Finding psychic wave machines

[Dr. Z]

Whenever a psychic wave event is triggered, it says something about a "distant machine" that causes it. Now that we have the world map and the site system, why not make these things present on the planet? Of course these wouldn't just be marked on your map. Here are some suggestions on how you could find them:

1. They could spawn next to some kind of remarkable terrain. My current planet generated a small valley surrounded by impassable mountains. A lonely island could also be suited for that. You could then form a caravan and investigate these places.
2. When a psychic wave event is triggered, it could give you some suggestion of the direction it's originating from.
3. If you have a really high standing or complete an important quest for a faction, they could give you the location of such a device, but that should be the exception.

Once found you could then use them and target your allies or enemies with it, at a substantial resource cost of course, giving you the opportunity to improve your relation with friendly factions and make enemy camps tear themselves apart in psychotic rage. Control of the intensity and exact effect of the machine could be research opportunities.
However, you are not the only ones searching for these things so you would have to defend them against enemy attacks or may find them already occupied by another faction. All in all I would say this could make for some interesting late game content and give the players the opportunity to engage in some larger scale planetary campaigns and tactics.

[NeverPire]

It could be interesting but keep in mind psychic waves have a duration of only a few days, so in most of the cas you couldn't reach the place before it's end.

However, it could greatly combine with the idea of mechanoids base.

[Dr. Z]

Not sure what you mean. If you mean the machine itself, it would of course be permanently in one place. I imagine a huge building or even a complex consisting of several buildings, build by an ancient civilization to send psychic waves across the whole planet, not like a device which you drop down.

In case you mean the target of the wave, you could just position your attack force right outside the target area and use the wave as support, or let the outpost destroy itself with a massive wave.

[Numar]

Certainly an interesting idea for future map event updates. I'm currently preparing a suggestion thread for world map related features and events will be a part of it. Finding the cause for psychic waves will be included, great idea, thanks! Didn't really think of already existing events.

[NeverPire]

With the same "distant" word, you have also the volcanic winter event (why not a volcano in the world map) and the toxif fallout one (a devasted chemical factory could be the cause, even if in the decription, they only speak about distant chemical fire).