Stretch Goal: The Sample Party
over 3 years ago
– Sat, Nov 05, 2022 at 05:51:47 AM
Happy Friday, Pilots.
We are excited to share with you an overview of the stretch goal you made possible, the full 6 Pilot Sample Party!
As teased in a previous update, the Sample Party is more than just an example of six starting exo-pilots. Baked into the game’s progression and narration will be tips, suggestions, and further guidance on how these pilots may evolve including choices on suit upgrades, cybernetics, and additional Qualifications.
Included in the Story Book will be robust character histories and art that will further contextualize the world of SALVAGE: Deep Space! For now, please enjoy the bios of our six sample pilots, including the three newest additions.
- Salvage Pilot: Jan
- Suit: K-23 Centaurus
- Background: The Workman
- Qualification(s): Enforcer
- Starting Cybernetic(s): Razorblade Defensive Implants
Following decades of increasingly violent social unrest, Mars now teeters on the precipice of a great revolution. Caught between the stability of the old power structures and a growing populist movement focused on addressing the new realities of the common people, the red planet is unquestionably entering a defining moment in its young history. Loyal, faithful, and strong, Jan was born amongst the laborer-class of the Eastern European Coalition of Mars. A descendant of the famed Rokkey Stakhanov, a hero of Martian Labor, he earnestly believes that any problem can be solved if he works harder. Having spent most of his life as a drudge (or a ‘popy’ as they are colloquially known on Mars), Jan has a penchant for mechanical tasks and is most comfortable performing routines that many would consider beneath them. His earnest disposition and endlessly positive outlook can be disarming for some, but those that know him see him for who he truly is - a gentle giant who is quick to call one ‘przyjaciel.’ Jan’s voice and most notably, his laugh is described by his friends as an entity that exists in a higher atmospheric level than what other humans communicate on, giving it the ability to carry head and shoulders over the noise of almost any crowd. While he has limited martial training, Jan makes an ideal guard and enforcer where his sheer size and confident demeanor are natural deterrents. It is for these reasons that the working people of Mars have entrusted him with an old relic, the K-23 Centaurus suit, a walking-bunker equipped with heavy crowd control and enforcement capabilities.
- Salvage Pilot: Badette
- Suit: B-13 Aries
- Background: The Iconoclast
- Qualification(s): Mechanic
- Starting Cybernetic(s): Medici Dermadisc
In the annals of Martian history it is written that the original colonists of the planet were a coalition of people that emerged from one of the great conflicts of Old Earth. Disenfranchised with the cycles of wanton violence they sought to establish a charter outside of the existing world order and turned their collective eye to the celestial body that had long been a source of fascination for humanity - Mars. Organized by influential families with powerful ties to the old world, the colonists traveled aboard the legendary Pakt Horyzontu before beginning the grueling, multi-generational work of colonizing their new home. Born Badette Rákóczi to one of the wealthiest and most influential of the Staré Rodiny, Badette or ‘Badi’ showed an early inclination and fascination towards machinery. From an early-age Badette was given schooling that focused on an eclectic range of subjects not afforded to the vast majority of Martian citizens. Despite these emphases, they terrorized their hired care-takers with their propensity to run and dissappear within the noise and grime of the family-owned smectite plants. After prolonged searches, they were most often found to be confidently holding court amongst the plant operators who were delighted by their precociousness and enthusiasm. As Badi grew they became known for their mechanical brilliance and rebellious nature, showing complete disinterest in the mercantile aspect of the family business. As the social strife on Mars has heightened they have made their values clear by denying any involvement in the Staré Rodiny, an act that led to their estrangement from their family. As a final act of defiance before leaving their status comforts for good, Badi procured something special from one of the old family storage facilities - a Salvage Suit. The B-13 Aries is believed to have been the oldest of the Salvage suit models designed by the EECM. With wide-ranging utility and a diverse set of practical functions it perfectly encapsulates the Martian engineering emphasis of pragmatism over form. It is the perfect suit for Badette who plans to unlock its true potential in service to the people of Mars.
- Salvage Pilot: Allivur
- Suit: UH-16 Pegasus
- Background: The Mender
- Qualification(s): Pilot
- Starting Cybernetic(s): Mobility Enhancement Fibres
Like so many of the impoverished youths of his cohort, Allivur looked to the vastness of space and hoped for something more than the subsistence living that plagued the disenfranchised communities around him. Like many of his peers, a deep resentment began to take root within him. Alli’s life changed the day he came across an unmanned and seemingly unguarded transport skiff of exceptional quality. Feeling the now familiar pang of anger, he quickly jumped inside and took off, giving little thought to the fact that he had no training or familiarity with the vessel’s functions. Allivur drove the skiff deep into the station’s underbelly, weaving around piles of debris, before violently crashing amongst the old abandoned streets. As Alli laid there broken and dying he remembers thinking that at least he had done something to break up the monotony of poverty. To his surprise, he awoke in an unfamiliar place, strapped to a med-bed, while being watched over by a Mech of wondrous proportions. As the shock of his new situation subsided, he realized he was being slowly nursed back to health by one of the fabled Salvage Suits, piloted by a caring yet stern individual who identified themselves as Deazell. Allivur quickly learned that it was Deazell’s skiff that he had stolen. Throughout the long, uncomfortable, healing process Allivur also learned that Deazell was a Freelancer. The Freelancers or ‘lancers’ as they are commonly known are one of few Epoch Station organizations that survived and re-emerged from the darkness subsequent to The Event. A closed, paramilitary group that maintains relative-autonomy, they are known as a powerful work-for-hire entity that continues to operate solely out of Epoch Station. The Freelancers have their own code and ideals which inform the type of work they are willing to take. After seeing the latent good that existed within Allivur, Deazell offered to mentor the youth. The offer was not without conditions. Deazell promised to see Allivur through the healing process and his training if he promised to use his new life to help people. Over the course of several years Alli was granted the title of Striker, a designation for someone outside the lancer family, but a trusted ally and helper. As a result, Allivur received some of the finest pilot training offered at Epoch Station. When the day came for Deazell to leave Epoch Station it was clear that their partnership and Allivur’s position as a Striker had come to an end. As they said their solemn goodbyes they reminded Alli of his promise, before leaving the Salvage Suit, a UH-16 Pegasus, under his care.
- Salvage Pilot: Frinkly
- Suit: UC-43 Draco
- Background: The Seeker
- Qualification(s): Collector
- Starting Cybernetic(s): Armis Prosthesis
Born to a pair of Tekkie parents in the Machining Quarter of Epoch Station, Frinkly grew up around the wondrous sounds of her family’s mechanic bay. To the delight of her small community, from an early age she quickly developed a child-like fascination with the mechanical nature of the world around her and displayed an uncanny intuition for technological understanding - ‘the spark’ as it is known. Over time this fascination gave way to a serious appetite for technological discovery and reclamation. No longer content with the confines of Epoch Station Frinkly began to look to the rest of the recovering Sol System. As she grew her loved one’s knew it was only a matter of time before she left the Machining Quarter in pursuit of the wanderlust that had gripped her. When the time came Frinkly’s pocket-community of Tekkies revealed a marvelous gift - an old Salvage suit in a state of extreme disrepair. She was lovingly told to take this, make it your own, and use it to find whatever it was she was looking for.
- Salvage Pilot: Khen
- Suit: F-3 Chameleon
- Background: The Operative
- Qualification(s): Educated
- Starting Cybernetic(s): Neural Comms Transducer
As humanity continues to claw its way out of a near-extinction crisis, there is no shortage of orphans. Some of those lucky enough to survive that display a baseline of particular qualities may find themselves in the Guardian Angel Industrial Organization. Designed, funded, and run by Fife Co., this system serves as an educational and preparatory tool to curate promising individuals to eventually aid humanity through the Corporation’s specific vision. While there are those that view this as dangerous indoctrination into an ever-increasingly powerful structure, Khen grew up in the system and is a true believer in the trumpeted corporate-narrative. If humanity is to truly survive, let alone one day prosper, it will be on the collective effort of those with enough vision and reach to lead. Upon graduation from the GAIO, Khen was recognized for his scores in communications, social engineering, and technological surveillance with a significant award - a Salvage Suit. Khen’s directive was simple - using the skills you have acquired, make your way in the system as you see fit. However, in this time of extreme vulnerability, always be on the lookout for those that seek to work against Fife Co.’s best interests. After all, what is best for the company is best for humanity.
- Salvage Pilot: Minurva
- Suit: A-3 Perseus
- Background: The Defender
- Qualification(s): Leadership
- Starting Cybernetic(s): Mk2 Ocular Implants
As humanity pulls itself out of annihilation and begins a new era amongst the stars there are looming questions around who we were, who we are, and who we will become. In the centuries leading up to the Event it became increasingly difficult amongst the pervasive pain, chaos, and uncertainty to not observe these questions in bleak fashion. As humanity emerges from the darkness it is still the widespread belief that humanity will never recover, if not numerically than spiritually. And then there are individuals like Minurva. Born from a family that can trace its roots back to the proud tradition of Epoch’s one-time defense grid, Minurva’s family installed in her an implacable sense of duty and service to those around her. As an adolescent she often returned home bloodied and battered, the results of dustups with neighborhood bullies. While naturally slight of frame, she was tenacious and rigorously trained in the pursuit of her dream - to one day re-establish the independent Epoch Defense Grid. Eventually, most of the bullies dried up and Minurva traversed Epoch Station as a respected and known martial adversary. In an age where cynicism seems to be an innate part of human existence, she believes in the goodness of people. An inseparable part of Minurva’s character is the steadfast belief that more significant than any particular action or deed she commits is how she commits them - with integrity and empathy. In recognition of her promise and goals a handful of the old military families gifted her a treasured relic in the form of a Salvage Suit. Now Minurva dons the fabled A-3 Perseus Suit not for herself, but for those that have none.
