The Fan arc
The The Fan arc (story_thefan.xml, 1,051,956 bytes ~1MB) is the second-largest Pirate arc — focused on a character named The Fan and the Loanshark faction antagonism. The arc covers harassment encounters, scrapyard heists, trading-office setup, and Protectyon delivery research (key item for end-game gameplay).
- Script:
story_thefan.xml - DLC: Pirate
- Factions touched: argon, civilian, criminal, hatikvah, loanshark (antagonist), buccaneers, scaleplate, scavenger, ownerless
Trigger structure
Section titled “Trigger structure”The arc starts with a Twin Encounter event (Ch0).
Chapter 0 — Twin Encounter
Section titled “Chapter 0 — Twin Encounter”The Twins are two related sub-arcs tracked via gamestart story state:
gamestart.storystate.story_twin_northriver— Northriver Twin variantgamestart.storystate.story_twin_rival— Rival Twin variant
Each variant can be pre-set via custom game start. Both encode different relationships with the Twins.
Mission entry: “Twin Encounter”
Section titled “Mission entry: “Twin Encounter””- Cue:
Ch0_TwinEncounter+Ch0_TwinEncounter_Check+Ch0_TwinEncounterFinished - In-game name: Meet the Twins (mystery NPCs)
- Path/Chapter: The Fan Ch0
- Find in game: Active when Pirate DLC state ready + sequence triggers
- Prerequisites: Pirate DLC initialized
- What player encounters:
- “Twin Encounter” event — player encounters mysterious twin NPCs
- Variant determined by
story_twin_northrivervsstory_twin_rivalflags - Boso Ta provides commentary:
Ch0_BosoComment_Ref— Boso commentary referenceCh0_BosoCommentary_Signal— signal to start commentaryCh0_BosoCommentary_Start— commentary startsCh0_BosoEncounter_SequenceCheck— check sequence integrity
- Where: Specific Pirate-arc trigger sectors
- NPCs involved: The Twins (mystery NPCs — variant by storystate), Boso Ta (remote commentary)
- Reward: Arc unlocked
- Chains to: Chapter 1
- Code reference:
story_thefan.xmlCh0_TwinEncounter*+Startstorystate setup
Chapter 1 — Harassment + Escort
Section titled “Chapter 1 — Harassment + Escort”Player encounters Loanshark harassment of innocents. Player intervenes (combat + escort).
Mission entries
Section titled “Mission entries”| Cue | What it covers |
|---|---|
Ch1_Force | Force-start Chapter 1 |
Ch1_Intro | Chapter intro dialog |
Ch1_MissionAccepted | Mission accepted |
Ch1_Create_Harassers | Spawn Loanshark harassers |
Ch1_Create_Scavenger | Spawn scavenger NPC (victim) |
Ch1_LoanSharkAttackers | Loanshark attacker setup |
Ch1_LoanSharkCommanders | Loanshark commander setup |
Ch1_PlayerApproachesFight (+ _Complete, _Ref) | Player approach detection |
Ch1_Harassement_Approach_Complete | Approach complete |
Ch1_Harassement_CounterAttack | Loanshark counterattack on player |
Ch1_Harassement_PlayerAttackedLoanSharks | Player engaged Loansharks |
Ch1_Harassement_RelationDrop | Relation drop with Loansharks |
Ch1_Harrassement_Defeated_Enemy | Defeat condition |
Ch1_Auto_Repair | Auto-repair friendly ship |
Ch1_EscortCompleted | Escort objective complete |
Ch1_Msg_DistanceToGate / _DistanceToPlayer | Distance messaging |
Ch1_MsgCue | Message orchestration |
What player does
Section titled “What player does”- Approach a Loanshark harassment scene
- Defend victim (scavenger)
- Defeat Loanshark attackers (
Ch1_LoanSharkAttackers+Ch1_LoanSharkCommanders) - Auto-repair friendly ship (
Ch1_Auto_Repair) - Escort victim to safety (
Ch1_EscortCompleted)
NPCs involved
Section titled “NPCs involved”- Loanshark attackers + commanders (hostile)
- Scavenger victim (escort target)
- The Fan (recipient of victim — implied)
Reward
Section titled “Reward”- Loanshark relation drops
- Scavenger/Hatikvah relation boosts
- Chapter 2 unlocked
Mod conflict risks — Chapter 1
Section titled “Mod conflict risks — Chapter 1”- ❌ Mods that disable Loanshark faction break the entire chapter
- ❌ Mods that change auto-repair mechanics break friendly ship recovery
- ⚠ Combat mods affecting Loanshark behavior affect difficulty
Chapter 2 — The Fan + Wave Encounter
Section titled “Chapter 2 — The Fan + Wave Encounter”Player meets The Fan, encounters a “Wave” (mass attack), gets convinced of arc premise.
Mission entries
Section titled “Mission entries”| Cue | What it covers |
|---|---|
Ch2_Force | Force-start Chapter 2 |
Ch2_Setup (+ _Mission) | Chapter setup |
Ch2_Setup_TheFanShip (+ _ExpectingWave) | The Fan’s ship setup |
Ch2_Setup_TheWave | ”Wave” attack setup |
Ch2_Setup_Wave_Cutscene | Wave cinematic |
Ch2_Distress_Cutscene | Distress signal cutscene |
Ch2_TheFan | Meet The Fan |
Ch2_Conv_TheFan (+ _Convince, _Convince_Attempt, _Started, _Template) | Conversation with The Fan |
Ch2_Speak_Fan_Help_Ref | The Fan asks for help |
Ch2_Spacesuit | Spacesuit EVA section |
Ch2_MissionAccepted | Mission accepted |
Ch2_Complete | Chapter complete |
What player does
Section titled “What player does”- Travel to distress signal location
- Encounter The Fan’s ship (under attack from “Wave”)
- Witness Wave cutscene
- EVA to The Fan (spacesuit segment)
- Convince The Fan via conversation
- Accept arc mission
NPCs involved
Section titled “NPCs involved”- The Fan
- Wave attackers (Loansharks / criminal forces)
Mod conflict risks — Chapter 2
Section titled “Mod conflict risks — Chapter 2”- ❌ Mods that disable spacesuit EVA break The Fan encounter
- ❌ Mods that interfere with cutscene systems affect Wave + Distress cutscenes
- ⚠ Mods that change The Fan’s ship macro affect setup
Chapter 3 — Scrapyard Robbery
Section titled “Chapter 3 — Scrapyard Robbery”Player conducts a scrapyard robbery (cargo heist).
Mission entries
Section titled “Mission entries”| Cue | What it covers |
|---|---|
Ch3_Force | Force-start Chapter 3 |
Ch3_Setup (+ _Mission) | Setup |
Ch3_EnteredScrapyard | Player enters scrapyard |
Ch3_Scrapyard_Robbery | Main robbery mission |
Ch3_ScrapyardTaxi_Arrived / _MoveDie | Taxi NPC handling |
Ch3_StationDestroyed_v | If station destroyed (variant) |
Ch3_Handling | Mission handling orchestration |
Ch3_Conv_TheFanTemplate | The Fan conversation |
Ch3_Complete | Chapter complete |
What player does
Section titled “What player does”- Enter scrapyard
- Conduct robbery (steal cargo)
- Manage taxi NPC (drop-off or kill)
- Escape
Mod conflict risks — Chapter 3
Section titled “Mod conflict risks — Chapter 3”- ❌ Mods that change scrapyard mechanics affect robbery
- ❌ Mods that affect station-destruction events affect failure path
Chapter 4 — Trading Office
Section titled “Chapter 4 — Trading Office”Player establishes/operates a trading office.
Mission entries
Section titled “Mission entries”| Cue | What it covers |
|---|---|
Ch4_Force | Force-start |
Ch4_X_Setup_Office | Setup office |
Ch4_Trading | Trading operations |
Ch4_Complete | Complete |
Ch4_Fe | (specific named cue) |
Ch4_OLD | Deprecated path (legacy code) |
What player does
Section titled “What player does”- Set up Office location
- Conduct trading operations
- Build commercial network
Chapter 5 — Manager + Wave Reactions
Section titled “Chapter 5 — Manager + Wave Reactions”Player interacts with a Manager NPC; Wave events resume.
Mission entries
Section titled “Mission entries”| Cue | What it covers |
|---|---|
Ch5_Force | Force-start |
Ch5_Briefing (+ _Done) | Chapter 5 briefing |
Ch5_X_Office | Office state |
Ch5_Ma | Manager cue |
Ch5_Convo_Manager_Mumbling | Manager mumbling dialog |
Ch5_ManagerToWindow / _TooLate | Manager position management |
Ch5_Reaction_Manager_Wave / _WaveEvent | Manager reacts to Wave |
Ch5_Setup_Conversation_Reactions | Setup reaction conversations |
Ch5_StopWavePhases | Stop Wave phases |
Ch5_Transition_VoyageHandler | Voyage transition handler |
Ch5_TransitionAbortCondition | Voyage transition abort |
Ch5_FanShipTransition_Patch | Save patch for transition |
Ch5_FinalTransitionDone | Final transition done |
Ch5_Shortage | Shortage event |
Ch5_Cleanup | Chapter cleanup |
Ch5_Complete | Chapter complete |
Save-migration patch
Section titled “Save-migration patch”Ch5_FanShipTransition_Patch — fixes broken Fan ship transition state for in-progress saves. Your mod modifying The Fan’s ship must respect this patch.
Chapter 6 — Protectyon Acquisition
Section titled “Chapter 6 — Protectyon Acquisition”Player acquires Protectyon (key Pirate-DLC item) and delivers to specific recipients. Boso Ta research connection.
Mission entries
Section titled “Mission entries”| Cue | What it covers |
|---|---|
Ch6_AcquireProtectyon | Main acquisition mission |
Ch6_BosoConversation (+ _Delivered) | Boso Ta conversations |
Ch6_BosoHelpOffer_Ref | Boso offers help |
Ch6_BosoLines | Boso dialog lines |
Ch6_CallToResearch_Ref | Call to research |
Ch6_ChangedIntoLRSMode | Long-Range Scan mode change |
Ch6_CheatedResearch_Skip | DEBUG: skip research path |
Ch6_CommentOnTwins | Comment on Twins (callback to Ch0) |
Ch6_Container_Cutscene | Container handling cutscene |
Ch6_CreateMission | Create mission |
Ch6_Deliver_Protectyon | Deliver Protectyon |
Ch6_EngineMod_ProductionAborted | Engine mod production aborted |
Ch6_Complete | Chapter complete |
What player does
Section titled “What player does”- Investigate Twins encounter clues
- Acquire Protectyon via:
- Research (Boso Ta)
- Production (engine mod chain)
- Cutscene container reveal
- Deliver Protectyon to recipients
NPCs involved
Section titled “NPCs involved”- Boso Ta (research support)
- The Fan (recipient or coordinator)
Key item: Protectyon
Section titled “Key item: Protectyon”Protectyon is a Pirate-DLC-specific ware required for end-game Pirate content. The Fan arc Ch6 is the canonical Protectyon-unlock path. Your mod adding alternative Protectyon sources must coordinate with this.
Mod conflict risks — Chapter 6
Section titled “Mod conflict risks — Chapter 6”- ❌ Mods that change Protectyon ware definition break the arc conclusion
- ❌ Mods that change Long-Range Scan mode affect mode-change detection
- ❌ Mods that add bulk research bypasses trivialize the arc
Path completion summary
Section titled “Path completion summary”A completed The Fan arc yields:
- Loanshark faction relations significantly worsened
- Protectyon unlocked (research + production chain)
- The Fan as character ally
- Trading office operational
- Multiple Pirate-DLC mechanics accessible
Code references
Section titled “Code references”| Concern | Key cue |
|---|---|
| Twin Encounter | Ch0_TwinEncounter* |
| Loanshark harassment | Ch1_Harassement_* |
| The Fan setup | Ch2_Setup_TheFanShip |
| Wave attack | Ch2_Setup_Wave_Cutscene |
| Scrapyard robbery | Ch3_Scrapyard_Robbery |
| Trading office | Ch4_X_Setup_Office |
| Manager + Wave reactions | Ch5_Reaction_Manager_Wave* |
| Protectyon delivery | Ch6_Deliver_Protectyon |
| Save patches | Ch5_FanShipTransition_Patch |
Related
Section titled “Related”- Pirate arcs overview
- Pirate Prelude — preceding
- Criminal arc — parallel arc
- Erlking research — concurrent research
- Welfare 2 research — concurrent research
The Fan arc is the Pirate DLC’s emotional core — a relationship arc with The Fan as protagonist NPC, threaded through 6 chapters. Protectyon delivery is the chapter-6 payoff that unlocks late-game Pirate content. Your mod must respect Protectyon mechanics and The Fan’s ship lifecycle.