Unexplored Missions, Unlocking Sectors Early and Sector Progression

While working through the sector progression levels, I have been thinking about the fact that the sector has to be completely colonized before unlocking the jump gates to a new sector. This may just be an early limitation to the game, but it would be nice if a player could unlock sectors early and potentially even help move the progression level from Unexplored to Explorer.

Unexplored Missions

In the game, you could allow players to progress through an optional (series of) mission(s)s. This would have the player construct an Exploration Ship with certain requirements before the ship can fast travel to an Unexplored sector. For example:

• Hydrogen engines and tank
• Oxygen tank
• H2/O2 generator
• Cockpit
• Antenna
• Ore scanner
• Storage container
• Battery
• Solar panel (for charging)
• Connector
• Gatling cannons (or other weapons)
• Jump accelerator

Basically an all-purpose ship design, with or without armor.

Once completed, players could sign up for an Exploration license that would allow them to jump to an Unexplored sector and complete exploration missions to unlock that progression level. For example, they could unlock a special Exploration Contract whose destination is an Unexplored sector. For example, from Vallation Station there could be an Exploration Contract to either the unexplored Kemik sector or the unexplored Oblivara sector.

Jump Accelerator

This would be a new component that would allow players to use the jump gates at the stations for one-way travel between stations.

This is different from the Jump Drive, which could be used to fast travel between locations outside of the stations, in addition to Fast Travel at the stations to move between stations.

Exploration Missions

The Exploration Contract would jump the player to the destination station, such as Kemik Station or Oblivara Station. When the player jumps in, the gate is offline and not completed yet. (This should be mentioned in the contract so the players know they will be stuck there for a while.) Perhaps the station is also still under construction, with only the contract terminal available.

Exploration missions would then consist of a set of contracts that explore the sector:

• Waypoint missions that unlock major features - planets, rings, asteroid fields
• Waypoint missions to identify existing friendly infrastructure
• Scouting missions to identify unfriendly infrastructure and ships
• Resource scouting missions - identify the ores in the sector (confirm presence of iron, copper, titanium, etc.), identify ore deposit locations (confirm large deposit of iron)
• Seek and destroy missions to clear out unfriendly ships and infrastructure
• Building missions to configure starting infrastructure - manufacturing facilities, mining bases, initial monitoring stations (perhaps unlocked after a Confirm Presence of Iron (or other ores) mission at same location), defensive stations, etc.
• Resource gathering missions for starter ores - iron, copper, nickel, silicon, cobolt, etc.

As the exploration missions are completed, more and more of the station could be completed, eventually unlocking the jump gate so the player can eventually jump back. Once enough missions are completed, the sector can progress from Unexplored to Explored.

Other Ways to Unlock

If the players decide not to follow the optional Exploration Mission line, then once the sector progresses from Explored to Settled, there could be other ways for players to travel to Unexplored sectors early.

Exploration Contract

One way would be to add the Exploration Contract for a specific sector to the list once the sector moves to the Settled progression level, since they would need to have added the Jump Accelerator to their ship to Fast Travel to the next station. This would be similar to the optional Exploration Ship mission, but the players could skip over the optional mission and explore later.

Restricted Access by License

Another way to unlock sectors early - for example if one sector is at Developed but another is at Settled - is by using a license. The license would allow the players to perform certain missions between sectors. These may not advance the progression levels, but could be an alternate way for players to make money.

Shipping License

A Shipping License would unlock missions where a player needs to deliver a certain amount of goods to the destination sector and station, such as ores or manufactured goods. The license itself could just unlock the missions and the destination requirements and amounts.

If prices are different between stations - lower where there is a surplus and higher where there is a shortage - then players could help drive the economy through "Buy Low, Sell High". Or they could manufacture or mine the requirements themselves and sell them as earnings. This in turn would help drive the economy between and possibly even within sectors.

Jumping between normally locked sectors could also be controlled by requiring the player to have both a Shipping License and a Shipping Mission pair.

Bounty Hunter License

For those who like combat, a Bounty Hunter license could serve a similar purpose. Once the player buys a Bounty Hunter license, they can get access to Bounty Hunter contracts that allow them to jump between stations and sectors to hunt down their prey.

Jumping between normally locked sectors could also be controlled by requiring the player to have both the Bounty Hunter License and an active Bounty Hunter contract.

Espionage License

This is similar to the Bounty Hunter license, but would be for scouting or sabotage missions.

Smuggling License

This could be available at renegade or questionable loyalty stations and allow players to ship goods for a faction that is not the Colonization Authority. This could also allow players to build faction loyalties with those factions, by completing missions favorable to them.

These types of license could allow players to use non-Colonization Authority stations with jump gates to move between sectors.

Faction Fighter License

This is similar to the Bounty Hunter license but would be issued by specific factions and unlock faction-specific combat missions. Faction-controlled jump stations could also be used to move between sectors with these types of licenses.

Saboteur License

This is similar to the Espionage license, but would be for non-Colonization Authority factions.

These types of license could allow players to use non-Colonization Authority stations with jump gates to move between sectors.

Impacts of Licenses and Missions

Within the game itself, this could be used to impact the colonization and progression levels for the various sectors. And it could also allow players to "switch sides" and work for other factions.

Sector Progression

Progression missions (missions that can't fail) would be used to move the progression bar forward in the direction related to the factions. Colonization Authority missions would move the bar forward towards higher progression levels and increased sector stability (more patrol ships, less faction attacks and piracy). Non-Colonization Authority missions would move the bar backwards towards lower progression levels and decreased sector stability (decreased patrol ships, increased faction attacks and piracy).

Bounty missions (missions that can fail) could be used to move the bar either way. Failing a mission would decrease the level in the direction of the faction. For example, failing a Colonization Authority mission would move the progression bar down, while failing a faction mission would move the progression bar up. Similar action for success. Succeeding a Colonization Authority mission would move the progression bar up, while succeeding a faction mission would move the progression bar down.

Neutral missions would be ones that have no impact either way on sector progression.

And there could be missions that could increase or decrease the bar on success, but not have a negative impact if they are failed. For example, succeeding a Colonization Authority mission could increase progression, but if it is failed not have an impact. Similarly, a faction mission could decrease progression if successful but also not have an impact if failed.

Player Alliance

Some players enjoy playing "pirate" and would work towards switching sides against the Colonization Authority. Others might pick up a tone where maybe the Colonization Authority isn't a good thing, and switch sides to protest/protect having it rule their lives. Building faction friendliness would allow them to do just that, with triggering combat when such stations, outposts, or ships are approached.

Other players might want to play a more "neutral" role and build friendliness towards both sides. They could work the economy in a way to play "both sides against the middle", where they earn credits by supplying both sides in the struggle for dominion. They would work towards sectors that are not completely stabilized (smugglers are scanned and attacked) and not completely destabilized (all out war everywhere).

Between faction alignments, license and missions, all sides could work towards their goals, and sectors could be struggled with moving up and down the progression levels.

AI/NPC Involvement and Time Limits on Missions Before Failure

AI/NPCs can be involved in the struggle to complete certain missions. By the same token, if too much time passes, the AI/NPCs could be considered as "succeeding" their missions by default.

Missions could also be indirectly completed if the player happens to encounter a mission-involved ship as it progresses toward completion. The mission could be marked as pre-completed by the player, and they just need to accept and claim their rewards. I.e. the smuggler ship is moving between points A and B, and the player happens to stumble across it. A fight ensues, and the player destroys it. The corresponding mission could be marked as completed, even though the player never accepted the contract first. The picture could show a Completed stamp over the image, and the button could change from Accept to Accept And Claim.