Tonight we deep dive into the abilities to tier up the new Prototype Forbidden Techs, and then focus on MORE rewarding content, the Reliant and the Wrath of Khan loop as F2P have officially unlocked their new ship, so how do you engage now that we've tested the waters and shown the best ways to engage. 

0:00 – Cold open chaos & endless alerts

2:20 – Official show start, server sound-off, community shoutouts

4:00 – Tonight’s agenda: prototype forbidden tech, Bek’s return, heroic events

5:30 – Meeting recap with Bek: energy, initiatives, and drama in whale Discord

8:10 – First reactions to prototype forbidden tech – lackluster or misunderstood?

10:30 – Scopely’s intent: new combinations vs. invalidation of old tech

13:40 – The community dilemma: “We don’t want invalidation… but why buy duplicates?”

16:50 – Time-to-max math: years vs. immediate value problem

18:45 – Recon Locus building comparison – when grind feels reasonable

21:00 – Automotive analogy: building customer trust & value through transparency

27:30 – Customer service story & lessons applied to STFC monetization

30:10 – Why players aren’t spending on prototype tech this month

33:00 – Heroic events: grind vs. spend, ops-level challenges

36:40 – Hostile math: required kills, building level dependence

40:00 – G5 vs. G6 analysis: progression gaps and grinding realities

45:00 – Deep dive into Counterplay Device (Explorer prototype tech)

47:30 – Mid-tier stats vs. max stats: is the payoff worth the time?

50:00 – Free-to-play strategy: rare pulls, saving for future tech

53:00 – Spreadsheet walk-through: banner income vs. refinery pulls

54:50 – Community sentiment: disengagement from spending

57:00 – Open mic: guest perspectives, Eco’s heroic event math misfires

1:10:00 – Value, perception, and the predictability problem

1:25:00 – More on Bek’s role & player feedback loops

1:40:00 – PvP applications of prototype tech

2:00:00 – Panel debate: is Scopely out of touch with player priorities?

2:20:00 – Lessons from other arcs & monetization models

2:40:00 – Final roundtable: what needs to change

2:55:00 – Closing thoughts & community thanks