Jul 2, 2021

Crossout - XO_Team

July 4th, the Independence Day of the United States, is approaching. We won’t talk about the holiday itself just yet, but we can definitely say this: this country has produced so many different vehicles that we would get tired of just listing them! And since we have an excuse, why not host a contest for you?

We invite you to build a vehicle that could proudly bear the title of a “Truly American car”. You can use anything you have in your garage, just don’t forget that the vehicle must be adapted to the conditions of the Wasteland.

Post a screenshot of your American car build in your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account with a #XO_FreedomCraft hashtag, your in-game nickname and state the platform that you are playing on.
Attention! The post has to include the #XO_FreedomCraft hashtag and it shouldn’t have any privacy restrictions, otherwise we won’t be able to see your creation and add it to the pool of contestants!

The deadline for posting your works is 7:00 am UTC on July 9! The Crossout administration will select the winners and announce the results on July 13.

Our prizes:

1st prize: “Triad The Keeper” deluxe edition pack & Any CK (either common, rare, special, epic, or legendary) of your choice & “American” pack.
2nd and 3rd prizes: Any CK (either common, rare, special, epic, or legendary) of your choice & “American” pack.
4th and 5th prizes: “American” pack.

Contest rules:

Your entry should be created specifically for this competition.
One player - one entry! If a participant posts several entries, only the last one will be judged.
Your entry shouldn’t feature offensive symbols, text, or erotic content.
Your entry shouldn’t contradict the game rules and terms of use.
Participants presenting someone else’s work as their own will be disqualified.
The contest organizers reserve the right to change the terms of the contest at any time.

Good luck!
For more information on Crossout, follow these channels:

Jul 1, 2021

[Stories] Para bellum

Crossout - XO_Team

A man in military uniform hurriedly walked back and forth through the improvised office, which was once the back room of an engineering plant. A patch with a wolf grin and a high-quality bulletproof vest gave him away as the lieutenant of “Steppenwolfs”. The second officer with an eye patch was sitting on a large ammo box, entirely covered in rust. The waiting was dragging on.

— Why don’t you sit down already? You're running around like a madman.— The second officer decided to break the silence.
— I had enough of that while I was writing the report. Did you hear about the seeker? It’s difficult to describe it briefly.
— I know something, yes. An unusual appearance, rumors about the Ravagers, a land ship. In short, it’s strange, — he scratched his nose. — What is the point of putting an entire vessel on wheels? They could’ve dismantled it and built something useful with those parts.
— No idea. And this Ochre seems to be on her own, — the officer approached the table made of wooden pallets, and casually scrolled through the folder lying on it. — At least she’s the only one described in the reports. If that’s true, then it’s not surprising that she contacted the kids from the Engineers.

Silence returned to the room. A few minutes later, heavy footsteps were heard behind the door, echoing through the remains of the factory workshop. The officers hurried to straighten up at the seams, hastily lined up, and the door of the room opened with a creak.

Major Stahl, the leader of the “Steppenwolfs”, silently passed by his subordinates to the table. An old soldier with a metal prosthesis for his right arm and almost two meters tall, he inspired respect by his appearance alone.

When he got to the table and took some images out of the folder, he finally commanded:

— At ease. Lieutenant, report.

Though both of his subordinates were of the same rank, they always knew to whom exactly the commander addressed.

— As you know, recently one of the seekers of the Order of the Fallen Star arrived in the Valley, — the officer with a bandage began. — She calls herself Ochre and she’s been persistently spreading rumors that the Ravagers are supposedly controlled by the rogue scientist Lloyd. We have no confirmation of this, but recently their actions have become more coherent and consistent.

The major looked at the second speaker and nodded. The lieutenant started his part of the report.

— Scar AB sent more images of prototype parts, which he plans to put into production. However, we have reason to believe that he’s hiding most of them. Probably revenge for our refusal to allocate more people.
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The Major couldn’t resist the response.

— Scar, that old fool. He knows perfectly well that we don’t have the men to guard his scrap caravans. Continue.

— Yes, sir. We also managed to intercept confidential information on new Nomad projects. Hull parts with good aerodynamics, protective elements aimed at close contact with the enemy, as well as a machine gun with movable protective plates, firmly fixed at the place of installation. Judging by the elaboration of the blueprints, I have reason to believe that the production has already started.
[expand type=details]

[/expand]
After finishing the report, the lieutenants waited silently for further instructions, while Major Stahl made calculations in his mind, studying the information. A minute later, he spoke.

— All right, soldiers. The situation isn’t pretty: the Syndicate operates in the Valley. We’ve already had several encounters with them. And now these rumors about the tin cans getting smarter. All our potential opponents are anxious and preparing for war, even the nomad-fanatics are increasing the pace of production. We won’t get help from HQ. And in these conditions, Scar AB allows himself some kind of childish resentment, undermining our defense capacity! — the Major continued irritably. — I order him to report to me right now. Make sure he gets the information. It’s time to remind this collector where his place is. Dismissed.

“Yes, sir!” — both officers uttered in unison and moved toward the exit.

— One more thing, — Stahl said, stopping his subordinates. — Find out more about this Ochre. Maybe there’s some truth to her stories.

For more information on Crossout, follow these channels:

Jun 28, 2021

[Contest] Clash of engineers: Mobile base

Crossout - XO_Team

Hello, survivors!

Summer is a great time to explore the mysterious vastness of the Wasteland. A group of daring Nomads came up with the idea of organizing another expedition out of the Valley. An event of such scale requires careful preparation: to gather the equipment and convoys for security as well as to prepare the armoured vehicles. Everyone knows that a large convoy on the march is extremely valuable for executing the surprise attacks, and losing each vehicle results in the loss and waste of many important resources.

After mapping the route and evaluating the convoy’s strength, it was decided to create a huge mobile base, which will become the center of the expedition. It must contain storage, housing and a workshop for vehicle repair and maintenance. The Nomads are looking for help among the best engineers of the Wasteland, who could create such a vehicle.

Task:

Build an armoured vehicle with tracks that can function as a mobile base during the expedition. Add the following tag at the beginning of your work’s name: EXP. The armoured car must be able to move on its own. Pay attention to additional requirements and limitations in the conditions!

Attention! The entries are accepted from June 28, 10:00 GMT until July 2, 10:00 GMT. Then the voting process begins. The results will be summed up automatically on July 5, 10:00 GMT.

Conditions:

You can only include the tag at the beginning of your contest entry's name.
The blueprint check system is case-sensitive, so write the tag only in capital letters. If you do not, your entry will not be able to participate in the contest.
After building your entry, save its blueprint, send it to the contest and wait for the debriefing. In the meantime you can also vote for any entry you like in the voting tab.
The entry can be built in the armoured car slot or the Leviathan slot.
The entry should not contain offensive and symbols, obscene language, references to prohibited groups and societies, elements of erotic content, also should not violate the game's rules.
Only one entry is accepted from each participant.
The players who publish someone else's entry will be excluded from participation.
By participating in the contest, you consent to the use of your work at our discretion.
It is prohibited to use the voting as part of an external contest or any other system with rewards, as well as issue prizes for voting to anyone. If such cases are detected, the administration reserves the right to remove the entry from the contest.
Other people's entries from the “Clash of engineers” section cannot be saved in blueprints. Therefore, in order to protect yourself from plagiarism, do not share the contest blueprints at the general exhibition until the deadline for entry admission.

Additional conditions:

The name of the blueprint has to begin with the tag EXP.
The blueprint has to include the parts required for this contest: Tracks.
The blueprint can't include the parts banned for this contest: Augers, Hovers, Mechanical legs, Wheels.

Good luck to all participants!

For more information on Crossout, follow these channels:

Jun 22, 2021

[Stories] Guiding star: light beneath the ground (part 5)

Crossout - XO_Team

You can read the previous part here.

The storm covered the Wasteland with a lead cap. It rained violently on the deck of the ship with the Fallen Star sign and solar panels attached to the mast. Under the low, heavy sky, the ark rushing on the soaked off-road seemed like a lonely wanderer in primal darkness.

— Grant me a grain of luck, Omniscient. I don’t ask for much. Pure mind to master the knowledge. And the courage to use it, — whispered Seeker Ochre, without ceasing to monitor the operation of the devices in the navigation cabin.

A thin sawing sound merged with a rhythmic squeak of equipment, transmitting data on the movement of the ship. It was the knob of a children’s music box that Ochre once picked up in the ruins of a farmhouse. The toy miraculously survived Crossout, the agony of the passing era and timelessness in piles of forgotten junk... The Seeker loved it — a precious fragment of the old world. But now the simple melody only bored her, reminding of what couldn’t be brought back.

Unable to stand it, the woman put the box on a dashboard and opened the door of a deckhouse.

It was raining heavily overboard. The Seeker climbed the bridge, not noticing how cold droplets soak her clothes and roll on her back. Ochre’s thoughts were far from here: behind the curtain of rain, she seemed to see the pillars of black smoke. Smoldering remains of container ships at the Ship Graveyard. Rusty barge frames scorched by the dancing blaze.

— The inhabitants of the Valley have destroyed each other before, —Ochre said slowly. — The whole history of New Humanity is a chronicle of endless war. So what’s wrong with another looted caravan? How is this massacre different from the others?
And immediately she heard her own voice:

— The fact that the blood was spilled only from one side.

A couple of hours later, the control system notified the end of the route. The liner stopped under the shadow of a rock with bizzare cogs. Grabbing the camping lantern, Ochre moved with a pounding heart toward the mouth of the cave at the foot of the ridge. A wide concrete ramp provided an entrance to an underground bunker — the closest Scavenger base south of the Ship Graveyard.

Ochre hoped the unrest had not affected this place. Maybe the camp owners know more about the imminent threat?

— For the common good, let them be alive, — muttered the Seeker, carefully walking on sharp stones. — There’s too much chaos and turmoil these days…

The beam of the lantern tore the gates in the interior of the cave out of the darkness. Like the last visit, they were locked, and Ochre considered it a good sign — at least there were still people in the bunker. The Seeker knew that it was useless to knock, so she only increased the brightness of the lights and prepared to wait. But soon the thickness of the rock trembled from the push, and the canvas creaked upward, inviting the guest to enter.

An empty corridor leading to the main premises of the bunker appeared ahead.

— On behalf of the Order of the Fallen Star, I greet the survivors, — Ochre shouted, clamping a metal medallion in her hand. — Who meets the Seeker? Name yourself!

Nobody answered. Ochre shrugged and quickened her pace. Two years ago, she had to go through a disinfection chamber to get into the impregnable lair of one of Scar AB’s posts. It’s strange that the Scavengers changed the rules. Unless something terrible made them change the rules...

Having entered a giant, dimly lit hall, Ochre cautiously looked around. A huge scrap metal landfill appeared in front of her. Where there used to be a garage and spacious workshops, there were distorted cars, crumpled cargo cabins mixed with rusted sheets of covering and bristling fittings. The stranger remembered the park of simple, but durable armoured vehicles standing here — many of them turned into rubble.

White sparks cracked on the other half of the hall. As she got closer, Ochre found a group of Scavengers wearing welding masks and dirty rags. They fussed around the monstrous cabin, sewing every inch of the hull with plates made of wreckage of their own equipment.

— What happened her...—

Survivors waved their hands, suggesting the guest to proceed further — sixty meters down.

With a frightening clang, the elevator descended into the shaft. Through the metal grating, Ochre saw a crowd — all the inhabitants of the bunker gathered on the lower platform. The Scavengers could hardly stand on their feet. Someone stood resting on the shoulder of a comrade, someone sat leaning against the wall. Clothes covered in blood, bandaged heads with scarlet spots on bandages… It seemed that the squad visited the other side.

A heavy man in a yellow vest stood out in the crowd. Slightly limping on his leg with a prosthesis attached below his knee, he nervously walked between the wounded and gave orders to his assistants.

The Seeker waved her hand at him.

— Scar! I was worried you might be attacked — I was right, it seems. Are the losses heavy?

— Peace be upon the Order, Ochre, — the leader of the Scavengers barely glanced at the guest. — We lost enough to disrupt our plans for the next quarter. And enough to give me a lot of trouble. The Brotherhood doesn’t care how many people go on assignment. And how they will fight off these wretches...

— Who are you talking about?

Scar AB spat.

— About these arrogant coloured strangers... Syndicate. What else can there be? It’s not enough for them to mess with the Lunatics, wander around the Valley — they managed to get the Nomads too. A week ago, it got completely out of hand. Because of them we will lose the base at the Ship Graveyard.

— Easy, Scar. What makes you think you were attacked by the Syndicate?

— You mean, did we see the massacre? — he grinned in disappointment. — No, we didn’t. The signal came too late. But the wretches didn’t even think to flee. Who else do you think it could be?

— I saw what was left of the base. The attackers used plasma cannons. Remember the nature of the damage: severe deformation, breaks with melted edges. The technical level of the Syndicate is higher than that of many old inhabitants of the Valley, but they behave differently.

— How do we know?— A vile voice sounded behind Scar AB’s back. — We haven’t even seen the Syndicate! They sent their henchmen to us — those who just want to earn extra money. If their mercenaries carry such “sweet” tech, who knows what their bosses are capable of?

— All right, you lazy idiots! — The leader of the Scavengers exploded. — You don’t like the work I provide — you are free to go. You can die out there with the other idiots, for all I care — I won’t take you back. Got it? Are there any other “sweet tech” enthusiasts here?

Scavengers were shamefully silent.

Ochre took Scar by the hand, pulling him away from the crowd.

— Listen, the Syndicate is not the main threat. Someone captured the Ravager technology, and soon all of us will face them. Now the Ravagers don’t erase memories, they kill people! And if they gain control over the entire Valley?

Ochre’s voice trembled, but she quickly coped with her emotions.

— Nomads think this is Lloyd’s doing. While you and I are arguing, there’s an army of combat vehicles somewhere nearby that obey a fanatic. We cannot ignore that! Scavengers, Engineers, Nomads, and even Lunatics must unite to prevent the disaster.

Scar pulled his hand.

— What do you want, woman? You want me to give up on my old commitment because of somebody’s foolishness? You think the Brotherhood is waiting for me to preach peace in the whole world? I have enough problems: “Steppenwolfs” refused to help, it’s necessary to resume deliveries, to strengthen protection of caravans… And all I have to work with is a handful of these cowardly worms!

Scar angrily pointed his finger towards the wounded.

— You can alert the entire Kaganate. Good luck! I will do more important things, such as restoring justice. When we launch the mass production of the new weapons, I think I’ll test them on the Syndicate.

— You’re unbearable, Scar! Lloyd already tested his plasma cannons on you. I managed to capture a Ravager: I know exactly the model of installation and the power of the shells. They can quickly call for reinforcements — thanks to the alert system. They are difficult to disable — their protective modules absorb damage.

A shadow of interest flashed on Scar Ab’s face for the first time. His love of collecting complex inventions was known even In the farthest corners of the Valley — even during critical moments, it hadn’t faded.

— Bravo, Ochre! Your sense for curious toys is sharper than mine. I offer you a deal: the machine in exchange for a pass to my bunker. If you’re so scared, you’ll sit out the invasion underground. Clear your mind of depressing thoughts. And then life will return to normal.

Scar AB stretched his lips in a grin, deliberately ignoring Ochre’s indignation.

— New world is not a place for panickers, Seeker. Last time, an invincible army of Ravagers was stopped by a bunch of Engineers. What prevents us from using them again? That’s what I said to that girl… Foxy, when she showed up a couple hours ago.

— Foxy was here? What did she want?

— No idea. Didn’t even listen to the nonsense about the rise of the machines. She’s still here, trying to lower the price of the gas pump.

— Scar! When are you gonna stop being such a pain in the back? I need to talk to her right now.

For more information on Crossout, follow these channels: