Distress Call

Up to date for latest version, 0.98a.

	May be used by a stranded fleet to punch a distress signal through to hyperspace, asking nearby fleets to bring aid in the form of fuel and supplies. Help may take many days to arrive, if it arrives at all, and taking advantage of it will result in a progressively higher reduction in standing with the responders. By long-standing convention, the fleet in distress is expected to meet any responders at the innermost jump-point inside a star system. The signal is non-directional and carries no data, and is therefore not useful for calling for help in a tactical situation.
–In-game description

Overview

The Distress Call ability is used by player fleets that have run low on fuel, supplies, or both.

It is available to the player at start.

Notes

• Cannot be used in hyperspace
• Will do nothing if activated within 20 days and 5 light-years of a previous use.
• The ability will always call for help on the first 2 uses; on subsequent uses, a random distress call outcome is chosen based on these weights:
  • Response fleet - weight of 10
  • Pirate fleet - weight of 10 + (2 * uses)
  • Nothing - weight of 10 + (2 * uses)
  • Where uses is the number of distress call uses over the last 365 days, excluding uses that failed due to the 20 day/5 light-years limit.
  • Regardless of the chosen outcome, the ability is considered used and become subject to the 20 day/5 light-years limit.
• If a response or pirate fleet is chosen as the outcome, the fleet will arrive within 10 to 20 days.
  • On the first distress call use, the response fleet will always arrive within 1 to 3 days.
• The faction of the response fleet is selected among a weighted list:
  • Independent - weight of 10
  • Mercenary - weight of 1
  • For each market (including pirate and Luddic Path bases) within 10 light-years from distress call location - add the faction to the list, with a weight equal to the market size
• The commander of the first response fleet will always have the name "Mel Greenish" and will have a flagship name of "IS In All Circumstances".
• The response fleet will deny aid if the player's standing with the response fleet's faction is Inhospitable or worse.
• Sending a distress call when the player already has large amounts of fuel and supplies will anger the would-be rescuer. If attempting to trick the rescuer by dumping fuel or supplies in cargo pods, the pods should be outside any sensor range.
• Receiving help will provide just enough fuel and supplies to reach the following limits:
  • Fuel = (Total fleet fuel consumption / light-year) * (Distance in light-years between the current location and the hyperspace center) * 0.75 [i.e., 75% of the fuel needed to reach the hyperspace center]
  • Supplies = Total fleet supply consumption / month [i.e., 1 month's worth of supplies]
• The player can also receive NPC distress calls while exploring. This may be an actual fleet in need of fuel, a derelict ship containing crew preserved in cryo pods, or a pirate ambush.