Season 9 Dev Blog #22



The Risa Summer Event is coming to an end soon! It’s the time of year when the beautiful resort planet Risa offers special hospitality to everyone and unveils its newest luxuries! Last year, visitors were treated to the chance to explore an island resort, both on foot and using relaxing anti-gravity floaters. This year, Risa’s expanded the resort with a new shopping promenade and all-new activities and rewards!

Visitors to Risa have been clamoring for the right kinds of outfits to make a splash, and the tailors of Risa have responded by providing the latest styles in swimwear. In exchange for Lohlunat favors earned from various activities, you can purchase outfit boxes for a wide range of men’s and women’s styles, complete with customizable colors. (Please note that swimwear does not fall under the uniform code for members of the various exploratory and military services, and thus such items are non-regulation for mission duty.)

Of course, you’ll need those swimsuits when you take off on a powerboard – a surfboard with an ion engine attached! As part of the new festivities, Risa’s holiday events coordinators are hosting a powerboard race, where you can line up with other competitors and dash over the water around the island; naturally, you can surf around the waters whenever you like, even when the race isn’t running. Completing the race without going outside of the track will award special tags that you can turn in for new feather monkey pets, a friendly indigenous species that will follow you around as a companion. Plus, you can turn over your feather monkey pets to the local Risian biologists and ecosystem specialists, in exchange for a wide variety of reputation marks.

When you’re not splashing through the powerboard race, participating in the dance party or the horga’hn hunt, you can also take some time for a somewhat more leisurely recreation, building sand castles and sculptures on the beach. Talk to one of the local sand geologists (an arenologist) and you can look for a pail and bucket out on the beach, where you can claim a spot to build your own sculpture. The more sculptures you build, the more practice you’ll get, which lets you make ever-more elaborate designs. Plus, you’ll earn Lohlunat favors for completing sculptures. Once per hour, the arenologist will give bonus awards to anyone who gets out there and builds something!

Just like last year, you can participate in floater challenge courses to earn Risian pearls that you can trade for a Risian corvette, but this year the Risians are offering their luxury cruiser as well. This ship is a space yacht with all the amenities - a floating reminder of your summer vacation that you can take to the stars! Once you’ve earned the corvette or the luxury cruiser, the Risians will give you a significant discount if you want to pick up another one! (Any character on your account will get this discount once you’ve unlocked it.)

To staff your summer starships, you’ll want new crew, and the Risians have offered up some of their own Duty Officers for recruitment. To earn the loyalty of the Risians, you must learn their ways, so you’ll have to complete some of the activities on the island and see some of the sights before you can requisition them, and the best duty officers will require the most commitment. Risian duty officers include Helm Officers, Geologists, and Entertainers with all-new, unique active roster abilities like Risian Drift, Tectonics Expert, and Emergency Power to Party!

The summer event runs on Risa this year from June 5 until July 17. We’ll see you there!

Blessed Lohlunat!

Jesse Heinig

Designer

Star Trek Online

Season 9 Dev Blog Index

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