Jul 5, 2021

[Stories] Guiding star: A new hope (Part 6)

Crossout - XO_Team

You can read the previous part here.

The storm left the Wasteland as unexpectedly as it struck it, and the torrential rains were replaced by a scorching sun. The sand and stones got so heated that the wheel rubber was melting on the cars of the travelers who were forced to move in the daytime. The inside of their cabins resembled the sixth circle of hell.

The ship of the seeker Ochre sailed smoothly along the hot sand dunes, as if on the wave crests. And the air melting above the surface only added to the feeling of flight.

Foxy stood on the deck, closer to the bow of the vessel, staring thoughtfully at columns of smoke that appeared on the horizon. This phenomenon used to be quite common in the Valley before, but now the remains of armoured cars and ashes, which were once inhabited buildings, have become integral companions of any journey.

— New victims of human unbelief, — Ochre said regretfully, approaching Foxy.

The scout sighed heavily and deeply:

— I don’t understand why Scar is acting so foolish…

— We will never understand the fear that makes a person afraid to see the obvious things. You can’t blame him. He’s trying to save his people.

— To die with them later by attacking the Syndicate?

— Don’t underestimate the Scavengers, Fox. But you’re right that right now everyone needs to unite and listen to the Dragons. Otherwise there will be no one to unite. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I hope the Lunatics turn out to be more... rational.

Foxy sighed heavily again and, carefully holding her hands, lowered her pet (invisible to the others) from her shoulder to the deck.

— You also think that all this is the work of the Ravagers, right?

— I found one of them on the ashes of the raiders. The robot was broken, but many modules were still intact… Judging by them, the fact that I found only one destroyed exemplar seems even more frightening. If the Nomads are right, and Lloyd is responsible for that, then it’s just a beginning.

— It’s a shame that I trusted him once and couldn’t tame him after that.

Ochre took off her baggy hood and put her hand on Foxy’s shoulder.

— Those who do a lot make more mistakes than others. You’ll have a chance to face him and get even. I hope you will.

Foxy’s blue eyes dropped from the smoke to the hot sand and seemed to turn pale. Then the girl, as if she realized something, covered them with her hand. Ochre stroked her companion on her forearm and suddenly revived.

— You know, I got a surprise for you.

Foxy didn’t react.

— Scar was useful after all...

This time, the scout became interested and, fixing her hair, looked at the Seeker, who’d been waiting for just that.

— He told me about the place where the most titled Ravager hunter, Cash, can be found. Apparently, amnesia hasn’t taken away his memory completely yet. According to the coordinates, the old man is now in one of the industrial complexes, which is on our way.

— Cash? This name is familiar to me. Do you think that after all this time, he can still be useful in the fight against the machines?

— I don’t know for sure, but this is the only straw we can hold on to right now.

Foxy stepped away a little from the Seeker. Her eyebrows frowned and her lips clenched into a thin line. The ship sailed past the ashes again.

— And what if the Lunatics are all dead by the time we get to them? Then what? — the girl asked, raising her voice.

— There is nothing we can do yet. Even if the wandering city of the Nomads was so easily destroyed, our arrival to the Lunatics before the attack will solve nothing. We’re just going to die with everyone.

The scout’s face became even more tense, and her gaze turned to the void.

— But why did Scara tell you where this Cash is? What did you promise him?

— We made a deal. Listen, Foxy, the most important thing for us right now is to find Cash. We need to know how to fight the machines. Otherwise, our whole journey would be meaningless.

Foxy sat down on the deck and stroked the air in front of her.

— Can I see the robot?

Ochre thought for a moment, pulled the bandage from her face and sat next to the scout.

— It was the subject of a deal.

— Now Scar can create weapons based on new technologies and attack all his alleged enemies.

— So that’s why the Order has never intervened in anyone’s business before. Scar received only protective modules. It’s not that critical. Besides, I’m still hoping for his discretion.

Foxy grinned as she continued to play with her pet.

— You’re an optimist, Ochre. I feel like we’re getting close, aren’t we?

Ochre stood up and then went into the deckhouse.

— The factory is behind this hill. I don’t think the ship will pass through there, so I’ll hide it here, and I’ll go to Cash in my recon armoured car. I’m going to ask you to stay here and cover our back.

— You know how much I’d like to go with you. But you’re right. Bunny and I will stay guarding your ship —Foxy’s voice seemed to sound in Ochre’s head. She looked at the scout from the deckhouse. At that moment, the girl turned to the Seeker and smiled.

— Find him.

Ochre smiled in response and after several dexterous maneuvers drove the vessel into the rock recess and quickly descended into the depths of the ship. A couple of moments later, her spinning armoured car jumped out of the ship and disappeared behind the turn.

There was hissing in Foxy’s walkie-talkie.

— I couldn’t tell you in person, but given the circumstances, I’m glad your car broke down and we can share a part of the way together. I can talk alone, but I love listening even more. See you soon.

Communication broke off abruptly, not allowing Foxy to say anything in return.

At this time Ochre was passing the gate of the old factory. The Seeker was met by several brick semi-destroyed buildings. Knowing Cash, she headed for the smallest one. The yard was covered with sand and debris of scrap metal. The armoured car stopped sharply, as if hooked on something by the rear bumper.

— “Kapkan”?! Damn Scar lied to me? — Ochra cursed.

The turrets immediately began to rise from under the sand around the Seeker’s armoured car. The wheels were rolling on the spot, preventing Ohra from leaving. The car was blocked. In her last hope, the woman grabbed the radio and tried to contact Foxy, while her other hand tried to aim the machine guns at the traps... After a moment, a powerful impulse rocked the car, and all the electronics in the armoured vehicle turned off. Ochre closed her eyes, folded her arms across her chest, squeezing the medallion of the Order into them, and began to whisper her pleas for help, calling out to the Supreme Archon.

For more information on Crossout, follow these channels:

Jul 2, 2021

[Contest] Spirit of Freedom

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.
[expand type=details]

[/expand]
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: