Announcements post #56: Promo chests, promo market and hoverbikes!

Autoposter

<pre>From: Ilyos, the Arbiter
Subject: Promo chests, promo market and hoverbikes!

Greetings Starmourners!

We've rotated some of the stock available in this month's promo chests to make way for some great new items. While you will still find the ship customization datashards within the chests (as they are this month's theme) it is now time to make way for our new stars: HOVERBIKES!
Yes, that is right, time to meet our new VEHICLE system. These are the beauties you might uncover smuggled within the paristeel chests:

- an overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle
- a wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike
- a flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike
- a black and chrome Maddoxson hoverbike
- a skull-bumpered Maddoxson hoverbike
- a low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike
- a neon Dreadlight speeder
- an aqua-hued Finlite speeder

Interaction with these sweet rides is done through the new VEHICLE verb and it will be the base of all commands going forward with the vehicle system. Except looking really awesome while mounted atop one of these beauties, you will find that you can move much faster through the outdoor environments of the world.

Joining the hoverbikes in the pool of items are the following complementary goodies:

- an understated leesa dispenser : this fancy metal box will generate 3 leesa joints every day that you can enjoy at your leisure. Simply PUSH the dispenser to get your fix

- concentrated alcohol dispenser : allows you to SPIKE <drink> and turn all those boring non-alcoholic drinks into something more exciting (This is an artifact power that may also be purchased separately at any time)

- a messaging drone : this tiny little drone can be easily programmed to deliver an anonymous message to anyone that is currently online. Simply PUSH <recipient> <message> to send them your thoughts. 15 minute cooldown

- marks log expander : for the industrious shopkeeper, this artifact power will expand your marks log by 5 lines. Stackable. (This is an artifact power that may also be purchased separately at any time)

You may now also gain random weapon or armor drops suitable to your level when opening a chest and the guaranteed artie drop chest can now also contain a Hyperscanner.


That's all for the goodies, but that's not all for this announcement. We understand that some of you might have gotten quite a lot of things from our promotions that you wish you could trade away. And now you can, through the PROMO MARKET!
Most promotional items earned over the last few months may now be sold through the PROMO MARKET (simply do PROMO to see the whole syntax). Pets, however, are not included in this!

Note: When selling, you can only set the price in marks and there is a 5% market fee for any transaction.

Also, you'd do well to check the PROMO MARKET LIST often as good deals from random smugglers have been known to crop up every now and then. I hear there's even hoverbikes for sale at the moment!

Have an excellent day!</pre>

Ilyos

FYI: There seems to be a bug with the flavor messages for the bikes that currently happens only on Nexus. I will fix it after some sleep!

Kovac

Would you kindly share the descriptions for the bikes?

Kirin

On PROMO a few additional requests

1) PROMO MARKET PROBE <item>
2) PROMO MARKET BUY <item> AGREE

i think given costs involved it is better to gate the buying behind an second level agreement so people do not mistakenly buy the wrong item

3) PROMO MARKET LIST MINE 
list all your items on market

4) PROMO LIST MINE
list all owned promo items

5) PROMO MARKET LIST <search>
search by string 

6) PROMO MARKET SELL <item> ANON 
list items anonymously but you lose 10% instead of usual 5% in trading costs

7) HELP PROMO should point to PROMO commands

8) VEHICLES should list the DISMOUNT command

Ilyos

Kovac said:

Would you kindly share the descriptions for the bikes?

short_desc: an overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle

extended_desc: This hover cycle is built with a fully organic aesthetic. The slender, cushioned seat, built for one, is perched far back on the green-laquered frame, which is grown all over with a multitude of viny plantlife and rustling leaves. Upon closer inspection, each leaf seems to be a tiny solar panel, connected via filaments and wires that look like stems to the cycle's batteries and engines. It runs silently, skimming lightly above the surface of the ground like a drifting leaf.

long_desc: An overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle stands here on dual kickstands.

short_desc: a wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike

extended_desc: White and ivory paint, embellished with stylized wings, gleams along the chassis of this opulant hoverbike, fitted out with gold-gleaming trimmings that are shaped like feathers. Airy and light, it has a higher-than-average loft point, hovering a little above most vehicles. The engine cover is painted with a secular, popularized vision of the warrior-god Echanine, standing astride a cloud-shrouded world.

long_desc: All ivory and gold, a wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike is here, engine purring.

short_desc: a flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike

extended_desc: Bombastic and eyecatching, this hoverbike has a ridiculously souped up engine taking up a huge amount of space in this vehicle, stretching from beneath the handlebars to bulk up behind the cushy, leather-covered black seat. Painted flames race along the sides of the bike, shimmering with holographic decor-tech that makes them seem more lifelike. When the cycle is running, it sounds like a growling predator. There is nothing understated about it - with its oversized frame and flaming embellishments, this is the type of bike you ride when you want to be noticed.

long_desc: A flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike rumbles loudly nearby.

short_desc: a black and chrome Maddoxson hoverbike

extended_desc: The scrolling, well known logo of Maddoxson Hoverbikes is stamped proudly on the front of this vehicle, just beneath the outsized handlebars and enormous, single headlight. The silhouette of the bike is classic Maddoxson, with a rounded, retro design to the engine block and seat, along with a large pair of angled footrests flanking the frame to give riders the comfortable feeling of leaning back and enjoying the smooth-as-silk flow of the bike through the air. Mostly black, there are some chrome embellishments on the frame, gleaming silver in any available light.

long_desc: Light gleams off the chrome embellishments of a jet black Maddoxson hoverbike.

short_desc: a skull-bumpered Maddoxson hoverbike

extended_desc: The scrolling, well known logo of Maddoxson Hoverbikes is stamped proudly on the front of this vehicle. Just beneath it, jutting out like a figurehead mounted to the prow of a ship, an enormous chrome skull with rubies for eyes grins at the world, occasionally chattering its teeth through some campy, motirized cosmetic function. Another skull leers at the bike's wake, situated on the high back of the bike's single, cushioned seat. Lazy and long, bracketed by skulls behind and before, the bike handles like a barge, slow-moving but powerful.

long_desc: Hulking nearby, engine growling, is a skull-bumpered Maddoxson hoverbike.

short_desc: a low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike

extended_desc: This hoverbike has been modded to only float a few centimeters off the ground, selling the illusion that its low-slung frame is actually gliding on the ground, instead of hovering just above it. Definitely not an off-road vehicle, this is a bike geared towards the slicers, hackers, and tech freaks of the world, with its neon-lit undercarriage pulsing different colored lights in time to whatever music the rider is listening to. The rest of the frame is a gunmetal gray, with circuit patterns printed across the engine cover and steering chassis. The seat is a hard, molded piece of nanoplastic, and a holographic control interface serves the bike in place of handlebars.

long_desc: Light pulses from the undercarriage of a low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike

short_desc: a neon Dreadlight speeder

extended_desc: Rounded and compact, this single-person speeder has an almost oval-shaped profile, with two large discs at the front and back serving as a housing for the hover engines. They look a little like wheels, though they are simply a retro styling that manages to look futuristic and high tech at the same time. The speeder's frame has been painted jet black, making the cyan, neon filiments that outline it stand out even more. A rider would have to lie nearly flat on their belly to grip the steering mechanism, reducing drag and allowing for greater speed.

long_desc: Blue neon shines brightly, outlining the frame of a Dreadlight speeder in a high-tech glow.

short_desc: an aqua-hued Finlite speeder

extended_desc: Minimalism seems to have informed the design of this one-person speeder, a vehicle that almost resembles some sleek aquatic predator. The front of the speeder tapers to a swordlike point, while footrests and handlebars that have been sculpted to look a little like fins sweep back towards the rear of the vehicle. The paint job is seafoam green and aqua blue, with highlights of deep, oceanic sapphire.

long_desc: Floating in midair is a compact Finlite speeder, slim and aqua-hued.

Kirin said:

On PROMO a few additional requests

1) PROMO MARKET PROBE <item>
2) PROMO MARKET BUY <item> AGREE

i think given costs involved it is better to gate the buying behind an second level agreement so people do not mistakenly buy the wrong item

3) PROMO MARKET LIST MINE 
list all your items on market

4) PROMO LIST MINE
list all owned promo items

5) PROMO MARKET LIST <search>
search by string 

These will probably be implemented

Lhundrup

I would like to request that we be able to LOOK at items on the promo market list before buying - There were a few items I was considering purchasing, but I couldn't be sure if I really wanted them or not because I couldn't see exactly what they looked like, or how they functioned.

PROMO MARKET LOOK <ID> to bring up the description?

Kovac

Ilyos said:

Kovac said:

Would you kindly share the descriptions for the bikes?

an overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle

extended_desc: This hover cycle is built with a fully organic aesthetic. The slender, cushioned seat, built for one, is perched far back on the green-laquered frame, which is grown all over with a multitude of viny plantlife and rustling leaves. Upon closer inspection, each leaf seems to be a tiny solar panel, connected via filaments and wires that look like stems to the cycle's batteries and engines. It runs silently, skimming lightly above the surface of the ground like a drifting leaf.

long_desc: An overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle stands here on dual kickstands.

Mount: Lightly, you spring into the seat of an overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle, settling in among the foliage that covers it.
Dismount: An overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle lowers itself to the ground, and you slide off with a deft movement.
Movement: You hum away to the the northwest on an overgrown Theia RT-X hovercycle, leaving the scent of leaves and greenery in your wake.

a wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike

extended_desc: White and ivory paint, embellished with stylized wings, gleams along the chassis of this opulant hoverbike, fitted out with gold-gleaming trimmings that are shaped like feathers. Airy and light, it has a higher-than-average loft point, hovering a little above most vehicles. The engine cover is painted with a secular, popularized vision of the warrior-god Echanine, standing astride a cloud-shrouded world.

long_desc: All ivory and gold, a wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike is here, engine purring.
Mount: Settling into the comfortable seat of a wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike, you activate the power, and it lifts off.
Dismount: A wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike lowers itself to the ground, and you slide off with a deft movement.
Movement: Smooth and swift, you pilot a wing-painted Cloudloft 900 hoverbike to the the southwest, the engine humming.

a flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike

extended_desc: Bombastic and eyecatching, this hoverbike has a ridiculously souped up engine taking up a huge amount of space in this vehicle, stretching from beneath the handlebars to bulk up behind the cushy, leather-covered black seat. Painted flames race along the sides of the bike, shimmering with holographic decor-tech that makes them seem more lifelike. When the cycle is running, it sounds like a growling predator. There is nothing understated about it - with its oversized frame and flaming embellishments, this is the type of bike you ride when you want to be noticed.

long_desc: A flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike rumbles loudly nearby.
Mount: The holographic flames on a flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike dance and flicker as you jump into the driver's seat.
Dismount: You power a flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike down and jump off, the lights and embellishments darkening.
Movement: Motor rumbling like a predator, you ride a flashy Gladiator LE9 hoverbike out of the area, heading the south.

a black and chrome Maddoxson hoverbike

extended_desc: The scrolling, well known logo of Maddoxson Hoverbikes is stamped proudly on the front of this vehicle, just beneath the outsized handlebars and enormous, single headlight. The silhouette of the bike is classic Maddoxson, with a rounded, retro design to the engine block and seat, along with a large pair of angled footrests flanking the frame to give riders the comfortable feeling of leaning back and enjoying the smooth-as-silk flow of the bike through the air. Mostly black, there are some chrome embellishments on the frame, gleaming silver in any available light.

long_desc: Light gleams off the chrome embellishments of a jet black Maddoxson hoverbike.

a skull-bumpered Maddoxson hoverbike

extended_desc: The scrolling, well known logo of Maddoxson Hoverbikes is stamped proudly on the front of this vehicle. Just beneath it, jutting out like a figurehead mounted to the prow of a ship, an enormous chrome skull with rubies for eyes grins at the world, occasionally chattering its teeth through some campy, motirized cosmetic function. Another skull leers at the bike's wake, situated on the high back of the bike's single, cushioned seat. Lazy and long, bracketed by skulls behind and before, the bike handles like a barge, slow-moving but powerful.

long_desc: Hulking nearby, engine growling, is a skull-bumpered Maddoxson hoverbike.

a low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike

extended_desc: This hoverbike has been modded to only float a few centimeters off the ground, selling the illusion that its low-slung frame is actually gliding on the ground, instead of hovering just above it. Definitely not an off-road vehicle, this is a bike geared towards the slicers, hackers, and tech freaks of the world, with its neon-lit undercarriage pulsing different colored lights in time to whatever music the rider is listening to. The rest of the frame is a gunmetal gray, with circuit patterns printed across the engine cover and steering chassis. The seat is a hard, molded piece of nanoplastic, and a holographic control interface serves the bike in place of handlebars.

long_desc: Light pulses from the undercarriage of a low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike

Mount: Hopping into the seat of a low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike, you flip the power on, and neon light pulses from the undercarriage to gleam on the ground.
Dismount: A low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike lowers itself a few centimeters to the ground as you slide out of the driver's seat.
Movement: Navigating a low-slung Dreadlight hoverbike carefully, you drive away to the the north.

a neon Dreadlight speeder

extended_desc: Rounded and compact, this single-person speeder has an almost oval-shaped profile, with two large discs at the front and back serving as a housing for the hover engines. They look a little like wheels, though they are simply a retro styling that manages to look futuristic and high tech at the same time. The speeder's frame has been painted jet black, making the cyan, neon filiments that outline it stand out even more. A rider would have to lie nearly flat on their belly to grip the steering mechanism, reducing drag and allowing for greater speed.

long_desc: Blue neon shines brightly, outlining the frame of a Dreadlight speeder in a high-tech glow.

Mount: Straddling a neon Dreadlight speeder, you lie nearly flat, reaching forward to grip the handlebars.
Dismount: Straightening up, you dismount a neon Dreadlight speeder in a smooth motion.
Movement: You rev your engine and lean forward, steering a neon Dreadlight speeder away to the the west.

an aqua-hued Finlite speeder

extended_desc: Minimalism seems to have informed the design of this one-person speeder, a vehicle that almost resembles some sleek aquatic predator. The front of the speeder tapers to a swordlike point, while footrests and handlebars that have been sculpted to look a little like fins sweep back towards the rear of the vehicle. The paint job is seafoam green and aqua blue, with highlights of deep, oceanic sapphire.

long_desc: Floating in midair is a compact Finlite speeder, slim and aqua-hued.

Mount: You make yourself comfortable in the seat of an aqua-hued Finlite speeder, setting your feet on the fin-sculpted footrests.
Dismount: An aqua-hued Finlite speeder lowers itself to the ground, and you slide off with a deft movement.
Movement: Steering lithely through the air, you pilot an aqua-hued Finlite speeder away to the the north.

They're selling themselves short! Each of the bikes seems to have custom mounts, dismounts, and movement messages. I've included the ones I've collected so far. 

Thanks to 

@Slander

@Keanu

@Vaxis

@Stella

Edit: Additional lines