Silver Streak

An RC Enthusiast's Secluded Hideaway

NOTE: The UFO version of this mod has a more limited set of features than the Jet version


How To Begin

Travel to a new map marker in the northwest corner of the world map, beyond Sanctuary. There you will find a cabin that once belonged to an RC Enthusiast.

RC is an acronym for "Remote Controlled". Hence, an RC Plane is/was a small gas-powered aircraft that would be flown using a handheld control box which featured various joysticks, sliders, and buttons. Very similar to modern-day battery-powered Drones.


Initial Launch

Examine the information provided by the cabin's Terminal, and be sure to run the Diagnostics. Note the indication that external power is "offline". Now go over to the Generator ... open the wall-mounted Circuit Breaker and flip the switch to its "closed" position so that power is restored to the cabin, et cetera. Return to the Terminal and notice the new entries - select "Initiate Launch Procedure".


The Controller

Commands are issued to Silver Streak by equipping the Silver Streak Controller and making a selection. Available commands are presented after leaving the Pip-Boy displays. The Controller can be found in the WEAPONS inventory category after being picked up.

Note that when you invoke the controller its commands are *scrollable*; i.e. there are more functions than you initially see in that window.

Once a command is selected, the list of commands may be shown again so that another command can be selected. Or the controller may be put away.

The following commands result in exiting since it is less likely that the player will want to issue additional commands at that time: Do Nothing, Wait, Return to Base, Scan for Enemies, and Open Cargo Hold. All other commands cause the list to be redisplayed so that subsequent commands can be readily selected.

A variety of commands are provided - some of which (e.g. Launch and Shutdown) must be performed at the Terminal instead of using the Controller.

NOTE: a grenade icon is likely to appear when using the Silver Streak Controller - ignore it, just a vanilla game quirk.


Combat

Silver Streak is semi-aggressive with regard to combat. This means that enemies (whether close or distant) will generally be ignored until (1) the bad guys actually begin to be threatening or (2) the Player Character starts attacking - at which point fighting can begin.

In addition, Silver Streak will generally avoid entering combat while the Player Character has no readied weapon. There will also be an effort to disengage from active combat whenever the Player Character puts his/her/its current weapon away. Which means that sneaking around will be most effective with no weapon readied.

To ensure a completely nonaggressive behavior, select the No Fighting option; it can then be reset to Attack Enemies as desired.


Being Stealthy

Silver Streak has "stealth field" technology. This enables it to be stealthy while the player character is sneaking. Silver Streak's appearance is ghostly-transparent while that Stealth Field is active.

• Silver Streak will quietly follow along - its stealth field active - while the player character is sneaking and not yet "in combat".

• Sniping at enemies can be successfully performed while sneaking, with Silver Streak remaining stealthy, as long as the player character is undiscovered and not "in combat".

• If the player character is sneaking with a readied/drawn weapon when combat begins, the stealth field automatically deactivates and Silver Streak is allowed to join the fight.

• If the player character is sneaking without a readied/drawn weapon when combat begins, Silver Streak will continue to follow quietly with its stealth field still active. But readying/drawing a weapon, or standing, permits Silver Streak to begin fighting.

• During combat, if the player character suddenly crouches to sneak, and also puts away any drawn/readied weapon, Silver Streak will then activate its stealth field and stop fighting. This is a good tactic for disengaging from a fight to hide behind something in hopes that opponents lose track of where you are.

• Silver Streak will remain passive with an active stealth field at all times when set for No Fighting.

So sneaking with no readied/drawn weapon implies a desire to avoid combat regardless of circumstances; whereas sneaking with a readied weapon indicates that fighting is permitted.


Weapons

Silver Streak's weapon is a Red Laser. It inflicts damage that scales with the Player Character's level up through Level 30. Additional weapons become available via Missions.

Jet Version:

• Red Laser - Incendiary effect
　
• Blue Laser - Enhanced Criticals, bonus damage to Robots; same base damage as Red Lasers
　
• Plasma - Improved Damage versus Lasers, Enhanced Limb Damage, Chance To Cripple

• Galvanics - Improved Accuracy, More Frequent Criticals, Ignores Normal Resistances

• Gauss - High Damage, Armor Piercing, Chance To Stagger, minor Impact area-of-effect collateral damage
　
• Disruptor - Very High Damage, Enhanced Criticals, minor Radiation area-of-effect collateral damage
　
• Rocket-Propelled Grenades - Moderate Area Damage, Low Accuracy
　
• Explosive Missiles - High Area Damage, Improved Accuracy, Slow Fire Rate
　
• Seeker Missiles - Very High Area Damage, Excellent Accuracy, Slow Fire Rate

UFO Version:

• Red Laser - Incendiary effect
　
• Blue Laser - Enhanced Criticals, bonus damage to Robots; same base damage as Red Lasers
　
• Plasma - Improved Damage versus Lasers, Enhanced Limb Damage, Chance To Cripple

• Gauss - High Damage, Armor Piercing, Chance To Stagger, minor Impact area-of-effect collateral damage
　
• Disruptor - Very High Damage, Enhanced Criticals, minor Radiation area-of-effect collateral damage
　
The explosive weapons will not harm the Player Character or current Teammates and Companions, but can injure friendly NPCs that are too close to the blast area; for example: Settlers, Settlement defenders, and Trade Caravan folks. This also applies to Gauss and Disruptor weapons, although their area effects are very limited.
　
Weapon selection is in the Other Settings section of the Silver Streak Controller.


Available Missions

Jet Version:

• Enhanced Self-Repair: Level 2

• Identify Friend or Foe: Level 4

• Tactical Deployment Alternative: Level 5

• Explosive Confrontations: 6

• Dynamic Ablative Armor: Level 8

• Advanced Laser Technology: Level 10

• Advanced Self-Repair: Level 13

• A Bigger Bang: Level 15

• Plasma Weapon Technology: Level 20

• New-Age Galvanics: Level 25

• High-Impact Ballistic Weaponry: Level 30

• Target Seeker: Level 35

• Molecular Disruption Technology: Level 40

UFO Version:

• Enhanced Self-Repair: Level 2

• Identify Friend or Foe: Level 5

• Dynamic Ablative Armor: Level 8

• Advanced Laser Technology: Level 10

• Advanced Self-Repair: Level 15

• Plasma Weapon Technology: Level 20

• High-Impact Ballistic Weaponry: Level 30

• Molecular Disruption Technology: Level 40

Missions will have their startup delayed if the player character is "in combat", the player character is currently unconscious, the player character is having a dialog with an NPC, Silver Streak has been destroyed and must be rebuilt/repaired, or a Pip-Boy menu is being displayed.


Mission Sequence

The mission sequence for the UFO is the same as the order in which they are listed above.

The mission sequence for the Jet is more complex. It begins with Identify Friend or Foe and then splits into two branches:

• The primary branch is: Dynamic Ablative Armor, Advanced Laser Technology, Advanced Self-Repair, Plasma Weapon Technology, High-Impact Ballistic Weaponry, and finally Molecular Disruption Technology.

• The secondary branch is: Explosive Confrontations, A Bigger Bang, New-Age Galvanics, and finally Target Seeker.

Progression in the secondary branch is dependent upon completion of specific missions in the primary branch.  A Bigger Bang requires Advanced Self-Repair, New-Age Galvanics requires Plasma Weapon Technology, and Target Seeker requires High-Impact Ballistic Weaponry.


Detecting Enemies

Upon completion of the Identify Friend or Foe mission, Silver Streak will be able scan for nearby enemies when instructed to do so via the controller. Those that are found will be marked with a Red Diamond to identify their locations. Periodic scans can also be selected; see the Other Settings section of the controller.


Settlement Base

NOTE: The UFO version does not include this Settlement Base feature.

A settlement base can be constructed for Silver Streak using a Workshop. Only one base is allowed at any given time, and is ideally placed in whichever settlement is most convenient to the area currently being explored.

The settlement base can be repositioned as desired. It is removed via Silver Streak's controller (see Other Settings); the base's construction components are then placed in the Player Character's inventory.

The base is especially useful when playing in "survival" mode - where Fast Travel via the map is not allowed - since it potentially reduces the amount of overland walking required for mission completions. The RC Enthusiast Cabin landing pad is used as the destination whenever there is no settlement base.

Base construction becomes available after completing a special mission: Tactical Deployment Alternative. The Workshop entry will be in "Structures>Miscellaneous".


Map Travel

A map marker is revealed when Silver Streak is instructed to Wait. A marker is also revealed when the RC Enthusiast's cabin is visited for the first time. Both can be used for Map Travel.

So if you are out in the middle of nowhere and want to briefly map travel to some place else and then come back, but have no nearby map location for returning, just set Silver Streak to Wait and use that map marker for an easy return.


Cargo Hold

Yep, Silver Streak can carry stuff - use the controller to open the Cargo Hold.


Death and Destruction

Should the unfortunate happen, and Silver Streak "augers in" / "bites the big one" / "crashes and burns" ... not to worry ... we can fix that.

First, go scrounge the wreckage. If the wreck cannot be found, or is otherwise inaccessible, visit a workshop Lab to create a new Silver Streak RC Model; see the DRONES category of items. Making a new model requires SCIENCE 1.

Next, acquire a Drone Repair Kit from the RC Enthusiasts cabin, or make a new one if you have already used the original two kits. There are no skill requirements for making a repair kit.

Lastly, when directly prompted by the Repairing Silver Streak mission, go to the miniature Helipad and stand close to its center area - repairs will be initiated automatically. Note: there is no need to visit the Helipad in Survival Mode.

Silver Streak will then be ready for a re-Launch. Its cargo hold will have all of the equipment it contained originally. Note that those items can also be reclaimed in advance by using the Terminal in the cabin.

NOTE: Actual destruction (with the need to rebuild) should be fairly rare - and if it is too frequent then I would prefer to adjust damage resistance and health instead of allowing "essential". So ideally players will report any such issues, and provide as much detail as possible with regard to the opponents encountered during the fatal conflict(s).


Nuka-World Raiders

Silver Streak's enemy list includes Raiders and anyone allied with Raiders - so best to keep Silver Streak "shutdown" (landed back at its helipad) during any period of time during which the Player Character is friendly with a Raider faction. It should be okay to relaunch again afterwards when the game no longer perceives a Raider alliance.


Traffic Cones

To reset or otherwise reposition the Traffic Cones, first take them into your inventory. Next, drop them onto a flat surface. They will typically land in an upright position, and can then be placed where desired.


The Helipad

Why a Helipad instead of a Runway?!? No animation skills - so I designed Silver Streak to be a VTOL aircraft instead ("Vertical Takeoff And Landing").


[ this information is also available in-game as a holo-tape on a shelf in the RC Enthusiast's cabin ]