I mentioned a while ago that I was doing something for you lot to celebrate the 1y anniversary of the beginning of game-time (and approximately our 6 month anniversary) ... So, this is it. I had the amazing CMDR Father Cool do the design work for this in secret (thank you, FC!) and I'm 90% of the way through getting all the pieces produced. The basic stuff is in place, so I guess it's time to uncork this one.
We are now offering freebie morale patches made of 3D PVC. We're about 80% of the way through production (holidays delay) and ought to have the full set in hand within about 3 weeks. So I'm going to start collecting shipping information and when the patches arrive, I'll do some envelope-stuffing. I've had to guesstimate how many I'll need of what type so there may or may not be delays; act fast, act boldly.
These goodies are for Fuel Rats only.
The morale patches are constructed as a basic roundel with 'decorators' that go around it based on achievements. You start with this:
And there are other badges that fit with it. Such as the "Epic Rescue" laurel. Which looks like this when stacked with the roundel:
The other badges are the CASE RED bubbles, the DISPATCH Hat, the 3301 (first year of service) and pips for hundred rescues, 500 rescues, and (gasp! will someone ever actually do it!?) 1000 rescues. Fully gonged-up the ensemble is blingalicious as a gold plated Anaconda with a purple plush velvet cockpit. Like mine.
I don't expect to ever give a set of those out. To help you decode it:
You've got a rat who's done over 1000 rescues including some epic rescues, who's taken a turn as DISPATCH, who's rescued some poor sap who was watching a countdown, and who has generally stared the galaxy down with a steely-eyed glare.
How it Works
- If you're on the leaderboard, you can have the basic roundel. Congratulations, you are a Fuel Rat.
- If you accomplished a rescue during calendar year 3301, in which we were founded, you are entitled to the '3301' tag. Eventually, when you are old and your hands are too creaky to work a HOTAS, you will waveringly tell awestruck kids, "I was one of the 3301" and they'll ask you why you didn't die with King Leonidas.
- If you've ever served as DISPATCH you are entitled to the talking hat.
- If you've done a successful CASE RED rescue you can sport the notorious "red blub blub" tag.
- For every hundred rescues up to 500, you can add a rescue pip.
- Over 500 rescues you may add the 500 rescue coronet.
- 1000 rescues and up, you own the leaderboard and the crown of amazing rescue accomplishment is yours. Remember, it would be false modesty not to display it.
- The laurels of epic accomplishment are for Fuel Rats that have participated in an epic rescue or done something epic. For one thing, an epic rescue is always any rescue where you travelled more than 10,000ly to save someone. But the epic accomplishment laurels may also be granted for other epic things, to be determined.
- How are epic accomplishment laurels given out? It's simple: some other rat has to nominate the recipient for the laurels. There is a simple web-form linked to the 'Rats' Honors' page. All you have to do is fill it out and submit it and it'll be reviewed and approved or deleted. If you did an epic rescue, nudge one of your buddies and have them put you in for it. If someone did something truly amazingly epic, like pulled David Braben to safety as a piano was about to fall on him from a 6th story window, thereby rescuing the entire game universe: that's epic too. Put them in for it.
- There is a convenient web form that allows you to submit your information. Eventually, you will get an envelope. In the envelope will be your badges. If "eventually" drags out too long, you may wish to "nag" me. The UK postal service appears to occasionally eat packages; they don't like Fuel Rats probably because we deliver farther and faster than they ever will.
- Trezy is working on a web application that configures the Rats' Honors' online. We'll link that in when it's available. In the meantime if you want to photoshop on a fully gonged-up version, use the one above.
So, you can't buy these; you can only earn them. If you absolutely need a duplicate set that you can poly-glue to your favorite beer stein, there is a way you can get them as long as you're not greedy.
I haven't got all the proofs approved yet and some of the badges are still in production. But they do actually exist and they look like this:
I'll post a better picture when I have full sets in my hot grubby little paws, and then I'll start stuffing envelopes and licking stamps! (See: nearly indestructible badges should survive the post. Sneaky badger, huh?)
Why: I had a rather unexpected windfall, cash-wise, and I decided this was how I was going to spend it. The cost of the badges is coming from a different pot of money than the normal operating expenses for Tshirts, Snickers Bars, and renaissance art. So don't think that you can donate a bunch to the main Fuel Rats cash pool and get extra badges. Well, OK, that
might work but you should spin up a story about how your toddler teethed on your epic laurels or something.
Any rumor that I've done this because FD staunchly continues to drop the ball with regard to factions, is pure baseless lies, all of it. This is because progression and merits are broken throughout the galaxy, except for in the Fuel Rats.
This is my way of saluting you all for your amazing accomplishments,
Badger
OH - PS - CMDR Father Cool!!! Let's give him a round of applause!
