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[Pathman]

Prelude, what i think about the planet killer:

So currently the planet killer can do three things (that i am aware of)

give you a  bunch of money and reputation (sometimes +/- some other peoples reputation)
Give you exactly one story-point
Or grant you everlasting protection from the Path

Needless to say I personally feel the first two options (when not roleplaying) pale in comparison to the last one. The threat generated by the Path seems to scale quite quickly (at least when leaning heavily into the exploration/scavenging part of the game, where you usually find a whole bunch of cool effectful items).

Given that the game has repeatedly surpassed my expectations, I am hopeful that eventually giving super-nukes to extremists will have consequences and/or that such a powerful relic will eventually play a bigger role in the story.

My suggestion here and now boils down to adding a fourth option. Admittedly this option is probably more inspired by my inability to rid myself of cool looking/unique items in games, rather than a need for a powerful alternative to eternal “friendship” with the space terrorists

The idea: A pk “launch” site/pk base:

Someone has already suggested making the pk a colony item:
https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=26841.msg397550#msg397550
My idea merely expands on that a little.

Taking inspiration from one of a kind buildings such as Andradas Lion’s Guard and the unique planetary shield blueprint from the red planet quest, I suggest adding a pk launch site.

I imagine such a building, limited to one at any given time, could spawn a phase fleet which, instead of patrolling, would “exercise” (perhaps with the transponder off), inspired by how the Lion’s Guard “parades”.

The building’s text would explain how it is essentially a bluff, how the day to day operation of the building is primarily focused on influencing media, politicians and other influential parts of existing factions, into at least cautious uncertainty regarding the usefulness of the inert bomb. It should probably also be stated in the text that the bluff wouldn’t work without the actual device.

Opening comms with the phased fleet should in contrast, perhaps give the feeling that the fleet officers don't know their constant “training” concerns a scary and expensive metal lump, but as I don’t trust myself to write ominous spacer-military jargon, I'll leave that in the open.

Like in the previous mentioned thread the effect (as an alternative to massive reduced hostile activity and annoying pather cells) could be reduced or removed expeditions from established factions (perhaps removed for the planet hosting the base and reduced for the rest).

A few other interactions:

Installing an alpha-core should make it more efficient, but perhaps it should also be able to work in place of the actual planet killer (albeit at a reduced efficiency) as it would be able to keep up an informational illusion as to the whereabouts of the doomsday device (even if you sold it to someone else).

Also, the alpha core figuring out the codes could justify a questline of its own, as you scramble to prevent… whatever it is savant-AIs do with doomsday devices. (maybe resulting in you getting the codes?)

Aside from being gated behind finding the device and maybe spreading public knowledge abouts its existence (waltzing around asking everybody how much they’d pay for a doomsday device) perhaps it should be gated behind knowing a phase-ship blueprint of a certain size or just have its own blueprint.

Sorry for the long read

I am not at all used to writing, anything, on internet forums and while I am farily certain I haven't breached any of the formal rules, I just hope I have not breached any of the informal ones.

And if you read my entire text (or just skimmed the important parts), whatever you opinion may be, thank you!

[Realm]

You missed that it can give three story points if you give it to the Knights of Ludd, but I do somewhat agree it's disappointing that only one of the choices is especially appealing unless you're hard-committing to RP and willing to gimp colony potential for it. More options would be nice, especially for warding off other factions' expeditions.

[Megas]

I expect Pathers to blow up something that the player would value greatly.  A techno-world or vault where Pathers blow it up with the planetkiller before the player can loot it, or Pathers blow up something that unleashes something evil that will kill everyone if not stopped in a couple years (and stopping it wins and ends the game).

Currently, if all handing the planetkiller to Pathers will do is remove them from Hostile Activity and nothing else, there is absolutely no reason not to hand the PK to the Pathers and enjoy unlimited items in big colonies like in the one release with the Pather bug.

If I was role-playing, I want to keep the pk for myself, but the game will not let me drop it off or use it to blow something up, only to destroy or hand it over to someone.  My colony set is a faction, with me as faction leader.  I should be able to give the planetkiller to myself.  I do not want to play lapdog for another faction.  If anything, I want to make all the factions my lapdogs.

[Megas]

One spiteful thing Pathers with the PK can do to player...

[Player]  I made a deal with the Pathers by giving them the planetkiller so we can use as many items as we want, including the hypershunt tap to draw energy from the hypershunt nearby to support more industries.  Hurray!

* Pathers use PK to destroy the hypershunt.  Hypershunt tap became useless. *

[Player]  You agreed not to attack our colonies.

[Pather]  We did, but the hypershunt is public domain and thus not part of the deal.  We took the liberty of removing an abomination from the Sector.  Since your precious tap is a useless piece of junk to dispose of now, we see it as a win.

[Player]  @#^&!!!