Realism

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Revision as of 14:47, 19 November 2021 by Cholmondely (talk | contribs) (Astronomy/Physics: Added Astrobe's Inertia.oxp)

Oolite is modelled on Classic Elite - a very simplistic but very playable game published in 1984. Realism is often seen as conflicting with playability.



Issues with Physics/Science/Economics in Oolite

Classic Elite was written for early computers. David Braben's Frontier series (written a decade later for more powerful computers) tried to import more real-world physics and astronomy into gaming. But Oolite, being a copy of Classic Elite, suffered from the simplicity inherent in the early game. Thus the astronomy, the physics and the economics are all unreal simplifications which, however, combine to make a much more playable game.

As the years have gone by, there have been those pushing for a more realistic approach (originally, some who came to Oolite through Frontier), and other pushing for a more game-focused approach (perhaps those who preferred Classic Elite - Frontier had playability problems). The arguments on each side are good, and the open nature of Oolite means that there are a plethora of OXPs which modify the game in one's desired direction.

Realistic Solutions

Astronomy/Physics

Economics

  • See Economics for a number of attempts to sort out issues with trade and markets.

Playing the game

Discussions