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This is our cue to undertake an optional minigame if we wish. There are quite a few conversation topics, from the mundane (eg chatting about holodancers) to the serious (eg concerns about messing with AI). Since they add colour to the game world, they can be interesting; unfortunately the discussions cannot be sped up or skipped , and there are only a finite number, so in the end it is possible to get frustrated by them. This is where the 'Borderless Windowed mode' comes in handy as Alt+Tab to (eg) a website cuts the audio but lets you see how things progress, if you keep the website window clear of the subtitles. Similarly, while hunting for Smalltalk, you can do the same thing to pass the time while waiting for someone to start speaking. That's what I do anyway 
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- Bunk rooms on all docks tend to hold up to ~8 NPCs so smalltalk normally starts within 10-20 seconds.
- Generally, Administration platforms house permanent unhirable station crew, which can help when recruiting Trade Agents.
- In DeVries a A handy place is the Engineering platform as groups of NPCs tend to be right at the docking platform, although there tend to be fewer NPCs per dock
- In Albion or DeVries a handy good spot is the Trade platform since groups can hang around at the end of the first corridor.
- In Fields Of Opportunity|Verdant Profit|TU Overwatch, there are normally many Teladi in the main, central docking area.
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- Ask for: Discount... (If NPC is a Trader they will offer a Personal Discount discount for their wares (eg marines or rough gemstones) as well as a Station discount option; for all other NPCs the discount will apply to the (docked) station only - see below).
- -not used-
- Ask about: Job Applicant (offers the location and skills of a different NPC available to hire by Otani<player> on the current dock). If no other hirable NPC exists this option will be unavailable
- Trade Updates (see below as not all NPCs offer it); they unlock continuous, real-time market info for the NPC's station. This is not the same effect as posession of Trading Computer sofware).
- Give: Item... (give a craftable gift that unlocks level 2 of smalltalk).
- -not used-
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- Ask for: Discount... (a higher-quality version of the discount available at level 1 above)
- -not used-
- Ask about: Job Applicant (different to level 1 and 3 smalltalks, so perhaps the range setting is station or possibly a higher-lvl NPC will be offered? - needs checking)
- -not used-
- Continue: Smalltalk (hard) (successful completion of a second smalltalk (quicker reactions needed) unlocks unlocks level 3 of smalltalk)
- -not used-
Level 3 smalltalk** (only available via level 2 smalltalk successoption 5)
- Extended Discount. (lasts a long time; probably the same numerical discount as level 2)
- -not used-
- Best Job Applicant (offers the location and skills of an NPC of a chosen type with the best, previously unknown skills, in the zoneZone)
- Ask for: Employee training (source of Virtual Seminars - see below)
- -not used-
- -not used-
* A score of 7+ or more across 2 or 3 minigames. 8+ is required across 2 minigames to access L2 smalltalk (if you require 3 games the L2 'Give..' option is disabled))
** A score of 4+ on all for each of 3 minigames.
Trade Agents
These will only be offered by a subset of NPCs.
NPCs that can offer Trade Updates:
Inventory item traders (eg Food Merchant, Arms Dealer, Recruitment Officer or Black Marketeer).
License broker
Mechanic
Police Chief
Ship Dealer (unconfirmed)
Specialist
Non-hirable station crew (they are working on the station) - typically found on Administration platforms (ie Defense Officer, Engineer, Manager).
NPCs that never offer Trade Updates:
Architect (even if they are working on plot-rated NPC CVs)
Hirable crew if they are available for hire (ie Defense Officer, Engineer, Manager but NOT Specialists: Specialists will always offer Trade Updates atm (v4b6)).
Your own hired (green as opposed to blue NPCs) crew if on your own station (v4b6 - needs checking)
Discounts for stations or traders
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Completion of the second smalltalk allows us to ask for 'Virtual Seminars', which are unique easiest to come by via Smalltalk (they're now (v4) occasionally available via mission rewards or yellow lockboxes too). They are available for various potentially important skills, such as Engineering, Leadership and Morale: a Training Manual Seminar can be used to add one star to the related skill of any one of your hired NPC's primary, bold-highlighted skills (eg only Engineering for Engineers, but Leadership or Navigation for a Captain), to a maximum of 5 stars. Exactly which Training Manual Seminar you may be offered relates to the primary skills or the type of the NPC in question so it is somewhat random, in the sense that it is random as to which NPC may begin a smalltalk. Boarding experience for Marine Officers can only be gained through.. heh.. experience, and it's slow (around +(2d6+2)% per successful boarding)! So , so be warned!
These seminars are only available via the Give (craftable) Gift option, after the first smalltalk was completed with a score of 8+ points in 2 minigames and if the second smalltalk was completed with a score of 4+ points in all 3 minigames. A higher (maximum?) score in the second minigame stage can increase the range of seminars, depending upon the smalltalked NPC's class. <Player> can only pick 1 seminar as the prize, no matter how good the score.
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