User:Stranger

Personal Note

Based in Eastern Siberia, active in the Roolite community and favours an exploration-style game with more scientific realism - hence many of the ensuing oxps!

Stranger's Environment

Stranger has developed his own Ooniverse. What one sees on the screen differs hugely - as do the mechanics of the game. It is a comprehensive attempt to make Oolite more scientifically realistic. It is recognisable as Oolite unlike Cim's Song of the Labyrinth [1]) which is a radically new game.

Solar Systems

An Ice Giant with orbital station

• On the Solar System front, the distances between suns, planets et al have been tweaked to make them more realistic - as have been the star and planet sizes, the planetary and lunar orbits etc. Several dozen star types are defined (with some 56 spectral signatures) thus affecting solar radius, colour, solar flares, corona flares and solar wind. The star types are further synthesised with the appropriate planet types and orbital distances.

• There are some 9 texture packs which flesh out the looks of the heavenly bodies. These combine with the oxps tweaking the underlying physics of the suns, planets & moons. The new planet sizes impact on such matters as gravity wells (affecting the Torus Drive), moon orbits etc. These tie in with the description of the planet as technological/agricultural and also with its technology level.

• The emphasis on realism means that there is now only the one large orbital station in each system (of the more orthodox coriolis or dodecahedron varieties, with hanger space for hundreds of spacecraft) as usually only the main planet is habitable and capable of meaningful trade with the orbital station above.

Stranger has also thrown in a new set of Orbital Stations with differing functions appropriate to their location in the solar system and with relevant market demands (hint: alcohol may be much in demand depending on the function and location of the station!).

Game Mechanics

Then there are the game mechanics. The above changes necessitate some modifications.

• Landing on planets is affected by the changed gravity wells - so a modified altimeter is needed for one's HUD (for those capable, instructions for modifying your favourite HUD are given in the readme for his SW HUD CAI oxp).

• The massively increased distances within the solar system and the lack of other large orbital stations (with their own dynamic markets featuring shifts in the valuations of many different commodities) leads to a tailored demand for a handful of goods in an orbital station which may be over 100,000km away from the main station - requiring specially chartered in-system delivery missions.

• There is a new MFD (multi-functional display) which lists the planets in the system with details of their general class (gas giant etc) - and which then toggles to details of the system's sun when the sun is selected on your ASC (Advanced Space Compass).

There is however a more fundamental change: All movement and ship operations now consume energy.

• This engenders a need for more fuel tanks (reducing the space available for carrying cargo and thus affecting the economics of trade due to smaller holds).

• There is a further need for urgent priority docking at busy Orbital Stations when one is running out of energy!

• There is also a need to recharge fuel as one travels the vast and immense distances in the solar systems: hence the solar wind modifications.

• Since running out of energy is death, there is also a need to rebalance shields and energy use for combat and for vigorous travel.

Conclusion

This is a well-thought through set of oxps which comprehensively alter one's immersion in Oolite, and represent the fruits of several years of hard work. To enjoy the full effect you may well find it necessary to uninstall a number of other oxps which conflict with the experience which Stranger is trying to create (as well as those oxps which the Expansion Manager flags up as problematic!).

Note

Of the oxps listed below, Leesti is Moon, SW HUD DAI (default altimeter), Hard Eject & Here be Dragons do not seem to be essential parts of Stranger's Ooniverse. However, adding in Here be Dragons will help emphasise the very different feel of his Ooniverse. SW Economy (realistic economics), SW Equipment (a full suite of equipment designed for Stranger's Ooniverse), Planet Land (with several hundred landing sites on moons & planets), System Make Up (which further details the solar systems) and Universal Sky (making the skies more representational of what one really sees) have yet to be translated into English (they are available through the Roolite website for Cyrillic readers!). There is also a several hundred page long instruction manual for the world and its oxp's! It might just be worth learning Russian!

OXPs

New versions are available from within the expansions manager.

Activities

• In-System Cargo Delivery opens an in-system mission interface in the F4 screen for local cargo delivery

Ambience

• Dark Ray turns off all laser beam glows - they are not scientifically justifiable in the vacuum of space!
• FPO Lave gives a more traditional look to Lave than Famous Planets does.
• Habitable Main Planets redefines planets' radii to realistic values for advanced eco-systems and colonisation
• Leesti is Moon 8k converts Leesti to the moon using 8k diffuse & normal maps
• Leesti is Moon LSM 8k - as above but with Landing Sites Marked!
• Moons simulates psuedo-dynamic moon configurations
• Moons Texture Pack contains textures for the above
• Planetary Systems simulates psuedo-dynamic solar system configurations for terrestial planets & gas giants
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack A textures for the above - ice deserts
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack B textures for the above - cold deserts
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack C textures for the above - hot deserts
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack D textures for the above - volcanic deserts
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack E textures for the above - cold Mars
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack F textures for the above - dry Mars
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack G textures for the above - gas & ice giants
• Planetary Systems Texture Pack H textures for the above - Mercury, Pluto & Venus analogs - and super-Earths
• Sun Gear creates more realistic solar systems with solar winds and with main planets in habitable zones. Requires Habitable Main Planets.oxp

Dockables

• Orbital Stations enables orbital stations to dynamically orbit planets!

Equipment

• Internal Fuel Tank: a single use fuel tank using 5t of free space in the cargo bay. Select/activate as primed equipment.

HUDs

• SW HUD CAI: modernised CB HUD with MFDs and customised altimeter for Hard Way.oxp (conflicts with SW HUD DAI)
• SW HUD DAI: modernised CB HUD with MFDs and default altimeter (conflicts with SW HUD CAI)

• Not by Stranger! Useful MFDs has been modified by Dybal to include a rating for the all-important Solar Wind Flux (also downloadable in the Expansions Manager).

Mechanics

• Energy Rebalance rebalances energy between shields & energy banks to prevent damage - unless banks are almost empty and death is imminent
• Energy Rebalance SCC as above but compatible with Ship Configuration.oxp
• Hard Eject reduces insurance cover so that only half of lost equipment is replaced (ie: shown as damaged on the F5 screen)
• Hard Way: all flight consumes fuel - hence 4 modules - collapsible shields & fuel consumption; gravity wells; solar wind scoop & warp drive
• Here be Dragons a Discovery .oxp: deletes all information on distant & unvisited systems from the F6 galaxy map & F7 screen
• Mineral Store Reset facilitates asteroid mining by preventing saturation of the main system market
• Start Choices Addenda adds 2 extra choices: expeditor start (Planetary Landing equipped Transporter) & advanced miner start (fuel scoop & mining laser equipped Bushmaster)
• Traffic Lights helps with manual docking at the system's only main station & gives priority docking after 15 mins; crucial for fuel-less Hard-Wayers

Concluding Unscientific Postscript

This article was not written by Stranger! For insights into his thinking try More real astronomy in Oolite & Preferred .oxps