Make rescuing Occupied Escape Pods more attractive to Cmdrs

[Cmdr Travers]

It's been ages since I rescued an NPC in an Occupied Escape Pod. Primarily because they used to be "illegal salvage". I don't feel there's any incentive now though to pick them up.

I have an idea to create that incentive. FD could make a few, say 10% or 20% valuable, with politicians or businessmen, that are worth a few hundred thousand credits. Furthermore, more still, say the top 2% or 5% REALLY valuable and worth several million credits. You'd never know though until you cash them in.

I might be more inclined to pick them up then.

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P.S. Celebrities should come with an option to drop them back where you found them

 

[Commander Biscuit]

Are they still illegal? I picked up a bunch of stuff yesterday and among them were a bunch of escape pods. Had to sell the escape pods on the regular commodity market since the black market wouldn't take em.

EDIT: Found these while tootling around in signal sources looking for mechanical scrap, not in any CG system.

 

[Hell Razor5543]

Well, in the Fedmich Rescue CG all Occupied Escape Pods are LEGAL salvage (as there was a convoy attacked, and there are survivors awaiting rescue). I have helped a lot (over 100).

 

[Sterling MH]

I don't agree. I DO think that such S&R missions, and even just random Pod finds (with quiet SOS signal) for low credit rewards would be a good mission for starting on where you're still learning. And if you could "convert" them to slaves on receipt for piracy, making them illegal goods for the evulz players, that gives them a reason to go looking in early game pirate play.

 

[Martian Successor]

All escape pods are legal salvage as of 2.1. The frequency of encountering them however has been reduced drastically compared to before.

I really miss the old rescue escape pod missions. Pre 2.1 you could actually make a career out of being an intergalactic rescuer. Such a shame this mission type never came back.

 

[Thetele]

Let us make them part of our crew. I pick up hi and bring home and now i can hire him with out a cost. (without the up front cost).

 

[Lucius-Darcia]

It's been ages since I rescued an NPC in an Occupied Escape Pod. Primarily because they used to be "illegal salvage". I don't feel there's any incentive now though to pick them up.

I have an idea to create that incentive. FD could make a few, say 10% or 20% valuable, with politicians or businessmen, that are worth a few hundred thousand credits. Furthermore, more still, say the top 2% or 5% REALLY valuable and worth several million credits. You'd never know though until you cash them in.

I might be more inclined to pick them up then.

----------------

P.S. Celebrities should come with an option to drop them back where you found them

Would be nice, if we catch the black boxes as addition, we should be able to return them, where they come from to get extra cash. IF black boxes also stop to be illegal ._.
It doesn't have to be always cash, what's about reputation in this scenario? I would love it.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

You're onto something here. There needs to be a whole lot of things (missions etc) that can come from rescuing pods.

 

[Bryan K]

I wasn't even aware it was possible to rescue them, only to sell them into slavery. The closest I've ever gotten to proper rescue is to dump the pods just outside a surface port and hope the security ships spot them.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

I wasn't even aware it was possible to rescue them, only to sell them into slavery. The closest I've ever gotten to proper rescue is to dump the pods just outside a surface port and hope the security ships spot them.

Well you sell them as legal goods. What becomes of the occupant after that? Make up what ever you want, as there's nothing in game.

 

[Arkadi]

Missions could go way more creative again ...

* deliver 10 escape-pods for local slave-market
* deliver one black-box from a crashed core-dynamics ship to your Gutamaya contact to prove core-dynamics sloppy engineering...
* help NPC Rescue1 to bring back 40 escapepods from crashed tourist beluga-liner - guard the NPCs rescue 'condas flight back to homedock and defend it from all attacks


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go Frontier go!

I know, unique missions don't blend in well with procedual processing but ... some handcrafted missions, please..

ok. offtopic back on track. Giving us a reason to bring back escapepods would be a wonderful start in the right direction!

 

[Bryan K]

Well you sell them as legal goods. What becomes of the occupant after that? Make up what ever you want, as there's nothing in game.

Pretty sure it's been established that you're selling them into slavery. That's what I gleaned from the almighty oracle (Google).

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

Pretty sure it's been established that you're selling them into slavery. That's what I gleaned from the almighty oracle (Google).

When they were illegal and you were selling them to the black market, then that was the perception. But as far as I know there's nothing in game that says what happens to them. All is just speculation beyond that, and what's in your personal head space, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ArchEmperor]

When I scoop up an escape pod, I find this beautiful crew member aboard, which tells me she is an elite ranked combat pilot..... or so I wished....

 

[Bryan K]

When they were illegal and you were selling them to the black market, then that was the perception. But as far as I know there's nothing in game that says what happens to them. All is just speculation beyond that, and what's in your personal head space, as far as I'm concerned.

You're still selling them. When the Coast Guard fishes someone out of the ocean they don't sell them. I still prefer my solution of dumping them off in plain site of the sentry skimmers and security ships. At least then I can imagine that it's a proper rescue.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

You're still selling them. When the Coast Guard fishes someone out of the ocean they don't sell them. I still prefer my solution of dumping them off in plain site of the sentry skimmers and security ships. At least then I can imagine that it's a proper rescue.

In a way it depends upon who you imagine you are selling them to. Are you even selling them? Are you getting a reward instead, as they are in a salvage category? It's up to you to decide.

 

[Cmdr Eran Mintor]

Would be nice to see a station service at certain refugee centers where you can turn in escape pods for a good rep gain with minor/major factions. Maybe add some additional types of pods as OP suggested like VIPs. Alternatively there should be a counter station service in criminal areas where you can sell them into slavery or for ransoms, gaining credits depending on their status (VIP, crew, etc) but maybe lose rep.

 

[Noddie]

Well if you sell them in fedmich right now it counts as a rescue.

 

[Cmdr Eran Mintor]

Well if you sell them in fedmich right now it counts as a rescue.

That's a temporary CG, not something longterm.

 

[Ian Skippy]

All escape pods are legal salvage as of 2.1. The frequency of encountering them however has been reduced drastically compared to before.

I really miss the old rescue escape pod missions. Pre 2.1 you could actually make a career out of being an intergalactic rescuer. Such a shame this mission type never came back.

Yeah, and weirdly enough 2.2 adds a mechanic that makes it much better. These missions were promising, but odd.

"CMDR, we need you to rescue a pilot ASAP!"
"No problem, where did he roughly speaking crash?"
"Oh, you misunderstand. We are not looking for a specific pilot."
"Huh?"
"No, we just need some body in a pod."
"Riiiiight..."

But 2.2 added the 'search zone' mechanic. During beta I assumed these were applied to rescue missions, so we'd actually be saving specific people from a specific crash. But nope, the entire mission is gone. Expecting to see it back in 2.3...