Agents and Missions
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 3:56 pmhello all
i have recently started rewriting agent, mission and standings code.
the current code on main server is hacked for POC to show agents and missions can work.
i am still testing before pushing updated code to main server...i'll post when i update main.
NOTE: all agents offer courier missions as these are easiest to code and test.
once i get most of the bugs out, i will begin mining and single-pocket combat missions. more on this below.
as a side note, i have found data for actual agent conversations, but this will require a complicated set of checks and packet generation to implement, and i dont fully understand it yet.
i currently have no plans to start working on this code.
so, the general plan for agents is this:
they will greet you once you start convo with them, and respond based on your modified standings with them. this is working for both available and not available agents.
they will offer jobs based on your standings and their level (i also use the 'old' quality system, which is no longer shown in agent info)
there is an error in client code where standings are calculated wrong, and the standings tab on all info screens show wrong modified standings.
(agent standing is 2.048, connections 3 raised it from 0.93 it should be 1.042)
the actual error is when connections or diplomacy skills are checked, they are calculated using +40%/Lvl instead of the +4%/Lvl it should be.
i cannot fix this, so be aware of this when viewing the standings tab on any agent/corp info screen. agent availability in stations should show correctly, as this information is obtained from the server.
agents will give standings for anything dealing with missions: complete, fail, decline, expire.
complete will give positive standings to you, your fleet, and your player corporation from the agent and their corp.
every 15 normal missions will give you an offer for an important mission. this mission will give the above standings, plus faction standings from the agent's faction.
NOTE: this *should* be an offer from a storyline agent, but as i dont have that working yet, a normal agent will give the offer for an important mission
declining a mission will give negative standings are between you and the agent only. (more info below)
failed or expired missions will give negative standings from the agent and their corp to you and your player corp. important missions do this also and include the agents faction as well.
all of this is mostly working, but there are still a few bugs im working on getting out.
on your standings tab, clicking on a standing will open the window that show the changes. this is mostly working also.
right now, i have all 150 courier missions coded, and have isk and lp rewards working. note lp store isnt coded yet.
rewards are based on system trusec, agent level and quality and your standing with the agent.
isk reward is modified by your negotiation skill. lp reward is modified by your <division> connections skill.
for missions that have a bonus time, the rewards are calculated from base rewards, agent quality, and your negotiation skill. isk and lp use same calculations for bonus rewards, if applicable
when declining a mission, the 4 hour timer starts. declining another mission from the same agent within this 4h window will result in a standings loss with this agent. this is between you and the agent only. the mission briefing window will show remaining time if this timer is running. if not, it will display the default "declining a mission within 4 hours will result in a standings loss with this agent" message.
one thing that has struck me with missions is how much they remind me of construction work...you get on their bad side and they no longer offer you jobs. even some of the dialog is the same.
so, when you decline a mission, the agent may not have anything else on the books for right now, so there will probably be a delay before another mission is available. this delay is based on your standings with the agent, system trusec, and how 'busy' the system is....a fringe system with little traffic wont have as much to do as a hub system with a regional jump and lots going on.
NOTE: eventually i will be adding the civilian ship system where non-interactive npc's will fiy around systems to show relative activity.
this delay time is also set when completing missions, but not near as long as a decline (about 1/3 to 1/2 time)
my RP reasoning for this is as follows: the agent is just an intermediary. they are given tasks from higher managers, and may or may not have multiple tasks that need doing at any particular time.
this "work list" will probably be rather light for a system thats away from the traveled path with a low activity level...not much to do in a system where not much is going on.
NOTE: i have notes and ideas for modifying a system's activity level, but am still working out details. not enough to start implementing yet.
i will start mining missions and some easy combat missions next.
the deadspace and rat spawning systems will have to be adjusted and tweaked for this...will take some time to get working right
currently, the rat spawning system is ~10y old and i have leaned a lot since i originally wrote it, so im sure there is much to be improved there.
the deadspace spawning system will use the current anomaly system for pocket generation, and will need a bit of tweaking for mission implementation
after this is working to my satisfaction, i will add acceleration gates and multiple pockets and triggers. neither system is coded for gates or triggers yet, so this also will take a while
THIS UPDATE IS NOW LIVE ON MAIN SERVER.
i have recently started rewriting agent, mission and standings code.
the current code on main server is hacked for POC to show agents and missions can work.
i am still testing before pushing updated code to main server...i'll post when i update main.
NOTE: all agents offer courier missions as these are easiest to code and test.
once i get most of the bugs out, i will begin mining and single-pocket combat missions. more on this below.
as a side note, i have found data for actual agent conversations, but this will require a complicated set of checks and packet generation to implement, and i dont fully understand it yet.
i currently have no plans to start working on this code.
so, the general plan for agents is this:
they will greet you once you start convo with them, and respond based on your modified standings with them. this is working for both available and not available agents.
they will offer jobs based on your standings and their level (i also use the 'old' quality system, which is no longer shown in agent info)
there is an error in client code where standings are calculated wrong, and the standings tab on all info screens show wrong modified standings.
(agent standing is 2.048, connections 3 raised it from 0.93 it should be 1.042)
the actual error is when connections or diplomacy skills are checked, they are calculated using +40%/Lvl instead of the +4%/Lvl it should be.
i cannot fix this, so be aware of this when viewing the standings tab on any agent/corp info screen. agent availability in stations should show correctly, as this information is obtained from the server.
agents will give standings for anything dealing with missions: complete, fail, decline, expire.
complete will give positive standings to you, your fleet, and your player corporation from the agent and their corp.
every 15 normal missions will give you an offer for an important mission. this mission will give the above standings, plus faction standings from the agent's faction.
NOTE: this *should* be an offer from a storyline agent, but as i dont have that working yet, a normal agent will give the offer for an important mission
declining a mission will give negative standings are between you and the agent only. (more info below)
failed or expired missions will give negative standings from the agent and their corp to you and your player corp. important missions do this also and include the agents faction as well.
all of this is mostly working, but there are still a few bugs im working on getting out.
on your standings tab, clicking on a standing will open the window that show the changes. this is mostly working also.
right now, i have all 150 courier missions coded, and have isk and lp rewards working. note lp store isnt coded yet.
rewards are based on system trusec, agent level and quality and your standing with the agent.
isk reward is modified by your negotiation skill. lp reward is modified by your <division> connections skill.
for missions that have a bonus time, the rewards are calculated from base rewards, agent quality, and your negotiation skill. isk and lp use same calculations for bonus rewards, if applicable
when declining a mission, the 4 hour timer starts. declining another mission from the same agent within this 4h window will result in a standings loss with this agent. this is between you and the agent only. the mission briefing window will show remaining time if this timer is running. if not, it will display the default "declining a mission within 4 hours will result in a standings loss with this agent" message.
one thing that has struck me with missions is how much they remind me of construction work...you get on their bad side and they no longer offer you jobs. even some of the dialog is the same.
so, when you decline a mission, the agent may not have anything else on the books for right now, so there will probably be a delay before another mission is available. this delay is based on your standings with the agent, system trusec, and how 'busy' the system is....a fringe system with little traffic wont have as much to do as a hub system with a regional jump and lots going on.
NOTE: eventually i will be adding the civilian ship system where non-interactive npc's will fiy around systems to show relative activity.
this delay time is also set when completing missions, but not near as long as a decline (about 1/3 to 1/2 time)
my RP reasoning for this is as follows: the agent is just an intermediary. they are given tasks from higher managers, and may or may not have multiple tasks that need doing at any particular time.
this "work list" will probably be rather light for a system thats away from the traveled path with a low activity level...not much to do in a system where not much is going on.
NOTE: i have notes and ideas for modifying a system's activity level, but am still working out details. not enough to start implementing yet.
i will start mining missions and some easy combat missions next.
the deadspace and rat spawning systems will have to be adjusted and tweaked for this...will take some time to get working right
currently, the rat spawning system is ~10y old and i have leaned a lot since i originally wrote it, so im sure there is much to be improved there.
the deadspace spawning system will use the current anomaly system for pocket generation, and will need a bit of tweaking for mission implementation
after this is working to my satisfaction, i will add acceleration gates and multiple pockets and triggers. neither system is coded for gates or triggers yet, so this also will take a while
THIS UPDATE IS NOW LIVE ON MAIN SERVER.