Tug of War Colorado, Honshu & More Trading/Smuggling Event
DATE & TIME
Feb 15 - Feb 23
Config and price increase active from 10am - 2am UTC, and all day from Feb 21-23.
OVERVIEW
Relations between Liberty and Kusari are at boiling point, with the Liberty Navy and Kusari Naval Forces both placed at high alert along the borders. There is significant public confusion about this situation, as neither government is willing to comment on the nature of the "incident" in the Independent Worlds that prompted the buildup. Against this backdrop of paranoia and hostility, another straw is tossed onto the teetering pile.
A devastating Farmers Alliance attack on Deshima Station has been thwarted. They had attempted to replicate the Roppongi playbook to the letter. A hijacked freighter had been loaded with a dirty bomb and sent to dock, with their plan being to set the foreign station ablaze, destroying it and the attached Synth biodomes. However, station operators had learned painful lessons from the atrocity at Roppongi and had implemented stringent countermeasures.
Acting on LSF-provided intelligence intercepts, Guild security officers quickly incapacitated and boarded the Rhino. Several Alliance operatives were arrested, the fissile material confiscated. Before breaking the news of the attempt's failure, the prisoners and payload were spirited away to Liberty and the waiting hands of the LSF, Deshima having little faith the matter would be thoroughly investigated in Kusari.
Following the Roppongi explosion, Kusari had been forced by outrage abroad to launch a formal initiative to curtail Alliance activities. Liberty was chief among these voices, aggrieved by the death of their ambassador and hundreds of citizens during the attack. Despite this, it is widely considered that the KSP and KNF initiative is largely performative, and the investigation intentionally short-sighted. Most significantly, Kusari has steadfastly failed to follow leads on the Alliance's funding or acquisition pipeline for the radioactive material used in their attacks.
Deshima is a step too far for Liberty. Citing emergency circumstances, President Hawthorne has announced a targeted package of sanctions against Kusari for their failure to take basic steps to prevent acts of terrorism against Liberty citizens. She has demanded immediate action to eradicate the Alliance threat altogether. A full embargo on the export of essential Superconductors has been applied - a critical input for Kusari's high-tech industries that are already suffering from the Sirius-wide Gold shortage and associated supply chain shocks. More painfully for Kusari's ambitions, this is one of the few Liberty inputs they are reliant on for their own Jump Drive program.
Outraged by Liberty absconding with key evidence from Deshima, and furious at the painful economic coercion, Kusari has immediately fired back with their own retort. A reciprocal embargo has been applied on the export of Optronics to Liberty. Kusari has demanded Liberty withdraw its sanctions and remove the military forces along its border. Already shipping traffic has begun to back up across both borders as military vessels stop and search merechants. As the news broke, stocks across both Liberty and Kusari plummeted, and commodity prices soared. Bretonia and Rheinland have responded with unease, urging both feuding Houses to come to the table to negotiate.
One thing known for certain is that those goods are still needed, and a captain nimble enough to pick their way through the dangerous blockade can become very rich indeed.
DETAILS
Optronics:
To compensate for reduced exports, the base price of Optronics has increased by $30 (buying and selling).
Optronics are now Restricted Cargo according to the Imperial Stellar Codex of Kusari. Only Kusari Corporate Vessels are permitted to haul this commodity - unless otherwise agreed by Kusari authorities.
As demand steadily climbs in Liberty, Fort Bush has become a clearing house for all imported Optronics. Rochester serves the same purpose for the shadier sort.
A number of organizations is willing to take the risk of angering the Kusari Empire to satisfy demand or make a quick buck. The following ids will earn a $50 bonus for each delivery.
To compensate for reduced exports, the base prices of Superconductors has increased by $30 (buying and selling).
Superconductors are now a Restricted Commodity according to the The Laws of Liberty. Only Liberty Corporate Vessels are permitted to haul this commodity - unless otherwise agreed by Liberty authorities.
As demand steadily climbs in Kusari, Shinjuku and Shinagawa have become competitive bidders for all imported Superconductors. Kabukicho serves the same purpose for the shadier sort.
A number of organizations is willing to take the risk of angering the Republic of Liberty to satisfy demand or make a quick buck. The following ids will earn a $50 bonus for each delivery.
Trade Ships docking in Kusari, Liberty, and bordering systems with Optronics/Superconductors during a hostile encounter ARE considered to be "killed".
KNF, KOI, & KSP have the following lines added to their ID:
- Can attack Trade ships belonging to Liberty in Galileo and Kepler.
KOI has the following line added to their ID:
- Can demand Optronics outside of Liberty.
LN, LSF, & LPI have the following line added to their ID:
- Can attack Trade ships belonging to Kusari in Galileo and Kepler.
LSF has the following line added to their ID:
- Can demand Superconductors outside of Liberty.
Rewards:
All rewards require an INRP write-up about the event from the point of view of your character. Can be submitted as a report within the comm section, in a relevant faction channel, or as part of a story thread.
Smugglers are traders who deal in illicit goods or illegally cross embargo lines. The occupation is a dangerous one, as they may find themselves targets of both law enforcement and pirates, but the demand for drugs, weaponry, or exotic alien materials promises great rewards to the daredevil pilots who are willing to take the risks.
This Generic ID is used by Smugglers, who:
- Can only use Freighters and Transports.
- Can only haul illicit commodities.
Requires shipping at least 300,000 units of either Optronics or Superconductors. The total can be combined across all of your characters.
Custom Title
Requires participation in the event, event IDs only.
Shared Ships
Deliveries by tagged ships on the config will be summed, allowing the purchase of faction shareds with the resulting points at the following rates: Archon = 500,000 | Longhorn = 280,000 | Supertransport = 60,000 | Frigate = 40,000. Faction leaders should pm @Barrier with the final details. Please note that techcompat remains in effect for these ships, and locking is for official factions only.
Factions currently eligible for this reward (must be on the tracker): Ageira~, AWES-, B|-, [CSA], [DSE], GMG|, =IT=, .:j:., NHI-, Samura|-, USC|-
Results
The immediate escalation of hostilities between Kusari and Liberty that many feared and some craved did not come to pass. But while the hawks continue to stew on their bridges and behind board room chairs, the situation if nowhere near de-escalation. Confirmed reports have been brought forward to the clandestine agencies of both Houses about outright destruction of trade convoys, and the heavy-handed blockade enforcement that left many independent hulls drifting dead in space.
As the leaders on both sides of Galileo ponder the situation, magnates who have previously enjoyed a warm relationship with their counterparts continue to curse their masters. While many who are bought and paid for continue peddling de-escalation, most have resigned to the specter of war on the horizon. More aggressive resolutions about the control of Galileo are already being tabled, and only those with an eye for opportunity and healthy lack of risk aversion will come out the winners in the end.
Players of characters eligible for the Smuggler id. Please reply here or contact @Barrier if the combined deliveries across your characters makes you eligible.
Galway (665000)
Idris (470278)
Sandriski_Transport (449000)
Trevor.Gills (389498)
Sentient (329401)
NHI-T>Abel_Deacon (306000)
Players of tagged factions accumulated the following point totals:
(rates: Longhorn = 280,000 | Supertransport = 60,000 | Frigate = 40,000.) Their leaders should contact @Barrier with the details of their reward, if they are eligible.
So there's been a lot of confusion and misinterpretation of Rule 2.1 for quite a long time now, so we decided to put a little notice to it and to make this thread in order to clarify the confusion and to provide any additional context if folks have questions regarding it.
Now then, the rule in question, as the title indicates is rule 2.1 (updated version which includes the small note at the end):
Discovery Rules Wrote:2.1 - You must provide sufficient roleplay before attacking another player, and give them enough time to react. This means at least two messages and 10 seconds delay before attacking.
Note: Every form of RP is acceptable
A large amount of the community is still interpreting this "sufficient roleplay" part differently than intended and as a result named it "Engagement Lines". These engagement lines (aka /1, /2) were never a specific requirement of this rule. This was always viewed as player created flavour. The rule officially requires sufficient RP and 10 seconds before attacking. This RP can be, in the rule's current state, basically anything in-character. Players are not required to declare their intent of attack as if they were an anime character. That being said, the engagement lines as they are now do count as regular roleplay and they can continue being used for this rule as they have been so far, and we always welcome that level of clearly stating intent.
The main takeaway here is that, players saying inRP things like "Look who we have here." followed by "I'm gonna make some money today!" and then attacking you 10 seconds later is acceptable RP for engagement as well. Please do note that this does not circumvent your ID lines and you are still required by your ID to have the ability to outright engage the other player, otherwise the overall RP will have to be different (in the cases of where you have to pirate them first for example).
As a final point here, when it comes to Factions, as well as individuals - You are allowed to add specifications on top of this rule for your own gameplay experience, story immersion and overall faction aesthetic. This would be a one-sided addition the player/faction would only place upon itself. What I mean by this is, as an example a Navy/Military faction is allowed to require their members to exclusively use engagement lines style of RP before engaging a target. This rule would not interfere with its own wording. However, it is important to note that, while this level of customisation is allowed, members of the said Navy/Military faction in this example who do not follow this faction requirement, would not be in violation of the official rule itself. They would at the most be subject to their factions disciplinary action. Likewise, members outside the faction would have no grounds of reporting this (since it doesn't violate the actual rule).
If there's any more confusion regarding this or any specific questions, please feel free to ask!
While the darklings continued their endless light show over meaningless metal husks in the void, the Elders waited and conserved. Brief feelers were swiftly severed, as those of the flesh harbored greater hatred for those of the light than for their own kind. But as the fire borne from light receded, those without light in their minds swiftly excised the threat - and its motivation. The Elders, wise in their currents within the Community, had already grasped this truth, and now the collective had followed suit. Yet, as with all waiting, one atom touches another, then another, and at last, the light shifts its luster toward ever greater brilliance - one that cannot be contained.
The one question Forsberg had been asking himself and his staff, over and over, was why the aliens had chosen to lay low during this latest conflict. To confirm his vague suspicions, he ordered a general analysis of sightings and engagements over the past three months while also receiving reports on the new capabilities detected by the Mars battlegroup. Though his staff begrudged the "pointless" task, they produced the results easily enough. Indeed, it was almost commendable that the aliens had quit the field just as the Core was making itself a real nuisance.
And yet, none of it felt right… The retaliatory strike by Kusari-infected forces was clearly a feint to draw defenders away, but why then had the real objective - whatever it was - remained untouched? It was ludicrous to think the Core had managed to communicate with the aliens as effectively as they had with their pet machines, but what other explanation fit the context? Unless…
The first to sound the alarm was a picket stationed near the Pohnpei Nebula. The Core’s own vessel, named after the same region, had always preferred to stay away from its "cousin," favoring direct assaults with its zombies clearing the way. But orders were orders, and while their comrades covered themselves in glory (or heroically perished in action), the two Order operatives stayed put, watching the flank. What emerged from Pohnpei was not some clever group of ex-Libertonian killers - it was the answer to Forsberg’s riddle. Indeed, the very answer that the man and woman had joked about in their darker moods. The aliens, now emerging from the cloud in massive force, had finally made their move. And now, all humans - friends and enemies alike - would once again suffer the consequences of their infighting.
The Nomads are at the gates of Cairo and Capetown. A reinforced Ish'tar will lead the assault (piloted by staff), with a reinforced Irra piloted by a player volunteer (taken). Both must remain in Zeta.
Both human sides must do their best to evacuate equipment and personnel before the stations are destroyed at the end of the event.
The Order may evacuate to Taba in Mu or Dabadoru in Delta. The Core must evacuate to Durban in Delta.
PvP & Trade:
Event IDs will earn points and a $200k bonus for kills of the other sides' player ships in event systems. Zoners will only interact with alien ids on the config.
Core, Order, and Zoners will earn points and a substantial bonus for deliveries of Crew and Databanks (a 1000-capacity commodity) to the event destinations from Cairo and Capetown.
Rule Changes:
All ships are considered dead when docking in combat. For transports, this means being actively engaged by the enemy, not have them sit 5K away.
15-minute respawns are enabled for all event ids.
All event participants are limited to battlecruisers and below, with the exception of two registered battleships/dreadnoughts each from the Core, Order, Nomads, & Wild.
Order
Order|CV-Deceres
E\V/-OCV-Osiris
(Order|CV-Montana reserve) Core
<ARM>WV-Lockdown
<ARM>WV-Aquiliana
Outcomes:
The amount of crew and data evacuated from each station will provide flavor for the final days of each station's lifespan.
The scores of the PvP config will roughly represent the losses suffered by each side during the story beat.
Rewards:
All rewards require an INRP write-up about the event from the point of view of your character. Can be submitted as a report within the comm section, in a relevant faction channel, or as part of a story thread.
Custom Title
Requires participation in the event, event IDs only.
Shipyard Components (100)
Requires 1500 Crew or 15 Databanks delivered. Can choose any combo of components (but no exotic systems). You may combine deliveries across all characters you played during the event. Can be claimed multiple times.
Cloaking Devices
Requires 6/9/9/12 kills (for cloak mk 1/2m/2a/3). You may combine kills across all characters you played during the event. Can only be claimed once.
Shared Ships
Kills by tagged ships on the config will be summed, allowing the purchase of faction shareds with the resulting points at the following rates: BS = 26, BC = 18, Cruiser = 12, Gunboat = 8. Faction leaders should pm @Barrier with the final details. Please note that techcompat remains in effect for these ships, and locking is for official factions only.
Factions currently eligible for this reward: Order OF (Order|), Eclipse Vanguard (E\V/), Das Wilde (Wilde.), Slomon K'Hara (K'Hara|), Core (<ARM>).
Results
With the last human evacuation transport escaping by the skin of its teeth, Nomads are now masters of the Omicron Zeta system. Depleted by days of infighting, the warring human forces nonetheless managed to secure an orderly evacuation through heroic sacrifice. Cairo remained a shell for the nomads to crack open, but nothing of interest could be recovered from its remains. The much put-upon Capetown managed to get all personnel off in one last push, with no small help from a number of desperately contracted Zoner captains. But where the humans breathe a sigh of relief on the cramped decks of the evacuation ships, the data remaining on Capetown is there for the taking. Of course, only fools would be desperate enough to attempt to recover it, assuming any remained after the alien "purification".
Freeport 11 is again the frontier of human presence in the Omicrons. Even the fiercest proponents of eliminating their human rivals on both sides of the Core-Order war have received a substantial blow to their conviction. All agree that some form of cooperation is needed to avoid a repeat of the Zeta disaster in Delta. But no one is willing to compromise, and the harried Zoners are further stretched by the arrival of thousands of refugees onto the Freeport. Tensions are running high, yet order is maintained through painful experience - but no one truly believes that the lessons learned from the past week will be taken to heart.
A revised rephack system has been introduced for the next server restart that will only allow you to run the IFF that corresponds to the ID you mount. This means gameplay mechanics will now replace rules on IFF use.
Generic IDs (Freelancer, Pirate, Smuggler) will be unaffected. Some factions have exemptions to this restriction, allowing them to fly a different IFF from a specified list.
Initially, these have been applied exclusively to Intelligence and Wild IDs as follows:
A new system to block docking on specified factions / bases by ID has also been deployed. This means House Intel groups and Wild still won't be able to dock on bases they shouldn't have access to (pirate bases for Intel, Freelancer/Zoner bases for Wild) despite having the IFF.
This system is likely to be expanded and formalised going forward so players have reasonable expectations on how to play and interact with "undercover" characters.
Official Factions are likely to be able to perk request expanded cover IFFs in the future. Roleplay/events/story may also provide a pretext for extended cover IFFs.
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Optronics Haulers