Submissions for the first Exode Colonization contest closed yesterday. We were told to expect results sometime after Wednesday, and I hope the contest organizers will include some manner of deep dive / analysis post. That being said, I am too impatient to wait and couldn't resist putting together a "shallow" dive of what I saw in the entries.
Entries
There were 16 entries. This is a lot more than the last few contests had so regrettably I'm not guaranteed a win this time. In all seriousness though, I am very glad to see this level of engagement. The entries gave me a lot of ideas to try.
Origins
We have a very even spread of origins, six military, seven civilians, and three science. Secret agent was the most popular, followed by Stranded Trader and Ark Scientist. Reading through the various entries it's VERY clear people had different ideas about how to proceed.
Origin modification was fairly popular as well. At least six entries used either a syndicate chip, corporate license, or rebel secrets on their origin. One even used all three! Of those modifications, the Syndicate chip was the most commonly used.
Ships
As with Origins we had a healthy spread of ships. Surprisingly the most popular was the Columbus (4) even though it's easily detected. Unsurprisingly the next most common choices were the scientific and civilian starter ships, both the Amarasia and Orwel were chosen three times. Military origins definitely have the most options, and it showed in their variety. Among the military builds there were two Drachian Mantis, a Rhino Heavy Attack Frigate, and a Claymore Hyperfighter being chosen.
Officers
There was a HUGE spread in officers. Norah and the Exploration Officer were the most common with five entries using them. Administrative Officer, Research officer, Security Officer, and Eliza each had three entries using them. Almost every officer was chosen by someone, the only ones missing were the Syndicate Squad Leader, Drachian Colonel, and Captain Cranium.
If anyone is interested in trading me a Norah for my Shen or Stug let me know!
Crew
Once again crew selections were all over.
- Tyron and Maintenance Staff were included by half of all submissions.
- Space Surgeon was close behind with seven.
- Apparently people expect living near aliens to be stressful, so five included a Welfare Specialist.
- Five included a Syndicate Hacker.
- Five included a Galvin.
- Four included a Bioscientist.
- Propaganda Specialist, Civilian Pilot, Life Searcher, Kilbot, Population Analyst and Special Infiltration Agent were each included by three entries.
If anyone is interested in trading me a Tyron for my Shen or Stug let me know!
Citizens
Since the number of people which can be taken as passengers varies so dramatically, and because a lot of them are generated randomly, I only counted the named Citizens. Kumicho was the most popular being chosen six times. The Mysterious AI and Sh4rken were next, showing up five times each. The Drachian Commissar boarded four ships, the Rebel General boarded three, and we have four other “mysterious” passengers.
Cargo
On looking at the various entries it is very clear people weren't sure about the Cargo rules. There are a LOT of mistakes, many of which I only know because I made them in early theory crafting builds. Add in the fact that ships have drastically different amounts they could carry and it is very hard to compare. The short version is that people weren't hesitating to drop items instead of carrying them. Whether or not this willingness to burn cards will carry over into the actual game will play a huge role in the market.
People tended to bring the creme of the crop for items, focusing on elites or upgraded items. Most people brought some sort of food, shelter, and energy. Most, if not all, brought some sort of vehicle to help them explore. A little over half brought drilling equipment. Aside from that, I'll leave it to the contest sponsors to share anything they learned!
Final Thoughts
The contest organizers have my sympathy, it was hard enough getting what little data I did out of the entries. I also realized after finishing this post I made at least one error by including two versions of the same persons entry. I do not envy the organizers having to process the entries. Aside from that, I am pleased by how diverse the entries were. The variety makes it quite clear that there wasn't an obvious, or correct, solution. I look forward to seeing the final results!