The Envelope 

by alexburlton

Basic Information

"Envelope" is the name given to your spaceship, in which you travel around the universe. The envelope is what you use in levels to 'drill' using your drilling ball, and is controlled either by the mouse or through keyboard controls. The envelope has the ability to fire missiles, as well as housing drones and even passengers you can transport across the universe.

An envelope will basically look like this:

Spare Envelopes and Envelope Upgrades

Upon beginning the game you have 3 spare envelopes on top of the one you use for travel. This means that during levels you will have 3 extra lives. However, after travelling a certain distance the ESCorp takes back these extra envelopes to give to another new prisoner (see "Emergency Envelopes Sent Back"). Another spare envelope is also used up when Salmeen converts it into Landing Pods for your ship. Spare envelopes can then be received through various means. One spare envelope can be bought from merchants, others are rewarded for certain missions such as "Distress Call", "Invasion" and "Khorlan: Salmeen's Planet". One final method of receiving an extra envelope is through your first payment transaction at the Interstellar Bank, where you receive an extra envelope as a bonus.

There are also various upgrades for your envelope. For ESCorp members there are several permanent extensions which make your envelope longer at the start of every level. The Zonkerian Medallion is another upgrade which directly affects your envelope, which becomes quicker and more responsive with this item.

Your envelope has a Generator and a Radar, which between them allow you to travel across the universe. Both of these can be upgraded by various means to make travelling long distances quicker and easier.The Generators are bought from merchants, whilst the upgrades to the Radar are achieved through completing various missions.

Your envelope can accomodate drones, which can be bought from merchants, as well as the various upgrades for these drones again available through merchants. The envelope can also fire missiles, which are found at abandoned missile locations.

Transport Missions

In transport missions, you find aliens on planet surfaces and transport them to a desired location for some form of reward (minerals, hydrogen capsules or both). When transporting a passenger, one of your 'spare' envelopes is used up until they are dropped off at their destination, and as such during levels while transporting people you will not have as many extra lives as your envelopes are being used. Consequently, it is a good idea to plan when you are going to take transport missions, and to be wary of taking too many in case levels become too difficult with few lives.