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Letter from the Chairman: Hangar Store Launched. Transmission - Comm-Link
Greetings Citizens, I hope you are all enjoying the early release of the Hangar Module. Now that the build has rolled out to many fans, we’re going to add a new layer to keep the experience interesting! Today we’re unlocking additional items in the RSI store that you can use in your Hangar. Two types of items will be available: decorative hangar items like posters and trophies as well as ship upgrade parts like laser cannons and tractor beams.
You may have noticed that the RSI website now includes a ‘credit ledger’ which shows your United Earth Credit (UEC, or “Imperials”) balance. When you download the Hangar Module for the first time you are awarded 5,000 UEC to play around with in this new system. Many of our early backers also have credits they earned during the first days of the pledge campaign. Credits included in pledge packages are not yet represented here because you will need some credits in order to start the game itself; we don’t want players bankrupting themselves and locking themselves out of space travel! You can use these credits to buy ship parts and hangar items which you can then interact with in your hangar.
The key is that this all ties directly in to the finished game. The items you see for sale through the website are the ones that will be available galaxy-wide in a number of stores. Here you access it through an online store, Voyager Direct, which is a futuristic equivalent of Amazon.com. You may well need to travel across the galaxy to find an especially rare or advanced laser… but you will always be able to purchase a reliable Behring M3A from a local arms dealer. To prevent players from stockpiling credits and damaging their game experience, we are imposing a strict 25,000 UEC-per-day limit and an upper bound cap of 150,000 UEC on your ledger at any time. Similarly, you cannot melt these items as you would a game package: once you have purchased them they are considered ‘played with.’ When the game launches you will be able to sell them to NPCs or trade them to other players… and until then, they’re yours!
There are several limitations you should be aware of right now. At this time, decorating your Hangar is not persistent. If you move a laser to a particular ship and then quit the game it will go back into your storage area. Additionally, only one of every decoration will appear at the moment. While you can have multiple lamps in your web inventory, only one can appear in each hangar at this time. Both of these things will change as the Hangar Module expands. Ultimately, the web store will go away and be replaced with an in-game interface starting with the first release of the Planetside Module.
As previously stated, additional Imperials will be available for purchase within the limitations discussed above. Please keep in mind that you are not under any obligation to purchase Imperials at this time. We are giving you the option right now because there isn’t a way to earn credits in the game (as we’re still building it!) and this is a great way to let you support the development of the game as well as play with other game elements we’ve already created. But be warned, purchasing a stock of extra lasers through the catalog right now will not provide any great advantage when Star Citizen launches; there will be a lot more to discover in the living universe and some of the best weapons or upgrades will have to be earned through gameplay or sought out by traveling to the appropriate planet to buy them. Ultimately all items in the store today and in game will be purchasable via UEC earned in game. Outside of the initial ship package everything will be purchasable through UEC in the final game. There is no pay to win here!
The UEC Store is a great way to let players start interacting with the game world while continuing to support Star Citizen’s development. As more features of the Hangar Module are rolled out, we will offer further ship parts and decorative (and interactive) items for your hangar. This will be one of the ways we demonstrate our dedication to keeping the Star Citizen setting fresh: just like the game will have a responsive live team, the Hangar Module will feature a continually expanding amount of content!
Please enjoy your new found freedom to experiment with items in your Hangar! This is your first taste of how ship upgrades and other personalization elements will work in Star Citizen…