I say aloud to myself, with only the light of my computer screen to illuminate my surroundings, “Okay, armor paneling over electrical wiring systems? Check. All engineering access panels closed and locked? Check. Cargo fuel and conveyor systems? Check. MicroGenesis Refinery and NanoFabricator? Check. Landing pad? Check. Workshop? Check. Last but not least, pressurized atmospheric cabin and bridge/control tower? Check.” That’s everything on my checklist. I take a deep breath, my finger about to press down on the mouse and click the flashing ‘Finalize Ship’ button.

After spending over a thousand hours, I finally qualified for the hardcore Void Engineers server. Ah, Void Engineers, the best game out there, and I’m willing to fight anyone who says otherwise. Between the amazingly realistic space graphics, in-depth ship building/designing, and incredible world background, there just isn’t another game that comes close.

A grueling 1,200 hours of playtime it took me, Ive finally qualified and am entering hardcore Void Engineers. It took a lot of space battles, endless hours mining and collecting rare resources, but finally, I’m in. And it all comes down to this.

There are a few things that are different about hardcore mode and regular Void Engineers. Regular Void Engineers has predetermined starting ships, no biological needs, sparse NPC population, and easy NPC AI. Oh, and you can respawn infinitely as long as you’ve set up spawn points…

Now, hardcore mode, however, everything changes. NPCs are everywhere. Good, bad, and everything in between. NPC AI in hardcore mode is so ridiculous some speculate that the NPCs are actually real players or developers doing extreme role play. The NPCs in the hardcore game are so realistic that you can’t tell the difference between a player and an NPC. Then there is also the fact that you have to eat, sleep, drink, hell, you even have to use the restroom. Also, you can’t respawn without first setting up a very complex clone migration system that backs up your character’s memory as soon as you die. Did I mention that normal mode is single-player, meanwhile, hardcore is a single server instance where everyone plays in a massive multiplayer free for all. Most players play in factions, but not me. I plan to play solo because I found a trick that makes you as strong as a massive player faction even if you are a solo player.

The only major plus to hardcore that makes up for the insane difficulty is that you get to pre-design and custom build your starter ship instead of being atmo dumped in a crappy survival pod on one of the planets in-game. After multiple days that I specifically requested off from work, my masterpiece of a starter ship is finally finished.

Think of it as a barge-style ship with a landing pad and a workshop/hangar underneath the landing pad. The landing pad even has the ability to lower small ships into the hangar bay for repairs. On one corner of the landing pad, it has a control tower that is the main bridge of the ship. I’ve built it specifically for my solo play style and for me to quickly be able to set up my industrial logistics. Underneath the bridge is my living quarters which is cramped but a functional use of the rest of the control tower. The engineering bay is right below my quarters with all the fuel tanks, 5 MicroGenesis Refineries, oxygen tank, cargo bay with cargo elevator, oh also the algae tanks and the miniaturized nuclear reactor. Right in front of the engineering bay is the workshop where I can work on small ships and drones. In the workshop are 3 NanoFabricators all working in tandem to produce whatever I que up on the Holo table. Not only is it functional, but it also looks amazing, almost like a barge, airport control tower, and helicopter landing pad, merged together with a dash of sci-fi.

The hardcore server requirements to even join are getting literally every achievement in the normal play mode, and then you have to meet the 1,000-hour requirement for playtime. For the average person that maintains a job and social life outside the game, that takes about one year, maybe one and a half years. The game has been out for about two years, and people have been entering hardcore mode for a while now and everyone is shocked and claiming that “hardcore mode is really only the beginning” or that “you haven’t really played Void Engineers until you’ve entered hardcore mode”. Considering the developers have been silent the entire time and extremely secretive, no one knows what’s going on other than first-hand accounts from streamers and players who have entered the hardcore community. Apparently players who reached the requirement suddenly had a new option appear on the main menu of the game called ‘Enter the Hardcore Universe’. With a warning message that said “You only get one try at this mode of the game! If your character gets a permadeath you will no longer have access to the hardcore game mode. Beware those that enter!” The only comment the developers made since the original release date was, “This game will have depths you will never see coming.” I’m a little late to joining hardcore mode, so I’m excited to see how it goes considering I’m going up against factions that have already established themselves and carved up the “known” universe.

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As Alexander Avro sits at his computer, his excitement palpable, he's completely immersed in the task at hand—finalizing his ship for the hardcore Void Engineers server. The anticipation builds as he meticulously checks off each item on his list, ensuring every system is in perfect working order. But then, without warning, the tranquility of his computer room is shattered by a series of strange phenomena that ripple through the woods surrounding his home. Electricity arcs through the air around him, silent as if his surroundings have become a void of space.

Unaware of the events unfolding just beyond his doorstep and in the same room, Alexander's focus remains on the screen before him. With a sense of determination, he clicks the 'Finalize Ship' button, ready to embark on his next adventure. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light engulfs the room as a surge of energy erupts from the nearby government research facility.

The force of the explosion sends shockwaves rippling through the air, shaking the very foundations of Alexander's home. In an instant, his tranquil surroundings are transformed into chaos as the blast obliterates his house, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

As Alexander's consciousness fades in and out, he finds himself adrift amidst the debris of what was once his home. He thinks aloud “Is that my refrigerator?” Disoriented and disbelieving, he struggles to comprehend the magnitude of what has just occurred. But as he takes in the vast expanse of space stretching out before him, he comes to realize that he's no longer on Earth.

Meanwhile on earth General Reynolds stood in the control room of the secluded research facility, his heart pounding with adrenaline as he surveyed the chaos unfolding around him. His mind raced with questions, but foremost among them was the fate of the civilians in the surrounding area.

"Report! Are there any civilian casualties?" he barked, his voice echoing off the walls.

The scientists exchanged nervous glances, their faces pale with fear. "We... we're not sure, sir," one of them stammered, his hands trembling as he spoke.

Reynolds felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. The experiment with advanced energy manipulation had gone horribly wrong. Honestly, they didn't even know what to call the asteroid fragment used in the experiment, only that it unleashed a devastating explosion that flattened the surrounding woods for miles—including the nearby house of Alexander Avro, a civilian unknown to the general.

"Find out!" Reynolds ordered, his voice laced with urgency. He knew that if any civilians had been harmed, the consequences would be severe.

As the scientists hurried to assess the situation, Reynolds couldn't shake the feeling of dread that gripped him. The thought of innocent lives lost due to their reckless experimentation filled him with guilt, fear, and remorse.

But as the control room descended into chaos, Reynolds knew that there was no time to dwell on his emotions. They had a crisis to contain, and the fate of Alexander Avro—and any other civilians caught in the blast—hung in the balance. He dreaded to think of his personal consequences—jail? Death row? Or perhaps a CIA cover-up resulting in his demise. Chills run down his spine, “We need to contain this ASAP! Our very lives are at stake here! Find all evidence and contain it!” While the general scrambles to save his own skin, the only person truly affected by the explosion floats, his jaw slack, as he surveys his surroundings. He says aloud, strangely calm at first, but eventually yelling by the end “Oh I know I said a few times I wish that I could play the game in real life BUT I WAS ALWAYS JOKING! Oh god I'm so floated it's not even funny.” Ironically I laugh at my own pun.