Campaign
Data is potentially outdated | |
Last updated for version 0.16.7.0 The current game version is 1.5.9.2 |
- See also: Campaign Settings
Campaign is the only Game Mode available in Singleplayer, not counting Quickstart or the Submarine Editor Test Mode. Campaign can be played in Multiplayer as well.
“ | Embark on a journey through the depths of Europa. Travel from location to location, complete missions to earn money for supplies, discover new biomes—and perhaps eventually uncover the secrets of Europa. | „ |
–In-game description |
The initial cash balance is determined by Starting Balance and is 8,500 Europan Marks (abbr. mk) on the Normal difficulty preset.
The price of the selected starting sub will subtract from and sometimes be limited by this amount.
In Singleplayer Campaigns, the player may only select the Dugong (5,000 mk) or the Barsuk (3,999 mk) unless the starting balance is set to High which allows the Orca (9,000 mk) and the Camel (9,900 mk) to be selected.
In Multiplayer, sub selection is not limited by starting cash, although the price of the sub will still subtract from the starting balance, down to a certain amount.
Once the desired sub has been picked, the game starts immediately; displaying the intro text and transitioning the camera to the controlled character inside the starting outpost.
“ | In the early 21st century, it was discovered that under the icy, irradiated surface of Jupiter's moon Europa lies a vast sea sustaining microbial life.
Following the discovery, it didn't take long for the first manned space flight to arrive on Europa and verify the sea did not only host microbial life, but complex, hostile sub-aquatic fauna. Besides the wildlife, the researchers faced gruelling difficulties posed by the dangerous radiation emitted from Jupiter and the intense cold and tremendous pressure of the Europan ocean. Despite all their hardships, Earth-born colonists were able to construct a handful of habitable outposts where a new way of life developed over many decades. A new system of governance was formed by a coalition of the largest, most influential cities on the moon. Sub-aquatic travel and vehicles are in a key role in this new society, scouting for new inhabitable locations, protecting citizens from creature attacks and establishing supply lines between stations as humanity ventures ever deeper to evade the lethal radiation from Jupiter above. The life of a crewmember aboard one of these submarines is a lucrative one, albeit dangerous and often short. You've decided to rise to the challenge and establish a crew of your own. Now, with your newly bought [submarine] docked at [location], the waters of Europa open up before you—explore, help expand the colonies, and make of this place what you will. |
„ |
–Campaign Introduction |
Map
The Map is the navigation system displaying the crew's current Location and different paths leading to other destinations with any Missions the player has picked up from the Outpost. It can be accessed through the overlay which appears on top of the screen when the player chooses to leave the Location near the docking area. Alternatively, the player may access the Map by using their sub's Navigation Terminal/Status Monitor in the Command Room and choosing to undock the sub from the Outpost.
The Map is displayed on a grid, 2 squares high and 15 squares wide. Squares are greyed out until they are travelled to. The crew starts their journey on the left side of the Map and progressively ventures deeper into the heart of Europa to the right. The further they go, the deeper, and the harder levels will get.
The two main elements on the map are Locations (outposts or empty locations) and Passageways (dashes forming a path between two Locations). When travelling from one Location to another, the crew must make their way through a Level, steering the submarine from the entrance to the exit. Locations and passageways the crew has set foot in will be highlighted in green.
There are five Biomes, each having their own difficulty, resources, and depth: from left to right, the Cold Caverns, the Europan Ridge, the Aphotic Plateau, the Great Sea, and the Hydrothermal Wastes.
Locations
There are 8 types of locations throughout Europa's oceans.
Natural Formation
Natural Formations are uninhabited locations that are relatively fit for colonization. Since there are no Outposts at these locations, submarine crews are advised to restock on supplies and heal at Outposts before going into Natural Formations.
- Each turn, Natural Formations have a 20% chance of transforming into a Habitation Outpost within the next 1 - 2 turns if there is a Colony within 3 locations and no adjacent Hunting Grounds.
- If a Colony is within 2 locations, an additional 10% is added to the transformation chance.
- If a Beacon Station within 2 locations, an additional 20% is added to the transformation chance.
End Location
The End Location is the endpoint of a submarine crew's journey to the center of the Eye of Europa.
Reaching this location will "end" the campaign, teleporting a submarine and its crew along with everything they've gathered back to their starting outpost, letting them start anew but with level difficulties set to the max for their biomes, along with the map being reset and hidden again.
Outposts
Outposts are where the citizens of Europa have made their cities and towns. Most people reside in these outposts, the rest being part of submarine crews. Outposts have a variety of uses, from military to research to mining.
Each turn:
- All populated outposts have a 50% chance of transforming into an Abandoned Outpost within the next 1 round if they are next to Hunting Grounds.
- All populated outposts will transform into Abandoned Outposts after 10 turns of being in Jovian Radiation.
- Habitation Outposts have a 20% chance of transforming into a Military, Research, or Mining outpost within the next 2 - 5 turns if there are no Hunting Grounds within 2 locations.
- Military Outposts have a 20% chance to transform into a Colony within the next 3 - 5 turns if there is a Colony 3 locations away and there are no Hunting Grounds within 2 locations.
- Research Outposts have a 20% chance to transform into a Colony within the next 2 - 4 turns if there is a Colony 3 locations away and there are no Hunting Grounds within 2 locations.
- Mining Outposts have a 15% chance to transform into a Colony within the next 2 - 4 turns if there is a Colony 3 locations away and there are no Hunting Grounds within 2 locations.
Abandoned Outpost
Abandoned Outposts are the result of other outposts succumbing to Jovian Radiation or nearby Hunting Grounds.
Abandoned Outposts are distinct from other outposts in that they are solely inhabited by either bandits or monsters that must be wiped out in order to restore the outpost.
- Abandoned Outposts will transform into Habitation Outposts within the next 2 - 3 turns once a submarine's crew has liberated the outpost from unwanted intruders.
- Additionally, the recovered Habitation Outposts will be prevented from transforming again for 5 turns.
Habitation Outpost
Habitation Outposts are the first outpost type established to provide a base for development into a different outpost when certain requirements are met.
Military Outpost
Military Outposts are one of the three specialized outpost types scattered across Europa, mostly occupied by Coalition security forces. These outposts feature prison cells and secure armories which are accessible only to Outpost Security.
Research Outpost
Research Outposts are one of the three specialized outpost types scattered across Europa, mostly occupied by researchers studying surrounding fauna. Research Outpost contain state-of-the-art laboratories filled with electronics, terminals, and isolation cells for test subjects.
Mining Outpost
Mining Outposts are one of the three specialized outpost types scattered across Europa, mostly occupied by miners. Its interior can be distinguished from other Outposts by its unique mineshaft section.
Colony
Colonies are the largest type of outpost. Colonies will not transform into other outpost types. This means that every location on the map, with the exception of the End Location, will eventually become a Colony if there are no Hunting Grounds or Jovian Radiation is disabled.
Passageways
Passageways are the network of caves between reachable locations, and where the majority of submariners' lives take place.
Some passageways have structures, such as Alien Ruins, Wrecks and Beacon Stations.
Others also have monsters lying in wait under the main cavern, ready to take down any unfortunate submarine that wanders into the Abyss.
Hunting Grounds
Hunting Grounds are passageways with a particularly troublesome Abyss monster. Hunting Grounds can prevent certain locations from transforming and cause Outposts to become abandoned.
The Coalition will reward anybody who can venture into the Abyss and kill the monster. A reputation bonus and cash reward will be given to the submarine crew who kills the monster and makes the area safe to inhabit.
Entering a passageway with a Hunting Grounds will automatically add the Hunting Grounds mission as a secondary objective.
Hunting grounds can only appear on levels with more than 25% difficulty, with a maximum probability of 30% per level at 100% difficulty.
Beacon Stations
Beacon Stations have the opposite function of Hunting Grounds; increasing the chance for an Empty Location to be settled and become an Outpost by 20%.
However, they are initially inactive and must be activated in order for this to be effective. The Coalition will also give a cash reward and reputation bonus to whoever manages to reactivate the Beacon Station.
Entering a level containing a Beacon Station will automatically add the Activate Beacon mission as a secondary objective.
Locked Passages
There are two passageways to a new Biome: one controlled by the Coalition, one by the Separatists.
At the entrance to a new Biome, the controlling faction unlocks the passage to those with good reputation, or to those who are willing to make a hefty "donation".
Submarine crews must speak to the outpost officer to gain access, however they will not allow passage unless the crew's reputation is satisfactory or the bribe is paid.
Below is a table with the required reputation and bribe amounts needed to enter each biome.
Biome | Reputation | Bribe |
---|---|---|
Europan Ridge | 30 | 2,000 mk |
The Aphotic Plateau | 40 | 4,000 mk |
The Great Sea | 50 | 8,000 mk |
Hydrothermal Wastes | 75 | 16,000 mk |
Depth Warnings
Depending on a Submarine's Crush Depth and the location's starting depth, one of these icons may be displayed.
A yellow icon signals that the depth at the start of the passageway is able to be handled by a submarine, though the passageway may require the submarine to go below crush depth.
A red icon signals that the depth at the start of the passageway is already beyond reach of the submarine, and its hull will quickly give in to the pressure.
Factions
Factions are groups and organizations throughout Europa operating independently, each with their own agenda.
There are 4 Factions in Europa, listed below.
Europa Coalition
“ | The autocratic de facto superpower of Europa, with a distributed bureaucracy and an iron grip on the resources, manufacturing and power within Europan society. They rule by fear, and have a reputation for shutting disobedient colonies and outposts out of the supply loop, or simply subjugating them by direct force. Their motivation is ultimately to preserve humanity, but at any cost, and preferably with the status quo left intact. | „ |
–In-game description |
The Coalition is the most prominent faction on Europa; essentially the de facto government of Europa. It began as a trade agreement between two prominent settlements roughly a century before the events of Barotrauma, at a time when exonationalism, or the belief that Europa was no mere colony but an independent world, was coming about and gaining popularity. The leaders of these pro-Europan settlements pooled their resources and hired paramilitary groups to defend their investments and trade routes, funneling currency and power to where they needed them the most.
The Coalition expanded their reach, allying with friendly settlements and taking over other ones which were not equally keen on joining. Soon enough, they controlled most of the important trade routes and industry on Europa and were well on their way to becoming the government of the moon. Their goal: to see Europa come into its own, without Earth’s oversight.
A few decades later, after contact with Earth was suddenly lost and Europan society threatened to fall into complete chaos, the Coalition’s established system of trade and governance became even more important. Legislation developed by the Coalition, such as the Resource Balancing and Control Act, further cemented their rule by regulating trade with settlements which opposed the Coalitions’ ideology.
The noble goal of the Coalition is to keep Europa safe and preserve humanity in an age where Earth has gone silent and there might be no motherworld to return to. Keeping the peace comes with its complications, however, and when the situation demands it, the Coalition will not shy away from using force. It has the military prowess to protect its citizens from horrible monsters, dangerous anarchists, and religious zealots. This has led to the Coalition gaining staunch supporters as well as sworn enemies – most notably the Jovian Separatists.
Over the years, the Coalitions’ power and influence have become extensive. The Coalition, led by a handful of elected Captains, controls trade and manufacturing and acts as the pillar of civil society on Europa. They believe firm control is needed, as the environment and social and political tensions pose ever-growing threats. Someone has to be in charge, and the Coalition has proven itself strong enough to bear the burden of power.
Jovian Separatists
“ | A small, underground organization seeking a more democratic society by any means, from petty resistance to full-blown terrorism, all with the end goal of disrupting the ability of the Europa Coalition to function, and to undermine its authority. | „ |
–In-game description |
“ | Many Europan outposts don't recognize the Coalition's authority, although it is still powerful enough that few dare to openly oppose it. However, there are groups such as the Jovian Separatists who do fight against it, aiming to bring it down and create a more democratic society. | „ |
–Loading screen tip |
The Jovian Separatists is a somewhat loosely organized group striving for a more democratic Europa. The group originates from a political party called the Jovian People’s Movement. The JPM was formed around the same time as the Coalition, and was in direct opposition to the political ideals and methods of their rival. The JPM wanted to build a democratic society on Europa through nonviolent means and model it after earlier civilizations on Earth. The Movement amassed a large number of supporters and became a noteworthy challenger to the Coalition in the general election of Europa.
A couple of weeks before the election was going to take place, however, there was a nuclear disaster in the colony of Tormsdale, the unofficial headquarters of the JPM and the independent colonies. The reactor meltdown and ensuing explosion dealt a devastating blow to the Movement, with many of their supporters among the deceased.
Despite this tragedy, the election was not rescheduled, and the crippled JPM could not gather enough votes to overtake the Coalition. Tensions boiled over and attacks were made against Coalition submarines and outposts. Even though the leaders of the JPM denounced the acts of violence, the party was declared a terrorist organization. Not long after, the JPM was no more and the Jovian Separatists rose from its remains.
After decades of Europa remaining firmly under the rule of the Coalition, the Jovian Separatists have slowly but surely regained their foothold. They have once again grown strong enough to provide a challenge for the Coalition, with multiple outposts joining the fight for freedom.
The Church of Husk
“ | A mysterious and outlawed religious group with a transhumanist twist, they seek 'communion' with the husk parasite in order to usher in a new kind of humanity, one more capable of surviving in this harsh environment, more in tune with the local ecosystem, and devoid of pride, hatred, fear, or complex thought. Hated equally by the Europa Coalition and the Jovian separatists. | „ |
–In-game description |
The Church worships the alien species Velonaceps calyx, more commonly known as the husk parasite, which makes itself at home in an unsuspecting victim’s throat, eventually turning them into a mindless monster. That does not sound like a fate anyone would choose willingly, but the Church believes the husk holds the key to humanity’s survival on Europa.
As the husk takes over, the body undergoes a dramatic transformation which allows it to withstand the pressure and coldness of the Europan ocean. This transformation is what the Church pursues, through prayer and study. They believe the husk is the next step in human evolution, a chance to overcome our physical limitations and thrive. Their goal is a true symbiotic relationship, where the husk grants the body incredible resilience, but the host’s mind is not lost in the process. It’s not death they seek… it’s transcendence.
While not without nobility in their beliefs, the Church’s history has seen many sordid turns: allegations have been made of forcible communion to join an unwilling or unaware human with the husk, of ritual sacrifice, drug use, murder, and cannibalism. One of the Church’s leaders, the notorious and wildly colorful Jacov Subra, initially popularized the Church as an “alternative music festival”, but it has outgrown that facade many times over, both in scope and seriousness. Their days of public debauchery seem to be in the past, and their sermons are now held in more privacy. This has allowed them to become, if not quite accepted, at least more broadly tolerated in Europan society in recent years.
Children of The Honkmother
“ | Every once in a while, these minstrels, fools and clowns attempt to form unions, and names like "Europan Jesters' Association" pop up. In truth, the Honkmother's children are a less-than-organized lot who simply heed the call of the bikehorn. | „ |
–In-game description |
“ | “Funny little fuckers, aren’t they?” Mike leans back in his chair. It squeaks in protest. “The legend has it that a cargo ship carrying entertainment supplies wrecked somewhere near Uusi-Turcu. They recovered a single survivor weeks later. She was wearing a striped shirt, rubber mask and gibbering something about a “Honkmother” who had kept her company.” He picks his nose and pensively inspects his findings. “Ever since, there’s been a group of ‘em what worships the Honkmother.” “Really?” you ask, enthralled. He flicks the booger off. “No. But that’s all I got.” | „ |
–Mike the Idiot |
Perhaps the most baffling of all the Europan factions are the clowns. Some say the faction came to be as a result of the failed Coalition initiative to hire 'professional entertainers' to help crews cope with the stress and paranoia of working in the claustrophobic confines of their submarine. Some say they're just people who've lost it. And who in the heavens is the Honkmother?
These are questions that the clowns, or the Children of the Honkmother, seem to take great pleasure in not answering. In fact, they seem to take pleasure in most things in life, large or small. They are unfazed by the ever-present turmoil around them, and while their antics may cause no end of grief to other people, there doesn’t appear to be any real menace behind them. They are despised by all the other factions, yet the Children of the Honkmother call no one enemy.
However, there does seem to be some consistency to their ramblings, some recurring turns of phrase, some concepts they all share. It’s almost as if they know something other Europans don’t. The clown philosophy is so obscure it stretches the notion of religion, yet they all sing the same tune.
Reputation
The Reputation system affects how Factions, and the Outposts under their control, relate to the crew. High reputation, for example, can allow for discounts for supplies at Outposts or unlock special Events with factions. Low reputation may turn Outposts hostile towards the players and hostile Faction submarines might attempt a surprise attack in levels.
Reputation is a point based system that goes between -100 to 100 points. Certain reputation values are also given names - < -60 is Hostile, -60 - -21 is Unfriendly, -20 - 19 is Neutral, 20 - 59 is Friendly, and >60 is Revered.
All factions have unique starting reputation - 15 for the Europa Coalition, -10 for the Jovian Seperatists, -5 for The Church of Husk, and -5 for the Children of The Honkmother.
The simplest ways to change a faction's reputation are to steal items or hurt its inhabitants on the factions outposts, which will lower reputation or to complete missions, which will raise reputation.
Reputation can also be changed through Events.
Certain events require specific faction reputations, including blocked connections on the map, which will not open without enough Europa Coalition or Jovian Separatists reputation.
Outposts
Events
Main article: Events
Events are random occurrences the crew may encounter while at an Outpost. For each outpost, there is a chance that a randomized event may occur in a certain area of the Outpost or after a specific amount of time.
Some events require specific skills or reputation, and can change the outcome of the event depending on those factors.
In Multiplayer, if a player triggers an event but decides to ignore it via choosing the option to do so, a different player may still be able to trigger it. This is especially useful if the character doing a particular event isn't qualified enough to get the best result, but someone else in the crew is. However, this condition does not apply to every event.
The outcome of these events, for example, may affect a factions' reputation, reward the player with useful or exotic items.
Not all event outcomes are good however, and some can land the crew in a bad place. This is why it is essential to understand which options lead to which outcomes.
NPCs
NPCs are the inhabitants and staff of Outposts.
The majority of NPCs on an outpost are just people living at the outpost.
Some NPCs, however, are Interactable NPCs such as the Store and Shipyard NPCs. These NPCs have icons above their head that tell the player where they are once they enter an Outpost.
Players can interact with these NPCs to buy items, upgrade their submarine, hire new crew members and more.
Store
Main article: Store
The Merchant NPC allows players to buy and sell Items.
This NPC has a red shopping cart bubble above their head.
Crew Management
The HR Manager NPC allows players to hire, fire and rename bot crew members.
This NPC has a light-blue avatar bubble above their head.
The hiring price for new crew only depends on the sum of all their skill levels and is not affected by reputation.
Crew can be hired by pressing the button next to their name, then clicking the "Validate Hires" button on the bottom-right.
Existing crew and pending hires can be renamed by clicking their name, entering a new name and clicking the "Confirm" button.
Newly-hired crew will board the submarine once it is undocked.
Note that crew members who die during a round cannot respawn and are lost forever, unless revived with Console Commands before changing levels.
The pool of hireable crew members is mostly random in any outpost, although different Jobs are more available than others at certain types of outposts.
The table below shows the commonness of each job type for each outpost type.
Shipyard
Main article: Shipyard
The two Shipyard NPCs let players upgrade and repair their sub, or purchase an entirely new one.
Buying and exchanging submarines, plus upgrading and maintaining them are the services the Shipyard provides for the crew's vessel. As the player progresses through the Campaign, so should their sub, especially if they have to start out with their Dugong, a barely armed rustbucket, and the Shipyard's services can help with bettering its hulls and devices. Or the player can outright purchase a much bigger, tougher, and more advanced sub in place of the old tin can, provided they have the funds for any of the above.
The Shipyard comprises 2 sectors that either share the same area or are practically next to each other, the Maintenance bay sector where new Submarines can be purchased and the Reactor sector that provides Upgrades to the currently selected sub.
The Maintenance bay is run by the Mechanic with the Sub icon above them and the Reactor sector is run by the engineering crew chief with the Upgrade icon above them.
Upgrades & Repairs
Main article: Shipyard#Upgrades
The Chief Mechanic NPC lets players purchase upgrades, repair submarines and recover lost shuttles.
This NPC has a green chevron bubble above their head.
Purchasing upgrades is vital to finishing a campaign, as submarines will not be able to go to the depths of the end of the campaign without hull upgrades.
Upgrades purchased on one submarine carry over to other submarines, except for different turrets, which are unique to each submarine.
Submarine Purchasing
Main article: Shipyard#Submarine
The Submarine Merchant NPC lets players purchase and switch between other available submarines.
This NPC has a light-green submarine bubble above their head.
Some submarine tiers cannot be purchased until later biomes have been reached.
Outpost Type | Cold Caverns | Europan Ridge | The Aphotic Plateau | The Great Sea | Hydrothermal Wastes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colony | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 3 |
Habitation | Tier 1 | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
Military | Tier 1 | Tier 1 Attack T2 |
Tier 2 | Tier 2 Attack T3 |
Tier 3 |
Research | Tier 1 | Tier 1 Scout T2 |
Tier 2 | Tier 2 Scout T3 |
Tier 3 |
Mining | Tier 1 | Tier 1 Transport T2 |
Tier 2 | Tier 2 Transport T3 |
Tier 3 |
Purchasing higher tier submarines is recommended if the player wishes to venture deeper into Europa. Only submarines with tier 3 hull upgrades can withstand the pressure to complete the final level.
The five default tier 3 submarines are: the Typhon 2, the Remora, the Kastrull, the Winterhalter and the Berilia.
In Singleplayer, all installed submarines are available.
In Multiplayer, available submarines need to be selected in a list before starting the campaign. However, the starting submarine does not have to be selected in this list to be used.
Medical Clinic
The Outpost Doctor NPC offers medical treatment to crew, in exchange for money.
This NPC has a red cross bubble on their chest.
Players can heal their crew members by talking to the NPC, clicking the crew member's name, selecting the afflictions to heal and then pressing the "Heal" button on the bottom-right.
Afflictions will require more money to treat based on their severity, and certain afflictions (Husk Infection, Psychosis and Radiation Sickness to name a few) will require much more money to heal than normal afflictions.
Missions
Main article: Missions
Missions can be acquired by speaking to NPCs with white chat bubbles over their head.
Missions are not required to complete a campaign, though they are the easiest way to gain money and reputation.
An Outpost can provide a maximum of 4 missions per visit, 5 with certain special Events. One NPC, the manager of the station, will give out 3 missions. Another random NPC will give another mission, typically a Cargo or Monster mission.
Missions received in a Campaign are identical to those of the separate Mission game mode in Multiplayer.
To choose a mission when departing, a player must first select a destination, then click on the mission in the box that appears. When the mission is selected, it will have a checkmark to the left of its name. Missions can be unselected by clicking on the mission a second time.
Missions will persist even if they are not taken, and can be finished at a different time. Missions will only be reset once a campaign is finished. Additionally, undocking and redocking to an outpost will immediately replenish its acquirable missions.
Trivia
- The Europan Mark takes its name from the historical Finnish currency, Markka.
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