Sometimes we do a gold standard, sometimes we go for a rework, and sometimes we do a Mark II, as we did with the Hornet. Talk to me about how the choice between a rework and a Mark II comes about.

So with reworks versus Mark IIs, it depends on what we're trying to achieve and whether what already exists actually achieves that. So using the 600i as a prime example, just as a talking point. When we made the original 600i, we had a particular vision for how we wanted the interior to be used and laid out. And then as the game evolved, we realized that the interior just doesn't work for what we actually want the ship to be able to do, what we want to achieve, what we want the experience to be while using it. And realistically, if that ship was left in the state that it was, it wouldn't actually fit its role or purpose within the game. So we want to rework something like that. It needs to be taken back and then re-reviewed. And obviously everyone's seen the rework images, the concept board, this entire thread on Spectrum where people are keeping track of everything we've ever said and covered about it. That's the rework. That's when what's there doesn't work. It doesn't need tweaking. It doesn't need things adding. It doesn't need minor changes. It's straight up, it just needs removing and putting back in. The gold standard can sometimes be just bringing something up to scratch. So that's adding, say, the suit locker that's missing, or the weapon rack doesn't work, or other features that help the gameplay experience but don't require us to fundamentally change something about the ship. And then the Mark IIs exist where the Mark I, the original, still works for the role, but we want to make it bigger and better, and we don't want to get rid of the original that's fulfilling that role. So if we talk about the Aurora... oh man, I'm getting in trouble after this. Okay, so people are now hearing the Aurora is getting the gold standard. So what that is: the interior still mostly works, but there are some tweaks needed to make it work with our gameplay loops. But we don't need to strip the entire interior back. It needs a place to put weapons. It needs a place so you can actually walk inside with storage boxes. It needs a fire extinguisher. We don't need to gut the entire ship. So that's why the Aurora is getting its gold standard. It doesn't need a full rework. And we don't want to change what the Aurora is, because the Aurora, it's the Aurora. So that's when a Mark II might come along, because we could do something bigger, better, different, something we're more interested and engaged in, something that allows it to be more than what it was, but is something new.

Don't give me this 'might' stuff. You already said it and they already saw my reaction. An Aurora Mark II is coming.

Yeah, the Aurora Mark II is a thing. I'm not going to go into details about it, but it allows us to take the DNA of what a Mark I is and then expand upon it, make it something different, make it the next generation of itself.

If you look at it compared to the Hornets, the Hornet Mark II and the Mark I side by side, you can tell they are both Anvil Hornets, even though they are stylistically very different. They're the same role, they're the same rough shape, and that's what we want to do with the Mark I Auroras and the Mark II: you look at it and go, that's an Aurora. It does the same roles, but it's the new RSI style.