ViolentBeetle
commented
7 years ago As a variation on the pirate suggestion. Probably shouldn't fire for synth leaders, if possible, or it would be weird.
Missing in Action Our away team... simply did not return. [Science Officer] failed to maintain radio contact and his life signs vanished without a warning or explaination. Now we not only have to look for the distress beacon, but for the missing science officer as well.
Worrying Science officer is exiled. Spawn 2-star special project to look for the missing scientist
Completion - Kidnapped The second away team reports that they found their predecessors' shallow graves. Quick look suggests they were killed by modern long-range weaponry. However the science officer who led them is conspicuously absent. In a nearby cave they had found one of commercial distress beacons used to lure them here. Access to beacon's data cache revealed major illegal alterations as well as a recently added message: "To whom it might concern. Your scientist is alive and well, for now. If you would like to keep it this way, please follow our instructions and comply with our demands (see attachment). Surely, mighty [Empire Name] can afford to pay ransom for one of their fines minds."
Pay the ransom [Lose 500 energy and minerals, scientist is unexiled] Pay the ransom, but put a tracker on it [Lose 500 energy and minerals, go to Tracker events] Pay half of the ransom [Lose 250 of minerals and energy, got to Half Ransom events] Try tracking pirates on our own [Create special project on the planet, to track down pirates] Announce that we do not negotiate with kidnappers [Plot ends with scientist lost for good. Gain influence]
Tracker: Failure Chance 15%
Authorities on [Capital planet] were shocked to find a cargo container stealthily positioned on planet's orbit. Inside they found body of the scientist kidnapped earlier. Cause of death is yet to be determined, but preliminary analysis points towards our tracking device jammed down [his/her]. The message is clear.
Barbaric [Event ends]
Tracker: Success Chance 85%
Authorities on [Capital Planet] had detected and recovered a stasis pot, covertly placed in planet's low orbit. Inside they found the kidnapped scientist, unharmed. Looks like his kidnappers were satisfied with ransom. What's more is that our tracker is working and successfully sending us the location of a system from which lowlives are operating.
Time to pay them a visit [See pirate hunt section]
Half ransom: Half scientist Chance 50%
Today a small container was found in [Capital Planet]'s low orbit. Inside, carefully preserved, authorities had found a mutilated body of our kidnapped scientist, estimated to retain half of original mass. It appears, the kidnappers did not take kindly to those who try to bargain with them.
Barbaric [Chain ends]
Half Ransom: Scientist returned Chance 50%
Today an operational stasis pod was recovered from [Captail Planet]'s low orbit. Inside authorities had found unharmed kidnapped scientist. It appears, kidnappers were willing to accept lower price, preferring to not escalate conflict with our government.
Welcome back [Scientist is unexiled]
Tracking down the pirates If player chooses to track down pirates, he's receiving a timed special project on planet's surface.
Our forensic team on the planet had meticulously analysed abduction site. Pirates used this place for some time now, usually preying on small commercial ships, operating on a ship hidden planetside, but this time they apparently decided to move, fearing retaliation. They exercised a risky manoeuvre of going into an emergency jump from planet's atmosphere to evade detection and it worked, as conventional sensors failed to pick them up. However, at the same time they unwittingly exposed themselves to a different type of tracking, leaving traces all over planet's atmosphere and solid surface. It shouldn't be a problem to pinpoint their destination system.
Time to pay them a visit [See pirate hunt section]
Tracking down the pirates failed Another unlikely possibility
Our forensic team regrets to inform that no useful evidence could be recovered from the pirate's base of operation. They appear to have executed an extremely risky FTL jump from the atmosphere, but where and how could not be determined
Shame [Even chain ends, scientist is lost]
Pirate hunt Whenever player had paid the ransom with tracker or tracked them on the planet's surface, a powerful battleship is spawned in a system where no planet is colonized. Maybe a new system spawned. Marker shows to the system.
Once player arrived, they need to fight the ship. On ship's defeat, one of the following outcomes can happen:
Ship simply destroyed - scientist inside
With pirate ship vaporised, so were our hopes to rescue the hostage. Going through debris we had found several surviving containers of valuable equipment pirates had stolen over the years. More importantly, we had sent a message to the galaxy.
[Not pacifist]We do not negotiate with criminals [Get 100 of minerals and energy, some influence, admiral gets trait "aggressive negotiator" - +5% fire rate] [Pacifist]What a senseless waste of life [Get 100 of minerals and energy]
Ship simply destroyed - scientist previously ransomed
With destroying the pirates' ship, we had made clear what happens to those who try to ransom us. From the debris we had recovered vast amount of valuables, most of which we paid them originally ourselves.
[Not pacifist] Justice is unavoidable [Get 600 of minerals and energy, some influence] [Pacifist] At least they won't threaten others [Get 600 of minerals and energy]
Ship disabled - scientist inside With her vital systems disabled, pirate ship is drifting aimlessly through space. It is now time to mount a rescue operation and board the ship searching for the missing scientist.
Prepare the boarding party [Spawn timed special project for a troop transport to board the disabled ship, if timer runs out, ship self-destructs] [Militarist or collectivist] Finish the job and destroy the ship [happens the same as if ship was originally destroyed]
Ship disabled - scientist is already ransomed We had successfully disabled the outlaws' ship and its now drifts helplessly through space. Perhaps we should board it?
Prepare the boarding party [Spawn timed special project for a troop transport to board the disabled ship, if timer runs out, ship self-destructs] Finish the job and destroy the ship [happens the same as if ship was originally destroyed]
Boarding the ship - scientist rescued Probability 40%
Despite desperate resistance from the pirate crew, our troops had breached their defences and secure the vessels. Inside one of the compartments they have found stasis pod where the kidnapped scientist was kept. He seems unharmed. The boarding party also find several crates of valuable equipment, likely loot from other operations. As they were leaving the vessel, the damaged structure had given in, destroying the ship.
Good job [Scientist is rescued, get 200 minerals and energy]
Boarding the ship - scientist found dead Probability 50%
Despite their best efforts, our troops were not able to reach the kidnapped scientist in time. As they made their way through the ship, they had found a stasis pod with a body inside. It appears, pirates turned off life support systems inside the pod after we attacked them. However, the ship itself is in adequate condition and can be reclaimed to our fleet. Additionally, its cargo hold contains some worthwhile objects.
What a shame [Get 200 minerals and energy. Battleship is taken over by the player. If possible, name ship after the scientist]
Boarding the ship - scientist is already ransomed Probability 60%
As our troops made their way through the ship, they have encountered desperate resistance, but it was not enough to stop them. The ship itself is beyond repair and had to be scuttled, however they did find some valuables, including our own ransom inside the cargo hold.
[Not pacifist] Justice is unavoidable [Get 700 of minerals and energy, some influence] [Pacifist] At least they won't threaten others [Get 700 of minerals and energy]
Boarding the ship - scientist is already ransomed, recover ship Probability 30%
Our troops had successfully overcame pirate resistance and secured the vessel. Despite damage, its main systems are not beyond recovery and can be brought online and added to our own fleet. In addition, valuable items, including ransom we paid them, had been recovered from the cargo hold.
Great job [Get 700 minerals and energy. Battleship is taken over by the player.]
Additional possibilities Two additional possibilities could improve the quest.
- If pirates see a powerful fleet, they can be intimidate into returning the scientist unharmed
- If scientist is not ransomed, he can become pirate captain.
I do not know if those can be done, so coders please comment.
Tuttu
Elimdur
ThePrettiestIncubus
Happens at habitable planets. (The stranded story is a reference to one of our other anomalies)
Anomaly Category Description Title: Distress Signal Desc: We have received a short and continual transmission that [Scientistname] deems to be a distress signal. We should investigate this further.
Anomaly Title: Stranded Desc: Our away team found a crashlanded ship on the planet's surface. As the wreckage was already partially overgrown by the local flora our team was smitten with suprise when suddenly a single survivor greeted them. The survivor identifies himself as the former captain of the now derelict ship. They where send on a scientific mission to explore formerly unknown worlds and stellar mysteries. Their mission progressed well until they found a strange gravitational anomaly in an asteroid belt. According to the survivor it must have been some kind of unstable wormhole that pulled their ship out of normal space. When they regained consciousness their ship was disabled and adrift, slowly entering the atmosphere of a planet they had never seen before. They are not even sure to still be in the same galaxy as there are no known reference points to be found. Without any company aside from his loyal ai assistant he still managed to live off this alien world for more than two years. With little hope to ever return home again the survivor offers his service as a scientific officer in return for accommodation. response: Welcome aboard! (get scientist level 3 with two traits one is ai assistant) picture: GFX_evt_mem_wreckage_shelter (new pic)
hope someone has some more ideas.
maybe pirate traps, old ships that still send the signal but are just a wreckage without survivors.