ALAN IS WORKING ON THE SHIP REPAIR CODE
by Hazed
I received a message from Alan last week. “Oooh!” he said. “Repair shields works!” He was excited at his achievement, as well he should be.
This is all part of the ship fighting code, of course. It’s not going to be any use being able to blow holes in other people’s ships, unless you can repair the ones they blow in yours, so the game needs to let you patch up your vessel.
Alan sent me a capture showing what happens when you repair your ship:
Swift-Fix Ship Repairs
This small building is the office for the leading ship repair company in the Solar System. In a back room, out of sight, highly skilled cyber-engineers use virtual reality to control remote fleets of repair robots which operate in orbit to carry out the work necessary to fix ailing ships.
Here in the front office, customers can discuss the work they require, negotiate the cost and terms of the deal, and sign the contracts authorizing the backroom boys to do their job.
The exit is southwest.>repair ship
Invoice for repair. Terms: Payment due 30ms after time of issue.
Shields:
Crystals x 2 = 892ig
LanzariK x 1 = 840ig
Xmetals x 1 = 330ig
Labor cost: 206ig
Total cost: 2268ig
However, you are entitled to a GA OutSystem Business Development Subsidy of 1%, which brings the cost down to 2246ig
You watch via the ships’s cameras as repair droids swarm over it and complete the repairs.
Don’t worry about that typo in the last bit (ships’s ) – in my capacity as the goddess of proof-reading, I’ll make sure that gets fixed before the code goes live!
You’ll be able to get an estimate before you contract the job, so you can shop around. The cost will vary from planet to planet because the materials cost uses prices from the local exchange. However, should the exchange not have the commodities needed for the repair, the ship repair facility will go to the black market to get the goods so the materials costs will be double the legal rate – and the cash will go into the pockets of the local criminals, of course, rather than to the planet’s treasury.
Incidentally, Alan told me that to help him test this code, he has given himself a new toy to play with. He explained, “I have a special routine which damages bits of ship.” So you’d better not annoy him, or he may make bits of your ship fall off!
