(NERV Game Site – Official DAtS Offline Forums)

Number5Alive, Golddigger, BurtBacharach, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, l33tpally, Bennie, SEA-TAC_Sweetie, Requiesce-in-Pace, MacD, HaveGunsWillTravel, Guardian, GunKitty, Chummer, Inquisitor, Lizard, RedFox, SemiSolidSnake, ElfMama, Not_the_Face!, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous7, Anonymous9, AggregatorOfSorrows, M.Mollen, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, Dolcett, Starwatcher, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, Hullu_Kapteeni, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, Queen’s_Bitch, BackDat@55Up, DoYouEvenDPS?, MajorTom, Parca, and DarkAngel are in the chat.

Lizard: Man, it got quiet all of a sudden.

SEA-TAC_Sweetie: Well, not really quiet. Just in between shitstorms. So much has happened since launch, people are trying to catch their breath and rebuild.

Not_the_Face!: True. The Devs might not be actively working in the game to provide events or the like, but things were getting crazy for a while there, and they’ve now settled down some. Good time for some exploration, actually.

DarkAngel: What kind of exploration you have in mind, Face?

Not_the_Face!: Well, there’s the physical kind, like checking the local area you’re established in, maybe finding some of the secrets only locals know. Or maybe taking a ship and pushing the boundaries of Known Space, finding what might be out there. But you also got the social kind, finding new connections to bring in new gigs and new opportunities.

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Good point. This game isn’t like older ones, where there are helpful yellow exclamation points above people who can give you quests. You gotta work and earn the quests.

AggregatorOfSorrows: Hmm. Exploring space could be fun. You’d need a ship kitted out for it, though. Something fast enough with enough of a kick that it can get out of trouble.

M.Mollen: Sounds like you’d need one of Black Star’s ‘personal use’ crafts.

Parca: HA!

DarkAvariel: Yeah, as if I could afford one of those. Even if I could, the wait list on civilian Black Star ships is something like four years long!

M.Mollen: Well, there are other options than owning the ship, of course.

Lizard: What do you mean?

M.Mollen: Just so happens that I have a few ships that are going to be exploring the arm of the galaxy near Nuevo Edo. Scout ships going from star to star in FTL to do surveys of systems. Of course, you’d need to find a group you were compatible with, since the scout ships don’t really have much room on them.

DarkAvariel: Wait, scout ships? Where are you scouting?

M.Mollen: Oh, mainly the area around Nuevo Edo and the three Gateways we’ve explored in that part of the galaxy. Trying to map out what stars have materials worth a colony or maybe mining efforts.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

AggregatorOfSorrows: Wait, three? There are only two known gates in that area!

M.Mollen: Only two known to YOU.

Starwatcher: So that’s what that odd ship in the Dimiya yards is for.

Knocker: What do you mean, Star?

Starwatcher: People have been paying good money for any data they can get on what Black Star is up to. I got some high-power sensors, and focused them on their yards around Dimiya. There was a new kind of ship that looked like some kind of heavily armed pleasure yacht, that I wasn’t sure what it was for.

M.Mollen: You can tell your people that the ship is called the BSS Heartseeker, and while I already have a pilot for her, I still need a couple others to fill out the crew of four. Basically, it is an exploration and science vessel, the first of its class. They’ll be going out, beyond Known Space, and looking for anything that we might be able to find.

DarkAvariel: But why heavily armed?

M.Mollen: Because ‘here there be dragons’. The Heartseeker and her sisters will be going off the map. The X’thari are out there somewhere, as well as other possible threats. Best to make sure that a ship is able to take care of itself when the nearest help may be months away.

AggregatorOfSorrows: Going off into the unknown with only a group of four, spending who knows how long without seeing any other people? That’ll get ‘interesting’ real fast if people don’t get along.

M.Mollen: Hence why we haven’t filled out the crew yet, and are drawing things up slowly. I’m not against having Nomads in the program, so you know. But they’d have to be able to go through Black Star for announcing things, instead of just blabbing all over the place.

Backlog: Trying to keep your edge as long as possible?

M.Mollen: Obviously. Knowledge is power, and power makes everything else easier when you have it.

Dolcett: Wait, go back to how you know yet another Gateway address that none of the rest of us have. WTF?

M.Mollen: The Nuevo Edoans have a ‘phone book’ of addresses, like the partial one the Ihm discovered. I’m kindof a big deal there, so they let me copy it down, and agreed that it should be hidden from anyone else.

Dolcett: How the fuck is that fair?

M.Mollen: Well, when you save a planet from two threats that could have wiped out their entire civilization, then you can get the same benefits I did.

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Rich get richer, and the people that are behind have to run as fast as they can to keep up. Way of the world, Dolcett.

M.Mollen: You are welcome to just grab a shuttle and dial random gate combinations, of course. No one knows what happens when you go into a bad address, so you could get some fame from that. Just remember, at least one of those addresses is going to have X’thari warships on the other side.

ElfMama: True. They have to come from somewhere, and their anchor drives need to be used near a Gateway.

MarcoPolo: Hmm. That sounds like an interesting challenge. I might sing on for one of those exploration missions.

M.Mollen: Contact a Black Star site in game, Marco, and mention that you’re a Nomad. I’m sending you a verification code to give to whoever you speak to that will make sure they get my attention.

Starwatcher: But wait, you’ve already explored a 19th Gateway, right? What did you find?

Knocker: Another ‘lost colony’ full of mostly women?

M.Mollen: Hah! I wish. No, a nice, uninhabited system, which is now named Star’s Reach, along with the nice, Earth-like planet of the same name. The Starborn colony has just been established, and will be open for business soon enough.

DarkAngel: Wait, Starborn? I saw that name recently. The AI just added it to the list of starting zones for people looking to re-roll or start new characters. Higher difficulty starts only.

M.Mollen: Really now? That’s interesting. I’ll give some new orders to my people on the ground, then.

DoYouEvenDPS?: Wait, where did this colony come from?

M.Mollen: Simply put, my pay for helping end the Civil War included a Colony Ship.

ElfMama: Oh shit!

Requiesce-in-Pace: So… company town?

M.Mollen: Whole system, actually.

Knocker: So, good business opportunities, if you’re not working against Black Star.

CrazyCelt: Sounds like a decent place to meet clients away from prying eyes without worrying about pirates.

M.Mollen: And there’s even a dungeon.

Knocker: WHAT? YOU HAVE YOUR OWN DUNGEON?!!!?