
My usual strategy was to just reset if I didn't get the pod in 1-3 sectors. It also has a very strong start, so you don't have to worry much about dying. The plating ensures a 100% chance to recover the pod and you get an achievement for reaching the hidden sector on that ship anyway. I basically grinded on the Rock Cruiser until I got it. WIth the Crystal Ship it took quite a while. I just used a guide to hit the right sectors and hope for the best. I got it legitimately, like with all the ship unlocks.
#Ftl faster than light cryskam mod
My Balance Mod () makes it very slightly easier as well, by letting Tier 3 Shields also offer the same blue option Rock Plating does. The latest version of the game makes the quest slightly easier (you get a highlighted beacon in the Rock Homeworld if you make it that far). And if you're strictly going for the unlock, play on Easy and reset if the sector map cannot have the right sectors in the right order. The Stealth A instead offers Long-Range Scanners - if you know what type of beacons you're looking for this can narrow down your search significantly. The latter two give you Rock Plating, which offers a blue option to guarantee the Stasis Pod when you find the right event.

If you still want to try and unlock it yourself the old fashioned way: Use either The Nesasio, the Bulwark, or the Shivan. It is a hefty requirement and definitely has a level of BS to it, but there are alternatives. You aren't being *forced* to unlock it yourself even if you want to play the ships.
You can also use simple mods to force the unlocks for your save, or find a save file with a world generated where you can unlock the Crystal Cruiser. If you really want the ship unlock that desperately, it's trivial to download someone else's save file and use it.
