A New Watch Begins

Last winter I put this site into storage. I walked away from Elite Dangerous for a while, choosing to pour that energy into bigger projects. I was also at the familiar boundary of burnout again, frustrated with the slow narrative pace of the game and the grind I was engaged in for more credits. Now and again, I lose focus of why I love Elite Dangerous. Why I have spent thousands of hours playing, building, creating, and thinking about it?

Because it gave me a creative outlet.

How Sentinel Logistics Started

Years before Frontier Developments made the switch to Squadrons, player factions were the way to be recognized in game. The gist was simple; pick a system, name your group, and send a quick blurb about what you do or what the group is all about. I had misunderstood the directions at first. I mistakenly tried to lay claim to Mars High in Sol for “Sol Logistic Services”. The community manager was quick to correct my application and suggested instead that I take a look at nearby EZ Aquarii. I agreed, changed the name, and Sentinel Logistic Services was born. 

The original logo

I’ve worn a lot of hats in Elite Dangerous, but the role I am most in love with is hauling cargo. I’ve done a lot of combat, engineered some tough ships, and even taken down a few thargoids. None of this scratches the itch like hauling does, though. Early on in the game I decided to play to the needs of the markets, and once I had the credits to buy a bigger ship and trade commodities without the mission boards I never looked back. EDDB was always on another screen as my co-pilot, and as the years went by I began to develop increasingly complex spreadsheets to track shipments and to price check private contracts I took on hauling tritium when carriers were released.

All the while I was roleplaying as a member of Sentinel Logistic Services, a captain of his own ship and crew that worked exclusively for SLS. Cmdr Ardos was never the CEO, he was just a retired Federal combat pilot trying to make his way in the galaxy. I play that role every time I climb back into my ship because the immersion in that narrative keeps me coming back. 

It was also the fuel I needed to write creatively about SLS and their doings. Long blog posts styled like news articles, broadcast to the people of EZ Aquarii and the many imaginary employees it had traveling the stars. I created characters to act as the CEO, press secretary, fleet commanders, and more. There was political intrigue as I worked solo to take on the factions who shared Magnus Gateway with me, each change in control percentages or faction states prompting another news update that I broadcast into the black. 

For a time there were a few others who worked with me, but my favorite work was always done solo. There was a time when the Hutton Orbital Truckers group noticed me for a brief moment as they worked away at the background simulation. I enjoyed these interactions, but I was sure afterward that I didn’t want that level of commitment coming between me and what I truly enjoyed. 

Sentinel has never been about conquest or notoriety for me. It’s not the vehicle for growing a community of people and becoming popular either; I don’t need or want a gig being a streamer. Sentinel has always been about presence and creative expression. The thrill of knowing that my faction's name shows up with a search for EZ Aquarri is all I really ever wanted from the experience. It’s something I work on, and it doesn’t need the approval or support of others to exist. 

The Future of SLS

Gaming interests change, and there have been points in time where I have walked away from Elite for months at a time. It isn’t that I dislike the game or want to quit, it’s that I need to go elsewhere and get those creative juices flowing again. Sentinel has arrived on Earth in the current century as I drive across Europe and America in both of the truck sim games as a driver for the same company I serve in the stars. I’ve created custom paint jobs, and even started a virtual trucking company. When simulators get stuffy I go back to running support in games like Planetside 2, where Sentinel once again stands ready to give what it can to the war effort. 

Over the summer I was approached on Discord about parting with SLS so that it could merge with another player faction. Last week I received a similar inquiry expressing the same interest. 

Sentinel will continue to exist and operate in the games it resides in until those games shut down. I have no intentions of parting with it, selling it, or co-managing it. It’s been copied before, and as I told the last group that did so: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At the end of the day, I know what this creative exercise means to me. 

This sudden interest in SLS as Elite Dangerous continues to grow and change is entertaining, and even a bit motivating as I finally feel the pull back into the game after a lengthy break. Perhaps it is time to return to those weekly articles and posts as Sentinel works to provide food, medicine, and support to those in need.

It's also made me realize that I need to untether SLS from Elite Dangerous and embrace it for what it truly is; a creative project that allows me to enjoy the games I play and feel present in them.

Wherever I end up, count on Sentinel Logistic Services being there with me to lend a hand. 

Tactical Brick / Cmdr Ardos / SpecOpsBrick

Sentinel Logistic Services / SLS / SNTL / SLGS