I received useful feedback after posting the encounter elsewhere, particularly the suggestion to present the alternative resolution through the existing combat HUD.
The platform now receives a cyan “STABILIZER TARGET” reticle once its required subsystems are disabled. The HUD confirms “STABILIZER TARGET ACQUIRED”, Ravi’s skill changes to “RAVI // SAFE MODE”, and the game reports whether the stabilizer is within range and whether containment is progressing.
Players can still complete the encounter by continuing to fire, though this results in the forced-disable outcome. The goal was to make the safe-mode path visible during combat, while leaving the decision with the player.
I also published a longer dev log covering this change, the removal of temporary character voices, and the latest visual and audio feedback pass:
When Working Mechanics Are Not Enough: Improving Through Player Feedback in Project Aether
The next step is to test whether players notice the safe-mode option and understand it without my explanation.