Cheopis
Imperial Shipment
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Posted - 2008.05.09 23:38:00 -
[1]
 Originally by: Matthew
Originally by: Doc Iridium
Heck / they don't even need to use a different color. Cut the top right corner off the BP image if the BP isn't infinite. Dogeared BP's are copies, whole BP's are originals, and they all use the same graphic.
The problem isn't changing the colour, or putting a dogear, or even a big flashing "this is a copy" banner on them. The problem is telling which are copies in the first place - if you don't know that, you don't know which ones to colour.
As far as the inventory system is concerned, there is no difference between a copy and an original. It's the same Item Type, it's just a "blueprint". The difference comes in the individual item properties.
Of course, looking up a single item's properties is no problem - that's what "show info" does.
Looking it up for a whole pile of blueprints is feasible, provided it's not going to be loaded that often (e.g. the S&I blueprint screens - note the 5 minute caching).
Looking it up for a whole pile of blueprints with the frequency that hangars are refreshed would generate too much load - it would simply cripple the server.
However, picking copies out is a pain, and a simpler option would be nice. So why not make use of the middle ground where the retrieval is a possibility. This could be done by making items in the blueprints tab of the S&I sheet draggable in the same way that items are draggable in the assets window.
We're far more likely to get that, than we are to get a complete rework of the inventory system to allow different coloured icons on copies.
Then the solution is simple, and obvious. Blueprint books. Create two new containers. One can only hold BPO's, the other can only hold BPC's. Putting blueprints into them is a slow, but automated procedure, like unlocking items in a secure can - but still much faster than a person can do it.
You select a whole stack of blueprints, mixed copies and originals, and drop into either the BPC book or the BPO book. Anything that won't go in isn't moved.
The BOOKS are colored different colors :)
Maybe you could introduce different booktypes for modules, ships, ammunition, t1 vs t2, whatever, but I'd be happy with just BPO vs BPC.
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