"Your crewmember is insta-killed by a suspicious boarder"

[omegonthesane]

I have an issue with a couple of random events in the game, over and above all concerns about the difficulty they add. Specifically, the one where you find a Mantis escape pod and one of the variants of the one where a suspicious enemy crewman tries to join you. Specifically - as alluded to in the title - how, if you trust them and your trust turns out to be misplaced, you instantly lose a crewmember with flavour text of "they get eviscerated by the newcomer".

I am angry at the very existence of these events. Not because they make the game more difficult, not because they strip crew, but because they do so in a way that completely, permanently unmakes my suspension of disbelief. If it was a matter of "they get a free shot, crew loses 25 health", that would be one thing, but the incompetence needed to be instakilled in FTL seems staggering.

Why would we open a Mantis stasis pod without enough guards to make sure that it would die if it attempted to attack one of our crew? Why can the crewmember prying it open magically not defend themselves well enough to not be insta-killed? Why isn't there an option of "keep an eye on the newcomer in case they do anything funny, but give them a chance"? Why isn't there a blue option along the lines of "[Rock Crew] Have your Rock pry open the Mantis escape pod [because they're too hardcore to insta-eviscerate]" or "[Slug Crew] Have your Slug use telepathy to confirm the intentions of the newcomer"?

None of the above are rhetorical, I am assuming they got answered before the event got into the game.

[SelphieSelfie]

This type of event is a risk you're taking if you have enough crew but not mantis or less crew (possibly a 2nd sector Mantis Controlled/Homeworld) you're willing to take the risk.

I'm surprised there is no Slug blue option to telepathically assess the pod considering Slugs can feel the presence in meters wide ship hulls kilometers away. Still this event isn't as bad as Encountering a 3 shield opponent with mind control, hacking, missles 2nd sector. You have a choice.

[omegonthesane]

This type of event is a risk you're taking if you have enough crew but not mantis or less crew (possibly a 2nd sector Mantis Controlled/Homeworld) you're willing to take the risk.

I'm surprised there is no Slug blue option to telepathically assess the pod considering Slugs can feel the presence in meters wide ship hulls kilometers away. Still this event isn't as bad as Encountering a 3 shield opponent with mind control, hacking, missles 2nd sector. You have a choice.

As I mentioned, it's the fact that the fluff text requires your crew to not even attempt to mitigate the risks of meddling with a Mantis escape pod. Or, in the case of the other event mentioned, to not even attempt to mitigate the risk that a defector might not be a real defector if they aren't going the whole hog and executing a potential ally.

If the pod merely turned out to both be a well-disguised bomb and a beacon for an entire boarding party of Mantis, that'd be less insulting, as crew incompetence isn't the only explanation for being killed with surprise explosives.

[5thHorseman]

I'm not a fan of them either for the same reason. I especially like when the mantis in the stasis pod eviscerates my rockman. Really? C'mon!

But like all other things I accept it. There has to be a downside to free mantises, and losing a crew member is a good one.

Your crew member opens the stasis pod and a small trap explosive erupts, ripping his head off! Oops! Looks like there's also a Mantis in there, angry that you destroyed his bomb. Doesn't look like this is your day.

[Leylite]

Yeah, I sort of see where you're coming from with "suspension of disbelief" and all that, but I have to agree with 5th Horseman too.

On a lighter note, your own Mantis can get "cutscene super-competence" in the Slugs with Broken Oxygen event:

http://ftl.wikia.com/wiki/Slug_Oxygen_Malfunction

--

So, basically I think the events are fine as-is, but they could use a couple more blue options (Slug, possibly high-level scanners for the stasis pod, Anti-Personnel Drone for almost all of them).

[thereaverofdarkness]

Why isn't there a blue option along the lines of "[Rock Crew] Have your Rock pry open the Mantis escape pod [because they're too hardcore to insta-eviscerate]"

The first time I opened the escape pod, it eviscerated my Rockman.

I also hate it when the crewmember that dies is one that couldn't have died in that scenario.

[stylesrj]

I tend not to trust Rebel defectors, Mantis stasis pods and Giant Alien Spiders without at least having a Clone Bay. You do know that exists, right?

Also, Captain's Edition gives several events for the Slugs to determine their intentions. Sometimes it fails (the Rebel might have mind shielding AFAIK) or it trolls with you ("I sense there's a Mantis in there but I can't determine its intentions." Great so instead of a 33% chance of crew death, it's now 50%)

[Leylite]

I tend not to trust Rebel defectors, Mantis stasis pods and Giant Alien Spiders without at least having a Clone Bay. You do know that exists, right?

What's this "trust" you're talking about? I always run far away from any event that has even a small chance of killing my crew - that includes things like the Slug Oxygen Hack and Zoltan "Great Eye" where the expected value is high. Sure, that turns the jump into an empty beacon, but it's better to forego the scrap (and the fuel) than to lose a crewmember.

Anyway, to get back to the point: Yes, the player's crew can keep an eye on the suspicious Mantis or Rebel, but ultimately they can just act to eviscerate faster than the crew can react to it. There isn't much point in talking about it after the fact... well, until the same event pops up again in the same run and the crew don't seem to have learned from it due to the limitations of the game engine.

[stylesrj]

To be fair, when you jump to a beacon with an event that can kill a crew member, you have a choice not to lose someone. The Rebel Defector can be detained and there's a chance they're killed instantly (what they don't get a saving throw either!?) or that they don't go quietly and are counted as an intruder.

There are mods out there (Captain's Edition!) where you jump to a beacon your choices are "Have your crew member defect and get attacked" or "Have your crew member consider defection, then defect anyway" or "SIT DOWN MOTHERFRAKKER! I AM A SLUG! YOU DON'T DEFECT!"

Or my favourite, the Bounty Hunter. If you don't have the right systems by the time this bastard shows up, you're going to lose someone. No saving throw unless you have a Clone Bay.

What's this "trust" you're talking about? I always run far away from any event that has even a small chance of killing my crew - that includes things like the Slug Oxygen Hack and Zoltan "Great Eye" where the expected value is high. Sure, that turns the jump into an empty beacon, but it's better to forego the scrap (and the fuel) than to lose a crewmember.

I always approach the Great Eye. Even if I'm using the Engi B and have no other crew. 25% chance of scrap, 25% chance of getting 20 scrap at the next store, 25% chance of a fight which will end up in gaining scrap, or 25% chance you'll lose someone that your Clone Bay cannot save.

It's a lot better than the 50% with the Giant Alien Spiders (which are no joke!)

You can also avoid the Slug Oxygen Hack for about 25 Scrap. It's called "Level 2 O2." It even counters regular hacking! Don't have 25 Scrap for the upgrade? Why the hell did you jump into a Slug Sector? Not your choice? You should have seen the purple dot coming in the list!
First sector and those are your only choices? Then it's not your fault. Sorry for being rude

The Rebel Defector's benefits are outweighed by the consequences. There's a high chance they'll kill someone or blow up your ship and a small chance they're legit. The only good Rebel is a dead Rebel!
Mantis Stasis Pod? If you don't have the Clone Bay, space it. Great Eye? Take it!

[SelphieSelfie]

Come to think of it, Mantis and Slug-gaining (Pod, Engi prisoner, Moons) events have such great risk as compared to other races (Intelligent life forms for engi, Envoy for Zoltan, Rockman wife delivery.)