Cargoman said:
Player flyable jalthi , naw .
I just don't see a conviencing argument for it staying in a players hands.
Kilrathi , pirates , crimelords , government would all be going all out to get
it or destroy it . But you two seem really jazzed on the idea.
This post is dedicated to all NO people among us
Please, clear your mind from all prejudices towards kilrathi ships in terran civilian hands, not being it written in any official WC handbook and so on... and just read lower lines.
Ok, in this post I’d like to explain my point of view. It will be a long post, so if you don’t have patience or mood, ignore it J
Some people here think, that when I’d like to see Jalthi one of player ships that means maybe that I would like to see it being on a rack next to Camel or Phalanx. Wrong. I understand, that having such a ship is in normal circumstances illegal and would cause a lot of trouble to its owner. Yet I guess that I came to an idea of a fine “quest” for this ship – which in my opinion suits well to become a “reward ship”. First it should be implemented in storyline, that nothing from later events happens before the storyline of game itself is not advanced enough – this is for two reasons – 1. to not give a player a possibility to overpower him, 2. simply because otherwise a player will not have enough power at his disposal (equipment and money for paying to some quest NPCs) . This idea is just my idea how I would do it, if I were a game developer and would like to introduce Jalthi into WCP. Ok, imagine you are flying same of those uncharted kilrathi systems, just passing through. Every time when entering such a system a game will “roll dice” on a chance of 3-5% that you would be a witness of a following incident: two Jalthis are dogfighting with a squadron of four rapiers. Let’s not get too deep into polemics that those 4 would kick Kilrathi asses and so on, the important thing is, that it would be shown to a player by cinematics, and it’d be clear to see, that when a player will arrive to a place of fight, it will already be over. The result of a battle is , that all the crafts are destroyed but one heavily damaged Jalthi with leaking gas from its cockpit and discharges of electricity from crisped elecronics. It’s obvious that pilot – although in a space suit will die, even more surely so because he cannot call for help for the damage his ship sustained. And now a first decision is given to a player – salvage a Jalthi or leave it to its fate? Those among you – who absolutely hate seing Jalthi flyable by a player in WCP have a straight and easy task, just say no… But others (I don’t know, whether I am the only one, I hope I’m not) can accept mission – from that point the time would be ticking away and they will have to hurry for a nearest station with a transport big enough docked to hire a guy (hiring a pilot and setting a course into Kilrathi territory shoud cost 4 times more than moving through charted, “civilized” systems. So lets say, that we lead this transport to the place on time – which should be hell of a challenge because of thickened kilrathi patrols searching for missing buddies. Ok, you come to place on time – some engine cutscene with Jalthi “wreck” loaded to transport takes place. Not on time? Well sorry, but kilrathi found their comrade first. Ok – now the same hell is to get from the system, than get into it – a lot of skill as a pilot needed, a excellent ship with brilliant equipment and maybe (it, this will be possible a bunch of hired extra wingmen). It must be said, that if a transport is destroyed the Jalthi should obviously by gone and there should be no more chance for this quest again. So it would be a nerve thrilling mission.
Good, flying to a nearest base – pirate, neutral or some government administered. Thinking you are safe and your prize in your pocket – tough luck – you are wrong! As soon as landing is finished ship is either taken by a band of armed thugs (pirate base), or militia or even military themselves – sorry but news are spreading faster than light. Ship is taken from you as a piece of possibly valuable piece of enemy technology. When everything seems lost (after some time) our character should be contacted by a mysterious “friend” who has “some connections” at military base and would be able to give your ship back for a certain financial injection. He would tell our character, that he is almost sure, that our hero risked a lot to get that ship and so it might be a case, that he is willing to pay a little bit more to get it back and registered on his name as an kilrathi ship replica (something like today somebody flying a messerschmitt). What our “friend” wouldn’t tell us is that all computer and electronics onboard are crisped and useless – so for navy it is just a piece of junk and not one of the coolest fighters flying around in these times J. And now comes another decision – buy it or not – another chance for those who cannot imagine flying a kilrathi ship and having a clear conscience
. You buy a ship – and strangely enough, it wasn’t a con .
All happy, having a Jalthi your mechanic looks over on your new acquisition. Our character learns, that not only at least 90% systems were burnt but the remaining 10% was stripped away. So what is left from a powerful kilrathi military fighter is its hull, avionics, engines generator and ship interior – the rest (computers and so on must be bought). But the only place one can buy anything with at least a slight chance to fit into a military craft (although belonging to an enemy) is military – which doesn’t like to share with its sparce wartime resources. But where is money there is someone who will gladly cash those. And from our mechanic (or any necessary NPC we will get a contact for a crooked military officer). The said officer will take from our hero not only money, but also favours in a form of completing missions – one mission for each needed part – and money in addition. (it might be 5 parts it might be 10 – it depends solely on sadism of quest designers – me personally incline to 5 missions/parts). After completion of missions we will get all parts (which are not normal ship parts sod on a market – but integral pieces of a ship – this is why a Jalthi will not show info in kilrathish). A player will be able finally step in into his new fighter – equip it with terran equipment (as a heavy fighter I would allow it to bear one turret on back, 6 gun mounts in front, X – missile and mine mounts). Player will have maybe a day or even more of a fine gameplay, his funds strongly reduced, but at least in my case – happy! J
Thanks for enduring it to the end…
), set and actual velocity.
