Project Universal Car for Orbiter (UCO)

[garyw]

To keep this on topic again: Great work Dan! When I discussed UMMUFB on IRC, someone came up with the term "Sims in Space" (I think it was Gary). Seems like you pushed the envelope here. :speakcool:

Yes I think it was me to blame for that

There is something fun in being able to actually move crew around, send them on EVA's and all sorts. I firmly blame DanSteph for a lot of my time disappearing into orbiter!

 

[Urwumpe]

I can agree to that.

Maybe the cargo/UCO would also make it easier to develop economy add-ons for Orbiter, so the world could become a bit more dynamic.

 

[willy88]

Maybe the cargo/UCO would also make it easier to develop economy add-ons for Orbiter, so the world could become a bit more dynamic.

Economy add-ons?

 

[Urwumpe]

Economy add-ons?

No rather like producing cargo missions during sim time - how complex or how simplistic would be not the problem, even random cargo generation is a pretty funny way to decide what to do next.

 

[docabn]

As far as cargo missions maybe some one could develop a resource devouring program which causes your Space station or colony to use up resources and require food, water, medical supplies, repair parts, ect. I use an excell spread sheet and just estimate how long it would take to use up suppies but if you had something that used other supplies like DGIV or XR series use LOX. It could be neat for someone who likes planning out cargo missions and projecting when supplies would be needed to maintain a outpost.

 

[dansteph]

No, he is an agent. Orbiter is obviously becoming the Matrix with Martin as the architect and DanSteph as the Oracle...............

AH AH AH WE OWN THE W.... mmhhh err... sorry guy I worked 24h non stop and just got 5h sleep.

Just before sleeping I had also the time to work on UMMU code, this guy will gently dy with a last breath if you switch to cloth in space. I don't put a safety on the command because it's fun (SHF+X)

There is 6 type of spacesuit in UMMU 1.5 (med, capt, sec etc. etc.) each one will have a different "civil" cloth. I'll not do a different model but will just add some variation to this one above. (another face etc)

Time to work !

Dan

---------- Post added at 04:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:31 PM ----------

Ah economic, bases, etc...

UCGO is designed more or less with that in mind, at least it open this possibility (and much as you will see soon). The SDK allow to "eat" cargo by type (the function return the weight eaten), so effectively one can devellop bases, vessel, factory raffinery that can produce, use raffine or transport such cargos.

But imho this would require a "persistent world" dll and a complete set of vessels, base, factory that work with the sames rules. A huge work.

Best

Dan

 

[Urwumpe]

But imho this would require a "persistent world" dll and a complete set of vessels, base, factory that work with the sames rules. A huge work.

Well "persistent world" would be needed if you want online playing or so, just saving the current state of a mission and returning to the saved state would be pretty much easier. Building the buildings, bases, etc would be more complex, but if you already add provisions for the core operations in the cargo add-on, it would at least be simpler to produce them, then to start with a clean sheet design for any more complex world add-on.

Same rules is a different thing though. I don't know how much you want to go into the details for your add-on, I suspect KISS is still the target.

Practically, you can already do some very complex work by having the type of goods and the mass. More complicated strategy games had one or more quality attributes, but I can think of at least one way that saves you from having to include this. Querying the extended attributes of a good by name from a economy plug-in would be possible. Making a DLL which uses a SQLite database for storing and reading such attributes would be rather easy.

If developers could agree on a tiny standard interface to link into vessels (Of course, usually it is your standard which people use happily), which could be used for accessing different economic models and switch them by the taste of the player, would be a good long-term solution - I doubt many people will want to develop such stuff, even more people will want to use what ever is there.

As I see it, having the attributes type, meta-type (Liquid, gas, bulk, ...), amount/mass and maybe health/damage for the cargo would be already allow a lot of complex interaction. Most PnP RPGs don't go further.

 

[Dig Gil]

For Economics you should talk with Ar81, he for long time talks about "Orbinomics".
For the "Civilian" cloth suit and other stuff... I'm like Marty McFly here "That's heavy.".
More in focus of the clothing it wouldn't be much nice just variations of formal suit, not that I'm asking for features (poor Dan ), but better if it were a the job clothing.

 

[sunshine135]

Mr. Anderson...We have rules here!

LOL

Rock on Dan!!!!

 

[dansteph]

Sorry for not answering in detail... work

The familly grow, left the medical and the captain on the right: (the shoes are cut becaue of one of my try at ground texture, it's higher than ground) Pfeew, 4 to go...

Dan

 

[jinglesassy]

awesome dan, eta to release? and if u need any beta testers i can beta-test

 

[sunshine135]

Certainly some sharp-dressed astronauts Dan. Is your mechanic and miner going to end up in dirty coveralls and security guy with a pistol?

 

[Tommy]

But imho this would require a "persistent world" dll and a complete set of vessels, base, factory that work with the sames rules. A huge work.

I don't think the vessels need to support the economics module, if we want to keep it simple. Rather than tracking transports, just track the transactions. This way existing vessels could be used. There would need to be modules made, could be fairly generic for ground based (and invisible mesh that sits inside a regular base structure) and stations. Still a big job. Tracking ownership of cargos may prove difficult - cargos will not always have the same vessel name when respawned (jettisoned). For a single player game, this isn't as crucial - you would pay for cargos created by "factories" and get paid for any cargos "loaded" into a "warehouse".

 

[Mister Kite]

Pfeew, 4 to go.

Can we have a white one with dark stripes for the psychiatric officer?
(Purple tie?)

 

[Balladeer]

Maybe perhaps a man in black as well. That way we can have a Gman appear every time there is a sighting or landing of an unidentified flying object.

Great project thank you Dan!:speakcool:

 

[dansteph]

Open the pandora box

NEW FEATURES: "Open the pandora box"

-Packable/Unpackable cargo
-Bases with breathing for UMMU 2.0


Align your box: (can be grappled by UMMU)

Unpack ! (Key "U"npack, must be < 7m, closer box unpack/pack)

Hop, into base take your spacesuit off, O2 and fuel tanks slowly recharge.
(Not for author: just need a mesh and 3 parameters in config to design a base part, this one will be given as demo but one can do much better, no need absolutely to be a "cargo" (would not be very realistic for a 2000 ton base, this one below is made of inflatable module so it's not 100% unrealistic)

Pfeeew, still a lot of work

Cheers

Dan

 

[tl8]

This is great Dan, talk about a complete package!!

 

[Bj]

Wow
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better... :speakcool:

 

[insanity]

Dan, your work continues to impress... thanks for creating all of the excellent stuff you've done. Your DGIV got me back into orbiter, and this has me excited to go play in space some more.

 

[willy88]

Dan, it seems that whenever you try to create an add-on, you always go overboard. Not that that's a bad thing at all.