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[Sirus]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Not to mention how creepy it is for an 80-year-old man to make a robot companion that looks like a teenage girl...

Anyway, it looks like the Askold is the clear winner here. Plus, mythology-themed names are the winner by a considerable margin!
I'll be posting a mini-update later today to show off Yuri's new, improved fleet. If anyone has ideas for names, chime in! Otherwise, I'll think of something.

[Itnetlolor]

I think this list ought to help out a bit.

From the same site, I found the Biblical name Esther rather appropriate.

• Esther: A Biblical Name meaning Star. It was given to the named person by the Persian King -F

Nike (Goddess of Victory) can also work; ship's attack motto can even be "Just do it."
Persephone (Queen of infernal regions) is also a good name to use as well.

[Sirus]

I decided that the ESTHER is a good name. Meet the newest member of Yuri's fleet!



Ain't she a beauty? Of course, this is bare-bones, straight from the shop. Like any ship, the ESTHER needs some upgrading to make a full-fledged warship.



Here is the Askold-class cruiser, with default parts: a Level 1 Bridge and Engine Room, and just enough Level 1 Crew Quarters to make the minimum requirement. First thing I do is strip it all out. Gotta have a blank canvass to work my magic!
Sadly, the short profile of most of the Askold means that a lot of "tall" modules (Deflectors, Amplifiers, War Rooms, etc) will have a hard time fitting. Still, we have lots of "long" modules, and I take full advantage of them. Here's the shopping list:

• Elgava Bridge Level 4
• Engine Room Level 3
• Fire Control Room Level 1
• Anti-Air Control Room Level 1
• Nav Bridge Level 1
• Shield Frame Level 1
• Radar Room Level 2
• Accounting Office Level 1
• Sick Bay Level 2
• Security Room Level 1
• Mess Hall Level 1
• + Crew Cabins to meet minimum requirement.

As you can see, I focused primarily on Livability, with combat a secondary focus. This is because a lot of combat-oriented modules are not only tall, but arranged in L-shapes or plus signs or other pain-in-the-ass shapes. Still, with all of this Livability, the ESTHER is now pretty much a heavily armed cruise liner, and it'll help keep the crew fresh on long voyages. Now, here is the ESTHER after everything has been added:



You may notice that I left some squares open near the "Catapult" section of the ship. Those spaces are for hangers, once we get them. Hangers must be placed either next to catapults or next to other hangers to carry fighters, so in a lot of carrier designs you pretty much have to plan your module placement around those areas.



Now, when I went to the weapons menu, I noticed something kinda cool. The Askold, apparently, comes equipped with two Dual-AS Lasers, rather than the normal AS Lasers every other ship we've had so far has come with. These are nifty things; Though they are slightly weaker and less accurate than a similar sized normal laser, they fire twice at the same target for a chance to inflict much greater damage (normal small laser has 60 power, each shot from a small dual laser has 50 power). I decide to keep them, as A: I'm personally fond of the things, and B: That's 460G I don't have to spend.



And here it is, the much-improved ESTHER! Look at the numbers now compared to the first pic, and you'll what a difference proper modding can make. Total cost: 7,260G. After purchasing the ship itself, that leaves me exactly 9048G to play with. And boy, will I play with it



Here's the PANSY's new loadout. I couldn't do much, but I did upgrade the bridge and anti-ship fire control, add a mess hall, and install a hold so we can earn a little money each time we dock. I also upgrade its medium laser to Level 2; because the two small missile launchers cannot be traded out, this is the only real way to improve its firepower. Total cost: 2,450G.



And finally, the RUSALKA. Oh my, the RUSALKA. Thanks to being flat broke after buying this baby, I was unable to utilize a lot of space. It has the basics, yes, but there's so much more that can be done.

• Level 2 Bridge is swapped out for a Level 4
• Level 1 Engine Room swapped for a Level 3 (60% increase in speed. For a battleship, that's goddamn huge)
• Level 1 Anti-Ship Control Room swapped for a Level 2
• Navigation Bridge Level 1 swapped for Level 2
• Added a Mess Hall. Seriously, these things are tiny, relatively cheap, and give huge bonuses to Livability. I'll add them anywhere.
• Added Briefing Room Level 1. Fleet-wide bonuses can only be good news.
• Added Observation Room Level 1. These not only increase Livability, but increase the amount of money you earn from stuff like battles and Holds.

After all that, you think the RUSALKA is full?



Hahahahanope. I freaking love these Borodinos. Sadly, I can't add anything else because we're pretty much out of cash. Total for the RUSALKA: 6,660G. We're left with a mere 338G in the bank, but you know what? It's so worth it



And here it is, folks. The new and improved fleet. The LOTUS will go safely into storage, where it can serve as a memento to Yuri's humble beginnings. Tune in next time as we take the new fleet on a test run, and continue our exploration of the Kalymnos Cluster!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Grand Total spent in the last hour or so: 25,970G

[Sirus]

Part 20: There are no Karma Meters

Welcome back! Last time, Yuri began his explorations of Kalymnos Cluster and bought a new ship, the ESTHER! The crew now continues to check out the sights and experiences here...

Spoiler: Because You All Are Worth It (click to show/hide)

So, it's time to take the ESTHER out for a test run. I temporarily assign it as the flagship. How do you think it did? Did y'all make the right choice?

See for yourself.

Damn video took 40 minutes to compress and another 10 to upload. Hope you enjoy it, because there will probably not be more full-battle clips like this (maybe).

Spoiler: Dead in the water (click to show/hide)

This update and the next few are gonna be kind of short. We'll be having some choices to make, and they come one after another. Sorry about that.

The update kicked off nicely with an opportunity to upgrade the RUSALKA. It gets a +2 boost to mobility, making it a little less sluggish but no less brickish. Minas is already pulling his weight as Chief Scientist.

Anyway, there are a couple of mystery sectors near Volos, where we left off last time. Hoping for treasure or discoveries, the crew sets out.

*Sirens blare!*

: Is something wrong?

: It looks like the engine room's inflation output is falling.

: If we don't do something fast, we'll be at a complete standstill in another twenty minutes or so.

: Engine room, conduct emergency troubleshooting immediately. Report back as soon as you pinpoint the cause.

*fadeout*

: Okay. Continue with EVA.

: What'd they say?

: We've got an outbreak of silicon-based organisms sticking to the engine's exhaust port. It's almost completely stopped up.

: Ha ha! And that's causing the inflation inverter to overheat, right?

: Exactly. It looks like they'll be able to remove the creatures, but the damage to the engine itself is pretty bad. It'll probably take a specialist to rebuild the entire engine once it's cleaned out.

: We're sending out a distress signal intermittently.

: Unfortunately, we're right in the middle of a meteroid belt. It would be a miracle if anyone rescued us here.

Ask and ye shall receive, Ian.

*fadeout*

...

Woman's Voice: Do you read me?! Are your ship and crew all right? I repeat--

Man's Voice: Hey, Roubis! We're in a hurry! Let's just forget about that ship!

Woman's Voice: How can you even say that?! We can't just abandon a ship that's sending out a distress signal!

Man's Voice: Are you gonna defy my orders? I'm the captain, ya know!

Woman's Voice: Aw, put a cork in it, Chrome Dome!

*There's a sound like a fleshy thud from the speaker, at which point someone suddenly appears on the monitor. The person is of indeterminate gender and looks to be around twenty years old*

: Hey, is anyone there?! Do you read me?!

: Yes, yes! We read you loud and clear! We're experiencing some engine trouble right now and could sure use some help.

: Roger that. This is your lucky day. I mean, the chances of you meeting an amazing engine expert like me out here are slim to none! I'm Nerissa Roubis, but you can just call me Roubis. Go ahead and extend your gangway so I can come aboard.

*Later, in the engine room*

: Done! Your inflation output's looking good. I'll disengage the power-saving mode.

*Apparently finished with the inflation inverter repair, Roubis stands up, sweaty and proud. In the next moment, the familiar sound of the inverter powering up echoes through the engine room*

: That should do it.

: Wow, you're good! I mean, like really good!

: I have my moments. Back on my home planet, Thira, I was the best of the best. Now, I better get back to my ship. Don't forget to do another inspection for good measure when you get into port.

: We'll do that. Thanks a million, Roubis!

: No problem!

*She waves good bye and heads out the airlock*

Spoiler: So Close, and yet So Far (click to show/hide)

Well, sadly the mystery sectors were a complete bust. At least our engines are working, so what's the next stop?



Ooh, that looks like a good place to visit. And Roubis said that she was from this world, so maybe we can meet her there. And I wonder what that last symbol means?





MUST GO NOW.

Employee: Welcome. Our company deals in fighter blueprints. But what's this? It looks like you don't have the ability to use fighters yet. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we can't sell to you.

I-buh---wha? WHY?! Damn you!
Sorry folks, fighters will have to wait for another day. I know some of you were looking forward to them. Now let's go to the tavern and drink our problems away.

Turns out that we're not the only ones with problems. The bartender tells us that there's a void gate nearby that leads to Central Kalymnos, but no one's allowed to go through it at the moment due to "security reasons". Bah.

It turns out that Roubis is here as well! Let's thank her again for helping us out.

: Hm? Oh hey, it's you guys! How's that engine been treating you?

: It's been purrin' like a kitten! But what in Grus are ya doin' out here, anyway?

: Are you perhaps on shore leave, the same as us?

: Ha. I wish! Nah, I got myself fired. That time I helped you guys out, my boss was being a real jerk...So I slugged him one! I guess that wasn't such a good idea, looking back on it now. Ha ha ha ha!

: Sheesh! I'm glad you can laugh about it.

: You got fired because of us? I'm so sorry!

: Nah, it wasn't your fault--

*Roubis suddenly stops mid-sentence and looks at Yuri with a mischievous grin*

: Hey, ya know what? Maybe it was your fault after all! And maybe you ought to take a little responsibility for your actions!

: Huh? Well I'll do anything I can...

: Good. Hire me onto your ship, then. That way, we can call it even.

Nerissa Roubis joined your crew!

Shiny! We got ourselves a new version of Kaylee!

Spoiler: Alas, poor robot (click to show/hide)

Hmm, looks like she has even skills in both Navigation and Maintenance, with decent ability in all other areas. Checking the HELP area, I can see that her special skill, Machine Geek, provides bonuses to Maintenance when assigned to one of the mechanic areas. Just as we leave HELP, however...

*EXPLOSION!*

: Wh-What's going on?!

: Why is there smoke coming from HELP's cabin?

*Yuri and company go racing back to determine where the smoke is coming from. Inside, they find HELP fallen flat on the floor. A crackling sound and the scent of an electrical short fill the air*

: Hang in there, HELP! Can you tell us what happened?!

: (groans): W-Well, it would appear that I have reached the end of my life expectancy.

Well, this is embarrassing...This bizarre contraption is HELP, the robot that can be found on pretty much every space station in the game. He'll tell you all you need to know about what each stat and special ability do, and generally serves as an in-game readme file. I haven't mentioned him before because he's not really a "character" outside this one scene, and because I had forgotten this whole scene until Jarod Cain reminded me. In my previous run, I hadn't encountered this scene until much, much later. Enough rambling, back to the dying android.

: Yeah, but you're basically a machine! Can't you just be fixed or somethin'?

: Self-repair functionality degraded to seventeen percent. Regeneration disabled...Please request a replacement unit at once.

*HELP lets out a loud, exhaust-like sound, and then goes completely still*

: He appears to have stopped functioning.

: ...

Amusingly (your mileage may vary), you can go straight back in and his replacement is already hard at work. Now, before we leave port, Minas pulls Yuri aside.

: Oh, Captain, could I please have a word with you?

: What can I do for you, Professor?

: Please, step over here.

: ...

*The professor is motioning from the door of one of the ship's cabins. Following his cue, Yuri steps inside and is very surprised by what he sees*

: ...

: Whoa!

*Staring straight at Yuri is a brand-new female android*

: Hello there. I am the new HELP. How do you like the new feminine touch, so to speak?

: HELP is a girl now?

: That's right. I completely revamped the old HELP's body after he broke down.

: I kind of liked him better the way he was before.

: Oh, I think you will like the new me even better. My hands are 7,000-degree thermal cutters and I can shoot laser beams from my eyes.

100% honest, that is exactly what was said in game. Laser beam eyes.

: I am a full-blown combat droid now.

: ...

: Well, what do you think? Personally, I believe she'll make a fine new crew member, especially during close-quarters combat!

: Now wait just a second here...I'm not sure that adding an android to the crew is such a good idea.

: Do not worry. If I should expire, it will be easy enough to replace me.

: ...You know, Professor, this new HELP sounds an awful lot like the old HELP.

: Of course she does. She may be just an android, but I don't believe in altering personality modules without good reason.

: ...

HELP joined your crew!



Huh. Well, that was a thing. As you might have guessed, HELP doesn't join your crew until the old one "dies", and that only happens after Minas has joined your crew. If you rarely visit HELP, you might not even know those scenes exist. I, however, have been visiting somewhat frequently for this LP, so I can explain the game mechanics as best I can.

Anyway, HELP has some very good skills in some areas, downright terrible skills in others. Combat might be a good choice, as Yuri is currently the only one fighting in Melee. The Space Warrior skill also improves Melee. She also has medical skills, but Sick Bay is all staffed up. Cool & Calm increases the speed of the Command Gauge when assigned to an Operator post (Control skill), which we have one remaining. She can help Radimir in Engineering, or Karlo in Maintenance. Or we can shove her in the storage bay and forget she exists. Whatever.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to assign Roubis a slot as well.

Spoiler: We WILL use manual labor in the future! (click to show/hide)

So, if you remember from last time, we got a job to do some mining on the planet Zante. We can get there through Dodecanese, so onward!

Zante is pretty rural, as far as KalymnosInfinite Space planets go. The tavern is deserted and lifeless, and the only thing of note is the Jezelmite mine. At the mine, we see a familiar face.

: Ah, it's you guys again! Good to see you.

: You work here too, Loukas?

: That's right. i gotta do all the work I can while there's work to be had! All right, you three, let's get started.

: You got it!

: I'm getting roped into this again?

*fadeout*

: Whew! We're done.

: (groans) My back is killing me again...

: Good work, boys! Well, that takes care of everything we've got at this mine for now. I put a little extra something in your pay checks this time. Here you go.

: Wait, are you sure?

: Go on, take it! Take it! I used to be a spacefarer once too, ya know. I know how it is. It's nice to be able to do a little something for boys like you.

: We really appreciate it, Loukas.

A job well done! You got 600G!

Spoiler: A choice (click to show/hide)

Since the tavern on Zante is closed, the crew heads to Dodecanese to unwind. Little did they know that they would not get to rest this day!

*Shattering glass and crashing noises*

: Yikes!

: What's goin' on?

Bar Patron 1: Who the Grus do ya think you are?! Scrawny little Nova Nacian wimp! Did ya really think you could sell your dirty Nova Nacian garbage here?!

Trader: I-I only wanted you to take a look at my wares...

*PUNCH!*

Bar Patron 2: Shut the Grus up! Who the Grus wants your crappy little shampoos and conditioners?! Go back to your own country!

*PUNCH!*

Trader: Agh!

: Ouch. He's getting his butt kicked! My guess is he could use a little help.

: You shouldn't get involved, Yuri. Kalymnians are a rough people. You see this sort of thing all the time. Besides, it looks like it's a Nova they're beating up. If you help him, there's going to be trouble for us, I promise you.

: ...

Well ladies and germs, what do we do? Help, or stay out? Your call!

If the video doesn't want to load right away, give it some time. Not sure how long it takes for it to process, but if there are any problems I'll try re-uploading tomorrow.

[Frumple]

Not get involved!? Bah! This choice lacks HOT-BLOOD, and is not the thing a proper space pirate captain should do! If nothing else, we must beat them up to establish a monopoly on violence in the area we're in, as is our mandate. No one gets to intimidate toiletry salesmen but us!

[Twi]

No one gets to intimidate toiletry salesmen but us!

Also, engine chick goes with engines. And HELP can be a controller, since apparently melee is a crapshoot anyways

[Sheb]

Come on, HELP can shoot laser beams from her eyes. and you want her behind a control console! No, she'll cut space pirates in two, and char their remains with her hot, whitering, sexy female android looks.

And yeah, engine chicks get to be mechanic.

Also, get involved. And racket money from the shampoo seller if you can (for our protection). I mean, we got an android with thermal cutters and laser eyes, don't you want to see her get into a bar brawl?

[monk12]

Come on, HELP can shoot laser beams from her eyes. and you want her behind a control console! No, she'll cut space pirates in two, and char their remains with her hot, whitering, sexy female android looks.

And yeah, engine chicks get to be mechanic.

Also, get involved. And racket money from the shampoo seller if you can (for our protection). I mean, we got an android with thermal cutters and laser eyes, don't you want to see her get into a bar brawl?

+1


Also, I knew Doc Brown was smart- he didn't make that silly mistake of giving the android a personality!

[Itnetlolor]

HELP made excellent security in my game; definitely worthy of having assigned there, and in case someone better comes along, you can still assign her elsewhere that isn't a '1'.

BTW, how did you get the game to run so smoothly for the video? I get choppy voices, and rather slowish/choppy animations, even with frame skipping used to speed it up a bit.

[Boksi]

Yeah, I wanna play this too, but it slows down even if I turn the graphics as far down as I can and turn the sound off. Is it really just specs? Do you have some kind of supercomputer?

I also like the two new crewmembers. Who doesn't want a girl made out of metal that can disembowel you with her fingers and vaporize your remains with her gaze?

[Sirus]

I play on a crappy laptop that has a hard time handling Half-Life 2

Thing is, using the emulator's built-in recording method gives frame-perfect playback most of the time. I wish I could play the whole game at these speeds.

[Jarod Cain]

Hmm... Lets help out the guy.

Put Nerissa down in engineering. My first instict is to put Help over in Ops because command gauge, but since everyone seems to be down for security lets go with that.
-J-

[Twi]

Again: While robot security would be badass, does anyone really want to get into melee in the first place?

[Sirus]

Again: While robot security would be badass, does anyone really want to get into melee in the first place?

There are times that it is unavoidable, sadly.

[Twi]

Again: While robot security would be badass, does anyone really want to get into melee in the first place?

There are times that it is unavoidable, sadly.

Fair enough.