Announcements post #123: Welcome to July 2020!

Autoposter

From: Starmaker Eukelade
Subject: Welcome to July 2020!

Hi, Starmourn! It's me, Eukelade! Hey, I don't think I've ever done one of these announcements before...go easy on me.

It's a new month, and that means a new sale - time to say goodbye to the popular Snap Mezyahti and the Mission Control game for a little bit, but don't worry - they'll both be back! On our website, at https://www.starmourn.com/credits/, we've just recieved a shipment of dubiously sourced crates, obtained from...somewhere legitimate, we swear. Let's go over what's up for grabs in these mystery boxes.

ARTIFACTS:

We're introducing two new artifacts this month in the form of Homewarp and the H.E.T.E. SlimFat 9000.

Homewarp will allow you to transport your ship back to your faction station once an hour, no matter where you are in space. Cannot be used in combat. Great for the busy miner or the frequently lost.

The H.E.T.E. SlimFat 9000 lets you select the physical build of your next clone. Perfect for those who are tired of eating and exercising.

Also available in the prize pool are weapon_damage_2 and hete_teleport

NEW ITEMS:

A translucent green fish bag - Several new species of fish are available for the avid aquatic collector. Will you get your hands on the parasitic stone fish from Inkke IV, find your wishes granted with a prayer fish from Selubir, or enjoy the fact that your new miniature coral creeper doesn't need a tank? Perhaps you'll get lucky, and manage to find the ultra rare, variegated version of the ordinary Atrian mask fish. Don't forget to pick up food at any pet store.

A Mass Manipulator - If you're tired of your furniture, decor, or pets always seemingly stuck in the same position, try a Mass Manipulator by Gravitic Enterprises. This handy dandy wand will let you adjust items that belong to you. Stick your pet to the ceiling. Glue your chairs to the wall. Make the world your stage.

A SuperGym Fitness Simulation Platform - Run through a regular workout routine in a simulated gym or choose from several entertaining virtual adventures available on the SuperGym. Sculpt your physique with more gainz in half the time - that's the SuperGym guarantee.

SHIP ROOMS:

In addition to the aquarium and the sound studio we introduced last month, there are two new ship rooms you can win:

The Gray Room. Need a break from the nonstop flood of information? This peaceful sanctuary has been specially engineered with signal-jamming technology to block out mindsim pings, comm chatter, and personal messages for as long as you're in it.

A Walk-in Refrigerator. For your 'supersized' preservation needs. Works on food, drink, severed heads, corpses, and most flowers. Comes with some shelves for organization, but you can just throw stuff on the floor if you're a slob.

And as usual, you'll have a chance to win marks, lessons, credits, collectible card packets, autofeeders, weapon mods, minipets, and more. You're also guaranteed an artifact for every 50 crates you open.

Hope you get lucky this July, Starmourners. See you in the stars!

ThePlaintiffReturns

Hard pass.

Raccoon

Sounds like gamble boxes... come on guys, you can do better than this. Will the boxes fall out of mobs, like missile batteries did with a rare rate? If yes, then I bet many would appreciate that, if only for $$, then thanks but no thanks. You should better be looking into increasing the bonuses received from Elite Membership than introducing this kind of gamble box into a MUD... I still want to get a membership, but not the way it is now. That's just my opinion though, thanks.

ThePlaintiffReturns

Just to add to Raccoon's point, another way of de-Nope-ing this is to also provide a direct purchase option for some of this new stuff (either for RL money or IG credits). But loot boxes that can only be acquired via RL purchase, and that contain things that can only be gotten through loot boxes, are one of the blights on modern day gaming. "Free artefact with every $230 dollars spent" also made me wtf out loud. 

To be clear, this isn't a shot at the Devs; my understanding is that promos are now decided at IRE level.