expanding the unknown

[Betelgeuse]

Unknown items don't really effect the game that much but I do like the concept so here are some ideas to expand their purpose.

some stations can not install unknown items (you don't even know what to ask the people about this random pile of stuff)
can't loot some unknown items (lots of trash around that wrecked ship or station how do you know to take it if you don't know what it is)

any other ideas?

[BrolyLSSJ5]

I dislike this:

-Maybe you don't know what are you installing on your ship, but station maybe know, and tell you what is it
-Why can't loot unknow items? As I always say: if you found some items, just loot it!!!

[Betelgeuse]

well the station you are looting is a bit big to hold in your cargo hold and you can't assume you know where they store stuff (or even if it all in one place)

[F50]

if you go into a room and see some loose cable lying around, you may suspect it is part of the wreak and not the capacitor conduits you need to enhance your weapon.

[BrolyLSSJ5]

You enter in an ruined enemy station. After exploring it a little, you see some interisting stuff you can take with you. You don't know what is it? Is ok, maybe it is a rare item that you can trade for a lots of credits, or maybe not, but you have to take it for discover what it do. Why you wouldn't loot it? Sure it will be useful for your long journey, whatever it is.

Don't think so?

[(name here)]

Actually, unknown items are just ones who's specific purpose is unknown. you don't see some random peice of wreckage, you see the future eqiuvilent of an install CD laying on the floor.

[digdug]

one time I saw a LC-Electrospray Mass Spec, I didn't know what was that, but I was sure it was a single device. (an unknown device)

another time I wanted to loot the speech synthetizer of a dismantled lift, I opened the panel, and there was plenty of cables connecting 5-6 little boxes. I had no idea which one was the speech device, if it was between the components I could see. (an unlootable device)

I suppose that commonwealth devices should fall in the first category, while alien, or high level items should fall in the second category, until you see one in a station for example, ready to be installed in your ship, or someone explains you how to loot it (instructions, blueprints, ...)

[Periculi]

Beyond the unknown, which I agree, we can increase the range of effects of-

Imagine this scenario-

You hit the "D" to dock, which begins the docking procedure with your target.

The dockscreen that you first see is a docking result, and presumes that you are still on your ship where you can choose to take some actions before you explore an unknown.

I call it a result because you might have encountered some difficulties while docking, but more on that later.

Once you are safely docked and come to a complete stop, you get to make some choices before exiting your ship:

Scan the dock-{

You can scan the ship or station for traps. Most particularly the docking bay or airlock, but also to see if there are any nasties awaiting you on the ship or station you are attempting to enter.

You can hopefully disarm any nasty little docking bay defences that might exist if your scan shows them.

You might also detect other types of things about the object you are docked with depending on the kind of scanning equipment you have available. This may help you to locate more valuable systems or materials on the station or ship. Which is especially helpful when little old you has to search high and low for your loot on a city sized station or capitol ship.

}

-On a friendly, but questionable station you might:

Request Network Interface-{

You may be able to connect to the computer core of the ship or station you are docked with and exchange information or other networking services.

You might be able to get some automated dock services this way, without disembarking and exposing your physical body to unknown environs (if you don't trust that the station or ship's environment is free from harmful xenoviruses, hostile nanos, or other environmental hazards)

}

-On a wrecked enemy ship you may need to:

Send In The Robot-{

If you have a handy loot-bot to go cut open the airlock doors and take all the damage from hostile defense systems and guard bots on a ship or station you can send it right in before you expose yourself. This can be useful when faced with locked airlocks that need to be cut open, or other internal ship vaults and other safe-cracking concerns. Most Loot-Bots come standard with a variety of cutting and drilling lasers, plasma torches, and other handy tools.

}

So that is a sample of expanding the unknown into the docking procedure. Once you have gained entrance, you can begin to loot, but I think that there should be more to looting- like a difference between looting the holds of a ship and salvaging the equipment of a ship. Unknown installed equipment shouldn't be as accessible as unknown but handily packaged cargo in the holds.

A looting scenario that is customized a bit for the size of the station or ship might make things interesting too. A small ship, you can basically assume that the crew is dead- although there could be automated defenses or traps to deal with. But with a city sized station you might run into some extremely hostile inhabitants thereof when you go to loot the place. And, furthermore, in larger objects much more separate storage of items is highly likely- so you may need to choose an area to make a loot attempt on, and then make a run for it before the station posse come get you.

I also think that for larger, richer stations and ships a 'one time through' looting scenario would be a great way to improve the looting experience. This could be helpful to reduce the amount of loot you can get from a large station without reducing the selection. You fill up once, when the object is either stunned from your attack or destroyed. Once you leave the area the loot magically disappears. This could be because A) Other greedies got the rest of the loot before you could get back, or B) The station or ship was either repaired or rebuilt and the new (or former) occupants are happy to attempt your destruction again.

Or perhaps something like a table to roll from-{

as a 1d12:

1:Extreme Damage Dangers

Station/Ship is extremely damaged and unstable, areas may be flooded with harmful radiation or poisonous gases, hull integrity is failing and there is a chance for the object to fatally destruct, taking you with it. You can attempt to loot or undock immediately to be safe.

2:Heavy Damage Dangers

Station/Ship is heavily damages and unstable. Areas may be flooded with radiation or poisonous gases, hull integrity is questionable and there is a small chance that the object will fatally destruct, taking you with it. You can attempt to loot or undock immediately to be safe.

...... (like a spectrum of damage levels, I suppose)

12: Nearly Undamaged and Clearly Defended

Station/Ship is barely scratched and it must have been some kind of internal malfunction that dropped the shields and powered down the object. You can see armed guards aiming lasers at your ship with surprise written all over their faces. They will probably already be making attempts to hack into your ship's computer and cut through your airlock to come and get you. You can make the attempt to undock and flee before they restore power and shields or you can press the attack home and attempt to overpower the station/ship defenders.

However it is described, a limit to the time that the loot is available and a divided looting scope on the large stations or ships where we must make a decision to break into specific areas of the object (each with their own possible tricks and traps) to gain the loot might make some interesting new avenues for 'unknowns' in the game.

There's more to this, but I ran out of typing um.. solvent.