OXP, which affects ambience but not mechanics/behaviour

Alternatives

As mentioned above, Convoys & Convoy leaders without bounty labels are two variants of the same idea.

License

• CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0
• Author: Norby

Links

• BB Thread (2017)
• Escort Formations - similar and compatible: add both for more complexity
• Freighter Convoys - ambience rather than mechanics (no major changes to AI)

Gameplay and Balance Indicator for Convoys

Seemingly the convoys of pirates should balance out the convoys of freighters & police

Gameplay and Balance Indicator for Convoy leaders without bounty labels

Note that the alternative version, Convoy leaders without bounty labels, is considerably nastier as the tougher ships are not marked out as such.