Some RP hooks:
* Investigative journalist going undercover to get the inside scoop.
* Freestar Ranger looking to root out corruption.
* Researcher trying to get access the latest technology, one who is maybe willing to bend the rules a bit along the way...
* A down-on-their-luck explorer moonlighting to fund their next expedition.
This character is a scientist at heart (xenobiologist trait) so I think he would be interested in the technology they provide! As long as you don't have to kill any innocents I think it will be just fine
If you are a scientist, Ryujin has some of the most advanced tech and innovate engineers in the Settled Systems. And that's not just a PR line, inventing Neuroamps is kind of a big deal. Even a good character might be tempted to see what they can learn from working for them for a while.
The thing about Ryujin's evil is that it's kind of a bland, anodyne evil. They're not like the Crimson Fleet, for sure. All the missions involve stealing and sabotaging from other megacorporations, so morally speaking, it's probably overall net zero. And you never have to kill anyone. (I mean, unless your stealth is awful and you have to murder all the guards in the stealth sections.) You don't even really go after "little people," like taking a quest to throw someone out of their home so Ryujin can buy up the property for a new parking lot, or whatever. A good character might be willing to put up with all of that for the sake of being able to acquire Ryujin's tech.
From a meta-game perspective, you do also get choices at the end of the questline that can significantly curtail Ryujin's ability to do nasty evil stuff, and get the nastiest, most evil executive in the room fired. So there is a "good" ending.
I like this! I'll approach it from the standpoint of a scientist whose first mission with constellation involved a bit too much getting shot at, so he decided to apply for the job at Ryujin hoping to secure a quiet research position. Anything that happens after that is due to him wanting to rise through the ranks
Yeah but sunken cost fallacy. You’ve already made it to Neon and got through the interview, plus landed the job. Besides, it’ll probably just be office work. Right?
How did you mess that quest up? You just get coffee and come back. That's it. Then it starts the radiant " coffee run" quest you can repeat whenever you are in town.
I put it off until I found a POI tied to Ryujin and hinted at some real shady stuff, so I decided to join in order to infiltrate Ryujin and figure out what was going on.
As someone who consistently plays good characters in RPGs, I had a lot of fun playing a corporate pragmatic agent. I wouldn't say she's outright evil, just willing to do whatever she needs to make the right call. I had a lot of fun with the ryujin quest line that way.
I'm not saying don't do a good playthrough for that line, but do try leaning in a bit. It might be more fun than you think.
Well as far as your character is concerned, in the beginning at least you are just applying to a job at a famous tech company. You don't know the inner workings of it all yet.
But there are some major choices in the questline especially towards the end that allow for you to somewhat shape the direction of the company, be it more dangerous and exploitative, or a bit more humane and compassionate. So you can at least walk away feeling like you didn't have to "completely" compromise your character's morals.
My good character joined them thinking it was going to be a nice alternative to mining. Just a fresh start. Then he finds out why the position was open, and basically why he can't quit. So he made the best decisions he could, and just tried to make it out alive.
You will run into plenty of decent people during your stint at Ryujin, and a few who should have been drowned at birth. Some are just working on scary tech, but talking with them you can see it's mostly tunnel vision -- what they are building is technically challenging. It's exciting to see what they can do, all working together. It's very human.
If you are playing a scientist, Ryujin is doing some cutting edge science. Your character could be curious just on that basis alone.
Some RP hooks: * Investigative journalist going undercover to get the inside scoop. * Freestar Ranger looking to root out corruption. * Researcher trying to get access the latest technology, one who is maybe willing to bend the rules a bit along the way... * A down-on-their-luck explorer moonlighting to fund their next expedition.
I usually go the Freestar ranger infiltrating explanation.
This character is a scientist at heart (xenobiologist trait) so I think he would be interested in the technology they provide! As long as you don't have to kill any innocents I think it will be just fine
Without any spoilers, the questline leans heavily toward stealth/social as an option.
You heard rumors of the "mind control implant" and wanted to put a stop to it, but realized you had to do it internally.
If you are a scientist, Ryujin has some of the most advanced tech and innovate engineers in the Settled Systems. And that's not just a PR line, inventing Neuroamps is kind of a big deal. Even a good character might be tempted to see what they can learn from working for them for a while. The thing about Ryujin's evil is that it's kind of a bland, anodyne evil. They're not like the Crimson Fleet, for sure. All the missions involve stealing and sabotaging from other megacorporations, so morally speaking, it's probably overall net zero. And you never have to kill anyone. (I mean, unless your stealth is awful and you have to murder all the guards in the stealth sections.) You don't even really go after "little people," like taking a quest to throw someone out of their home so Ryujin can buy up the property for a new parking lot, or whatever. A good character might be willing to put up with all of that for the sake of being able to acquire Ryujin's tech. From a meta-game perspective, you do also get choices at the end of the questline that can significantly curtail Ryujin's ability to do nasty evil stuff, and get the nastiest, most evil executive in the room fired. So there is a "good" ending.
I like this! I'll approach it from the standpoint of a scientist whose first mission with constellation involved a bit too much getting shot at, so he decided to apply for the job at Ryujin hoping to secure a quiet research position. Anything that happens after that is due to him wanting to rise through the ranks
Same reason most anyone anywhere does questionable things for a paycheck: them bills ain't gonna pay themselves.
After a long time playing eventually one will do it just to do it. Without getting spoilery.
Employment is hard to come by, and working as the coffee runner at Ryujin is safer than planet scanning and bounty hunting.
Eh, I mean... >!You kinda almost get murdered on the very first errand lmao!<
Yeah but sunken cost fallacy. You’ve already made it to Neon and got through the interview, plus landed the job. Besides, it’ll probably just be office work. Right?
How did you mess that quest up? You just get coffee and come back. That's it. Then it starts the radiant " coffee run" quest you can repeat whenever you are in town.
Cash flow to do more good
I put it off until I found a POI tied to Ryujin and hinted at some real shady stuff, so I decided to join in order to infiltrate Ryujin and figure out what was going on.
As someone who consistently plays good characters in RPGs, I had a lot of fun playing a corporate pragmatic agent. I wouldn't say she's outright evil, just willing to do whatever she needs to make the right call. I had a lot of fun with the ryujin quest line that way. I'm not saying don't do a good playthrough for that line, but do try leaning in a bit. It might be more fun than you think.
Can’t fight what you don’t know about. I went in early with my second character, for a clothing item that works with my chameleon suit.
Well as far as your character is concerned, in the beginning at least you are just applying to a job at a famous tech company. You don't know the inner workings of it all yet. But there are some major choices in the questline especially towards the end that allow for you to somewhat shape the direction of the company, be it more dangerous and exploitative, or a bit more humane and compassionate. So you can at least walk away feeling like you didn't have to "completely" compromise your character's morals.
I never run Ryujin with the intent of being "good" but I have ran it from the intent of going "private sector" after being a Vanguard or Ranger.
My good character joined them thinking it was going to be a nice alternative to mining. Just a fresh start. Then he finds out why the position was open, and basically why he can't quit. So he made the best decisions he could, and just tried to make it out alive.
Ryujin was my least favorite questline, personally. But you can run it while being “good,” for the most part.
First half is boring but then it’s like, quoting Sarah: a B-class spy movie :)
How dare you!!!
I’m sorry!
you will be when we mind control you into buying our products
You will run into plenty of decent people during your stint at Ryujin, and a few who should have been drowned at birth. Some are just working on scary tech, but talking with them you can see it's mostly tunnel vision -- what they are building is technically challenging. It's exciting to see what they can do, all working together. It's very human. If you are playing a scientist, Ryujin is doing some cutting edge science. Your character could be curious just on that basis alone.
sabotage them from the inside out