tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80197728572560202062024-03-05T22:48:50.548-08:00Veeyar - Space RangerAn epic through Space Rangers 2VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-59767119422996249223303-07-21T01:19:00.000-07:002009-01-25T02:29:43.632-08:00A Speedy Delivery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfZS7UhSC23Yryxp66v6PZL0aVraUL0Z916JswHJtoOic4ohSzPkneIJqm88YTdZdzAHUgGtj4eFvxNSMphsdWcw3roluQhN5msb5p4DLVpxytgPZ4cyATM8B4wrAzv9xpCeZ4lnSbsGJ/s1600-h/HullRapidHousing.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 197px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfZS7UhSC23Yryxp66v6PZL0aVraUL0Z916JswHJtoOic4ohSzPkneIJqm88YTdZdzAHUgGtj4eFvxNSMphsdWcw3roluQhN5msb5p4DLVpxytgPZ4cyATM8B4wrAzv9xpCeZ4lnSbsGJ/s400/HullRapidHousing.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295147686776841458" /></a>There was another unique ship on offer back at the scientific base; a Rapid Housing design that increased engine performance by another 100 units. I had seen a variant of this before, but with a meagre 218 tonne hull it was virtually a toy. With a 258 tonne hull this one was more functional and could easily fit all of my current equipment on board and have a comfortable 30 tonne spare in the hold. It would be perfect to negotiate a faster delivery schedule for more pay and prestige.<br /><br />First up was a delivery of VR games to Venus, a fad that's catching on through the Humans. From there it was another quick run taking an unknown substance to Deneb. On the way I dropped off a probe at an unexplored planet in Altair, but picked up more than I bargained for with a Mysterious case of Luatanza spreading over me. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRhfvYBgwP-QT4zb3SHlva9nodQ2iCdQ9GY-CHLG8fbpcZGciSRfjOYmGyAfXLfVoNE8LMQbguJIwN47Np5KowU0uSb-4ChSMPGWzi6cseOg0rz_pRnE0OqU4eNvQcALRCzzv0ae5h8Bv/s1600-h/Shot132.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRhfvYBgwP-QT4zb3SHlva9nodQ2iCdQ9GY-CHLG8fbpcZGciSRfjOYmGyAfXLfVoNE8LMQbguJIwN47Np5KowU0uSb-4ChSMPGWzi6cseOg0rz_pRnE0OqU4eNvQcALRCzzv0ae5h8Bv/s400/Shot132.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295164985434575442" /></a><br />Although not lethal, it pacifies the brain making combat an abhorrent thought. On the flip side, it somehow enhances trustworthiness in the eyes of an employer making it much more likely to negotiate a great deal for completing tasks. Must be less risky giving precious cargo to someone you know won't take it for a ride into battle.<br /><br />Luatanza only strengthened my resolve to press hard on the delivery schedule, and turned over another desirable run into new territory; Shedire. I had recently bought some additional starmaps to extend the boundaries of where I could travel as I may as well see the galaxy if I'm not fighting. This system had a Maloq planets, which certainly was an eye opener. They didn't trust me at first, but money greases anyones attitude. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq5v49eL8kI9eddVDxmXdBvNxyJsUM6sJ5OMKTR7d2y0TQpEyHqCS7mGoM4kna5e-lCfxFiexL-2L4cddPd7paGK6J3ENqtKaGZrgbULNEakcTmULn9CXhw0myAytyeLvg6TJyNwYaXEY/s1600-h/Shot133.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq5v49eL8kI9eddVDxmXdBvNxyJsUM6sJ5OMKTR7d2y0TQpEyHqCS7mGoM4kna5e-lCfxFiexL-2L4cddPd7paGK6J3ENqtKaGZrgbULNEakcTmULn9CXhw0myAytyeLvg6TJyNwYaXEY/s400/Shot133.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295166865618870706" /></a><br />The delivery to Shedire was a toothbrush that the Human ambassador had "left behind". Sometimes it's best not to get into the politics and just do what is asked of you. Poor naiive Faeyans.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcJP0hYbRqpLGN0nQuE04QrgxS7M0on-2_uViWC6imTIais2pYw2X1f6GFBr2GlopdonreOX5YohKFR3sc37YIgdfpUxshQacnNAT0LB4kGteYoN6CShFIFpTz6oiiPTgF4j_RRVImRBW/s1600-h/Shot134.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcJP0hYbRqpLGN0nQuE04QrgxS7M0on-2_uViWC6imTIais2pYw2X1f6GFBr2GlopdonreOX5YohKFR3sc37YIgdfpUxshQacnNAT0LB4kGteYoN6CShFIFpTz6oiiPTgF4j_RRVImRBW/s400/Shot134.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295176123904295730" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELvUn0IkmYycyTDxB2vb7Yl47s_CUiJdjOwLO60j04JoLIXS78oWnPxo1U9Ld1q5Iy65LCaZWR64wd6fkkvFECwqjvN9_MHd7cFs9u9y-ZtpHRFZMpjbMoyAD_heDiAMe4m8_3T1Zc0Ct/s1600-h/Shot135.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELvUn0IkmYycyTDxB2vb7Yl47s_CUiJdjOwLO60j04JoLIXS78oWnPxo1U9Ld1q5Iy65LCaZWR64wd6fkkvFECwqjvN9_MHd7cFs9u9y-ZtpHRFZMpjbMoyAD_heDiAMe4m8_3T1Zc0Ct/s400/Shot135.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295176130610962386" /></a>VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-6199195895564868263303-03-17T05:01:00.000-07:002009-01-25T01:19:35.996-08:00Hometown UpgradeOne good thing was that the helmets were destined for Eyron. I would be able to check out the new scientific base that I forked out for. Hopefully they feel gracious enough to upgrade my ship a level or two. <br /><br />Unfortunately it was me that upgraded THEIR ship .. err, base. One of the reasons to put a new base in this sector is to prevent Dominator attacks as well as having a close point to drop off both Dominator equipment (to the science centre) and nodes (to the ranger base). They didn't seem to have any weapons to defend themselves, so since I still had money to burn I helped upgrade their defenses with a couple of Lezkas from the trade quarter. Why didn't they just commandeer them? *shrug*<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5pjjirU2CkI5PbuccOoRIFFEahVCLKeRWgXYMx18r2Fsf_xzc3OyX_ogglckI4JYxy-WzOA7NoJHib27HcWDApMgc-Ah4-l1gX3jHg3mhgXAWgWyZkQbLmEQtzM8F3i-LX8EapS1WIly/s1600-h/Shot123.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5pjjirU2CkI5PbuccOoRIFFEahVCLKeRWgXYMx18r2Fsf_xzc3OyX_ogglckI4JYxy-WzOA7NoJHib27HcWDApMgc-Ah4-l1gX3jHg3mhgXAWgWyZkQbLmEQtzM8F3i-LX8EapS1WIly/s400/Shot123.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291506623825503314" /></a><br />Word reached us that an attack was planned on the Mencar system, leaving in 30 days from here at Eyron. Too short a time to make a trade jump, so I tooled around hunting asteroids for pleasure. <br /><br />We jumped as one to the occupied Mencar system. 10 ships in all with me as the only Ranger. We managed to down a couple with my personal tally increasing by 2, but as the urguats game way to capital ships the table had turned. I managed to down another tiny one, but the static on the airwaves indicated I was the last man standing. I made it to the waypoint for a hasty exit leaving a trail of angry hornets buzzing in displeasure at our "poking the nest". <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGHn3dhKuSmxHbT41tlj1KvySKBre2Gi9lxxcTKedOck3qLa7jrxH-V36zRiErsYng4lGZsfvtyAkl1SYB1Bj_qB936HWJyYgZcXNZkaQtDa_vR5zJ05qgWGxfpb9WpCjG9aVnd9ZKizY/s1600-h/Shot125.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGHn3dhKuSmxHbT41tlj1KvySKBre2Gi9lxxcTKedOck3qLa7jrxH-V36zRiErsYng4lGZsfvtyAkl1SYB1Bj_qB936HWJyYgZcXNZkaQtDa_vR5zJ05qgWGxfpb9WpCjG9aVnd9ZKizY/s400/Shot125.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291514920742606594" /></a><br />I'd picked up about 50 nodes, but no alien equipment to proffer to the Science Centre. We lacked firepower and may have blown our aggressive stance for the time being, so I looked once again to delivery quests to advance my budget and experience.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-43525401096428676703302-11-20T02:22:00.000-08:002009-01-15T02:41:06.189-08:00All cashed upPassing through Minnaver to collect my other paycheck from Murratz, I stopped in at the Business Centre to see if they could offer some financial advise to my current oversupply of money. They had investment opportunities with a 3% return per annum, but that seemed wasteful when we were in a war. Another option was to invest in spcase stations, and seeing Eyron already had a ranger station that I would dearly like to use more often (due to its close proximity to the Dominator battle front), adding a science station to that solar system would be very handy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr_evf8AeGfKkbsMfbnaoc1P85dlo8G2tBTuB2EDaR1t981Yn1ItvEiheLscyQ5l05ss-72cSQ0PJL_BrcIivm-rfPVFS9VTitGY4AnNxvyiXgMIDvGiDHtIMhkWMvJk2Bs7ZSI_g0Ka4/s1600-h/Shot117.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr_evf8AeGfKkbsMfbnaoc1P85dlo8G2tBTuB2EDaR1t981Yn1ItvEiheLscyQ5l05ss-72cSQ0PJL_BrcIivm-rfPVFS9VTitGY4AnNxvyiXgMIDvGiDHtIMhkWMvJk2Bs7ZSI_g0Ka4/s400/Shot117.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291466695085096994" /></a><br />A pirate base would also improve the defenses of the sector, but might also make it undesirable to return to bleeding from battle.<br /><br />I picked up my hypnotist removal reward and bounced around some trades in the sector before landing my next gig, a trek back to Eyron to deliver helmets for ... whatever. Does it matter? Just give me the cargo and I'll get it there. And have the money ready, I don't want to wait around. And make sure you let Ranger HQ know how good I've been, they are getting on my case about "Not contributing enough to the war effort". Maybe I'll buy a military base next time, huh ??!VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-27425317846316401533302-07-11T04:29:00.000-07:002009-01-13T05:17:00.735-08:00Runaway HypnotistFlushed with adulation, I partied on for a couple of days on the planet surface before looking to move on. Since I had to get my money back at Hese, anoth request heading that way would be nice. The commisioner dug through his options and gave another oddball task: A Gaalian hypnotist had tricked the Pelengs into forking over a wadful of money, so, in typical Peleng style they want him eliminated ship and all. It sounded more like a way to piss off the Gaalians, but with the mark currently cruising Regulus it was the right direction. Over 10k for success too, that clinched the deal.<br /><br />After 2 jumps back to Regulus I managed to spot him off scanner heading to a jump point. I floored it and caught up to him 1/2 way to start doing rethone business, but he managed to jump with 1/4 hull remaining. I matched the jump to Eyron (gotta love the Black Goo for refuelling on the fly) and completed the contract before he made it to the safety of a planetary dock. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIYcHWa0AtIoumccWNI4pcP6mzkZmm7jzIsY8-Vwu4Uzq6OkKoNdMRO_Bdiewdu_cNHIQ6nrVWJYhRCe201htit8L0bVKDdyDhBYZ2DevLG19dub36_PZGQLI6U7IZ2ZAhNuF2pY4ZLBo/s1600-h/Shot114.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIYcHWa0AtIoumccWNI4pcP6mzkZmm7jzIsY8-Vwu4Uzq6OkKoNdMRO_Bdiewdu_cNHIQ6nrVWJYhRCe201htit8L0bVKDdyDhBYZ2DevLG19dub36_PZGQLI6U7IZ2ZAhNuF2pY4ZLBo/s400/Shot114.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290757686547383314" /></a><br />As the Ranger Base was only a few days away, I popped over to check if there were any new developments. They had another set of micromodules on offer and the cheaper 3rd tier one looking interesting. Better hull rigidity and deflection for only 60 nodes. That put my credit back to the starting 200, but it should make my ship tougher still to drop in combat. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaeKkiU4pxIZJPfs-qYs7x_rYQIW2GvgMxypzUj4tbNx8F3bM_HNldtVUaJafxMhuYIDirXPxMFa5Il5xCXOSARgpAGZywFweie-ImPcNuD2VxAq8IPbJyl8YcEAqovB4o7SAijteJtlY/s1600-h/Shot115.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaeKkiU4pxIZJPfs-qYs7x_rYQIW2GvgMxypzUj4tbNx8F3bM_HNldtVUaJafxMhuYIDirXPxMFa5Il5xCXOSARgpAGZywFweie-ImPcNuD2VxAq8IPbJyl8YcEAqovB4o7SAijteJtlY/s400/Shot115.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290759878638940322" /></a><br />in another life I would have tried my hand at Antares or another Dominator controlled system, but without support I doubt I'll be effective so I returned to Hese for a heroes welcome and a 9k windfall. With a bankroll over 43,000cr and another 10k back at Murratz, it's time to keep an eye out for a new ship.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-60035362034426252293302-03-25T09:05:00.000-07:002009-01-11T10:03:35.627-08:00Pizza BaronAfter hunting down a pollutant, the next obscure task the Gaalians had lined up for me was representing their planet in a pizza competition. I'd downed my fair share of pizzas growing up on my own, so I thought it would be worth a shot. <br /><br />2 jumps later and I arrived just in time for the competitions to start. I fronted up to the sign in booth, but before I could complete the registration I was whisked away for an interview. The audience started to get behind me hearing I was representing a planet so far away, but the next question floored me. "Have you been in a pizza maying competition before?". MAKING ??!? Well, uhh, no. Honestly I've never made a pizza before. The crowd went wild. I found out later on that they love an underdog, and anyone entering the galaxy cook-off without being able to cook had them in fits of laughter.<br /><br />The Gaalians wouldn't be happy if I rejected the competition outright, so I thought I may as well stick around and have a go. The first couple of rounds before mine were eye opening. Each group had a different set of judges to cook for, and the tastes varied wildly between meat-eating Maloqs, vegetarian Faeyans, seafood loving Pelengs, exotic Gaalians, and well-balanced Humans. Contestants tried to balance their effort to appease as many judges as possible, but some combinations were almost impossible. What do you do when you have both a Maloq and a Faeyan on your judging panel?<br /><br />When they announce my division's judges, I blessed the stars. 1 human and 4 Faeyans! My luck was sweetened when a shadowy Peleng offered bribes for perfect scores from one of the judges. With the human out of the way, all I had to do was concentrate on cooking up vegetarian for the Faeyans! <br /><br />With a vast array of toppings available in kitchen stadium, our group set off with a frenzy to build a masterpiece. I headed to the fruit stall first and grabbed a little bit of everything. Starting with what looked the most exotic, I layered on the toppings in a brownian motion. The crowd were really behind me, so I kept adding more veggies, some for shape, some for colour, some because it was there. <br /><br />Eventually all pizzas were baked and ready. The tasting began and silently the judges marked their scores while the crowd were chanting out their predictions with fanatical support. Such a dichotomy of worlds. My pizza was up next and a fanbase I never knew chanted my name. The stadium was surreal. Is this actually happening? The first Faeyan judge happily rose a 10 from his deck of cards and the crowd erupted. Another 10 delivered silently kept the crown on their feet. Amazing! Is this for real? The third Faeyan pondered, and then, too, rose a 10. Perfect score so far! The human was next, and had been in a grumpy mood all night with his scores following his downward attitude. I guess you can't blame him having to put up with vegetarian pizza<br />time after time as the contestants played to the strengths of the panel. He looked nervous, but produced another 10 that lifted the roof! Four 10's, one more judge "Could this be a perfect score? Has that ever happened before? Who is this guy? Did he say he's never made a pizza? Surely we've been suckered in?" The last judge rose from his seat, attempting to calm the crowd. He intimated to speak, but the crowd noticed the card held absently in his hand. Another 10 was on it's way and the news drowned out the judges remarks. The roar was deafening!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDOip2QCXPBCxqbJ9ExquXUiEmuVIpwZCNB4srdL53IaTbswh0zEFu80jx0qDkYvI82jJ4-FwhTIyGmnTcOAwq423HzrJzduqwQAssV3QhBOCA08QMoLg75jw12iuQ4T3u6Uy6TAN4YYe/s1600-h/Shot113.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDOip2QCXPBCxqbJ9ExquXUiEmuVIpwZCNB4srdL53IaTbswh0zEFu80jx0qDkYvI82jJ4-FwhTIyGmnTcOAwq423HzrJzduqwQAssV3QhBOCA08QMoLg75jw12iuQ4T3u6Uy6TAN4YYe/s400/Shot113.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290096968787127266" /></a>VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-8749283745714814153302-02-03T04:22:00.000-08:002009-01-11T04:49:13.821-08:00Clean Up the GalaxyThe chancellors of Planet Rahalito had a different request than norrmal. A pirate ship has been terrorizing the Sol System, but it's not the piratic activity that has caused them grief, but that the ship is using old Chinese technology that is leaving a toxic chemical trail wherever he goes. They want him taken out to stop the pollution. I just need the money and a Ranger Centre to cash in my collected nodes, of which Oldy will do nicely.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JTgoHOsm1-5W0eXBQtWLMh37Vsk-1qEFPqfIg-dxD58fhnasVr-lfULkdvVNkGLTjSqSep1gevHk9Q8AJPwFqpH3aj0ToZWDJo3Cp1IdDWNnPWeZD6lPes9eWJUaIvET0MULLlXIozf1/s1600-h/Shot097.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JTgoHOsm1-5W0eXBQtWLMh37Vsk-1qEFPqfIg-dxD58fhnasVr-lfULkdvVNkGLTjSqSep1gevHk9Q8AJPwFqpH3aj0ToZWDJo3Cp1IdDWNnPWeZD6lPes9eWJUaIvET0MULLlXIozf1/s400/Shot097.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290013463977980770" /></a><br />The trip out through Minnaver to the Sun was relatively uneventful with the usual opportunist mining and trading. I dropped off the spoils at Oldy as well as locking in the nodes. The pirate was easy to find. Follow the smoking trail. Why a pirate would use a leaking ship is beyond me, but I didn't feel the need to ask him, just relied on laser talk.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OZYXeHZ0rtKMHrxNr-XI-2p5AAuU73yLv6dpdeMYD6Sr6g7GBckrxzBgBRFOjGLywsT-pKA-pQLyfrUjPuGqZUZ7n2jbXrZ9f0BJ33-wOzITvdha-ow8Yhf6-6Gr6arU0237ew6u0zgL/s1600-h/Shot102.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OZYXeHZ0rtKMHrxNr-XI-2p5AAuU73yLv6dpdeMYD6Sr6g7GBckrxzBgBRFOjGLywsT-pKA-pQLyfrUjPuGqZUZ7n2jbXrZ9f0BJ33-wOzITvdha-ow8Yhf6-6Gr6arU0237ew6u0zgL/s400/Shot102.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290013730155052914" /></a><br />With the kill confirmed, I hunted around for another task to take me back in the direction of Hese to collect my fee. Some rare artifacts to Regulus fit the bill, but I didn't press the negotiations on price as I wanted to check out how the scientific probes had gone. <br /><br />Previously I had dropped off probes in Betelgeize and Tallot systems, so I plotted an arcing course through those systems to check on their progress. Both had just turned up some minor goods, but nothing of real value. One of the probes had finished so I packed it up for a fix and relocation to somewhere in Hese. The other still needed to cover some mountainous terrain, so it may as well stay to complete the survey. <br /><br />The Regulus run garnered more reputation and an injection of capital, but nothing like the reward on offer back at Hese for the removal of the toxic ship. Once that circuit had been completed I was back to a free state with no obligations.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-28346644095614221853301-08-24T13:54:00.000-07:002009-01-10T15:54:56.099-08:00Battle for HeseKlaxxons rang as the warning spread through Ranger Station Agate, "Dominators invading Hese!". With the new engine upgrade, Hese was within a single jump, so I responded to the call to assemble for the defense.<br /><br />A scan of the battlefield on exit into the Hese system revealed we may have the upper hand. 13 system defense battleships still remained, with 5 other rangers rushing in to help against a meagre 2 urguants and a smattering of smaller ships. The battle was over before I got there, and the remnants of alien technology were being scooped up by an increasing number of rangers. I managed to claim 38 tonne of nodes and 2 intact devices as the flotilla of scavangers, now numbering over 10, headed back to the scientific base for compensation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocTv1DSm-X_2lBQ2ZDS3wgwBWtZBf-NIkuak5PYQ6m_LLyKgsNxYRNH0nRCAwxIbgiH6MSmsuQCeQKyEYQsIQZjXL3I3_jYEQUAa5bjM8ign1b2FC0i1-7h7XiY_Dm3K5y7Pywn-mIxmW/s1600-h/Shot096.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocTv1DSm-X_2lBQ2ZDS3wgwBWtZBf-NIkuak5PYQ6m_LLyKgsNxYRNH0nRCAwxIbgiH6MSmsuQCeQKyEYQsIQZjXL3I3_jYEQUAa5bjM8ign1b2FC0i1-7h7XiY_Dm3K5y7Pywn-mIxmW/s400/Shot096.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289811596277710962" /></a>VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-43114007972831866173301-07-27T13:34:00.000-07:002009-01-10T13:50:22.113-08:00The Hyperjump GiftRanger Centre Agate, our HQ for this sector, had sent me a message that I'd been given a present by another magnanimous ranger. Intrigued I popped over to Agate to see what was going on. A present indeed! We've been starting to figure out how to turn nodes into useful items, and an unknown ranger had chosen me a recipient of an unwanted micromodule named "Whirlwind". <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCqXA7zKenbkKuvhaQdVmBD0QhBbvYh54UMzCt_xKpxDJqRoE96E7DmEC19dyYZgmH75rZ3u6slk3zxFMAV0DD6SKUeD_abWUbD7BJwS5-4CMZg8k6h4wP0Ga2fOFLt2vuY0Tsof_vAl5/s1600-h/EngineUpg.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCqXA7zKenbkKuvhaQdVmBD0QhBbvYh54UMzCt_xKpxDJqRoE96E7DmEC19dyYZgmH75rZ3u6slk3zxFMAV0DD6SKUeD_abWUbD7BJwS5-4CMZg8k6h4wP0Ga2fOFLt2vuY0Tsof_vAl5/s200/EngineUpg.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289784583775337042" /></a>Add this module to an engine and it increases both speed and jump distance. Speed is always welcome, but I'm so happy with my current superlightweight fuel cell that it seemed a waste to extend my jump length even further past its capacity. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKV7kksO-yeewx1W90MkB-65UB3A9cni8cJpCwwRGt2BnHiiEgn3K8d3k7MgTBCqyWFPLojyJ1VML_0h59nd37K_j6yac2hslarUb6n26d3jiZ757qoWUYWaYugNBezoLc4A1p-d1c58Dk/s1600-h/FuelMioplasmatic.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKV7kksO-yeewx1W90MkB-65UB3A9cni8cJpCwwRGt2BnHiiEgn3K8d3k7MgTBCqyWFPLojyJ1VML_0h59nd37K_j6yac2hslarUb6n26d3jiZ757qoWUYWaYugNBezoLc4A1p-d1c58Dk/s200/FuelMioplasmatic.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289784802038618930" /></a>Looking through Agate's shopping inventory solved the problem though. A 33 parsec fuel tank that also integrates with my lasers (scary thought) to improve their damage. It's lightweight too. Well, as good as I'd expect for that capacity.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-76211611958219292433301-07-13T04:16:00.000-07:002009-01-10T05:35:16.584-08:00EyronEven before leaving Sol I hit some combat action I was itching for. A pirate had been a nuisance while I was bouncing between planets, and he'd tagged as I plotted out my jump coordinates. <br /><br />Lezkas lept into life as he closed in and although he still outgunned me, the repair droids tipped the race in my favour. He bailed with 1/4 of his hull remaining to my 1/2, but he wasn't getting far with the rethone reigning him in. A few shots more and he'd trouble no-one again. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvhHyY4uFIagG6J_2Zw7KZSL6OM2LLNi2hQVkk-Esj-szFJv04Vu4BJ0bh_1sCShjQayOdCoVodWmNsZ1CIp8Kc9EIsRj6k-9y_z5xzR_zu7V12AuNj1yBrXcywPNekMPDDuuPmh1ky-V/s1600-h/Shot087.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvhHyY4uFIagG6J_2Zw7KZSL6OM2LLNi2hQVkk-Esj-szFJv04Vu4BJ0bh_1sCShjQayOdCoVodWmNsZ1CIp8Kc9EIsRj6k-9y_z5xzR_zu7V12AuNj1yBrXcywPNekMPDDuuPmh1ky-V/s400/Shot087.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289639837505678866" /></a><br />The Lezkas don't seem to be as effective as I'd thought. I'll need to watch the battle damage reports a little closer next time to see what's happening. I'm confident overall in my ship though, the droids are gold. Not much of worth in the pirate wreckage. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_555O4G0r_QcfnG4yVWjDjpWy68IZz078mxw0p9p_0xE9I4ZjfR3RzbfOxpze7zjxprCkRSaUL18n8_DCKA4paVvV-fkiHdOo0qXZiYIrgCP-_-9NJArfI-JUsybUcz2rdtOsbyiE64lv/s1600-h/StarmapEryon.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_555O4G0r_QcfnG4yVWjDjpWy68IZz078mxw0p9p_0xE9I4ZjfR3RzbfOxpze7zjxprCkRSaUL18n8_DCKA4paVvV-fkiHdOo0qXZiYIrgCP-_-9NJArfI-JUsybUcz2rdtOsbyiE64lv/s400/StarmapEryon.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289641959876999922" /></a><br />The diversion had taken its toll on my delivery schedule though, and I barely made it to "Little Arthur" with 5 days to go. The secret documents sounded very private indeed:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf09NMZXWCtb98CcRm5mI7Vmmnj3bvarjwgk5kHxkgL6CaY0m7HxLjrdQrGUfDhMTCMZsIWQZ6e5ITgVP-bS842TnqWqUs6jrByZYmgo9s5CEfWPn9WO1dSHXv9WPZEveqy0g_w9l6CtjH/s1600-h/Shot090.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf09NMZXWCtb98CcRm5mI7Vmmnj3bvarjwgk5kHxkgL6CaY0m7HxLjrdQrGUfDhMTCMZsIWQZ6e5ITgVP-bS842TnqWqUs6jrByZYmgo9s5CEfWPn9WO1dSHXv9WPZEveqy0g_w9l6CtjH/s400/Shot090.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289656771060507554" /></a><br />Our offensive at Mencar had finally pushed through and eradicated the Dominators from the system so the Little Arthur was in party mode. Personally blame the pirate for keeping me behind schedule. Maybe I'd have joined in for the spoils and a moment of glory up on the dais with the many other rangers who participated if I'd made it here in normal time. Antares is still under Dominator control, so maybe there's a push onward to there in the coming weeks.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-58269164778092983673301-04-22T03:29:00.000-07:002009-01-10T04:12:57.495-08:00Scientific ProbeI'd almost forgotten that I had left a survey probe on Neptune. Being almost a year since I dropped it off, I was expecting it to have completed scanning the entire planet, but it had broken down 2/3's the way through. Nothing too interesting, a particle cannon, some minerals, empty fuel cannisters and a hidden stash of narcotics. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jw3gYbEqHo2JBmHt49kxLZ4fvAYic0eaHVAlBzqwqXoSy0jCup5EZWbI0tBbZs5pCfPkdPu0W1cF8tMn9DIDkJVHixeiqcBFYmvkl6P2H1DzrngXknvOuqvXp6O65nh6v9_zFMGTQnNR/s1600-h/LezkaUpg.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jw3gYbEqHo2JBmHt49kxLZ4fvAYic0eaHVAlBzqwqXoSy0jCup5EZWbI0tBbZs5pCfPkdPu0W1cF8tMn9DIDkJVHixeiqcBFYmvkl6P2H1DzrngXknvOuqvXp6O65nh6v9_zFMGTQnNR/s400/LezkaUpg.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289631273503433234" /></a>Trekked over to the Scientific Base to repair the probe and a general repair all-round. After the repairs the scientists offered a deal on upgrades to my ship, and with a stuffed wallet it seemed like a good idea. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKwiri9SzIxNAhASywfGWMlSHf-L0FKq__ykmBaTprDcfAqLC1Ex9vbYyv54XQ_qXOmDAoDuyZxrxiqbG-5HbuYsV3nnaUtFO9icfL2S7aU2isX9cnEESJrIG351MXhA4bUrN_InFDFVp/s1600-h/LezkaUpg2.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKwiri9SzIxNAhASywfGWMlSHf-L0FKq__ykmBaTprDcfAqLC1Ex9vbYyv54XQ_qXOmDAoDuyZxrxiqbG-5HbuYsV3nnaUtFO9icfL2S7aU2isX9cnEESJrIG351MXhA4bUrN_InFDFVp/s400/LezkaUpg2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289631487655365474" /></a>I could afford the best guys they had to tinker with my 2 Lezkas and was delighted with the results. Both Lezkas now have the same range as my rethone cannon and do another 1/3 more damage. Now I have the ability to fight effectively at 350 clicks, plus keep the enemy there with liberal use of the rethone. The gripper also got the high tech treatment to take its capacity to 60 units. There were a couple of things I had passed up because the size was greater than my previous 40 tonne capacity, but the upgrade was more an impulse buy. I guess I'm not too good with saving ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRrJ09zR2WN3m8W7rp43e6G9ZqKNX5BK1ZFVNYcuLc_cz1NhQa2lEnSH1R3YfUoun8hj-iJuxlZ4fDpkAl07ALJNAisIFRorl5jka9kvNCzwVBZtuUpLE97l8C7cLXsMSap7iv5wB91zS/s1600-h/GripperUpg.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRrJ09zR2WN3m8W7rp43e6G9ZqKNX5BK1ZFVNYcuLc_cz1NhQa2lEnSH1R3YfUoun8hj-iJuxlZ4fDpkAl07ALJNAisIFRorl5jka9kvNCzwVBZtuUpLE97l8C7cLXsMSap7iv5wB91zS/s400/GripperUpg.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289631615774624146" /></a><br />Mars offered a return to focused missions with an urgent delivery Eryon on the other side of the Dominator's encroachments. That sounds like the right direction, let's go!VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-31432383634712932543301-04-11T22:30:00.000-07:002009-01-10T01:40:25.587-08:00Back HomeThe tasks on offer weren't that appealing in the Tallot system. It's right next door to Dominator fighting, but I'd rather still wait for better firepower. Through a scan of the records it seems Mars has a similarly small Lezka as the one I have, so a trip home might be on the cards. <br /><br />With no time-based tasks to set the pace, I took my time getting back to the Sun by picking up flotsam and intercepting asteroids. There was a welcome surprise when planet Astron in Betelgeize gave me a reward for cleaning up asteroids on a collision course with that planet. Nice! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFMQqJOA7cuLa_cg_6Kb96Dg1HAhEb8gadh0L78mvnifbP2Y1zetu6-5Ml2lwhYgmByeuRjdbEar2lx-TxG2vpNMk5bAksMmexbAtpwH17rPNgEBfoHNrJVK46kHqyTuajJDnqC6z1miv/s1600-h/AsteroidReward.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 63px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFMQqJOA7cuLa_cg_6Kb96Dg1HAhEb8gadh0L78mvnifbP2Y1zetu6-5Ml2lwhYgmByeuRjdbEar2lx-TxG2vpNMk5bAksMmexbAtpwH17rPNgEBfoHNrJVK46kHqyTuajJDnqC6z1miv/s400/AsteroidReward.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289569068718540994" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesPhvTD9pWhSoOupPkysxwPinXCcBHibwQjszMbzNdNMuMe0QW23qHFX9D1Cor46Hwdr_zdGzq-BaOrEbHWwlb_wldMDkDU6cX0kw5s9kCcfGyvXv04L5Hr62cZZlF0B0ea5waDKhofGG/s1600-h/AsteroidReward2.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 58px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesPhvTD9pWhSoOupPkysxwPinXCcBHibwQjszMbzNdNMuMe0QW23qHFX9D1Cor46Hwdr_zdGzq-BaOrEbHWwlb_wldMDkDU6cX0kw5s9kCcfGyvXv04L5Hr62cZZlF0B0ea5waDKhofGG/s400/AsteroidReward2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289574090706309826" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1r7-GpSoWl4sjNLxXOSA5GN4tYJSB7pCBhVDaKmu3mW394H21o58ae1c3dTSmWZzdylT4Nm-Wbb1s-Cv67X-1qFOLKT4EOwra6J-HvUJUWjTS3SCYmltT1YQ7Cd70_Y-NbuKBXw-Ntmg/s1600-h/Lezka2.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1r7-GpSoWl4sjNLxXOSA5GN4tYJSB7pCBhVDaKmu3mW394H21o58ae1c3dTSmWZzdylT4Nm-Wbb1s-Cv67X-1qFOLKT4EOwra6J-HvUJUWjTS3SCYmltT1YQ7Cd70_Y-NbuKBXw-Ntmg/s400/Lezka2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289591116890268546" /></a>Arriving at Sol I popped back into Oldy Ranger Centre to check up on our progress and donate the nodes that had been clogging up my hold. Mars was next to sell off minerals, refuel, and pick up the Lezka that was still available (luckily, the last trip based on looked up prices turn into a disaster). <br /><br />Mars also had an oversupply of luxuries, so if I can string together a couple of runs to Earth I could make a substantial amount of money. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZt96f3BpSr2_iVep9xQAZ3F1g1Ln6AYhEbi3T-MMp0b1r9SF0FOfbh5YrIecAwu_jsWSnVGceNXh385VqIs-wacUa3lx57ZYYOAsthR5j1gZkaUqcCpGmwjCTl4yXYXwHVbsZ9Lem1SK/s1600-h/Shot083.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZt96f3BpSr2_iVep9xQAZ3F1g1Ln6AYhEbi3T-MMp0b1r9SF0FOfbh5YrIecAwu_jsWSnVGceNXh385VqIs-wacUa3lx57ZYYOAsthR5j1gZkaUqcCpGmwjCTl4yXYXwHVbsZ9Lem1SK/s400/Shot083.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289591865530224818" /></a><br />2 trips netted another 5k, bringing my current total to 18,539cr. With 2 Lezkas and a full bank I'm happy heading back to the front lines. Maybe I can hook up a delivery going that way?VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-40450265542543389013301-01-11T06:13:00.000-08:002009-01-09T20:18:15.857-08:00Confuzimuddlin'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm9n7rwPyMsDawqtGKLyb_48mjz6URMEHwxSNah4IyvD-tKesGzSZQMK8ItX6Zw0Syh9_6d8-qQNsSo4eY38Pwjaai761n4eAcp4hEUFkqwh9fP0NaCk25ABB6qVBCAwH2CuK08H1znUl/s1600-h/GaallianNaiive.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 375px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm9n7rwPyMsDawqtGKLyb_48mjz6URMEHwxSNah4IyvD-tKesGzSZQMK8ItX6Zw0Syh9_6d8-qQNsSo4eY38Pwjaai761n4eAcp4hEUFkqwh9fP0NaCk25ABB6qVBCAwH2CuK08H1znUl/s400/GaallianNaiive.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289304289988064946" /></a>Ahaha! The "rare animal" happened to be one of their own diplomats that they had banished into Gaalian space. Poor Gaalians, so naiive. Poor Pelengs, so abrupt. I felt sorry enforcing my payment, but they did need a delivery of their own so I guess it's a package deal. This time it's medals for a mud-throwing championship to crown the next leader of the Tallot Sector<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4klbcw1SshpwYZvwf9KdFjZa-XjvISulmObs7BMhYB0LU8ZeYt-pcp2fqV4BfTIMAyuMIsPkLUs7TtfigBPoaYIOekq7yf9zvSOvrg-touWdFF3UXFMnPKWK-vgMNb2bWaqNKckSxDt3/s1600-h/StarmapTallot.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 337px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4klbcw1SshpwYZvwf9KdFjZa-XjvISulmObs7BMhYB0LU8ZeYt-pcp2fqV4BfTIMAyuMIsPkLUs7TtfigBPoaYIOekq7yf9zvSOvrg-touWdFF3UXFMnPKWK-vgMNb2bWaqNKckSxDt3/s400/StarmapTallot.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289313284004170178" /></a><br />Tallot boasted a military base, and looking through the advanced weapons had me salivating for the front lines. All were way too heavy for my crate, so headed over to complete the delivery run. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvFDRKhiOAzr4oUrbwpshHARszMA0UehWzD6GDutE2OWghsRHTYznpSX9CR0vH7DQBjvgtGOv5mUCYry_1-QBkIK8dfQwQB-hlpXDnn_1kYI9OmktWEL5oV_FrZCsUHc57i-X3x0QaE47/s1600-h/BlackGuck.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvFDRKhiOAzr4oUrbwpshHARszMA0UehWzD6GDutE2OWghsRHTYznpSX9CR0vH7DQBjvgtGOv5mUCYry_1-QBkIK8dfQwQB-hlpXDnn_1kYI9OmktWEL5oV_FrZCsUHc57i-X3x0QaE47/s400/BlackGuck.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289319662990930306" /></a>The Pelengs were delighted to receive the trophies and were not just waiting for the rainy season to start to get the "campaign" underway. They also presented me with some Black Guck, a wierd substance that emits fuel continuously. Such an appropriate gift.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3XdsZ9l3vf8-7pBK-nlnUVRcvFt0pZIVemesxC181Qi1dxKkAx6jpnJGZE7g8T_c8WqkmYgCLrXzq8sWCccxk8pIX6OFVBP8eW2VNTnfoC2tLsXGtOpRQFBknZAIi_2sEaLVG2Wj9rTo/s1600-h/Lezka.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3XdsZ9l3vf8-7pBK-nlnUVRcvFt0pZIVemesxC181Qi1dxKkAx6jpnJGZE7g8T_c8WqkmYgCLrXzq8sWCccxk8pIX6OFVBP8eW2VNTnfoC2tLsXGtOpRQFBknZAIi_2sEaLVG2Wj9rTo/s400/Lezka.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289513726885964338" /></a>Looking through their components on offer I stumbled upon a new type of long range laser; a Lezka. It delivers much more damage too, so it will make an ideal replacement for one of my Mining Lasers. It weighs more, but I have a little leeway in that regard compared to mounting points. In fact another Lezka would be perfect if I can get it as light as this one.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-56191533375712401883300-10-27T04:48:00.000-07:002009-01-09T05:33:26.006-08:00Pirates<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSv1wUSj-TaMk6entvvyqkvhK_Z2NBpx-m5gZkvx5MMy6itwC5T4K7cJywVIvuZDg1LN-p2Cv0mvrcPCgFTRbgv71vr0-oiSOuIav72x-qvDhWTBavUkHJjGUo0zl8BIZcyeJBSPC6UFB/s1600-h/PirateAttack.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 166px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSv1wUSj-TaMk6entvvyqkvhK_Z2NBpx-m5gZkvx5MMy6itwC5T4K7cJywVIvuZDg1LN-p2Cv0mvrcPCgFTRbgv71vr0-oiSOuIav72x-qvDhWTBavUkHJjGUo0zl8BIZcyeJBSPC6UFB/s200/PirateAttack.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289275687941291826" /></a>On my way to Meredito, the closest planet, a transport hailed us for support against a pirate. With revenge on my mind, I punched out an affirmation and set sights on the robber. He turned to flee, but passing close to the other planets, more and more traders joined in the hunt to clear the skies for safer trading. 6 in all were baying for blood, and with the rethone cannon slowing him down, the mob descended to tear him apart. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiMkiDvxbQ10m7bggnfK3SpGzpwUV9EIzOVdPswy6V7S9wT0Eam3urdSw89tSPSbBZABcwc8qQPmOJt8VKudLPsOCFgcOcI_xX-u1LGlT7CoOrV1i79mP2ErumKYXScLAxSaHdIX-b3l2/s1600-h/Shot071.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiMkiDvxbQ10m7bggnfK3SpGzpwUV9EIzOVdPswy6V7S9wT0Eam3urdSw89tSPSbBZABcwc8qQPmOJt8VKudLPsOCFgcOcI_xX-u1LGlT7CoOrV1i79mP2ErumKYXScLAxSaHdIX-b3l2/s400/Shot071.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289281471548696690" /></a><br />Back at Meredito I dropped off some cheap luxuries and equipment picked up from the Scientific station as well as a couple of fuel containers that were the last remaining vestige of piratic activity. Rumours in the mess hall indicated an armada is forming to take back Antares, but I've had my share of Dominators for now. The Gaalians have some rare Peleng critters that they want to donate back to them. Oh man, livestock transport? Is that all you've got? Think of the credits, think of the credits, think of ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy8cvrW4gVRhKOb3tvrnq6KAIEYzqmA9LumziGFYUhOjVVdDAzznT_p8LaoizOC-T9ZhEfHvgV_FEPJZ_LbB-S8ZR7FuccLzPAAPKngCCacd1J3QsLLhySTBeXghDq-O2thqsIh17Og4X/s1600-h/StarmapAltair.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 326px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy8cvrW4gVRhKOb3tvrnq6KAIEYzqmA9LumziGFYUhOjVVdDAzznT_p8LaoizOC-T9ZhEfHvgV_FEPJZ_LbB-S8ZR7FuccLzPAAPKngCCacd1J3QsLLhySTBeXghDq-O2thqsIh17Og4X/s400/StarmapAltair.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289286500443825890" /></a>VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-19469504205822748753300-09-27T03:14:00.000-07:002009-01-09T04:48:07.302-08:00Regrouping at HeseThe closest jumpgate led to Hese and my hull barely held up to get me there. I was glad to see the other side of hyperspace and floored it to the closest habitable platform in case they followed. <br /><br />The staff at Scientific Base "Quantum" were non-plussed with my report, and chided my escape without any Dominator components. They were mildly interested in the nodes, but mentioned that they had been sending all their nodes to the Ranger's Base. Sold off the lone component I managed to snaffle, a deflector from a destroyed human battleship. That and a score of minerals that made their way into my hold. <br /><br />With a bit more cash in hand, I looked into their upgrade services for equipment. The scanner had let me down being unable to penetrate the Dominator's shields, so it was the first target for improvement. 1200cr to get it ramped up to 14% penetration, but that should do for now. Unfortuately that's all I can afford at the moment.<br /><br />After reflecting on my performance against the Dominators, I definitely need more forepower and possibly a bigger ship. I'm super impressed with the repair droids and the extra tunnels through the ship. They saved my bacon through that fight. I need money though, and deliveries are sounding pretty good right now.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-29352013804277854363300-09-22T00:49:00.000-07:002009-01-09T02:54:52.657-08:00Battle for AntaresI dumped the luxuries from my hold. 2cr loss per unit, but they'll only slow me down in battle. We dashed to the hangar, refuelled and jumped into the Antaren battlefront.<br /><br />From the hyperspace exit nothing looked amiss. No ships at all were coming up on the scanner, only a deserted planet sweeping nearby called "Hell". Nice touch. We plotted course for Eif, the Faeyan controlled planet that controlled the sector.<br /><br />Approaching Eif, the remnants of battle were strewn though space. Dominator ships were now visible attacking a pirate base in the sector, and only 2 system-bound battleships remained. The pirate base lasted a heartbeat longer before imploding with torpedo fire. The Dominators now turned their attention back to the planets .. and us!<br /><br />With a larger fleet, a faster fleet, and a more deadly fleet, now was probably the time for retreat. It would be nice to drop one though, I'm pumped for some action. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAAG36HB-kvHnqeK8lp41DSXb3gC5UdoSfhjW0xbSk4_iwDZgQynfQsz0JZDMF5Id5xVrkTJ3H4BqASUV9s-4Z5KINPF7cYhXxPFDQVwRY0dV59n611sJ6T3yQfpH194hyphenhyphenHSZ2UbPap3s/s1600-h/Shot047.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAAG36HB-kvHnqeK8lp41DSXb3gC5UdoSfhjW0xbSk4_iwDZgQynfQsz0JZDMF5Id5xVrkTJ3H4BqASUV9s-4Z5KINPF7cYhXxPFDQVwRY0dV59n611sJ6T3yQfpH194hyphenhyphenHSZ2UbPap3s/s400/Shot047.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289220766550964594" /></a><br />Omallor and I headed back toward the jump point. Only one has us locked on, so maybe it will be a more even dogfight. Who knows, maybe we can give them the runaround until more support arrives?<br /><br />The battleships retreated planetside to leave us the only ships in the dominators path. Luckily the Neutron star was between us and the main fleet as we tried to outrun the torpedoes. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JR-WXOM10tZxbd76fCxEH3cPJ5obQRqBXKLZORynBETH-ZhjavwssKkj7QBFPdG20i7dcgKU_KyNeps-dTxqY8BLdBn7BUiB1fO3YADXPORDH5rD5xBZSOfHWEupx3xXuR6qVCbigSLV/s1600-h/Shot049.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JR-WXOM10tZxbd76fCxEH3cPJ5obQRqBXKLZORynBETH-ZhjavwssKkj7QBFPdG20i7dcgKU_KyNeps-dTxqY8BLdBn7BUiB1fO3YADXPORDH5rD5xBZSOfHWEupx3xXuR6qVCbigSLV/s400/Shot049.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289225695174707202" /></a><br />Omallor was copping the brunt of the attack, so I ordered him back to "Glove", the human colony of Antares. I tried to make it to some debris of a previous battle to grab at least some spoils of war.<br /><br />It looked like Omallor would make it, but a final shot on entering "Glove" breached the hull and sent him blazing into the atmosphere. The automatic messaging system confirmed my guilt:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-84Wh2h1SFgGLKUISkP8F1zuEd4tYTWSQ-WVJKh1Wf46GFdgaklGeOjFVtGB_0VlGVfRILxgHhnDTEj3GU-sgQCILvSYX2cclEGgrxpS2tQvo6KeH59jrkMW8Ac72FXaUSHgl6mACdFy/s1600-h/OmallorDied.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 56px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-84Wh2h1SFgGLKUISkP8F1zuEd4tYTWSQ-WVJKh1Wf46GFdgaklGeOjFVtGB_0VlGVfRILxgHhnDTEj3GU-sgQCILvSYX2cclEGgrxpS2tQvo6KeH59jrkMW8Ac72FXaUSHgl6mACdFy/s400/OmallorDied.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289230793214241410" /></a><br />A couple more rangers had hyperjumped in, and a repaired battleship re-entered the fight to take some of the heat off me. I'd managed to hoover up some nodes that the research station wanted (energy source for the Dominators or something?), and found myself with only one to contend with. A big one though:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6gAHj5w7OP1jK95jgo6H1DnCWDFp1y5c5T0a0XUcD8msbAcWNuJREn_MJ-SgLCa0ZIYbrgCgwbON2FzwhctC7lgIiDp6QafJAcSgY_S9BQCANj9uN0OPsJpY42qfBAubRNxPZxGkg6DH/s1600-h/Shot054.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6gAHj5w7OP1jK95jgo6H1DnCWDFp1y5c5T0a0XUcD8msbAcWNuJREn_MJ-SgLCa0ZIYbrgCgwbON2FzwhctC7lgIiDp6QafJAcSgY_S9BQCANj9uN0OPsJpY42qfBAubRNxPZxGkg6DH/s400/Shot054.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289233418668160690" /></a><br />With a faster ship and the Rethone working to slow it down even more, I had the scrim under control, but another Dominator joined the fight to make things interesting. Unfortunately my scanners can't penetrate his shields to figure out how much I'm damaging him, but the repair droids are going flat out and keeping me stable with half my hull gone. <br /><br />A few torpedoes got through from the original larger ship to slowly knock more of my hull away to 1/3, but luckily a trader gated in close by and drew away his attention. I'm way out past the gate points now, but it's only me and the one designated as "Menok Netset -16-" out here. It must be getting damaged as there's visible signs of damage in the rear view mirror and it's been leaking nodes for a while. Might be a tight race.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzebhu0WQQxEjHsoZKUZKLtyWp5mZclFewqJCmr7hVEETkbnhg_u-bYcuIhiJB_uyl24LofGz8qeb7iG-r8pEC_RQxVrPzgg6JQN4mAgR2JhjhUGMnRbRwwMOq_NxV8Kt7CeKoDgS95X5/s1600-h/Shot057.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzebhu0WQQxEjHsoZKUZKLtyWp5mZclFewqJCmr7hVEETkbnhg_u-bYcuIhiJB_uyl24LofGz8qeb7iG-r8pEC_RQxVrPzgg6JQN4mAgR2JhjhUGMnRbRwwMOq_NxV8Kt7CeKoDgS95X5/s400/Shot057.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289237140463574626" /></a><br />Got'im yes! Got down to 63 hull remaining, but the repair droids won the battle. I'd turned around to get a head start on picking up the nodes it was jettisoning. Lucky too, as the Rangers holding the main fleet's attention had vanished (no messages on their demise, so I'm guessing they are repairing on planet). A different variant with torpedoes led the pack and had caught up to me by the time I'd repaired 1/2 my hull back. With the rest of the fleet hot on my tail it's probably a good time to jump out of here. I've got my kill, but it wasn't worth losing a wingman for.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtPOTgrNQDj_5xnLYdpR7mvI4FiTAEWX8z639nO712jzzrpULLouKLc72QAD44gghCGRkdJvSQpV6cjml1G0GPr774b5VuJ8XQSKTiAHAsR8RxLNIzL28Ln7wOWgcM6mu_cP2ev55pqlu/s1600-h/Shot067.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtPOTgrNQDj_5xnLYdpR7mvI4FiTAEWX8z639nO712jzzrpULLouKLc72QAD44gghCGRkdJvSQpV6cjml1G0GPr774b5VuJ8XQSKTiAHAsR8RxLNIzL28Ln7wOWgcM6mu_cP2ev55pqlu/s400/Shot067.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289241197477477714" /></a>VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-43076665121851574863300-08-23T23:39:00.000-07:002009-01-09T00:49:02.425-08:00A Trading NightmareAaargh! <br /><br />I get to Redea and they have a completely different view of what my luxuries are worth. 158cr. 40 less than what I bought them for! So now I have a hold full of expensive paperweights that I'm stuck with. Theoretically I could sell them, but not much else is on offer as a good deal and I'm blowed if I'll take a loss on a trade!<br /><br />After handing over the books (should have burned them, lying bastards) I pocketed the credits and headed to Pune-Anita to see if they had a need for luxuries. Their price was a lot better, but still under what I paid for them. They needed a delivery to Orlenon but i'm in a sour mood. <br /><br />Precious little else was on offer, so getting out of here sounded better and better. Just then a broadcast came over the holotubes, "Dominators are attacking Antares!". Wow, that's just in the next solar system! Time for some action O'mallor!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8XmzbsQ-aXFUPcRMHAOW4KGcIRyJFrRNpIEUWL3Ez0iWf4Q2ZqFaNQTcsopbj6y5QacNI8icEQn9ClsYJ7dUxCCHkWTT80Po-QvxXCu6W2Ls1t5LvbMeahii-wdfg353pFc0kLA2yIH3/s1600-h/StarmapAntares.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8XmzbsQ-aXFUPcRMHAOW4KGcIRyJFrRNpIEUWL3Ez0iWf4Q2ZqFaNQTcsopbj6y5QacNI8icEQn9ClsYJ7dUxCCHkWTT80Po-QvxXCu6W2Ls1t5LvbMeahii-wdfg353pFc0kLA2yIH3/s400/StarmapAntares.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289213184455235170" /></a>VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-27513634601958372263300-08-18T04:51:00.000-07:002009-01-08T05:20:31.212-08:00Childrens BooksThe chancellor had another task waiting for me when I got back, along with a sob story about the Gaalian's child rearing inadequacies. They would be a lot better if they had a whole heap of our children's books, so they are sending 3 tonne of dusty leatherbacks over to get chewed on by an entirely different race. They are offering 2900 credits, so that's enough to spur me into action. <br /><br />Looking at the star map it will be a 2 hop trip, refuel at Minnaver and then on to Regulus. Should be painless. <br /><br />I'm finding the information search to be a godsend in more and more ways. First it had helped isolate the gripper I wanted, and now I've found out it lists the prices at far away planets! Digging up Redea (the final destination) and comparing back to local Mars prices it looked like luxuries would net a profit of around 20 cr each. It's a pity I'm still relatively poor, but the bonuses from the ground assault means I can take 23 tonne with me. Might at least cover the repair bills.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-84866062369066010163300-07-07T05:10:00.000-07:002009-01-07T18:25:09.672-08:00Ground OffensiveI actually did pick up one of those research droids. Felt like something to do while no-one was asking me to do stuff. Dropped it off a Neptune and it indicated over 300 days to finish a full scan of the system. I won't be waiting around for that.<br /><br />Mars is next in line as a potential revenue source and the Chancellor obliged by requesting help in a ground offensive. I hadn't tried being a General before, but as an avid strategy fan back on Earth I felt confident it was something I'd like to learn.<br /><br />The ground offensive started slowly with the enemy happy to sit back while I built up an invading force. The robots in use were the best-of-breed components for long range warfare, with mobility and healing thrown in for good measure.<br /><br />The ground offensive went well with only 3 droids isolated and destroyed. All 3 bases were captured in just over 7 minutes, gaining almost 4000 credits and a wealth of ground experience. They looked impressed at the ease of which I finished the task. I just gave them a wink and said: "Computer games, mate. Pew pew!"VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-73057098332392058963300-06-21T04:26:00.000-07:002009-01-07T05:04:16.029-08:00Open SpaceAfter returning to Earth, they welcomed me back with fanfare. I've completed my training, I'm now a fully fledged Ranger! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKagFwFZ7N7XJ8dHpAEjItK87_wkXm06vJ8UdP6cq4NnPTn1pdqUjItBiw8DTpkarffyi74iqul3PkQIDmC2ejBe-rNWsOiY_EWpOfMmQWpOw6c1wBNlrdQNnCAu5y9i1YPPEoGccqaiHT/s1600-h/Shot039.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKagFwFZ7N7XJ8dHpAEjItK87_wkXm06vJ8UdP6cq4NnPTn1pdqUjItBiw8DTpkarffyi74iqul3PkQIDmC2ejBe-rNWsOiY_EWpOfMmQWpOw6c1wBNlrdQNnCAu5y9i1YPPEoGccqaiHT/s400/Shot039.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288530001671859698" /></a><br />As a ranger, the true impact of the Dominators was revealed; they control more than half the solar systems in the galaxy! I'm tasked to find out more information at Proturbance Research Station.<br /><br />Hah, they are a set of comedians in research. "First you enrol in the Army, then you come to us to findd you you're fighting?" Good one. The Dominator information seemed sensitive, so I'll leave it off these open channels. Suffice to say that they aren't like us and not much is known about them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZFbckieIOlAvf6poiI6vHs-Bl6YktDFG7U42pPSemOObnXE72sNTyEEmp8iuCCj9Y0Y10joADKSWYYmaQf0nnTozFbtYOwA1a0UoZY6O6vzirp2A152LQZS8SoD7Ng8KAsjSf5hPZ6sX/s1600-h/HyperliquidFuelTank2.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZFbckieIOlAvf6poiI6vHs-Bl6YktDFG7U42pPSemOObnXE72sNTyEEmp8iuCCj9Y0Y10joADKSWYYmaQf0nnTozFbtYOwA1a0UoZY6O6vzirp2A152LQZS8SoD7Ng8KAsjSf5hPZ6sX/s400/HyperliquidFuelTank2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288535104488668802" /></a>A lot of the research oriented services on offer didn't seem to appeal apart from enhancing components of my ship. It's a pity I'm a poor boy because I'm sure I'd like to improve the performance of just about everything. The only thing I could afford was an upgrade to the 10 tonne fuel cell to make it hold 22 units of fuel. Almost worth swapping out my 27 tonne tank for the extra space. Actually a quick glance at the starmap and there's nothing past a 20 parsec jump in range anyway. There may be other jumps that need the extra 2 units of fuel, but for now I'll swap over.<br /><br />They also showed me a research droid that is able to locate abandoned items on uninhabited planets. Sounds worse than scumming for rocks, but at least you don't have to wait around while it does the scanning. <br /> <br />Now it's a trip to .. well .. anywhere. There's no set agenda now apart from taking down the Dominators whenever I have the chance. I might pop back to Earth and see if they know of any more problems to fix ...VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-29551389184436310013300-05-22T02:57:00.000-07:002009-01-07T04:17:14.245-08:00Back to EarthI had to report back to Earth after destroying the robot, so another quick jump and I'm back in Sol system. The promise of another good trade coaxed me toward Venus first, but the rock trail led me over to Dream instead. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-BbHYtdfo-QNSliCi4wvpEjIG9-LtOGDxPmF-trtnriVE5W5LaMhxFQySIWq6znjmww5iu3G9OGnISukgoQJuFRxaWbxUERhkvV5thrrwZpJ5gKboRQxAVGNmCfy6LTwcfxiCCPazKE3/s1600-h/SellWeapons2.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-BbHYtdfo-QNSliCi4wvpEjIG9-LtOGDxPmF-trtnriVE5W5LaMhxFQySIWq6znjmww5iu3G9OGnISukgoQJuFRxaWbxUERhkvV5thrrwZpJ5gKboRQxAVGNmCfy6LTwcfxiCCPazKE3/s400/SellWeapons2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288506622909056642" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnCCcYJrciQQKwoFgwIIuc0YrI62hWjYozujZJghkqsFxU8PpIs_64BsLujzZB3hc-Ash_haSa2NjNxRAanZNMnRsAMM_YSD9qoK7EtBFZlyICkb2GsR7pmtHRQAc8LKUWjtp61ynSwDR/s1600-h/SellWeapons.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 323px; height: 31px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnCCcYJrciQQKwoFgwIIuc0YrI62hWjYozujZJghkqsFxU8PpIs_64BsLujzZB3hc-Ash_haSa2NjNxRAanZNMnRsAMM_YSD9qoK7EtBFZlyICkb2GsR7pmtHRQAc8LKUWjtp61ynSwDR/s400/SellWeapons.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288505420160965970" /></a><br />Uhh, how did they get in there? Maybe they misheard me order the new laser I picked up from The Golden Calf? <br />Maybe ;)<br /><br />On Dream there was an AWESOME new ship. It was a special order from the Minnaver Space Docks, complete with droid tunnels for increased droid repair. Don't quite have enough, but it looks like an excellent buy!<br /> <br />Nothing else was worth buying on my way to Venus, so I left the hold empty for more rock collecting. There seems to be quite a bit just floating around the solar system. Why isn't anyone else hoovering it up?<br /><br />At Venus I may have found the answer. My gripper was almost broken from overuse and took 100cr to fix! Still, that's only ~10 tonne of rock. I must have shunted close to 150 tonne by now. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLSadW1VZPxZAzvgMbY2pG0LvlKz5x-yWoWi7iXYzs2qWNyNL3HoO8geS4cVMGM3EWq0E_IJslxHWlJgkNm3t0BI2JoNdUKvnbsdfbaqifWNSPXS2974LNpHQdFh_hJWmRKs5Ta6z63Tp/s1600-h/BioticDroid.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLSadW1VZPxZAzvgMbY2pG0LvlKz5x-yWoWi7iXYzs2qWNyNL3HoO8geS4cVMGM3EWq0E_IJslxHWlJgkNm3t0BI2JoNdUKvnbsdfbaqifWNSPXS2974LNpHQdFh_hJWmRKs5Ta6z63Tp/s400/BioticDroid.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288512644172776386" /></a>The Venetian traders also had a repair droid for sale that I had my eye on last time through. It's an early model, but it's been enhanced from the normal 5 units of repair to 13 units. The trader had indicated that they help fix minor damage from, say, running into asteroids, and can also be a godsend in a dogfight extending your lifespan. Well, technically the hull's lifespan, but once the hull goes, you go. So I think the important thing here is ensuring I don't .. err .. go.<br /><br />Most of my equipment (including the shiny new droid) had to be left behind on Venus to make way for ~230 tonnes of medicine destined for Earth. Prices for Equipment had reversed too, so I made a double trip to keep the trader in me happy.<br /><br />There was enough in the kitty to head back to Dream to see if that Gaalian hull was still there. It was, and now it's mine. A dream come true! (heh)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8OAeGjrmXYt473rTGyH2uAtQb43w_jkQiSbWUKfU1jCprxc1ekulYy00hkh5-czPlZWXBEn7VZ0pzIMQNdOPRqdqBGQzOfBEpK2ejuORSihDCkXOEknSkxKEtSSGnpIFvfYC0crEn9pR/s1600-h/MaintenanceHousingI.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 332px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8OAeGjrmXYt473rTGyH2uAtQb43w_jkQiSbWUKfU1jCprxc1ekulYy00hkh5-czPlZWXBEn7VZ0pzIMQNdOPRqdqBGQzOfBEpK2ejuORSihDCkXOEknSkxKEtSSGnpIFvfYC0crEn9pR/s400/MaintenanceHousingI.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288523269280185186" /></a><br />There was a slimline gripper on sale too. It was pretty busted up, but worth the 1200 credits to complete the set of lightweight components to go with the new hull. Now I'm flat broke, but grinning from ear to ear!VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-3170900810802897543300-04-19T02:03:00.000-07:002009-01-07T02:44:50.888-08:00The Golden CalfAfter the explosion there were salvageable parts left drifting, a laser and a fuel cell. I nabbed both and headed to the closest port, a Business Centre called "The Golden Calf". <br /><br />It turns out I have a mounting point available for another weapon, so I may as well install the salvaged one. The fuel cell is light at 10 tonnes for 15 units of fuel, but still too small for a serious jump. Might hang on to it anyway, could be handy keeping some fuel in reserve.<br /><br />Since I'm at a Businesss Centre I checked out what other services they have on offer. They offer loans as well as investment opportunities. A long term loan looked Ok since 2595 days sounded a long time until they wanted their money back.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPoRF85FfF-TRpS1It5rDWJo3CQEeYvQECiqavIfOAm_UkQrwanAAcOyjp3nt5PWEe_QFR4OnqMGG41Rvj2qO1yaFGthV-_DCCulEA0Xp6_wh7pMXweCxvFXT78x92D0BjMshqGSy8QbW/s1600-h/Shot031.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPoRF85FfF-TRpS1It5rDWJo3CQEeYvQECiqavIfOAm_UkQrwanAAcOyjp3nt5PWEe_QFR4OnqMGG41Rvj2qO1yaFGthV-_DCCulEA0Xp6_wh7pMXweCxvFXT78x92D0BjMshqGSy8QbW/s400/Shot031.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288498062211176994" /></a><br />You can also organize to get a trading analysis done to see what goods are worth shipping. For 32cr it's a bargain. The analysis revealed a previous trading circuit: Medicine from Venus to Earth. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEW2paRovGUTOe4bTDhwg5994tN4CEh6n3Rul3uYvFTUOo2_1BhHnGzOg8XOxpqFnsknzk67GM0kN9oOhRCdNDej1Q3kA8hxxDHIeGOjVaHX7PLNreAKLSYmpPQiNkJ-ti559vq6FqOKd/s1600-h/Shot030.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEW2paRovGUTOe4bTDhwg5994tN4CEh6n3Rul3uYvFTUOo2_1BhHnGzOg8XOxpqFnsknzk67GM0kN9oOhRCdNDej1Q3kA8hxxDHIeGOjVaHX7PLNreAKLSYmpPQiNkJ-ti559vq6FqOKd/s400/Shot030.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288497695600223522" /></a><br />.. Wait, what? Medicines FROM Venus?<br /><br />I guess the medical crisis is now over and they've realized that they now have far too many medicines (because I dumped them there) whereas Earth have none (because I took them from there). Oh well, I better get back over there and rectify the situation (and make a profit, teehee)VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-34325407926106286583300-04-03T01:05:00.000-07:002009-01-07T02:42:21.637-08:00Astaron<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkH8TtXxJQaVxhXeIG14dhlPI9PD43wRonronWamYa5vkZWC008ItnvDnFjwow4QxNjaKK8ry0kYENvh8j6Ql1ZhPk59LDmJwyn7EEjAK6bZT1QQKLg5Dpt2HB194PIl_HCD7a8Ko4pma/s1600-h/SunBetelgeize.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkH8TtXxJQaVxhXeIG14dhlPI9PD43wRonronWamYa5vkZWC008ItnvDnFjwow4QxNjaKK8ry0kYENvh8j6Ql1ZhPk59LDmJwyn7EEjAK6bZT1QQKLg5Dpt2HB194PIl_HCD7a8Ko4pma/s320/SunBetelgeize.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288475733031339778" /></a><br />Hyperjumps were a piece of cake. Point & click on the starmap and everything else is autopilot. I was expecting stars warping and my body being strecthed to infinity, but it's not that bad at all. Inside hyperspace it's like a glowing tunnel; hard to describe really. <br /><br />We flew from our exit point on the edge of the solar system to Astaron with only minor diversions to fill my hold with rock. Astaron is another Human colony with an orbit close to Earth's, but the surface looks more like Mars. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6r-TdLGZR0b0Rle_gxaC7weu4SIIl0t6w6Eda1_hXil0AH7Ri3qfWAcOzjPwrEfWgzHjCKCHDdsPC_FvOxlY85YLhXQg5tih9Tj9peSwHf2vmR6MD70xg8xz_vJnDWoaZCq9WnY6Gguz/s1600-h/TrasionScanner.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6r-TdLGZR0b0Rle_gxaC7weu4SIIl0t6w6Eda1_hXil0AH7Ri3qfWAcOzjPwrEfWgzHjCKCHDdsPC_FvOxlY85YLhXQg5tih9Tj9peSwHf2vmR6MD70xg8xz_vJnDWoaZCq9WnY6Gguz/s400/TrasionScanner.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288482683086924898" /></a>Digging through the spare parts on offer I found a lightweight Trasion Scanner to further increase my default carrying capacity. The trader let me in on a little secret though, the more expensive the item the more expensive the repair bill. With this scanner being double the price I could expect to fork over double the money in repairs too. Maybe the expensive lightweight Radar wasn't best option? <br /><br />The chancellor made sure I had refuelled after my first jump before giving another task to shoot down a moving target. Whoah! Space combat! Awrighty!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOL9oQ9sZL1VMKlq1Fx687EF2B26hrwQCVnfa50RrWd_P3_v0rMn3W_NhAqG5ps5cayfo1xXZXHtZLR0lTiLVdfQytNBNKJWYTI2vK9Z-hEO2Yfh_B4pWze1JqAPS3QURHr7lgqDkoymj/s1600-h/Shot026.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOL9oQ9sZL1VMKlq1Fx687EF2B26hrwQCVnfa50RrWd_P3_v0rMn3W_NhAqG5ps5cayfo1xXZXHtZLR0lTiLVdfQytNBNKJWYTI2vK9Z-hEO2Yfh_B4pWze1JqAPS3QURHr7lgqDkoymj/s400/Shot026.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288478746550294402" /></a><br />You're on IP-4.. err .. robot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtf5DQ9Z8rb78w_CFPbl2qtcVreoAbfdYw3_tLeb1bH3vNBIYtpV7TKYo5NIHddP0UPD8SKPQ-ziw2vPfhx1Znkqrj3rRkzipBhS4xEA4pRhAg1lC2y6JjbmcRalKRSRWeln4Kc4iUtzV/s1600-h/Shot027.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtf5DQ9Z8rb78w_CFPbl2qtcVreoAbfdYw3_tLeb1bH3vNBIYtpV7TKYo5NIHddP0UPD8SKPQ-ziw2vPfhx1Znkqrj3rRkzipBhS4xEA4pRhAg1lC2y6JjbmcRalKRSRWeln4Kc4iUtzV/s400/Shot027.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288480966784425058" /></a><br />Nearly got ya! (and so did the Asteroid!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmgFcQh9JfTGCiUcUY-vpEbtTNn65SQ3ypVDMjif34CV-G31T3qy3Rx4QCQXtS9X9tnfYupdnKilCtBjfzxGt6MOfOAGrqukinTmKiBRjXcfAXEhlHVvBQHW1W8g_-0kHUL4Py0WZehwQ/s1600-h/Shot029.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmgFcQh9JfTGCiUcUY-vpEbtTNn65SQ3ypVDMjif34CV-G31T3qy3Rx4QCQXtS9X9tnfYupdnKilCtBjfzxGt6MOfOAGrqukinTmKiBRjXcfAXEhlHVvBQHW1W8g_-0kHUL4Py0WZehwQ/s400/Shot029.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288481291688181778" /></a><br />And there he goes. Piece of cake!<br /><br />Tagging along is another pilot called Orollin. He's a wannabe Ranger, but didn't have the credits to get started (thanks again, Dad). He was so impressed that I shot down the droid that he offered to follow me around for a year to 'learn from a real Ranger'. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was only a training mission.VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-90861057460838269153300-03-10T00:07:00.000-08:002009-01-07T01:43:03.063-08:00Space TripWell that was 8 days wasted. Here's your rocks, now what?<br /><br />We spent the day going through the nuances of the hyperjump drive. My engine has the ability of atmospheric flight on planets, space flight for between planets and now hyperjumps to travel between solar systems. My next task is to travel to Betelgeize, an 8 parsec jump. It all sounds good in theory, but there's been rumours floating around the mess hall about monsters in the empty space between jumps. The instructor waved away the rumours as hogwash though, and personally vouched for over 40 years of hyperjump travel without incident.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkXo3Z0ABVIfvB899ad6q7Wi8FYAht93bPFe2d5J4_cCPOTUeiQHxTVaiHkUunrrjm5Bm4HLUvh1Bdaks4skgbqRy2_obh5YUnnQhoU_X2E6v3qeobbDmAxNG-q-YTVBqu1xX0chYXElC/s1600-h/HyperliquidFuelTank.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkXo3Z0ABVIfvB899ad6q7Wi8FYAht93bPFe2d5J4_cCPOTUeiQHxTVaiHkUunrrjm5Bm4HLUvh1Bdaks4skgbqRy2_obh5YUnnQhoU_X2E6v3qeobbDmAxNG-q-YTVBqu1xX0chYXElC/s400/HyperliquidFuelTank.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288463223446072882" /></a>With 10 grand burning a hole in my pocket, I took a trip through Trader Alley to see if there was anything useful for my ship. The first purchase was a larger capacity fuel cell that held 24 units of fuel. That's the jump capacity of my engine, so it only made sense that I needed the same amount of fuel for the jump. The merchant agreed (don't they all?).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVug0ZEFZRFXasKTnfHshwZ7tfOwMeM42dWuvbM1aZtSHwvtMi7IR3w-lZNerfKjLHhsJyQt4QyiQjzbDvB_p-CJNSJ3EQfWgwGL_RJuRtMV8073gml1BROxMgaFomlGCXN9A1VHYf3lA4/s1600-h/SubtransferRadar.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVug0ZEFZRFXasKTnfHshwZ7tfOwMeM42dWuvbM1aZtSHwvtMi7IR3w-lZNerfKjLHhsJyQt4QyiQjzbDvB_p-CJNSJ3EQfWgwGL_RJuRtMV8073gml1BROxMgaFomlGCXN9A1VHYf3lA4/s400/SubtransferRadar.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288469607279130818" /></a>Next up was a lightweight Subtransfer Radar. The salesman mentioned the virtues of a sleeker design was that you got the same functionality with less hull space taken up (it's 1/2 the weight at 15 tonnes). That meant more room for trading and I'm all for that. It was expensive though at 4000cr, almost 1/2 my money. <br /><br />So we're all set for a jump to Betelgeize, hope I get to write about it on the other side!VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-75770556599103652943300-03-04T23:13:00.000-08:002009-01-07T01:42:42.208-08:00Mining (officially)The next mission from Earth is to demonstrate how to mine. Haven't i done that already? Actually I've still got some rocks in the hold from the trip over, does that count? <br /><br />Apparently not. All recruits need to go out and shoot down the lonely asteroid and return with the remains. Ho Hum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb843_dLbNk5_u66Nu1dHQLS1Kiz1ss6zc8dbrtT9QIlR1YGXBkyecRDmm5xEqEn3cTtlT395qx6FE4nYHe1shIWEAu1R4-jsBMGejMs591mS8WPvEYd8qBPYRrNL7F9zbI8n1IkGSG0zO/s1600-h/Shot009.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb843_dLbNk5_u66Nu1dHQLS1Kiz1ss6zc8dbrtT9QIlR1YGXBkyecRDmm5xEqEn3cTtlT395qx6FE4nYHe1shIWEAu1R4-jsBMGejMs591mS8WPvEYd8qBPYRrNL7F9zbI8n1IkGSG0zO/s400/Shot009.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288451112574879762" /></a>VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8019772857256020206.post-29858005088707788663300-02-26T06:36:00.000-08:002009-01-05T06:46:09.929-08:0010kEarth has no more Medicine available for trade, Venus is out of Equipment too, but boy are my pockets full! The trips were getting so large I left all non-essentials on Earth to take even more cargo:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2vQDdV1z_xghyTiPjdHa1TGctmF3W4GDf1vfT9FDRsAclGYIIdaVdTJ15fFERGcmNzyb1u9q9bpAst8hVvI5ijinIxM2VpKXGrCa7R3qdMx3t34VGbMucvMxPD08Zneg2LeDH7QNDQg7/s1600-h/Shot007.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2vQDdV1z_xghyTiPjdHa1TGctmF3W4GDf1vfT9FDRsAclGYIIdaVdTJ15fFERGcmNzyb1u9q9bpAst8hVvI5ijinIxM2VpKXGrCa7R3qdMx3t34VGbMucvMxPD08Zneg2LeDH7QNDQg7/s400/Shot007.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287819951132864642" /></a><br /><br />After a month I've made over 10,000cr. I guess I've mastered trading? Time to head back to Oldy and see what they want me to do next ...VRBoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.com0