Best Starting Contact and Why

[drspendlove]

I'd like to put together a video for Youtube going over peoples' favorite starting contact choices with justifications for why each starting contact choice is so good. Please choose a contact, and justify why it is the BEST contact to choose when you start your game.

[Aimstrong]

Please note that I deliberately not chosen a locked contact (FDF Commander or Blackheart)
Blackheart on high-tech world allows you to dump xeno artefacts starting midgame (w/o mentioning having access to pirates) and early MOs is really helping your recruiting/patrolling/combat capabilities

Ex-Spy is (for me) one of the most important ones to choose early. They help the player in the following categories:
- gain Personal/Effective reputation with your key contacts (or factions) via selling of intel
- winning early conflicts which translates into more influence for your faction contacts via spying/selling intel (keep your chosen contacts at high influence – knowing all their traits helps immensely)
- these first 2 points snowball quickly into recruiting higher lvl specialists and higher Military Gear: Whisper Tactset (+2 Quickness, +20% Deflection, +10% Parry, +10% Dodge) best is slot in my opinion early-start of mid game (based on how quickly one can obtain it)
- easier time doing spying mini-game early (Espionage Sweep) and discovering hidden traits (Close Observation) – this last one I think it’s overlooked by most but for me it’s very important; just imagine you hit a Talent Scout(+2lvl)/ Decorated Vet (+ MO recruits)/Pirates (+ Pirate recruit)/Influential/Saboteur … same goes for staying away from Cult Leader, Traitor etc
After the early game passive intel gains via Unauthorized Access (Boarding) + Secrets Unbound (Landing) will make you swim in intel (getting a High Prince from 0-> max influence via selling intel is super fun!!)
All my ships have 3 Spies in them at one point or another I can’t recommend them enough. For me getting into the influence business early game is more important than other activities like getting more money(via diplomats for example) or more rep gains via patrolling.

PS:I can write my personal biased analysis on all starting contacts(IF it helps).

[drspendlove]

Feel free to speak about your two chosen locked contacts as well. We can do two sections on this. I'd love to hear from other players as well but a few more contacts covered by you like this would be fantastic.

[Aimstrong]

Forgot to mention an important point for the Ex-Spy category:
If your ship stats+ captain attributes permit you to have a decent spying mini-game (it happens mostly starting mid-game), just spying it’s more time efficient than doing spying missions in order to raise their influence or your Personal Rep with that contact.
Ex: 2 days spent spying and you hit an Intel Capture (4-8 intel records) vs spending 3 weeks or more doing a mission (~10-15 influence). This means no space travel, you don’t care about distant quadrants danger, rumors, HW jumps etc.

BlackHeart
This contact combines several key services provided by normal contacts like:
- Combat Armor (mandatory for succeeding in bounty/xenohunting and not losing crew)
- Black Market access (25% more trade value). A clever player will know how to spawn this Contact on a High-Tech world at the start of the game (map scouting + contact order in the captain template) ensuring he will have a home quadrant sale point for all his xeno artefacts (as long as this contact lives). This is very powerful for massive credit gains starting mid-game when the BM really shines
- Offers Pirate recruits: keeping 2-3 Pirates in your crew will improve your space combat capabilities (Barrel Roll +35% Defence= best in slot defence wise), dodging BH encounters (Blackheart Fraud), in blockade minigame (Terror of the Skies), faction rep loss prevention (Menacing Demeanor) and one of the best talents for Salvaging minigame (Nose for Loot) more RTG
- Buys intel: quick way to keep his influence/your Personal Rep high
- sells Faction Rank, Trade Permit, Edicts
- discounted repairs
In my mind Blackheart is like 3 or 4 normal contacts all rolled into one. Too good to pass!


FDF Commander
Having access to Military Officers recruits at the start makes certain aspects of the game much easier:
- Recruiting CC crew and almost always keeping up recruiting talents -- Chain recruiting (as long as you can have Personal rep with the contact): hire a MO with lvl >5, train Recruiter's Eye (Rank 5), check stats and decide to keep or dismiss, recruit another MO, repeat process.
- Patrolling -- MO are the kings of patrol minigame with: Commanding Sweep (+ Faction rep) and Guardian Vigil (Mission Success card)
- SC CC combat: MO has a plethora of cool space and crew combat talents (more than any other class)
- Stiff salute:”NOPE, NO Combat for you” talent vs other MO or Zealots
- CMD and Tactics skill stacking (I generally have 5-8 MO late game and 2-3 in early game always)
- sells Faction Rank, Edicts, Introductions, Discounted Fuel

[violetmistum]

Im gonna go with: Military Commander, Salvage Broker, Starport Commander, and Weapons Dealer. Three of these contacts provide a variety of mission types: Commercial, Military, and Salvaging. Additionally, they provide discounts for fuel and upgrades. Engineers, Mechanics, and Scavengers may not look important but as a player I value fast repair, quick patches, engine manipulation while doing ship combat, during travelling, and while docked in a system. 2 of these contacts provide introductions as well to other contact types. Scavengers also help card manipulation during Salvage card game. Weapons maybe procured also once intel is abundant or on hand. Best of all, these contacts do not require achievements.

[Keukotis]

I'm adding another vote for FDF Commander. Recruiting lots of Military Officers early means building up Command skill pool faster and higher. Command helps you not get hit in ship combat, where getting hit can be literally crippling. No matter your build, ship combat is just always necessary.

You might get lucky with a recruiting rumor early and get a chance to hire Commanders, but FDF Commander guarantees MOs.