Fuel @ Depots
Since we started giving away large amounts of fuel this year we have seen a steady build up in the amount of fuel available to players in their private Fuel Depot Accounts. You may not even be aware you have any. Many of the competitions we ran over Xmas, New Year and subsequent 'festive periods' gave 'Server Wide' fuel bonuses.
There is currently 4,097,428 units of fuel in the collective Fuel depots waiting to be collected and used! So if you're unsure go visit a depot today and check! - Of course you can also purchase a Black Raven fuel transfer pod and 'save your own fuel'. An excellent add-on to your gaming experience if you only play once or twice a week.
Pod Discount Still active
There is a still a 20% discount running on all pods till the beginning of April, so still a few days left to snag a bargain should you feel inclined.
Black Gold
There are still some of you wandering around with unclaimed valid serials for the St Patricks 'Black Gold' event we have been running. You only have till the 1st of April to hand those in then the serials will expire in time for an Easter event! Yowza this has been a few bumper weeks for give-aways! Certainly kept me busy!
Project Next Step
The scientists and engineers in the Expanse are still waiting for the safe return of all their equipment. Lt Lutac Quire has been asked to arrange collection of these crates at Port Ross in Franklyn. Read more on this here. You may have picked up some of these crates without even realising it.
Don't forget 'Project Next Step' once completed will allow for the 'Settling' of the Expanse. Rumour has it a new Settlement Hub will be required for placing sets in the Expanse but that's what 'Project Next Step' is there to work out.
Settlements Come & Go
I wont list them here, but the settlement list HERE is up-to-date. We saw the removal of two Settlements this month and the addition of two more. Currently settlement ownership stands at 106. Morale is high in all bar 9 of these. Don't forget before setting up base on a settlement ALWAYS check out the owner and the settlement Morale (shown when docked).
We have a nice 'addon' for Settlements coming very soon, this enables a Set owner to invoke their right to 'Close and Remove' their settlement. This will not be an entirely pain free option BUT it will allow someone who wants to either pack up and move to another location, or some one who feels sets are not for them to gracefully back out. More on this as it arrives.
Hangars Are a Go
We've been harping on about hangars for the last few weeks so I wont say much other than they are there and players are beginning to use them. We've even had out first 'UHL Festive Purchases' showing that it IS possible to purchase them in game.
More and more players are beginning to see the benefit to these Hangar Licenses and the ability to swap into an alternate ship with ease (refined strip process) plus the ability to re-coops a LOT more funds on your old ships by selling them to players rather than trading them in at a massive loss to the ship store.
Festive Periods
Perhaps just a small clarification on the Festive Periods and also what they mean to you as players. Festive Periods are blocks of days / weeks where we 'designate' a festive period for promoting in game 'activities' like mass give-aways or 'Festive Events' Some are standard events, some exploration based and some random awards based on play activity in the last 24 hours. either way we try our best to involve everyone and give everyone a chance to 'collect' festive items.
These show up in your 'Misc' store and can be filtered as Festive Gifts. Some have in game value to others or specific 'goals' but ALL have a festive Trade value. This means you can take them to the Festive Store in Kendra and trade them in. From there you can purchase a number of in game items and also things like PA time and Universal Hangar Licenses. Currently there are 297 different things you can spend the Festive Trade points on!
So far we have added the following Festive Periods to CE.
Christmas
New Year
Halloween
Guy Fawkes
Ground Hog Day
Valentines
St Patricks
We will be covering the coming 'Easter' and will always try to make an announcement when a new period is added. These periods are your 'prime time' to not only collect freebies and festive trade-ins but we also open the 'Festive Side to the CE Store' This is ONLY open during these periods so keep a close eye on it.
New Projects
We have several new 'add-on' projects on the Go atm, one relates to Pirates and the addition of a new career path for them, one is to continue the growth of the items available in the expanse including more Resources and the release of Alien Schematics.
The long term work on Sets Level 6 and the Player made Ships and Star-base construction systems is still in the works, don't worry its not a dead end just a LOT of code
OK that's enough from me - see you out there!