How about making some rare/elite NPCs able to drop items which start a mission chain, with high exp:energy ratios and some nice rewards. Here's an example of how it could work:

Dark Rings/Dark Mega complexes Have a ~10% chance to drop Smuggling Records, which starts the "Unusual Orders" Mission chain.

Secret Documents:
We have heard that you have obtained some of the dark smugglers' top secret records. Help us to decipher them so we can see who they're supplying.

Chance to gain Minor RP
No risks
On completion you receive decoded documents which can grant 8 Hours of Research Production, OR can lead you to a hidden stash which grants you 3 hours of Mineral and artifact production.

Unusual Orders
The decoded documents revealed something rather alarming. It seems that a large order was placed by someone in the (race) government. Presently, only you and our scientists know of these documents. Investigate who placed this order. Discretely.

Risks: Detection (automatic mission failure), Arouse suspicion (Lose X Rounds of the mission)
On completion: Heightened senses. Gives +10% Exp for 1 hour. Stacks with artifacts.

Abduction
Of course! The recently formed political party "the new order" are responsible for this. But why? Kidnap one of their members and bring him in for questioning.

Risks: Resistance (mid damage).
On completion: Captured Politician, who you can release for 5 Rank points, Interrogate for 8 hours research production, or ransom for xxxxxxxxxx credits.

Futile Interrogation
The people you've captured seem to be resisting all interrogation. The only people in the galaxy who could make them talk are the Stryll. Of course, hiring them is illegal - disable some of their interrogators and salvage the interrogation devices.

While this mission is active, you gain "Stryll Salvage" whenever you help to disable Svax, Stryll Punisher, Xavox, Stryll Punisher or Stryll prisons.

Each round of the mission costs Stryll salvage
On completion, you gain "Stryll Interrogation Chamber", ship module, size 10, increases Research output from scientists by 10% and grants +20 scan. Limit 2/ship

Preventing the attack
It appears that their plans are to create a bomb, which they will detonate during the next senate meeting. We must stop them - lead the attack on their hideouts.

Risks: Return Fire (High damage)
On completion, Battle with New Order HQ, Which drops megabomb, which can transform a barren planet into a volcanic, giving +6 to mining but -1 to size.

Evacuation
We are too late. They have managed to plant one bomb inside the senate building. You must help to evacuate everyone immediately - we cannot disarm the bomb.

Risks: Explosion (mission failure and instant disable)
Chance to gain: rescued politician, who grants 1 rank point.
On completion: Senate gratitude certificate, which reveals the location of an unoccupied, rare or better planet to you.

this is just a quick example of how a NPC drop mission chain could work.

sounds good, the missions flow into each other well and the risks/rewards seem balanced

i think NPC based missions could be worth while, since quite a number of us PvE

+1

What about missions started from items dropped by NPCs?

sorry, my reply wasn't clear enough.

Yes, Mission related rare/elite NPC drops sound good.


just a quick question though

to start this mission chain off, do you just need 1 of the "smuggling records" to commence the chain
then proceed as normal or do you need numerous to finish the first mission before the second one commences?

Obtaining and using the item would start the chain off, then you would go along it as normal.

Could I just as that when people vote, they say why they vote for what they did? it helps me to refine my ideas.

Spyder, you have made up some pretty cool stuff, but these are the best ideas you have had yet. Not only does this make a lot of logical sense, but it's cool. Who wouldn't like some awesome new missions with cool rewards from pwning an NPC? This would be a really nice addition to the game.

Thanks - does the mission chain make sense too?

Also, if you all think this is good, I have a couple of other mission chain concepts I could write, if you wanted.

The mission chain does make sense. I'd personally like to see more missions like this one.

Here's another little idea:

The Akkiren, Drannik Hub, Okkilor, Drannik Hub and Xiloy, Drannik Encephalon have a small chance to drop a "Drannik Swarm Beacon"

This artifact emits a strong signal, calling many drannik drones into the area.
The effect is that for the next 4 hours, your battle tab will ONLY have some new drannik spawns in it, all of which are relatively easy to kill and have a good energy:exp ratio (like the zolazin ships, but matched ranks). Could this idea work too?

oh i like this one, maybe there could be something similar for all the other races as well?

is this limited to commons and uncommon spawns of the drannik Genus?

Spyder you have some great ideas , I like the idea of the npcs dropping items to start mission I think this is a nice idea
Let’s hope dan implants this idea

Thanks



It could be expanded to the other races too - this just seemed to fit in with the drannik the best.

They would be NEW spawns, which are only visible while the artifact is active.

This Idea is Genius.

I agree, this would be a nice addition

Thanks. I'll think up another "drop" chain later on - too tired now

Currently, 18 out of 22 people like the concept.

Those who do, why?
And those who don't, could the concept be improved, or should it simply not exist?

Another idea:
Flamehawks have a chance to drop "Crimson Base X Co-ordinate", "Crimson Base Y Co-ordinate" or "Crimson Base Z Co-ordinate"
After finding one of each type, you can combine them to make a "Crimson Co-ordinates" artifact, which you can use to find a Crimson hanger, an insanely strong elite NPC, with 50 drop slots.
After killing it, everyone gets a random "crimson" reward, but the top 10 damagers get a "Flamehawk Scrambler" artifact, which prevents flamehawks for showing up on your BT for 2 days.
The person who "finds" the base also gets an extra artifact - Scanning frequency fluctuation chip, which can be "installed" in a decryption quadframe. This doubles the quad frame's bonus (so +50 scan and cloak instead of +25), and gives the following ability:

Frequency Fluctuation: prevents the ship from scanning flamehawks for 6 hours.
Cooldown:
With 1 fluctuating quadframe: 48 hours
With 2 fluctuating quadframes: 40 hours
With 3 fluctuating quadframes: 32 hours
With 4 fluctuating quadframes: 24 hours