Enamored of a world where steam power still rules and machines are big, complicated, and beautiful, steampunk enthusiasts imagine an alternate version of history, where the dress code demands petticoats and suit vests and airships are the most romantic forms of all transportation. As one would expect in a fantasy world, they come in great variety — made for battle, trade, or leisure, they fly over modern cityscapes and bucolic valleys alike. – Tom McGrath

One part of my rediscovering PlayStation Home was to start participating in the newly created Home Challenges. I just missed out on the second round’s top-tier reward by one day and 300 points, but I also attempted the challenges very late in the season. At first I gave these challenges no mind at all; they were for those searching for free rewards, and for those who were unable to support Home in any way financially. The rewards were nothing I would own or buy, and the ways of achieving them were something I just didn’t care to participate in. So why bother?

Believe it or not, but so much of Home for me has been unexplored in the four years I have been using it — which was by choice. Several of the games offered on Home we not calling to me, or I had played them to death and got — I will say it — bored. So I basically just ignored them all, and the Home Challenges were added to that list stuff I didn’t give a bleep about when they began.

I can’t say why I changed my thinking, but I did. This year, I decided to take in all of what Sony and its developers have created for the Home community. If I am choosing to log into Home, then I might as well explore all of it — even the stuff I didn’t want to play. I decided to start this rediscovery with the Home Challenges, because the tasks one had to complete were in areas I have typically been avoiding. Once I started into these challenges they became a part of my daily Home routine. I began competing with some friends on who got to the next level and who was going to receive the top reward first. I missed out on the Fratos space, but I wasn’t going to miss out on the next one. The other three tiers of rewards were not to my liking, but hey, ya never know when they would come in handy.

My first airship in Home

Round three of the Home Challenges were different, it seemed. The rewards were of better quality (Home beanie – hello) and the top tier reward was a steampunk-styled airship. Everyone who knows me knows I love anything flying, so for me this was an obvious choice to attempt to receive this award. As I said, the challenges took me to some locations that I have avoided, but once I figured out how to play them, I breezed through them all faster than some of my lap times at Sodium racing — and I have been back to those spaces to further my achievements and win some more Home goodies.

So I finally received my top-tier reward a couple days ago, and I saw that two friends received the Imperial Voyager reward a day ahead of me. I passed on some of the earlier daily challenges because I wasn’t going to buy the game to advance or I wasn’t good enough to win some of the challenges, so I waited to find ones I could complete.

Entering the space, I immediately faced a roped-off area; one can only assume as to why it’s blocked. As I walked around the space I noticed the awesome detail they put into this airship. So what if the dials didn’t move, or that the sky surrounding it was lacking in any detail besides the cottonball clouds; it was a free space, and one can’t really expect a whole lot. There are a couple rooms you can decorate, and located on both sides of the airship are platforms where I could envision a party or BBQ going on. It’s a neat space, and I would have even bought this with a $2.99 price tag. I kind of wish there was some themed furniture to buy in the store or gift to my friends, however.

There is still plenty of time for you to win this free reward, and I encourage you and your friends to try and do so. I don’t think you will be disappointed at all.

Leave a Reply