[DEVBLOG#219] Vanilla Factions Expanded - Deserters intro

Hello folks and welcome to a brand new development blog. I am well aware that everyone and their mother were interested in the Deserters when we released Vanilla Factions Expanded - Empire. I hear you, and I'm sorry some of you were disappoined when the Empire faction mod launched without features for those wanting to go against nobility.

But that is because we had to focus our resources on one thing instead of spreading it thin across more or less two standalone factions. As such, I think it's now time to focus all of our attention on the Deserters faction mod.

Our focus for Vanilla Factions Expanded - Deserters is to really make you feel like a part of the rebellion against the Empire. Your goal is simple: Force the Empire to adapt. You don't want to kill everyone, you're not a terrorist (despite Imperial propaganda telling everyone you are), you are a harbinger of change, and since Sophiamunda shattering, the Empire is a husk and a shadow of former selves anyway. 

Imperial subjects suffer injustice at every step. You have chosen to do something about it, even if the means to do it are somewhat extreme.

You will work as part of the Deserter Network. You will gather intel from imperial installations and trade it for information, quests, contraband and imperial gear. You will venture on many, many new quests in order to destabilize the Empire. From raiding supply depots and Aerodrone landing stations, to destroying the Imperial underfarms and raiding imperial convoys, the name of the game is 'Fast and Lethal'.

All the new missions will only become available if you choose to join Deserters - and by doing so, you will make the Empire a permanent enemy. The missions are time-based - depending on your current visibility level, you will have a limited amount of time to get in, complete the objective, and get out. Waiting longer may trigger Imperial response, which in severe cases might mean indiscriminate aerodrone bombardment on your position.

VISIBILITY: HIDDEN

• VisibilityLabel: Hidden
• VisibilityDescription: You are operating in secret, and the Empire has no knowledge of your allegiance to the deserters. They will not respond to your attacks on their installations, and they will generally not look for you out in the world.
• VisibilityValueMin: 0
• VisibilityValueMax: 20
• ContrabandIntelCostModifier: 1x
• ContrabandTimeToReceiveModifier: 0.5x
• ContrabandSiteTimeActiveModifier: 5x
• ImperialResponseTimer: N/A, No response.
• Special effects:
  • None

VISIBILITY: WHISPERS

• VisibilityLabel: Whispers
• VisibilityDescription: Word of your activity has started to spread within the higher nobility, but the Empire still sees you as nothing more but a rare, minor annoyance. You can expect patrols to be dispatched to any imperial installations under attack, but you should still have enough time to get in and out before they arrive. Inventory checks become part of the updated briefing, making it slightly harder to acquire contraband.
• VisibilityValueMin: 21
• VisibilityValueMax: 40
• ContrabandIntelCostModifier: 1x
• ContrabandTimeToReceiveModifier: 1x
• ContrabandSiteTimeActiveModifier: 2x
• ImperialResponseTimer: 5 Minutes
• ImperialResponseType: Patrol
• Special effects:
  • None

VISIBILITY: RUMORS

• VisibilityLabel: Rumors
• VisibilityDescription: Rumors about the deserter activity are starting to circulate among the lower-ranking officers and soldiers of the Empire. While the Empire does not yet have concrete evidence of your involvement, they are beginning to take the rumors seriously and have increased their security measures. Expect to encounter increased security on imperial installations, as well as janissary reaction force as soon as the installation is alerted of your presence. Imperial patrols are now prominent and will inspect every caravan they come across.
• VisibilityValueMin: 41
• VisibilityValueMax: 60
• ContrabandIntelCostModifier: 1x
• ContrabandTimeToReceiveModifier: 2x
• ContrabandSiteTimeActiveModifier: 1x
• ImperialResponseTimer: 4 Minutes
• ImperialResponseType: Strike Force
• Special effects:
  • All imperial armies on all quest locations where Empire would spawn are 20% bigger.
  • Imperial Caravan patrol event can now happen.

VISIBILITY: NEWS

• VisibilityLabel: News
• VisibilityDescription: Your actions have become public knowledge and have hit the imperial news stations like a storm. The Empire now considers you a serious threat and has placed a high priority on tracking you down. Security measures across all installations have been greatly increased. Furthermore, the Empire will now send more raiding parties to any settlements suspected of harboring deserters. It will be harder to obtain contraband and support from the locals as the Empire's propaganda campaign is gaining strength.
• VisibilityValueMin: 61
• VisibilityValueMax: 80
• ContrabandIntelCostModifier: 2x
• ContrabandTimeToReceiveModifier: 5x
• ContrabandSiteTimeActiveModifier: 0.5x
• ImperialResponseTimer: 3 Minutes
• ImperialResponseType: Stellic Guards
• Special effects:
  • Raids from the Empire faction happen 2x as often.
  • All imperial armies on all quest locations where Empire would spawn are 50% bigger.
  • Chased Deserter quest no longer happens
  • Imperial Propaganda Drop event can now happen.

VISIBILITY: PUBLIC ENEMY

• VisibilityLabel: Public Enemy
• VisibilityDescription: You are now a household name, and the Empire considers you their number one enemy. They are using all of their resources to track you down and eliminate you and your followers. The Empire may also use scorched earth tactics, such as bombing or shelling entire areas suspected of supporting the deserters. They are willing to sacrifice their installations if it means eliminating the deserters, and will respond to any aggression with indiscriminate aerodrone bombardment. Most smuggling operations cease and contraband becomes incredibly hard to come across. The Imperial spy guilds will put out disinformation to turn other factions against you, making it hard to distinguish friend from foe. It's a full-blown war and the outcome will determine you fate and the fate of the Empire. Be prepared for a difficult fight, as survival is the only option now.
• VisibilityValueMin: 81
• VisibilityValueMax: 99
• ContrabandIntelCostModifier: 5x
• ContrabandTimeToReceiveModifier: 10x
• ContrabandSiteTimeActiveModifier: 0.5x
• ImperialResponseTimer: 2 Minutes
• ImperialResponseType: Missile Rain
• Special effects:
  • Chased Deserter quest no longer happens
  • Raids from the Empire faction happen 3x as often.
  • All imperial armies on all quest locations where Empire would spawn are 100% bigger.
  • Aerodrone Bombardment event can now happen
  • Imperial Propaganda Drop event can now happen.
  • Relations with a random faction drop by -10 once a day with the following message:
    • Due to imperial disinformation, your relations with [Faction name] have dropped by 10.

VISIBILITY: DIVINE INFERNO

• VisibilityLabel: Divine Inferno
• VisibilityDescription: The Empire has initiated a Divine Inferno protocol on your location. May you find solace in the cleansing flames. You have 30 days before The Empire moves all required orbital slicer beam satellites into position. Unless you manage to bring the visibility back down to Hidden in time, your colony will be glassed by numerous pillars of fire.
• VisibilityValueMin: 100
• VisibilityValueMax: 100
• ContrabandIntelCostModifier: 10x
• ContrabandTimeToReceiveModifier: 20x
• ContrabandSiteTimeActiveModifier: 0.5x
• ImperialResponseTimer: 1 Minute
• ImperialResponseType: Missile Rain
• Special effects:
  • As soon as player reaches 100 Visibility, Divine Inferno countdown triggers.
  • It appears similar to Planet Killer counter on the right side of the screen:
  • Once hovered over, it says: The Empire has initiated a Divine Inferno protocol on your colony and are moving all required slicer beam satellites into position. Once they meet over your colony, they will glass it with numerous pillars of fire. This can be prevented by reducing your visibility back to Hidden visibility level.
    
    Glassing date: <Date on which the inferno will initiate>
    Time left: <Time left in days>
  • If the player reaches Hidden visibility level before the Divine Inferno happens, Divine Inferno gets cancelled and the counter disappears.
  • If the player doesn’t reach Hidden visibility level before the Divine Inferno happens, Divine Inferno event triggers.

Our main inspiration for this mod is XCom 2, but we also take from games such as Rebel Inc and Commando. New music is also available on these 'semi-stealthy' sabotage missions, created by dendroid101, our new music artist. I didn't think the standard battle music fits the 'get in and out quick' vibe, so you will now enjoy RimWorld-fitting stealth music inspired by the soundtrack of Royalty DLC.

I will be dripping down content information over the next weeks, but I wouldn't expect the release before May at the soonest.

But don't worry, keep doing your Empire playthrough. We have devised a way in which you can flip, and based on the title you held with the Empire, you will get rewarded with Intel! So the stronger you get with the Empire, the more beneficial it will be to flip to Deserters. Mind you, there will be no flipping back. Well, that's a lie. You will be able to flip back, when the Empire comes begging you to do it before you take down the Imperial flagship. But we're in the spoiler territory now, so I will leave it there.

Let me know what you're the most excited about!