Running out of remass next to a phage

[mystic swan]

So I just hd something rather hilariously tragic happen, as illustrated in my screenshots.

It got me thinking, there are probably multiple ways the crew could deal with running out of remass in this situation. Also, it could be an interesting opportunity to do some further storytelling with the phages. For instance there could be a special dialog path if you happen to have a ||"hacker"|| crewmate.

It also creates a small argument for letting us call in the rescue manually, rather than having it on automatic. I would presume rescues are called via tightbeam.

We had some discussion here:
#delta-v message
Options suggested:

1. push ship with EVA suits (sounds unlikely, and also would be very conditional, ship couldn't be spinning/moving too fast, etc.).

2. Hail the Phage and pay it a premium to move closer for refueling (technically could make sense in-universe aside from possible directive conflicts, but I suspect the implementation AI considerations for getting the phage to move over would be a nightmare given its thruster config... you could do a scene cut and have it rotate/teleport over, accounting for our own ship's drift. If there are too many asteroids in the way, have it abort and insist that you call salvage).

3. We can apparently take 10 tons of remass to derelict ships, so why not collect 10 tons (10,000 kilos) from the phage via EVA, after a brief dialog? (simplest solution, just reuse the EVA animation.) The interaction could also reveal and additional detail or two about the ethical/legal interactions relationship between some AI and humans.

[brazen spade]

i dunno, it seems like such an edge case that it wouldnt be worth it to implement

[ruby rover]

Might be fun.

[mystic swan]

That's part of why I added the achievement tag. I know it's maybe kind of backwards, but it seems like the kind of thing that might show up as a funny achievement.

Though, as a counter-argument, I think there are a number of people who like to mine around phages, especially in the early game when you may not have large tanks (or those people who like smaller tanks so they can be more zoomy with their mining).

The conditional could activate as long as you are within hailing distance of the Phage. Maybe a hybrid approach would make most sense. You pay the Phage a premium to appproach, and once it is close enough (and only if the coast is clear) an EVA tranfer is performed.

Anyway, whether Koder likes the idea or not, I'm sure this would go on the low-priority "fun polish" list.

Having a few unlikely rare events like this in a dynamic game can be good, because someone will run across it, and think wow, they actually predicted this situation, and share the story, and other people then go wow too. Sometimes rare events are worth it because of the impact they give to a game's charisma and sense of wonder, I think.

But I'm not really the type to think my pet ideas have to go in. I just think it would be cool. The EVA logic already exists. Only Koder can estimate whether it would be a cakewalk or a gutter-dredge to try and implement.

[flint nacelle]

I've ran into it at least several times, so not really an edge case.
There are also other edge cases like running out of propellant, but having MPU, SMES and a hold full of mostly ice (and preferably putting ship into the right kind of spin with the last of the propellant).

They don't happen often, but they are infuriating when they do, since the most memorable gameplay is always fighting hard and smart to recover from complete 💩🌀 situation.
Automatic S&R at those times feel like someone just taking your cake away as you're about to bite into it.

I think manual S&R call seems like the bare minimum of what would make sense - just display bright flashy notification so that player knows they can, should and how to do it.

[mystic swan]

Ah, interesting input, thanks!

[flint nacelle]

Generally it is a bit more of a thing an advanced player will run into - pushing closer to the limits of their dV reserves, trying to limp back from a taxing fight with holed reactor after chasing down HAL and possibly even delivering it, trying to top up with ore-poor nuggets in between, making a beeline for phage to try to not get stuck for a week in a low-thrust xenon spiral, gentle, well aimed drift to let its arm catch you as propellant is just about to run out - this kind of stuff.

Long dives, taking risks, a lot of things going not quite ideal, still fighting to salvage situation where a n00b would have long since thrown in the towel.

[sacred inlet]

I think I would prefer to have an option to suppress an automated S&R call, rather than requiring it to be actively made, just to avoid any possible confusion with new players.