On this momentous day of days, Snakehead fans, we’re catching you up on this week and the last before we return to process of getting this website up to snuff. It’s been a while in the works, and we think you’ll be pleased with the results. But that’s in the future. For now, the present and near-past.

Plenty going on in the past two weeks. Ask Spybattle players about shoes, rocket-powered or not, telephone-equipped or otherwise. Or ask the Star Pirates about zombies. (Man, that bite mark STILL itches something terrible…and I can’t quite shake an irrational craving for headcheese…)

But the biggest thing is our sponsorship/partnership with the witty, thought-provoking and unfailingly hilarious Basic Instructions. Easily one of the best comics out there and, in this scribe’s humble opinion, criminally underappreciated. Why not go on over there and say hello? And tell ‘em Snakehead sent you.

Plenty to come, Snakehead fans. But we’re keeping a few surprises in the wings. Expect this blog to be quiet a little longer as we diligently hammer out the new site design. Until then? A couple week’s worth of notable achievements…

Spybattle 2165
Level 50: Steve the Ninja, worstPirate
Level 60: Kaluden
Level 70: Jimmy Bond
Level 80: ManOfTheRats, Mr Awesome
Level 90: Perry the Platypus, Laoch

Special Commendation: Damoore for reaching a million in combined stats!

Star Pirates
Level 50: Rogue42, colonel0sanders, Commander Dusty Attenborough, deathturnip, Arzamas, Johnny Rico, Libertine68
Level 60: Izzo, Spaerhawk, Blackbeard
Level 70: Pyre Light
Level 80: Zoorland
Level 100: Ceymz

Special Commendation: Shinobi finds the first available Stealth Plating, winning a wonderful prize of in-game wine and cake (and on his birthday, no less!)

Today’s the day we mark the fourth anniversary of Star Pirates. And I think we can all agree it’s been one HECK of a ride.

So for the next 12 hours or so, we’ll have a happy birthday event in-game! +1 Energy and +1 Fuel for all, and some unfindable things will become findable.

As a group, we’ve passed the 60000 player milestone. As developers, we’ve avoided destroying the game and community through silly changes. Gameplay has continued to evolve as we adjusted the way fleets fight and change hands, reduced yard times and modernized salvage forays, changed fuel costs and fiddled with loaned items, and played with items from Plasma Cannons to Laser Beams. We’ve made it easier to search for other pirates, and easier for the especially Notorious to blow them up!

We’ve tweaked the look. Increased High Graphics functionality, added some fun little animations to the combat scenes, tweaked things for Mobile users into the bargain and made the Shoutbox easier to work with.

The community has stepped up again and again, with all kinds of fun contests, helpful feedback and the same great social dynamic we’ve come to love. We’ve given you the chance to tell your fellow players all about yourself in a new way with BIOs, and you have not disappointed. AND we’ve shocked and amazed you with the terrifying new Behemoth, which has clearly not disappointed YOU guys. We’ve seen some great IRL events and meetups from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest to St Louis, and we’ve worked with some great webcomics to spread our brand of casual fun to the world.

We’ve seen the torch of moderation passed from worth to worthy, and we’ve said farewell to dear friends.

Greeters have continued to welcome new players. Having real humans bring new players into the game seems both a luxury and a necessity now. To further help new players, we offered them (and others) a few extra Notorious days for a nice, punchy start, and souped up the opening tour and walkthroughs. AND we teamed up with the delightfully non-spammy Ampario surveys to give you a chance to get even more into the bargain.

We introduced Jobs & Tasks, which we later rebranded as Commissions. You’ve told us how much those interest you, and since we’ve added a content writer who is working on expanding the StarCrash Universe story through these Commissions, you can look forward to more and better offerings in the weeks and months to come as you live your own Star Pirate adventure!

Oh yes, it’s been quite a ride, and it’s only going to get better. So raise a mug of Alpha Centauri’s finest to us, to yourselves, and to the finest MMO this side of Pluto & Charon, and we look forward to seeing you this time next year!

– The Star Pirates Crew

So…just what ARE the new findable things mentioned in the post above? Glad you asked!

What is old, is new again. The new findable things are actually things that were findable before. They are the Stealth Drive and the Stealth Plating, as well (of course) as our famous Starcrash Celebration cake. They’ll be a little bit harder to find this time, as the Stealth Drive will be now be Rare and Stealth Plating will be Rare+. Items are findable, starting now, for the next two weeks.

“Stealth gear”, we hear you thinking, “why would I want that now of all times?” Good question! So, Stealth will continue their present usage, but will become more interesting with an upcoming update to Ships. This update expected sometime in May will give the Dreadnaught III, IV, V and all Behemoths a dedicated bound Stealth Item slot for “stealthy” items (such as stealth plating, stealth armour, an SSC…) You can always use them in other slots, of course, but this is an extra bonus. To be clear this will be a new slot, not reclassifying one of the existing ones.

So Happy Birthday, Star Pirates Community!

153 years in the future, something new is afoot.

Spies are covering twig-strewn wastelands in total silence.
Combat specialists are putting the boot in like never before.
Self-styled ninja have one more old-school article back in their arsenals.
Deranged jetbikers don’t even need to change between assignments.
The technically savvy will always have the right tool for the job – and they can phone for pizza after, even!
And the truly well-heeled show that style, class and ridiculous amounts of firepower can be had in one slick, comfortable package.

That’s right. Footwear is finally here for Spybattle 2165. Why not go see if the shoe fits?

Lots of work going on behind the scenes in preparation for BIG news next week, Snakehead fans! In the meantime, we’ve got the usual fascinating updates lined up for you.

First of all, a big hand for Ebony Phoenix who is retiring from Star Pirates and as a Moderator after sterling service. It’s folks like EP that help make the games what they are.

Them, of course, and our faithful rank-and-file players…

Spybattle 2165
Level 50: Jim DiGriz
Level 60: nmsi

Star Pirates
Level 60: viperdog, Mr Cynical (in AC, even!)
Level 80: zelefex

Running a game company is about passion. It’s about creating something you’re proud of whether or not someone shows up to play it. You WANT someone to show up and love it just as much as you do, but that doesn’t always happen. We’ve been very fortunate as game company owners and game creators to have folks show up and play our “cardboard” games. We know we don’t create the most advanced games – in fact we’re quite the opposite – we create games that are simple, provide joy and provide companionship for a few minutes, a few hours or even days when folks are away from home.

So, you’re wondering why I’m writing this — well, I saw a video that absolutely describes the way we feel about our games. It made me cry. In a good way.

You may have seen it by now, you may not have. But it’s a 10 minute video about a kid who created an arcade out of cardboard. And the people who made him feel special.
Caine’s Arcade – 10 Minute Video

Personally I am thinking of getting his t-shirt made. — AdminArrBilly

In other news, some of the players in our cardboard arcade have done pretty well this week. Enjoy the new levels and thanks for playing!

(Star Pirates)
Level 50: aadoth, Evil Midnight Bomber, Invader Zim, Mothra
Level 60: Sum Dum Ghai, Tripwire, Yellow Beard
Level 100: Calvin

(Spybattle 2165)
Level 70: Artume

A few names were mistakenly switched around in last week’s update, Snakehead fans. Naturally, those responsible have been flogged unmercifully. Well, sternly scolded. Well…patted on the head and told to be more careful next time?

Anyway, it’s all fixed. Happy levelling!

First off, did we mention we have a new office? Well, we do.

Spybattle 2165 shifts gears once more – Whether it’s component shortages or yet another insidious plot by the bad guys (IE, not your team), Holo Projectors and W.H.I.N.E are no longer to be found in Smoking Bolt Ops. However, C.H.E.E.S.E and Cat Ears are available in supply for your consumable needs. Cat And Mouse has never been quite so literal!

So who’ve we got to pat on the back for high-level achievements this week? Well, let me tell you…

(Star Pirates)
Level 50: Gamero, psychlops, Aria, SwashbucklinSmitty
Level 60: Lyhrrus, fishboy

(Spybattle 2165)
Level 50: Catnip
Level 60: TheClutch
Level 70: xgfhj

Hope April has gone as well for you folks so far as it has for us! Enjoy your friday, and we’ll see you next week~

Oho! Ahead of schedule, here’s the riveting conclusion!

So. After a certain amount of confusion, exertion and mumbled swears, the beautiful new Snakehead central was complete!

Safely ensconced away from natural sunlight, and having scored the sweetest of desks, your humble scribe toils away seeking new and interesting situations for space pirates and cybernetic spies to blow each other to smithereens. The hand of Pirate Darth Vader guards the way to the scribe’s extremely unhealthy snacks.

Our programming wunderkind and Word Nerd mastermind toils under the watchful eye of Sackboy…

…while our fearless leader telenetworks and teleconferences, utterly unfazed by the ectoplasmic doppleganger outside and its disrespectful shenanigans.

A last nostalgic look at the old digs. Certainly nice to have the new elbow room, though.

Well, thanks for joining us for this non-cinematic odyssey, Snakehead fans. if you’d like to know more about the handsome fellows behind all this, then we’re looking at a few short interview segments starting next week. Any questions? Feel free to drop us a line!

Well, now it was time to roll up the sleeves, spit on the palms and delegate as much physical labour as we possibly could. As before, click for all the gruesome details of a full-sized pic…

Naturally, the juniors of the organization had little success with that last objective. *chuckle* Ah well, when you spend most of your time behind a desk, exercise is a welcome relief.

Priority was key. Taking all pains to protect the valuable electronics and seeing that the vital motivational posters remained non-crooked was the name of the game.

Here, we see the basic necessities of any tech-based company. Computers, peripherals, and caffeine.

For all that I joke, moving everything was surprisingly smooth and easy. Many hands make light work, after all. Then came the time to decide who was going where. Naturally, your humble scribe made sure to stake out what he considered to be prime space – easy enough when nobody else wanted to be there anyway, ahem.

Tomorrow sees the results, as well as our usual weekly announcements. Aren’t you excited? I sure am! See you then~