Is it possible to be screwed over by the RNG system in this game?

[Nebhead]

Just a quick general query, now I'm not complaining about anything here, I'm just curious about some decisions you make every now and then.

Best analogy I've seen with regards to this game refering to these decisions is to either get involved or don't get involved.

Most events allow this type of setup, and also have multiple ways you can get involved, whilst still providing a way to avoid the risk, for example, the out of control fire in the small research station. The event in question:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von FTL Distress Beacon:

You find the source of the distress call, a small research station. It appears a small laboratory fire got out of control and is threatening to destroy the station. Their fire suppression system is not responding.

1) Send your crew in a shuttle to help put out the fire.

2) Dock and try to rescue the survivors.

3) Leave.

4) (Rock Crew) Send your Rock crew-member in.

5) (Repair Drone) Send your repair drone into the fire.

Obviously, options 4 and 5 are blue options which in this instance, have no risk and result in an automatic success. And whilst options 1 and 2 are the "take a risk and get involved" ones, option 3 provides a safe option where you risk nothing.

But there is one event that springs to mind, where there isn't a "risk nothing and leave" option, and that is the Mantis Fugitive event.

Ursprünglich geschrieben von FTL Event:

You arrive just in time to see an unusually well-armed Engi ship destroying a small pirate craft. A teleporter signal is detected... intruder on deck!

A young Mantis in a charred uniform has teleported onto the deck. He begs for sanctuary from the Engi, and offers to serve in exchange for your protection. The Engi have already traced the teleporter signal and are offering a deal in exchange for the prisoner.

1) Side with the fugitive and fight the Engi ship.

2) Agree to offer up the Mantis in exchange for a bounty.

Both of these options have good and bad consquences, with option one being a trap (you can hull damage, a system is damaged, and you fight an Engi ship manned by Mantis) and option 2 having not just one, but 2 bad outcomes:

It is also a trap, but you have a Mantis on board your ship as you fight the Mantis manned Engi ship (although you don't take any hull damage), or the second bad outcome, where he actually is a fugitive but before he can be recaptured a fire is started on your ship and you take hull damage.

Now, this is a bit of a long winded post, but here is my question:

Is it possible to be screwed over by the RNG system in an event like this where ALL of your choices have bad outcomes, or is there an exception in the RNG code that in an event like this, one option is at least safe?

[FDru]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Skcarkden:

I've gotten killed on the first jump alone when i play that penis shaped federation cruiser where the only weapon is the 50 second charge flak cannon and it's an automated ship. so boarding is out of the question. meanwhile it's missiles mainly aimed at the flak cannon.. so yes.. RNG can screw you over.

Boarding is never out of the question when you have a clone bay. In fact boarding was probably the first thing that should have come to mind. You board the weapons room, deal 2 damage to it, your crew gets cloned and you wait out the flak cannon.

[David]

^ Yes indeedy thats what you do. Suicide bomb. I need to play this game again and try Federations "Flak"ship, haven't played any games where suiciding my guys is a good idea yet :P

[Nebhead]

Back on topic here, now curious about this Rock Mine event, which seems the perfect example of my original question:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von FTL Event:

The burnt out hull of a Rock mine layer drifts by. Behind the wreck drifts a live mine; an automated drone that drills into ships' hulls before exploding. It locks onto your ship's signature and heads your way!

This is the event in question, and if you don't have a blue option, provided by either L5+ Engines, a Missile Weapon or a Beam Drone, you run the risk of losing a crew member.

Ursprünglich geschrieben von FTL Event:

1. Attempt evasive maneuvers.

The ship's turning circle proves too wide and the mine bites down onto the hull. You can hear it now, chewing through the armour.

1. Send someone out there to defuse it.

(a) Your crew-member dons a space suit and exits the airlock. They make quick work of the basic device and return inside to relief all round. The mine makes good scrap pickings too.

(b) Your crew-member dons a space suit and exits the airlock. When they open up the mine housing, though, they panic. The red wire or the blue?! 3... 2... 1...

1. Red!

2. Blue!

Now the sub events, which I've labelled (a) and (b), are chances to happen - you may get lucky and have your crew member simply defuse the mine with no harm done, but you could also get the dreaded Red or Blue wire part of the event.

Normally, you should get either of these outcomes:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von FTL Event:

(a)You open your eyes and everything is still where it was a moment ago. You did it!

(b)The weapon detonates. Everything goes dark, the bridge illuminated by flames pouring from the hull, your bomb disposal volunteer spinning off toward a nearby sun. You put out the fires and prepare to move on.

Obviously if you got (a), you're lucky as nothing bad happens, but with (b), you picked the wrong wire, and lose a crew member and take Hull Damage.

Now imagine the above with the results in the itallics below their respective choice:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von FTL Event:

1. Red!

The weapon detonates. Everything goes dark, the bridge illuminated by flames pouring from the hull, your bomb disposal volunteer spinning off toward a nearby sun. You put out the fires and prepare to move on.

2. Blue!

The weapon detonates. Everything goes dark, the bridge illuminated by flames pouring from the hull, your bomb disposal volunteer spinning off toward a nearby sun. You put out the fires and prepare to move on.

Now as you can see from this last quote, both wire choices resulted in the bad outcome. That's what my original question was: Is it possible for this to happen, or is their an exception in the RNG that makes one of the two choices correct and one of them wrong?

[David]

Nope, I think that's the one event that you can lose a crew guy no matter what through the RNG (as long as you don't have a missile weapon, beam drone or L5 engines.. or cloning bay presumably). It doesn't matter if you pick red or blue.
Approximately half of the ships should pass from either starting with a missile weapon or a cloning bay (I presume the cloning bay works in this situation, if it doesn't, its a rare event anyhow).