That's exactly the thought I had about it. (The sample return part.)

Perhaps also with a small containment field with its own power supply? Thus the smaller size would allow for more efficient use of such a field, whether by allowing it to be more secure while using the same power as a larger field or to sustain a smaller field for a longer time in cases of general power failure?

Over at Daystrom, this comes up from time to time. I've formed a head-canon for it as well. To quote one of my comments on a thread there regarding the explosions (and the "rocks"):

My understanding is that the "rocks" are a product of the electroplasma system being exposed to air. Whether that is some sort of coolant that is meant to seal the EPS leak in that console or some sort of EPS byproduct reacting in air, I don't remember or have a head-canon for it.

All of that said, if I form this reply into one worthy of Daystrom, then I say it is an intended safety mechanism to protect the crew against catastrophic failure of the EPS conduits.

So, the consoles are exploding from the failure of the EPS conduits and the expansion of the coolant.

My understanding is that the "rocks" are a product of the electroplasma system being exposed to air. Whether that is some sort of coolant that is meant to seal the EPS leak in that console or some sort of EPS byproduct reacting in air, I don't remember or have a head-canon for it.

All of that said, if I form this reply into one worthy of Daystrom, then I say it is an intended safety mechanism to protect the crew against catastrophic failure of the EPS conduits.

Real posts (from kbin.social magazines) are becoming quite rare. I find myself coming to this site now to do the following circuit:

1. sort by new and report SPAM and block users
2. scroll through headlines and read (the few) recent comments/posts to mags I'm interested in
3. come to kbinMeta and see if anyone else is seeing what I'm seeing and feeling the same way
4. see if the radio silence has yet been broken by the dev

It's a fascinating case study in the rise and fall of an internet community and digital communication platform. And it highlights one important fact about human community management and technology development: COMMUNICATION IS KEY.

How many flight hours (your game time)? Number of jumps?

It is. I've read about that and wondered if it was happening. There are a few discussions popping up about it too, so hopefully it will be addressed.
(I'm also considering just migrating or creating an account on startrek.website. We'll see.) Thanks for letting me know.

Agreed. My block list is unbelievable. As I've said in previous comments about this kind of thing: communication is key.
We're getting zero communication and, if we so wanted to leave, can't even delete our own accounts on the way out.

There are some definite TNG throw-backs in this bundle. I think it'll end up being a "pass" for me though, at least for now. I am looking forward to the next C-store bundle 35% sale though, given the correction on the tommy-gun.

Kbin was down for a couple days, so I wasn't able to post my summaries. Hopefully a day late isn't too late!
LLAP

Oh, got it. I didn't realize Console had started the 14th so soon.
That must mean that Kael just used the wrong tags (since it's in the PC news area), rather than a duplicate like I originally thought.

In any case, have fun, Console players! It's a fun set of episodes so far.

Sorry, I meant only for the Colonia trip. You've only been doing that for a few days now, correct?
(I should have been more specific in my first comment. Apologies.)

No worries. Sounds like it took you four to five days RL. I'm just trying to imagine what it would take (time-wise) for me to make the trip there. (I, too, have a decently engineered AspX for exploration.) :) Thanks for sharing your screenshots!

The Market tends to always be a "pass" for me, since it's stuff I already have from actually doing the events. (Some of) the bundles are tempting at times though. That list is shortening for me, in general. The MMO part of the game has lost its luster for me these days.

True and agreed. I do still plan to create an account over there soon though. (I'm thinking First Contact day would be fitting, in a way.)

Starting to feel like there's more SPAM than posts on Kbin, at this point.
I sort by new and comb through reporting "SPAM" and blocking users, but it's a never-ending cycle it seems and users reported for SPAM are still posting (hence why I block them in addition to reporting the individual posts).

Sorry for the delay in posting my summary; kbin was down. Again.

"except bundles"

Really? Thanks. Guess I'll keep my Zen then.

Adding an edit:
I want to also note that Mudd's Market sales are usually 75% off not 50% off.

I mean it’s fine if you enjoy the game, but it really isn’t a good game at all. It’s fun in that it is a way to immerse yourself in Trek content.

This sums it up really well. I also find it to be a fun place to meet up with geographically distant friends who also like Trek. Hanging out in Quark's while chatting over voicechat is pretty great.

Now I understand why they didn't have a Mudd's Bundle sale this week.
This Bundle will likely be something I spend my Zen on!

Would anyone prefer that I summarize the Patch Notes for brevity the way I do other posts? Or are the original Patch Notes brief enough?

For example, a rephrasing of today's:

• Fixed issue preventing certain Warbirds from equipping Borg Kingdom Interceptor Probes.
• Corrected the Fleet Power Network console to only reduce Weapon Firing Cycles cooldowns, not all cooldowns.
• Addressed disrupter ground visuals for various weapons and drones.
• Fixed display issue with Kurleth Phaser Pistol.
• Updated 14th Anniversary bundle description for item claims in the Zen Store.