Venture Explorer


 * This article is about the starting area. For the Battle Instance, see Return to the Venture Explorer

The Venture Explorer was a Venture League cargo ship captained by Sky Lane.

The Venture Explorer was originally headed to Nimbus Station to deliver modular rocket parts, Minifigure passengers to be recruited into the Nexus Force, and Nexus Data Cards. However, Engine 2 began leaking Imagination, and as a result the ship was detected and attacked by the Maelstrom. Sky Lane sent a distress signal, but the Sentinels stationed at the nearby Avant Gardens were unable to help. Bob, Sky Lane, Jett Moonshot, and the Nexus Astronaut began a mass evacuation of the ship's passengers.

Crew members aboard the Venture Explorer also saw a mysterious Alien creature roaming the ship's halls. However, the Alien went missing during the Maelstrom's attack, but left a pod, a shell, and a core aboard the ship.

Under attack by the Maelstrom, the Venture Explorer is the first world players explore in LEGO Universe. It is the tutorial level of the game, where players learn the controls, gain the ability to use Imagination, and obtain the Thinking Hat. Players can also obtain the modules of Blue, Pink, Yellow, and the Classic Rocket from smashing cargo crates. After collecting Imagination, the Thinking Hat, a Nose Cone, a Cockpit, and an Engine, players are sent by Sky Lane to build a rocket, escape the ship, and fly to Avant Gardens.

After players evacuate the Venture Explorer, Sky Lane also escapes the ship and travels to the Avant Gardens Launch Area. The Nexus Astronaut was the last Minifig to leave the Venture Explorer, needing Max's assistance in building a Nexus Force Rocket. The abandoned Venture Explorer was overtaken by the Maelstrom, trapped in orbit around Avant Gardens, and invaded by numerous Stromlings.

After leaving the Venture Explorer and joining a faction, players can Return to the Venture Explorer. Aboard the badly-damaged ship, players must complete missions for Epsilon Starcracker and are given the opportunity to complete previous Venture Explorer achievements.

Achievements

 * Unlock Your Imagination
 * Spaceship Observer
 * The Venture Explorer Story
 * Classic Rocketeer
 * Blue Rocketeer
 * Yellow Rocketeer
 * Pink Rocketeer
 * Rainbow Rocketeer
 * Steam Punk (before Power of the Nexus Force update)
 * Pod Person (before Power of the Nexus Force update)
 * Rocket Roundup (before Power of the Nexus Force update)

Beta Information
The Venture Explorer world existed in development as early as the pre-alpha Wonderland stage. Little is known about the early Venture Explorer, although the Venture Explorer Bridge appears unchanged based upon pre-alpha promotional artwork.

At some point in development, the Venture Explorer had window washers.

In alpha testing, Sky Lane was located on the floor near the Modular Rocket Build area. Because some players had difficulty executing double-jumps on the shaking Venture Explorer, certain cargo crates were moved near the staircase to the Bridge so players could jump onto the crates to make the jump easier. The Nexus Force Plaques detailed a much longer Captain's Log in alpha testing, including the possibility of a saboteur aboard the Venture Explorer responsible for the leaking of Engine 2. In late beta testing, a Nexus Force Plaque identified Bob as the starship's captain.

Trivia

 * The Venture Explorer exterior greatly resembles that of the Venture Koi.
 * Artwork of the Venture Explorer exterior shows the name S.S. Venture on the ship's hull. Although S.S. stands for Steam Ship, the Venture Explorer is powered by Imagination.
 * A number of iconic figures can be seen flying by the ship. They include a floating cow, a blue LEGOLAND Space minifigure on a rowboat, a portable toilet from the LEGO City set 7905 Building Crane retooled into a T.A.R.D.I.S, a bloated Pre-Alpha Assembly Inventor, and a rooster.
 * Occasionally, when a crate is smashed, Robert the Crate Chicken emerges and flies away.
 * 2D renders of engineers and welders can be seen throughout the Venture Explorer, trying to make repairs to the spaceship.