Been working on Solar Trader recently. Got all of Jesse’s new location setting code plastered over my adhoc placement routines used for the various space missions. After all, it stands to reason that most astoriod missions will be “beltward” and that if “Christ on a Comet” is going to direct you to one of those icy balls, it will be one they’ve been tracking on its whip around the sun, one coming roughly this way and ready to receive lambs. Also, FedUp missions are better timed, and if you step lively, you can actually run inner system delivery missions now.

Further improvements – there is now a lockable fannypack available (to ward off pickpockets) and reflective longjohns (to lower the deadlyness of rooftop laser-snipers). And since snipers are drawn by your freetrader fame, so will those with cargos that need prompt shipping and “no questions asked”.

We’re going to playtest for about a week (I’ve got one specific bug I’m chasing) and then we’re going to be putting NPC shipping into play. And that, I figure, will make it a whole new solar system.

Keep watching this space for details!