With exactly six months having passed since our last news posting, I feel the time is right to bring some of the new features we've introduced to the 24/7 Procyon Dedicated server since then to the spotlight. With that said...

• Dynamic vanilla-friendly clan bases.

Tying into both our existing in-game clan infrastructure and the server-synchronized clan database on our website, clan leaders are able to purchase customizable clan bases for placement in systems under their control. These bases can only be docked upon by members of the clan that owns them, and direct allies to that clan - both of which are managed and updated in-game in real time through the use of our in-game /clan command. All bases sell a variety of discounted equipment and ships, based on the system in which they reside, and are spawned by the server itself, negating any need for client-side mods in order to for players to see or interact with them.

Not content with what your base's default offerings? Expand your base's equipment dealer through the purchase of an optional weapon depot. Want to earn a little extra money from your system during the weekly payouts? Purchase mining vessels or biodomes that boost your system's economic output. Concerned about people sneaking around your territory? Sensor arrays can be purchased that boost your clan's player detection range within the system it is located by 50%.

Hostile forces lurking around your base? Send them back home by purchasing a set of weapon platforms and start configuring your base defenses to light them up.

• Multiplayer mission scripting

We've tapped into the scripting engine used to power Freelancer's singleplayer campaign, using it for a wide variety of things, ranging from the spawning of special NPC battleships that guard colonial capital systems, to PvE mini-events that pit players against whatever our imaginations are able to conjure up - everything from on-demand Nomad invasions of Omicron Theta, to large scale Naval engagements between warring factions.

• Automatic in-game news updates

Server and community news delivered straight into the game's planet and station news boards? Updated automatically in-game as new articles become available? Yeah, we've got that.

• NPC style cargo demands

Ever feel the urge to play the role of a quasi-honorable pirate that does not shoot directly on sight? Or the role of a Police or Naval officer tasked with shutting down illegal trade? ProcyonHook enables users to send NPC style cargo demands to other players, by way of a new icon that becomes visible while scanning another player's cargo with a commodity item selected.

• Cloaking - done right

Feel like sneaking around before ruining someone's day? Grab an Anubis fighter, and go on the prowl with a cloaking device that works via a standard configurable in-game hotkey - 'toggle cloak' - and that functions by dropping your shields and consuming weapons energy before disengaging when depleted.

...And that's only the tip of the iceberg, not even mentioning things like gradual nanobot hull regeneration, dynamic jumpholes, and more.

Interested in giving Procyon a look? Head to http://ProcyonServer.com and get started!