Oolite (computer game)

Infobox VG
title = Oolite


caption = Oolite: Mac OS X interpretation of "Elite"
developer = Giles Williams
publisher = aegidian.org
version = 1.65
released = July 18, 2006
genre = Space trading and combat simulator
modes = Single player
platforms = Mac OS X, Linux, Windows, SGI Irix, FreeBSD

"Oolite" is a 3D Space trading and combat simulator in the spirit of "Elite". It is, as the name suggests, "Object Oriented [E] lite", written in Objective-C. Among Oolite's several similarities to its inspirational source, the gaming experience is enhanced by the context set in "Elite"'s original [http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/manual.htm manual] , and the accompanying novella, "The Dark Wheel".

Licensed under GNU GPL version 2 for the source code and CC-BY-NC-SA-3.0 license for other resources (pictures, music, textures, models),cite web|url=http://oolite.org//|title=Oolite website|accessdate=2008-08-06] Oolite is free software.

Development

It was developed by Giles Williams for Mac OS X and released in July, 2004, but remained in active development for a long time afterwards. on Intel architectures. Most ports include the same functionality except for the Mac OS X version which includes additional support of native Mac OS X features (as integration with iTunes, Spotlight and Growl support)cite web | url=http://dailykos.ringcenter.cn/post/Oolite.html | title=Oolite Review | publisher=Mac Game Center | accessdate=2007-10-11]

In October 2006, after releasing the stable 1.65 version, Williams announced he would stop developing "Oolite" after implementing updated OpenGL shader functionality. However, the project stalled. The project was relicensed under the GPL on the 27th February 2007, and after a lag, development continues by the community. There have been several test releases, with most notably the addition of JavaScripting capabilities to write missions and shader support in development.

Gameplay

Basics

Like "Elite", "Oolite" is a first-person, open-ended, single-player space trading and combat simulator. The player is the pilot of a spacecraft, capable of interstellar travel to other nearby planetary systems using wormholes generated by the ship's engines. Each system contains only one inhabited planet, with an orbiting space station; players choose the destination system by the name of its planet. Although players can create outgoing wormholes almost anywhere within a system, assuming their engines have sufficient fuel to do so, ships always enter a new system at a considerable distance from the target planet. The player must then pilot their ship from the entry point, through "normal" space, to the station. During this stage of the journey the player can encounter other ships, and combat can occur. "Oolite" spaceships' principal armaments are lasers and missiles. Most combats are dogfights and the ships exhibit non-Newtonian flight characteristics, being immune from the effects of inertia and gravity.

Goals and objectives

There is no set goal or objective in the game. Money and Elite rating are the only built-in forms of "score" in "Oolite".

Players can earn money by buying goods in one star system and transporting them to another to sell at a profit. Money can also be earned by destroying pirate ships and collecting bounty. Players can become pirates themselves, attacking merchantmen and other ships. Although no bounty is awarded for destroying non-pirate ships, when a ship is destroyed, some of its cargo can survive the explosion. If the player's ship is equipped with a scoop, this cargo can be salvaged for later resale. It is also possible, with the right equipment, to mine asteroids for ores and other materials. Players can also elect to carry paying passengers or special cargos to specified destinations. Money earned or otherwise acquired can be spent on fuel for the wormhole engines (known as "Witchdrives"), ship maintenance and new equipment. The player can also seek to trade in his or her ship for other models with different characteristics and capabilities.

Each ship the player destroys, of any type or class, adds to the player's Elite rating, a ranking based on the number of kills made. The ranks are:

*Harmless – 0 to 7 kills
*Mostly Harmless – 8 to 15 kills
*Poor – 16 to 31 kills
*Average – 32 to 63 kills
*Above Average – 64 to 127 kills
*Competent – 128 to 511 kills
*Dangerous – 512 to 2559 kills
*Deadly – 2560 to 6399 kills
*Elite – 6400 kills and up

Missions and modifications

There are a small number of built-in missions in the game, inherited from "Elite", where the player is given specific tasks to perform. It is not necessary to complete or even begin any of these missions to play the game, however.

Numerous modifications for "Oolite" have expanded the gameplay by adding in new missions, new equipment, new ships, new trading locations and new open-ended career opportunities such as courier or hitman.

Modding

Since the game structure is intended to be ‘open–hooded’, objects and events that take place in "Oolite" are easily modified without need of programming skills. Only a few simple tools are needed to create an [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/OXP OXP] (Oolite eXpansion Pack). These game additions, either self-made or downloaded, are freely placed in the game's AddOns folder, allowing the player to shape the plot and population of the game universe.cite journal | last = Linux Format | title =3D Space Game Oolite | publisher =Linux Format | month =January | year =2006 | url = http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=5#75 [http://aegidian.org/images/LXF75.jpgfaximile] ]

Over "Oolite"'s first two years, many from the "Oolite" community were inspired by the game's coherent modding opportunities, resulting in a fairly large pool of OXPs [cite web
author = Wolfwood
title = Oolite Review
publisher = Hooked Gamers
date = 2006-04-12
url = http://www.hookedgamers.com/articles/review/214/oolite/2
accessdate = 2008-08-06 ] . Often "The Dark Wheel" and 80's "Elite" fandom are of obvious influences, although elements from alternate space operas have also been shared. A pack may simply offer more ships or stations, or contain scripted interactive missions. As adding planetary bodies, minigames, HUDs, weapons and sounds are among several possibilities, testing the potential limitations of the OXP is still at an early stage.

Awards

*Macworld Editors' Choice Award. [cite web
url = http://www.macworld.co.uk/macsoftware/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=2154
title = Editor's Choice
date = 2007-01-08
accessdate = 2008-08-06
work = Macworld]

Fiction

A few works of fiction have been placed in the "Oolite" universe.
* [http://www.alioth.net/Fiction/oolitestory.pdf "The Virtuous Misfortune"] by Dylan Smith
* [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Status_Quo "Status Quo"] , [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Schism"Schism"] and [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Mutabilis "Mutabilis"] by Drew Wagar

References

External links

* [http://oolite.org/ "Oolite"] main site.
* [http://capnhack.com/hosting/oolite/Oolite/OoSat.html "OoSat"] OXP AddOns and utilities made by various people.
* [http://oosat.alioth.net/ "Oosat2"] Oosat's modern successor.
* [http://drydock.berlios.de/ "Dry Dock"] Mac tool for viewing Oolite models.
* [http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/ Ian Bell's "Elite" pages]
* The [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Main_Page "EliteWiki"] project, with an [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Category:Oolite "Oolite" section]