Mission Types and BBS

The spaceport BBS-es are the avenue where pilots can look for work and other useful things and services.

Missions

There are several types of missions in Pioneer the player can take for different rewards. These missions are listed in the BBS section of spaceports. Some of them require a level of reputation or combat rating to be available for the player. Mission descriptions are self-explanatory, and the player can ask for the details in the dialog.

Missions can be urgent, and or dangerous. The later means that the player can be attacked while trying to fulfill the mission. Most of them have interplanetary and inter-system variants.

Rewards vary for different distances, cargo loads or the number of passengers or the riskiness for example.

Courier missions

  NEARBY DELIVERY. Require quick delivery of an item to Dante's base.
  My name is Maria Myers and I need this item delivered to a friend at Dante's base pronto, I'll pay you $111.13 credits if you get it there in a reasonable time.

Courier missions are about transferring small packages or messages to a specified spaceport before a given deadline. They aren't too rewarding, and they don't take any cargo space. They can be in-system, or inter-system and they can be urgent and dangerous too.

Cargo runs

  RELOCATION. Move of cargo from Dante's base required.
  Greetings. I'm Joaquin Diaz. I will pay $217.15 to someone who will transport Plutonium from Dante's base to Los Angeles.

Cargo runs require the pilot to transport small amounts of cargo to a specific destination, or to fetch it from a given location and ferry it back. Cargo runs require room for the load in the cargo hold, and the increased mass associated to it needs to be accounted for while planning the route and travel times. They usually pay better than courier missions, depending on distance and the amount of cargo needed to be delivered. They can be in-system or inter-system and urgent too.

Taxi missions

  WANTED: Passage for a small group to Arayami system. Will pay $3,939.32.
  Hi, I'm Christine Fitzpatrick and I need passage for a small group to Arayami (-2, 0, 4) system, a distance of 35.96 ly. I will pay $3,939.32.

Taxi missions require the pilot to transport a number of passengers to the designated system. Any port in the system will do. The ship needs to have a sufficient number of free passenger cabins. They are always inter-system missions, can be urgent and dangerous. These missions pay well, but require the pilot to fit cabins on the ship.

Assasinations

  BIOGRAPHICAL: Some admirers wish Merchant Morag Lewis dead.
  We wish Merchant Morag Lewis to have a fitting career end in the Lalande 21185 system for $27,459.76.

Shadier pilots can try their luck taking on bounties by destroying the ship of the target. They tend to fight back though, and the starport police won't be idling either, so these missions are as risky as high-paying. Usually they require some combat experience (kill count). The pilot needs to return to the system where the mission was taken to collect the bounty.

Search & Rescue missions

  MEDICAL EMERGENCY on ship close to Itzalean.
  My name is Janet Basagoiti from Itzalean air traffic control. I am requesting help in response to a medical emergency involving the pilot of flight JX-4523 headed for Itzalean.

Sometimes disaster strikes in the most inopportune moments. Ships run out of fuel on uninhabited planets, pilots get a heart attack, scientists incapacitate the crew by accidentally releasing a toxic gas sample from planet XY458 into the ship air supply. Being willing to help others in need will be good for any pilot's record, bank account, and conscience. Some rescue operations require free passenger cabins to secure personnel or transport replacement crew. Others require transport of commodities, such as fuel. Payment is dependent on the particular circumstances and will either happen at the site of rescue or after returning to the originating station. These missions require an intermediate piloting skill level because target ships need to be located manually either by latitude/longitude planet coordinates or by using the system overview screen for ships circling in planetary orbit. Furthermore, ship-to-ship transfer happens while holding a distance of 50 m between ships. Planet surface rescue operations require the pilot to land the ship within 50 m of the target.

Other BBS posts

Hyperdrive mechanics

  Natalia Lewis hyperdrive maintenance specialist
  I'm Natalia Lewis. I can repair your Class 3 Hyperdrive, guaranteeing  at least a year of trouble-free performance. The cost for this service will be $47.17.
  Your drive has not been serviced since it was installed on 00:00:00 1 Jan 3200

These mechanics offer repair services for your hyperdrive. This is important because hyperdrives wear out with time and can produce catastrophic failures or severe mis-jumps if not maintained properly. Beware that you get what you pay for. There are even reports of low price mechanics who just reset the jump counter, not actually doing any repair service at all.

Merchants

  Matthew Holdings

These "merchants" operate in the shadier corners of spaceports, dealing with illegal goods, which aren't obtainable or sell-able on the regular market. Smuggling these things can be lucrative, but be aware that some of these merchants can be undercover police agents.

 

Used equipment

  SELLING: Practically unused R40 Unguided Rocket, at an affordable price.
  Hi! My name is Edith Spears. I have this almost brand new R40 Unguided Rocket which I'm selling for  just $26.

Sometimes the player can find cheap used equipment on the BBS. The price contains the installation price.

Fuel Clubs

  The Federal Fuel Foundation
  The Federal Fuel Foundation is the leading provider of discounted fuel to it's members' starships in the Solar Federation.

Fuel clubs can be found on lots of stations offering cheaper fuel and byproduct disposal (radioactives) for an annual fee. Different factions have different number of fuel club offices throughout their space. Their stocks are independent from the market, which might be depleted sometimes.

Crew for hire

Pilots can look for crew here, inquire about their abilities, negotiate their wages.

Donation calls

  FEELING GENEROUS? War Orphan's Support needs your help to keep  up its essential work.
  Please select an amount to donate to War Orphan's Support, and end the suffering of children all over the galaxy. 

Generous pilots can contribute money to different organizations, increasing their reputation. Good karma could prove useful in the long run after all.

News

Sometimes news about neighboring systems can turn up in BBS-es. These articles could provide useful insight about happenings, events or business opportunities of the area.