Weaponless ways of playing (diplomatic, stealing, bribe, etc)

[Uthael]

Most of the NPCs I've met don't offer much else but "kill me/us to get the reward".

I would like to offer them an option not to become salvage material. And maybe even get on good terms with them.

 

The AI seems like an interesting thing to talk to. Its race traits also suggest that. Except doesn't respond to much else but shooting it.

 

Bottan and his crew seem to want to live risk-free more than anything else. There should be an option to just drop their destroyed jumpdrive and I let them live. If I feel generous, I could even let them have their Suspicious Goods.

 

M.A.D. research sattelites could initiate a conversation if you have an artifact equipped. Maybe you end up trading one of your duplicate artifacts for theirs (already researched, so they don't need it much).

 

Some intimidation options would scale with your firepower.

 

Some persuasion options could scale with the cost of your ship/fleet.

 

And of-course, you could always bribe a specific ship into not attacking you. Especially pirates. Cost scaling with the price of their ship (turrets included).