PROPOSAL: If a player owns Eternity Port, then the Near Stars should automatically be included in Stars of the Pilgrim.

Integration

In Stars of the Pilgrim we optionally include the Near Stars Volume 1 library. We also define some <SystemMap> types to connect the topology. These types are only included if the Near Stars library is available (using the extends= parameter).

The result will be that Star of the Pilgrim will have the Near Stars included automatically if Eternity Port is installed. The Pilgrim will be able to travel to any of the Near Stars and to Oromarch.

Stars of the Pilgrim vs. Eternity Port

We should, as much as possible, differentiate the experience of playing SotP vs. EP. If a player visits the Near Stars in SotP, we want their experience in EP to be significantly novel.

A few ideas:

  • The core difference in game play is that the CDM mercenary has a shard as opposed to Domina powers. We should make sure to highlight and take advantage of that difference. For example, there should be more ways to enhance the shard and to gain additional powers/advantages.
  • The Luminous storyline is another key difference in Eternity Port. In general, "killing" Luminous should only be possible in Eternity Port. In addition, there should be many more Luminous-related missions in Eternity Port.
  • Nevertheless, there should be some payoff for the Pilgrim reaching Luminous in Oromarch. Perhaps we can create a lesser mission arc.
  • Similarly, Eternity Port should be much more useful and central EP compared to SotP. There should be some generic missions for the Pilgrim involving Eternity Port (and maybe even Malina), but they should not be as important as those in EP.
  • The Four Powers mission arcs should probably be the same in both, though perhaps SotP should have some Pilgrim-specific missions while EP should have some Luminous-specific missions.

Open Questions

  • Are there missions/mechanics in the Near Stars that assume the player is a CDM mercenary? If so, we need to change them to allow for the player being a Pilgrim.
  • Can the player kill Luminous in SotP? If not, how do we prevent it? Is there some other payoff? Can the Pilgrim meet Failsafe or Morningstar?
  • What can the Pilgrim do in Eternity Port?
  • What kind of Pilgrim-specific missions can we create for the Four Powers (APD, ED, NAU, UAS)?
  • Can the Pilgrim start in Kibo (presumably with an EP ship)?

A Note on Adventure Selection

We should improve the UI for adventure selection. Some ideas:

  • Use a carousel UI so that it is clear that there are multiple adventures.
  • Official expansions (Soundtrack, Corporate Command, etc.) should show up as large icons, which are either lit up or grayed out depending on whether they are installed or not. This would help advertise and also gives feedback to the player after a purchase. Plus we can bring up a secondary dialog to show info about the expansion.
  • Consider adding standardized information for each adventure, such the regions included (New Beyond, Ungoverned Territories, etc.). Also, we should show the character class: Pilgrim, CDM Mercenary, etc.

A Note on Editions

Because you can buy Transcendence in various way, we end up having multiple "editions" depending on what you purchase:

                                      TAU CETI,
EDITION             PRICE    CORE    ANAXAS, ETC.  NEAR STARS
--------------------------------------------------------------
Free Edition        Free     Yes          No          No
+ CC                 $3      Yes          Yes         No
+ EP                 $6      Yes          No          Yes
+ CC and EP          $9      Yes          Yes         Yes
Steam Edition        $9      Yes          Yes         Yes

Eventually I think it would be great to have a bundle for sale in the Multiverse that matches the Steam Edition. For example:

                                      TAU CETI,
EDITION             PRICE    CORE    ANAXAS, ETC.  NEAR STARS
--------------------------------------------------------------
Free Edition        Free     Yes          No          No
Multiverse Edition   $9      Yes          Yes         Yes
Steam Edition        $9      Yes          Yes         Yes
george moromisato 28 Aug 2019:

Scheduled for 1.9.

giantcabbage 30 Aug 2019:

Are there missions/mechanics in the Near Stars that assume the player is a CDM mercenary?

APD06 requires a CDM shard and EP assumes the player has a neural interface. See 57143 and PR5

In addition, there should be many more Luminous-related missions in Eternity Port.

How about a MissionBxx arc linked to the four powers and/or commonwealth failing against Luminous (Lilith states that a HK is more powerful than a fleet of human warships)

New luminous ships (messenger, soldier) could appear outside missions / drones make use the additional luminious equipment

derakon 31 Aug 2019:

A few thoughts:

* I worry that adding the EP systems to SotP would make SotP feel unfocused. EP already has this problem to some extent, because it's not clear what direction you're "supposed" to go in. You might think about telling the player what the level of each system is, or somehow otherwise signposting "more difficult content in this direction", to help keep them pointed the way they want to go.

* EP in general needs more missions to be brought up to the "content density" of SotP. The difference between them will be more stark if they're combined into the same universe. It sounds like this is planned though, so that seems fine.

* I think that thematically, the best way to handle Luminous is that the Pilgrim is allowed to destroy it if they're powerful enough, but they do not get support from Lilith/Morningstar to do so (and similarly do not get the cutscenes involving, uh, whatstheirname, Luminous' supership that paralyzes you). More importantly, nothing in the Pilgrim's story is resolved by them accomplishing the feat. From the Pilgrim's perspective, this is just one more weird strong thing in the universe, and they can ignore it or deal with it as they personally see fit. That fits the Pilgrim's MO -- their priority is getting to the Core, and everything else only matters insofar as it will help them accomplish that goal.

assumedpseudonym 31 Aug 2019:

You might think about telling the player what the level of each system is, or somehow otherwise signposting "more difficult content in this direction", to help keep them pointed the way they want to go.

 George already kinda does this with the beacon positions beside the stargates. It’s subtle, but it’s a pretty good clue of which way you’re “supposed” to go.

relanat 2 Sep 2019:

Random unconnected thoughts, very garbled with little reference to sanity!

Possibly need to determine the final outcome.
Either add some more systems to SOTP or integrate SOTP and EP into one adventure.

May want to make the addition of the Near Stars systems to SOTP optional if EP is loaded. A player may not always want to play the full galaxy and shouldn't have to remove the files from the Collections folder to do this (Too much messing around - see below).

Several different ideas:
1. Add the Nears Stars to SOTP. Have a few missions in the Near Stars systems to replace the missing EP missions. Maybe add EP playerships?
2. Start an SOTP game with added EP systems and always play as a pilgrim. Or start an EP game with added SOTP systems and always be a CDM merc.
3. The other way is to combine both and start either as a pilgrim or a CDM merc depending on starting system. Start in Eridani, be a pilgrim; start in Kibo, be a merc. Or the choice to play as a pilgrim or merc could be selected by the player and then starting system would be irrelevant.

So could possibly have 4 options. Play standard SOTP, play SOTP with Nears Stars added, play standard EP, or play EP with all SOTP systems added.

Could have only either the SOTP or EP characters/missions available depending on the starting system or character class. So start in SE, get Benedict; start in Kibo, get a shard. Might need additional missions for the 'other' systems though to replace the unavailable ones.

EP players will possibly need a bit more direction on how to progress through the game if many systems were added to the galaxy. It is IMO already a bit confusing about what to do in EP.

The Sol system could be considered 'holy' to a pilgrim as the birthplace of mankind. The ability to start in Sol would be good for a pilgrim.

Make Domina/Luminous antagonistic somehow. Luminous could be an abomination or heretical?
All AIs might be considered to lack souls or something?

For SOTP with NS systems added and playing as a pilgrim there could be a additional 'big' Benedict/Fiona/Sisters mission before the player gates to the Core. Possibly based in Oromarch.
Terminus could have another pilgrim mission but not reliant on the standard Bendict story arc as it is quite distant. Or maybe link Terminus to Point Juno or somewhere.

Although this is a great feature, it will be quite a bit of work. Possibly this could be offered as another paid expansion. Or included in the 'bundle' instead of a price adjustment (see below) as a value-adding freebie.

For the bundle just make it one thing.
There is no difference in the expansions so don't differentiate them in the purchasing systems.
Add the option to download single expansions on Steam. But have it slightly more expensive than downloading both at once. And add the bundle to the MV at a price slightly less than buying them individually.
Or instead of using a price adjustment in the bundle, the Nears Stars addition could be added to the bundle. So buy CC for $3, EP for $6 or both for $9 but with the SOTP Nears Stars expansion included free
Also need to consider what happens as more expansions are added.

The current system is terrible, I repeat terrible, for Steam buyers - it requires working out how to access the MV updates, emails, delays - in other words a lot of messing about. As a computer user, the last thing I want is to mess about with things to try and get the desired result. This nearly always results in me never coming back to a site. I can only assume this is the same for others.

nms 2 Sep 2019:

May want to make the addition of the Near Stars systems to SOTP optional if EP is loaded. A player may not always want to play the full galaxy and shouldn't have to remove the files from the Collections folder to do this

Agreed. It's probably best to have EP include an extension for SotP that adds the Near Stars library.

george moromisato 3 Sep 2019:

I agree on making this optional. Will create a new extension that the player can enable/disable.