There are hundreds of different encounters in the PC game FTL: Faster Than Light. Space battles are generally rather similar, depending on the layout of your ship, but text encounters vary greatly. In a text encounter, sometimes you will have a blue option. Blue options are universally better than normal options, but can only be unlocked by possessing a specific piece of equipment, specific system upgrade, a specific race of crew member. A Rockman crew member can provide you blue options in six different encounters, including one that can unlock an entirely new ship for you. The following guide to Rockmen crew member blue options will help you maximize your chance of finding and taking advantage of these options in FTL: Faster Than Light.
Crystal Racial Testing – This event is one of the rarest in the game, because it only occurs in the Hidden Crystal Worlds, which can only be reached by another event and only through a convoluted means. The Rockman blue option offers good rewards, but if you happen to have the Backup DNA Bank augmentation, the rewards for that option are even better. The normal options are mediocre at best. Thankfully, it should be nearly impossible to reach the Hidden Crystal Worlds without a Rockman among your crew.
Toast With a Slug – Drinking with a Slug is nearly as rare as having Crystal perform unethical experiments on people. You can only find this event in a Slug sector. The event will be at a distress beacon and a ship will be detected if you have Long-Ranged Sensors. Your Rockman blue option has a chance of ending in a battle, but this is still a better option than both normal options. The first could end with you losing scrap and the second always ends in a battle.
Space Station Fire – The Space Station Fire event is one of the most common distress beacon events in the game. Conveniently, the Rockman blue option is arguably the best option for completing the event. You receive a random augmentation when you complete the event this way. The only other possibly good reward comes from the normal option of docking with the station. This has a chance to get you a new crew member, but can also damage your ship. If you are desperate for crew, take that option, but otherwise take this blue option.
Mining Colony Disease – The Mining Colony Disease is almost as common as a Space Station Fire, except that it never occurs in rebel sectors. It is also found at a distress beacon that doesn’t detect a ship to Long-Ranged Scanners. Sending in a Rockman will earn you moderate rewards. If you happen to have an Engi crew member as well, the rewards are the same no matter which crew member you use, so you can just pick based on aesthetics.
Lost Rock Transport – This event can only occur in the Uncharted Nebula sector at a beacon that has a Plasma Storm environmental hazard. If you happen to find this exact situation, and you can afford to fight in that setting if this event doesn’t occur, then approach. Both normal options are bad, but the Rockman blue option is actually entirely beneficial. Since it always give you fuel to take it, this jump will never cost you unless you went backwards to make it.
Rockmen Hunting Mantis Ship – When you enter this sector you will find a Mantis ship covered with Rockmen parts. While awful, surprisingly the ship isn’t a direct threat if you decide to ignore it. This is a rare situation where the blue option is actually inferior to all normal options. If you allow your Rockman to speak, you have to fight the ship and the battle starts with boarders on your ship. It is better just to engage in the battle normally, if that is what you wish. If you happen to be flying a Rock Cruiser, you will have the option to ram the enemy ship. This option also starts a battle, but the enemy ship starts damaged. This is by far the best of the three combat options.
