REWARD & PUNISHMENT STRUCTURE
A set of events within missions which will influence the follow-up missions. This can involve protecting non-critical vessels, capturing cargo containers which are removed from the combat zone within a set time, not killing a hostage who greatfully gives important info, etc.
EXAMPLES OF EVENTS & REWARDS:
The player is ordered to protect the frigates Gandhi and Tibet in a mission, which are intensely attacked by Tev bombers. The ships are required to achieve a victory in an upcomming battle. Suddenly the cruiser Aristotle flies into the area, 8000 meters away and is under attack by Tev fighters. The player, who flies a heavy fighter, cannot reach the ship in time but can order Gamma wing, a wing of interceptors, to aid the cruiser.
If the cruiser survives, it will aid in a later mission by jumping in close to a fighter screen, causing havok on the surprised pilots before jumping out when taking damage, giving the player a good opportunity to take out the first confused fighter wave.
If the cruiser dies, the player will face the mission the normal way and the Tev fighters attack as planned, doing damage to the friendly ships with their large numbers and their many missiles.
The player is ordered to raid a cargo train, to try and steal missile warheads. They are required to arm heavy bombs against a fleet of capital vessels in an upcoming mission.
The warheads are stolen, the player gets their heavy bombs as intended in the mission.
The warheads were destroyed or the convoy got away, the player has to make do with a lighter type of bomb, which takes more effort to destroy the enemy ships with: some corvettes and cruisers may get away resulting in being scolded by the debriefing.
While attacking several cargo trains, disabling a certain non-suspicious Faustus science vessel will result in getting the option to capture it. Onboard are prototype weapons based on experimental technology.
The player team captures the Faustus, several missions later the high-power energy weapon has been examined. The maul can be upgraded, performing 20% better.
The player destroyed the Faustus or it got away, the player doesn't get the weapons upgrade later on.
The player has to defend the frigate Gandhi again which is a primary objective. It is engaging a destroyer to buy time for a convoy of ships.
The Gandhi survives because the player disabled the destroyers beam weapons, in the next mission it will jump in and attack an enemy corvette which gives the player an opening to guide their bomber wing through.
The Gandhi is destroyed, the player's mission is failed but does not have to be replayed. In the next misison, the bomber wing has to take care of the corvette before being able to fly further.