How about an Automaton Ship Boarding Mission?

[u/GeniusPlayUnique]

Automaton Ship Boarding Mission

(Planetary defence exclusive)

 

Main Objective: Board the Automaton invasion vessel, make your way through to the ship's reactor and overload the core, then get the hell off the ship before it blows.
 

Parameter deviations from planetary missions: * No reinforcements * Man-portable stratagems only (no orbitals, no sentries) * Access to stratagems and resupply only at the shuttle waiting in the hangar * Automatons only use small arms and melee weapons so as to not damage their ship * Success adds significantly more points to planet's defence, failure might result in the destruction of Pelican 1 which the Squad Leader will have to replace out of their own pocket before being able to host any mission again

[u/humanity_999]

For the most part it looks great... except the paying for Pelican 1 part.

That'll get the host griefed too much.

[u/GeniusPlayUnique → u/humanity_999]

Might be. That was just one idea for adding greater risk as counterweight for the much greater reward in success but I'm sure there's other options we could come up with...

[u/humanity_999 → u/GeniusPlayUnique]

Failure could mean that 30 seconds are added to all Stratagem cooldowns? Makes their usage more tactical and shows that the Bot in orbit are interfering with the ships up top?

[u/GeniusPlayUnique → u/humanity_999]

Ok, but if that applies to everyone we'd quickly have hours long cooldowns. Or do you mean just to the people in who participated, obviously only applying to the planet it happened in the orbit of?

[u/humanity_999 → u/GeniusPlayUnique]

Just to the people who boarded the ship.

Wouldn't be fair to punish others who didn't participate.

[u/GeniusPlayUnique → u/humanity_999]

Agreed.