The new type of Combat Aftermaths (Threat Level: 1) that was introduced in 3.3 was an *excellent* addition. However, in order to maintain interest in these new USS types, I believe there is an opportunity to add a lot more variety. These are the variations I feel are worth adding:
1. Vary the locations that these USS's show up in. Currently I only ever find them in deep space. It might be nice if they could turn up in Planetary Orbits, in Planetary Rings or inside Belt Clusters.
2. Have the scenario target be potentially less easy to find and/or reach. As part of them appearing in deep space, the black boxes and wrecked ships are usually dead easy to find & interact with. So maybe add in a bit higher difficulty from time to time. Hide the target close to rocks (a pulse wave scanner could help with finding the target), or sometimes hide the target within a space-ship graveyard or a debris field. Heck, even occasionally have the targets be far from where the Commander's ship drops out of SC. Also, don't be afraid to sometimes put the targets into a decaying orbit of a land-fall planet.
3. Vary the number of ships and/or black boxes a commander needs to find & interact with in order to complete the scenario.
4. Don't be afraid to have proper threats to the Commander appear whilst they're completing the scenario-perhaps in the form of Mines, enemy vessels, or even just the danger posed from trying to retrieve what you need from a very difficult/dangerous location.
5. This is a perfect opportunity to link these scenarios into the larger mission system. Every so often, collecting that black box (or boxes) or interacting with that ship (or ships) could be able to trigger a "follow on" mission for the player.
6. Obviously, the greater the difficulty involved in completing these scenarios, the larger the "reward" the commander should receive.
Anyway, just a thought.
1. Vary the locations that these USS's show up in. Currently I only ever find them in deep space. It might be nice if they could turn up in Planetary Orbits, in Planetary Rings or inside Belt Clusters.
2. Have the scenario target be potentially less easy to find and/or reach. As part of them appearing in deep space, the black boxes and wrecked ships are usually dead easy to find & interact with. So maybe add in a bit higher difficulty from time to time. Hide the target close to rocks (a pulse wave scanner could help with finding the target), or sometimes hide the target within a space-ship graveyard or a debris field. Heck, even occasionally have the targets be far from where the Commander's ship drops out of SC. Also, don't be afraid to sometimes put the targets into a decaying orbit of a land-fall planet.
3. Vary the number of ships and/or black boxes a commander needs to find & interact with in order to complete the scenario.
4. Don't be afraid to have proper threats to the Commander appear whilst they're completing the scenario-perhaps in the form of Mines, enemy vessels, or even just the danger posed from trying to retrieve what you need from a very difficult/dangerous location.
5. This is a perfect opportunity to link these scenarios into the larger mission system. Every so often, collecting that black box (or boxes) or interacting with that ship (or ships) could be able to trigger a "follow on" mission for the player.
6. Obviously, the greater the difficulty involved in completing these scenarios, the larger the "reward" the commander should receive.
Anyway, just a thought.