Marker mission
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Marker missions are sets of markers to be found. These missions are either accessed through the Great Zero, or can be created (and shared) by individual explorers.
Great Zero Marker Missions
The marker missions are a set of 14 assignments for searching for markers in D'ni. Explorers' accomplishment of the missions gradually improves Great Zero calibration, thereby leading to more accurate coordinates in the KI. After the activation of the Great Zero, these missions are still available.
The missions are selected on one of four panels (Maintenance Units) found in the Great Zero Calibration Center, located in the rear of the Great Zero complex. These marker missions are timed, and an explorer's fastest time on a particular mission is listed when they look into a Maintenance Unit.
These 14 assignments have to be done before you can see the coordinates on your KI.
Explorer-created marker missions
After the activation of the Great Zero, the DRC enabled the ability to make custom marker missions using a KI.
The DRC notebook on marker missions lists three types:
- Team Capture – this involved two teams that would attempt to collect all of the markers, with the KI registering the first team to collect the marker. The markers could vanish after a certain amount of time or once all of them had been registered. One limitation of this method was that the markers must be in the same Age.
- Hold – this involved two teams with each time collecting the markers with the winner determined by the team that had the most markers registered to them when the time limit expires. Unlike the above criteria, markers can be registered to the other team even after they have been collected by a team. Although like the above criteria, this also has the limitation of requiring the markers to be in the same Age.
- Single Capture – the last method was for a single person to search for the markers and register each one as they find them. The markers can carry text, but don't necessarily need to. These missions were sent via an invitation through the KI. Unlike the previous two methods, markers for such missions could be placed across multiple Ages.
Only the third type of marker mission is currently available.
Creative uses
Explorers have used the marker missions in creative and artistic ways. These include:
- Marker sculpture – these are missions where the markers are places in artistic configurations or as decoration.
- Marker poetry or puzzles – as finding a marker displays a line of text in one's KI, some explorers have used them to make 'walking' poetry, with a line in each marker. Others have used the markers as parts of puzzles, with the text providing clues.
- Marker tours – similar to marker poetry, these missions lead explorers to specific places and provide details or trivia about the location.
- Marker maps – some missions are designed to provide an easy-to-see path through areas that are confusing or easy to get lost in, such as Minkata.
