"Small, six-legged, horse-like animals"

[DarkenDragon]

so all of the events are in the data.dat file?

well I'ved played over 50 games and well I was thinking of creating a guide or at least find out what are all the options available for each event, or at least start recording them, but if I could just open this file up and read them all, that would save me so much more time.

is it a simple data file in plain text or is it encrypted (at work cant check right now)

cuz i've been noticing some modding guides saying it needs to be unpacked making me believe theres some encryption to it, which I wouldnt be suprised.

will doing all that unpacking method allow me access to all the code for each event?

[alexanderpas]

Yup, everything you need is there.

The easiest way to access the data.dat file is by using the ftldat unpacker.

All the events are located in the event files.

[GreenZanbato]

Slugs automatically get you a good option that you would get with "try to communicate with them"

[SlowerThanLight]

so all of the events are in the data.dat file?

well I'ved played over 50 games and well I was thinking of creating a guide or at least find out what are all the options available for each event, or at least start recording them, but if I could just open this file up and read them all, that would save me so much more time.

is it a simple data file in plain text or is it encrypted (at work cant check right now)

cuz i've been noticing some modding guides saying it needs to be unpacked making me believe theres some encryption to it, which I wouldnt be suprised.

will doing all that unpacking method allow me access to all the code for each event?

You can read the data.dat file directly with notepad or something similar. The first part of the file is a bunch of compiled code that is unreadable, but beneath it is a bunch of human-readable xml. Almost everything is in there, from events to ship stats to the rewards you get for battle victories.

You can't actually change anything in the data.dat file directly. The game reads the compiled stuff, not the xml. Saving the data.dat file in notepad will turn all of the compiled code into random unicode wingdings and will break your game. You need to use the ftl unpacker utility (google for it), which will generate a bunch of smaller xml files each containing a portion of the xml you saw in the data.dat file. You can edit these via notepad, and then repack them into a new data.dat. It's pretty easy. I don't know anything about programming but figured it out in half an hour.

As far as random events go, the basic rule is that if it involves your crew directly interacting with something, there is a 20-50% of you losing someone. Only accept these events if you have a blue text option. Events that don't involve your crew are much safer. Even if you get a bad result, it usually only means hull damage or maybe an extra fight.

A quick run down of the lethal events and how to autowin them:


SPOILER SPACE





Stranded Hermit: Medbay 2 or Slug crewman
Spider Infestation: Boarder Drones, anti-Personnel Drones, Bio-Beam (listed in order of increasing reward)
Burning Research Station: Repair Drone, Rock crewman
Quarantined Station: Rock or Engi crewman, or medbay 2 (medium reward), medbay 2 + Med-bot Dispersal (high reward)
Insanity Plague Station: Anti-Personnel Drone (low to no reward), medbay 2 for partial solve, medbay 3 for full solution
Ghost Ship: Scanner level 3
Station Wiped out by plague: Medbay 2
Space Horses: Harmless unless you attack the aliens. Slug crew guarantees a useful result
Rebel Defector: Unavoidable but small chance of crew death if you accept him on board
Crystal Research: Rock crewman
Ruined Engi Research Station: Scanners 2 or Long Ranged Scanners Augment
Mantis Escape Pod: 1/3 chance of losing a crew member. No blue text option, consider carefully before picking up escape pods from hostile alien races
Plasma Storm: Level 2 Pilot skill
Derelict Rock Transport: A complicated branching event that I don't feel like sorting out. Slugs and lvl 6 weapons help, but may or may not guarantee crew safety
Slug with failing lifesupport: Mantis crew
Great Eye of Zoltan: Small chance of crew loss with no safe option

[thephengophobicgamer]

I can confirm. I just ran into this event with a slug, which gave me a blue option that said something along the lines of 'communicate telepathically'. It led me to the Engi site, but it didn't give me any extras, just the Engi crewmember.

[neonspeedsonic]

[DE]

[Unlucky Scarecrow]

There is a Slug that offers to have a toast to peace or something, and wants your crew captain to drink a glass of some weird green liquid with him. I have done the event only twice in my entire time playing, the first time I accepted the glass and nothing bad happened, but the second time I got a blue text option to have a Rockman crew drink it (I guess because they wouldn't digest a potential poison? I dunno). Is there a chance of something terrible happening in this event?

If you "pass" the event, the Slug becomes a merchant, if anybody is curious.

[SlowerThanLight]

Yes. Sometimes the drink is drugged. Your crew wakes up unharmed, but the slugs have looted your holds and stolen a nice chunk of your scrap.

[ftl_raptor]

So there's literally no reason to not try to communicate peacefully?

Has always paid off for me, leading me to a cache twice now.

I didn't read the spoiler so I don't know what the other option does.