[Frak_Tastic]

Loving the mod, but this mission has me a bit stumped as to what to do for the third attempt.

Okay, you've been warned on spoilers, so read on at your own peril.

So I'm at the part of the mission where it's a standoff between the two super destroyers and the 14th.  I figured out you can fly inside the shivan ship and rebuild your mental health, but I reall have no clue what to do at that point other than to (unsuccessfully) evade vishnan fighters.

My first mission playthrough resulted in Laporte becoming a vegetable  ; the second, well, I'm not quite sure what it was.  I think it might have been when they found Sam's body in AoA, but I'm  guessing at best (this is the ending with Laporte asking if anyone can hear her).

Can someone point me in the right direction without spoiling it for me?

[Ryuseiken]

Fly towards the 14th battlegroup, the way out Ken prepared is one of those jump gates.

[Frak_Tastic]

Cool, I'll give that a shot on the next attempt.

[Dark Hunter]

I figured out you can fly inside the shivan ship and rebuild your mental health

Wait really? That's... how does that even make sense?

the second, well, I'm not quite sure what it was.  I think it might have been when they found Sam's body in AoA, but I'm  guessing at best (this is the ending with Laporte asking if anyone can hear her).

You dun Sync'd.

[docfu]

Since we are talking about universal truth:

Would someone explain to me what the laughing man is supposed to be? I can't find it anywhere...

[Frak_Tastic]

I figured out you can fly inside the shivan ship and rebuild your mental health

Wait really? That's... how does that even make sense?

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do at that point.  Since I was already dressed & flying around in my space-onsies, I took a trip back through the Shivan's ship corridor thinking it might be a way out since it was the way "in".  I didn't want to approach the 14th because I’m sure Laporte wouldn't have wanted to cavort with the enemy.

Eventually my mental health status changed from "rev0rt411" (or something like that) to "Hello".  Not sure how the dynamic works with the mission, but I did encounter another mind flash of a Shivan that I didn't see on my third attempt while inside then ship.

My third attempt I headed straight off for the 14th and eventually found the Ken nav point without getting bagged by the Vishnans & completed the mission by waking up.

Though I have to say getting bagged by the Vishnans was pretty disturbing.  I was all alone at 2AM after a few beers ...yikes.

[Phantom Hoover]

The laughing man is

Spoiler:

somewhere near the Yangtze, and only appears if you have sanity lower than a certain threshold.

Spoiler:

He's actually the Transcendant.

[Aesaar]

Eventually my mental health status changed from "rev0rt411" (or something like that) to "Hello".

"Hello" is worse.

[Frak_Tastic]

Eventually my mental health status changed from "rev0rt411" (or something like that) to "Hello".

"Hello" is worse.

Really?  That's my best pickup line. 

[MatthTheGeek]

I do not think "Hello" is something you want to see from a diagnostic HUD element when you know your sanity is degrading

[Frak_Tastic]

Eh, sanity is overrated.  Honey badger don't care 'bout sanity.

[docfu]

The laughing man is (Edited out.)

Thank you. I spent 30 minutes flying around looking for "The Laughing Man" logo from Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex...

http://www.ta-sa.org/data/images/laughing_man_big_2.png

[Dark Hunter]

That was my first thought too.

Spoiler:

The Transcendant makes more sense, and I think I did run into him in one playthrough. But his transmissions are so garbled it's hard to tell if he's laughing.

Eventually my mental health status changed from "rev0rt411" (or something like that) to "Hello".

"Hello" is worse.

Yeah, I think it goes:   Intact -> Degrading -> Unstable -> rev0rt411 -> Hello -> Perfectly All Right -> 

[Ryuseiken]

About how long does it take for your mental health to degrade? I took my time and screwed around at the Shivan com nodes and by the end of the mission it was still rev0rt411. I even ran into the same problem as Frak on my first try and fly around for 3-4 minutes before figuring out where to go.

[docfu]

I think mental health degrades based more on what ships you come into contact with than simply sitting around. Time isn't a factor because you would always run out when the cut scenes start playing...

(At least, this is what I got from fredding the mission file. )