So this last month, we get perhaps one of the scariest combat ships released yet to the citizens, the Eclipse.  What makes it scary you may ask?  After all, it’s only got two small gun, shields that are kinda weak, and is somewhat slow… surely the mere three torpedoes it’s going to be able to carry won’t make up for that!  The answer is stealth.  This is a ship that won’t appear on an enemy’s radar until it’s in firing range of it’s three class-9 torpedoes – the same ones the Retaliator uses – and uses them to completely destroy the heavy bullet-sponge ships like Vanguards, Freelancers, and Constellations.  Afterwards, in the confusion, they just need to fly away… and they don’t have to fly far, because stealth works both ways, coming and going.  Add in a sudden strike but a couple of Sabres that swoop in from behind as the Eclipses are fleeing and you have a wicked convoy-killing team.

This is why the Eclipse is so scary.

It’s designed for only one purpose and that’s to kill ships much bigger than itself in the most unfair way possible – invisibility.  It’s not a ship you ever should take out solo.  It’s not a ship you patrol in, or explore in, or even use to guard anything.  The Eclipse is a first-strike offensive weapon, much like a nuclear missile carrying submarine.  You use it to run combat missions, and you run them with a team.  You have one, single-minded job, to tip the balance of combat so much in your team’s favor by taking out their best players, that there is no chance of failure when the dogfighting actually does begin.

This is why the Eclipse is so scary.

Stealth will be a deadly weapon in the game indeed.  It’ll be interesting factoring it in the tactics and strategies that we’ll be using and facing in the ‘Verse.  It opens up a huge world of opportunities.

In other news another huge thing being worked on that impressed the heck out of me is the long talked about item 2.0 system.  This is the heart and soul of these ships being simulated systems.  Internal and external lights will be run off the ship’s power.  Systems will depend on the pipework and components in place to operate correctly.  A long time ago, Chris Roberts game an example about stowing away in a cargo container and getting picked up by someone too lazy to scan the containers, then sneaking out on board the ship and sabotaging it.  This is what Item 2.0 brings you.  Remove those avionics modules and in the cockpit, the radar will go dead.  Tell your buddies to attack then and they’ll be mostly blind.

It’s a long road coming this far, but glad to see this promise coming to fruition.  It’s going to be fun times Oddysee members!  Demonseed out!