Hey all! We're still plugging away here in Regent land. Things are starting to go into a bit of a sprint as we package up a couple releases to get out to you all. Before we get to those items though, we have to get to the next step in the future of our Upgrades system. We're going to be starting with Droids for this one, so members can get a feel for it, before moving to the more intensive Weapons et all.

This has been quite the year, for all of us, and we're all human. That means everyone is feeling it on some level. Our staff was hit with delays as a result of it, and once again we've lost a team member. That said, I won't be immediately putting out a call for apps. Not in the middle of a release storm. We got too much on the go to train someone! So, look to the new year for an application form to come out of the Regent office and get your applications in. We look forward to working with you.

Now to the meat and potatoes.

Table of Contents

• Maintenance Mode Engaged
• Droid Upgrades
• Important Links

Maintenance Mode Engaged

We are entering Maintenance Mode for the following store:

• Utilis Innovations

During this window—which we expect to last into tomorrow—members will be unable to purchase droids and cybernetics. At the same time, we will be enacting the changes necessary to fully implement Droid Upgrades. You will see your current modification aspects removed from droids you have purchased already and they will instead be replaced with an aspect based upgrade system.

Droid Upgrades

Welcome to the explanation for the release of Droid Upgrades! While there are major similarities to the approach taken with Space Vehicle Upgrades, Droids is the first launch using the approach the majority of our item categories will adopt for upgrades. As intended by the initial Possessions design, existing "free form" modification aspect slots are removed and replaced with a variety of Upgrade-type aspects. These aspects do not allow for custom member input, but they require no approvals. Much like when a user might opt to use a pre-made aspect, members will be faced with a list of aspects when they click to assign an aspect to their upgrade slot. The upgrades available are curated and thus require no review. A member need only select the option they want (based on what upgrade types the slot accepts) and it will be assigned to the droid. No downsides, no balancing beyond how you want your droid to function. Also, did we mention they are free? Since these are, in essence, aspects there is no cost associated beyond the initial prototype investment.

Below is a breakdown of the various rarity tiers applied to droids and what sort of aspect slots they will possess going forward:

Common
No upgrades

Uncommon
Access: Tier I
1x Droid Cosmetic Aspect Slot
1x Droid Personality Aspect Slot
1x Droid Enhancement Aspect OR Combat/Astromech/Medical Aspect Multipurpose Slot

Rare
Access: Tier I, Tier II
1x Droid Cosmetic Aspect Slot
1x Droid Personality Aspect Slot
1x Droid Enhancement OR Droid Structural Aspect Slot
1x Combat/Astromech/Medical Aspect Slot

Epic
Access: Tier I, Tier II, Tier III
1x Droid Cosmetic Aspect Slot
1x Droid Personality Aspect Slot
1x Droid Enhancement Aspect Slot
1x Droid Structural Aspect Slot
1x Combat/Astromech/Medical Aspect Slot

Legendary
Access: Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV
1x Droid Cosmetic Aspect Slot
1x Droid Personality Aspect Slot
1x Droid Enhancement Aspect Slot
1x Droid Structural Aspect Slot
1x Combat/Astromech/Medical Aspect Slot

Any slot that has multiple options can take from any of them, but only a single aspect per slot. As should be apparent, higher rarity tiers have more options. Additionally, there are tiered upgrades that will fit into those slots, so an Epic droid will have more Enhancement options than a Rare droid will have access to.

Here are a few examples of upgrades that will be available:

Memory Wipe Prevention Protocols
This {{original_item_name}} has been fitted with a protocol to fight against memory wipes imposed on it by other droids or technology, replicating the wiping computer's numeric matrices to slice into its system and short-circuit that computer or droid instead.

Improved Sensor Suite (Basic)
An improved sensor suite has been installed inside the droid brain of {{item_name}}, allowing a slightly wider scanning area than a standard {{original_item_name}}.

Embedded Shield Generator (Basic)
{{item_name}} has been modified with a basic shield generator inside its chassis, allowing this ((original_item_name}} to absorb 2-3 direct hits from a blaster or bladed weapon before taking damage. This shield is not lightsaber resistant.

We hope you will enjoy customizing your droids as you see fit! Feel free to direct any questions about this system to the Regent Staff at [Log in to view e-mail addresses]. Additionally, the Suggestion Box has been updated to allow members to select a type of suggestion, so that they can pick an Item Prototype or one of the Upgrade types when making their suggestion.

Important Links

• Item Research
• Item Stores
• Item Aspect Approval Policy
• Item Prototype Approval Policy
• Suggestion Box

Thank you for reading and remember: any questions relating to the Possessions system, item mechanics, or features can be emailed to Regent Staff at [Log in to view e-mail addresses].