Friday 16 January 2015

Galactic oddities - eaten alive

It seems you don't have to go much further than your galactic backyard, so to speak, to find something strange going on.

Dropping in on Ross 780, only a few parsecs from Sol, I was greeted with this spectacular oddity.

So I won't pretend to fully understand solar dynamics, and a sun probably isn't too dense in terms of hydrogen or helium and other light elements. Though it would seem that being rather hot might actually go some way to put the suffering gas giant out of its misery.

Or not.

Eaten alive just about covers it.


Sunday 11 January 2015

Trading enhancements

Just noticed this welcome enhancement to trade items on the commodity trading screen.

There is now information about which economy types will produce and consume the goods. In this case gold is produced by Extraction and Refinery, though I'm fairly sure you already knew that.

This is over and above the "imported from" and "exported to" system lists that have been there for a while now. Very helpful for those players who tend to think in terms of economy type rather than a catalogue of local knowledge about systems visited.


Saturday 10 January 2015

GalNet RSS feed added

Add the story arc posts to your favourite news reader and keep up to date with the events in the game universe.

http://elitedangerous.com/news/galnet/rss

Update 04/7/15: The feed no longer works and is only available on the community GalNet site directly. The GalNet Android app works equally well of you need something for the phone (see comments).

Friday 9 January 2015

USS - Seeking luxuries

This gave me a pleasant surprise.

One of the fun things in the game has been the trading ships that hide away in Unidentified Signal Sources (USS). They would offer to trade items from your cargo hold for credits.

Often a surprise find when you were least expecting, and underused because either didn't have the cargo needed, or weren't inclined to investigate USS on a cargo run.

Not so much these days.

The USS has now been renamed and is visible in supercruise so you know what will be found when you drop in. These ships now advertise for your cargo and profits.

A nice touch to bring this little gem into the mainstream!


Tuesday 6 January 2015

Diary#3: Trading to please

Working for the zealot's permit leaves the hold nearly empty for most trips. Or at least it would if I didn't ply the trade routes to fill it.

There are precious few missions available directly and they still don't trust me completely it seems. At least the authorities leave me alone now, and the station is more civil about docking. The gun crews are still twitchy though: guess it goes with the job description.

Performance enhancers and progenitor cells seem to be most popular at the moment, though that can change when a large batch lands at the dock just before you.

"Ha! Having fun while staying young." The words slip out along with a wry smile, and I'm momentarily distracted from watching the computer's calculations taking place for the next jump.

This is the zealots that we're talking about though. A strange thought crosses my mind, quickly followed by a frown that furrows my brow. What would zealots want with performance enhancers?

That strange question fades away, not gaining any traction, and is replaced by a stranger thought and image.

"There's always someone, somewhere, taking a hot firebrand from a zealot."

I'll have to remember to share that with Stannel, the next time I see him.

Friday 2 January 2015

Outbreak - is Onionhead the cause?

The past two weeks have seen the drug Onionhead being spread far and wide across the Federation. Seen by the politicians as a social malaise, contained forcefully by the military, and as the livelihood of the farmers of Kappa Fornacis. It is a continuing source of escapism by the young.

But that doesn't stop Onionhead being what it is: an alien plant.

Taken recreationally rather than medicinally is there room for Onionhead to bring longer term side effects that are only now starting to emerge?

CMDR Charybdis responded to a medical emergency mission in Tau Ceti last night, one that contained an outbreak. A mission that required agri-medicines to contain.

An outbreak of... what, exactly?





Diary#2: Under contract

The zealots haven't exactly been pleased to see me for a while now. In fact they're still downright hostile about that incident with the gold.

The Ortiz Moreno City flight control warmly welcome me each time: "Your presence will not be tolerated, enemy". The station defences twitch my way, tracking me closely, while the local authority line up some practise target runs against me.

At least I think they're practising, you never can be sure with the zealots.

With only a few stations outside Van Manaan's Star under their control, the opportunities to take on work for this faction are few and far between. Scraps of missions as well. Literally. I mustn't forget the slaves either. There is a continual demand for them. At least I now know one reason why I was chosen.

I'm contracted to make friends with the zealots. I have to get a permit. Beyond that... well there's just no data beyond that.

And that has me worried.

Thursday 1 January 2015

The lost station - Avogadro Enterprise in Tau Ceti

OK, somewhat mystified here.

After picking up a Federal ranking mission to Avogadro Enterprise, there's a double take moment. I know that system. There's no station by that name there.

Or so I thought.

With the mission accepted I trundled out there, and as I'm already in Tau Ceti it was a local hop. At over 9500Ls it won't be found easily and it doesn't orbit a planet or a moon. There's a steady stream of ships flying out this way as well, so I'm not alone.

Nothing on the system map appears, but it is now marked on my local list of things I can fly to. Well and truly hidden from sight.

So what gives?


Tionisla expansion into Lave

It has begun.

The spill over expansion of the Social Tionisla Labour faction into Lave space has started. For those who don't know the Old Worlds in Elite these are two adjacent systems, and both major factions are enjoying a renaissance from their unique trading items.

From a dynamic universe this is a great thing to see: the players have clearly influenced the dominance of each of the factions.


So... open question... is it possible to swap over the controlling parties between Lave and Tionisla?

Empire GalNet news and analysis (at 31-Dec-3300)

Story Arc:

The independent Durius system, unable to pay even the interest on the loans, has defaulted to the Empire's Senator Patreus. The Imperial Senator's forces have entered the system supported by mercenary forces. Governor Malachai has called for help from like minded independent governments for assistance.

The tension between the Emperor's disinherited granddaughter, Aisling Duval, and the slaver Senator Torval, has burst out into the news again, bringing the welfare of the Empire's slaves to the fore. "We have no beggars... they are down HER mines... starving in private".

Arissa Lavigny also pledged support for Excellency Chancellor Anders Blaine, the Emperor's right hand man for 5 decades, and promised to ensure continuity and stability for the Empire.

Analysis:

The actions of Senator Patreus once again raise the issue of the divide between the business interests of a single senator and that of the Empire. Durius is an independent system that has owed business debts to the Senator, what is not known is how many times those debts have already been paid off.

No doubt the ships bought by Durius under loan from Patreus are now being put into service against the fleet and mercenaries arrayed against them.

The Empire continues to struggle with its use of former members of society who voluntarily enter into slavery due to circumstance. The romantic notion held by some is that these slaves are "house servants" who provide for the smooth running of the great houses of the Empire as their path back to honourable society. What is forgotten are the numbers sent to work in the harshest worlds to mine resources as cheaper labour than machines.

Aisling Duval reminded Senator Zemina Torval of this, and that there was no clear rebuttal or denial was telling.


Link: GalNet news archive