User blog comment:Owlfeathers0117/An idea to make surface ships useful again./@comment-24142455-20141217152356/@comment-11135771-20141217154655

The major vents are supposed to be major strategic locations. Anyone camping out there will have light, the ability to use flying ships to hold the area, and easy resupplying from orbit. That said, being the major sources of light on the planet, a LOT of the native life will be hanging around the vents, and much of it will be more dangerous than what's found in the dark (constant competition from everything trying to be near the vents drive their evolution faster, as well as them having more energy at their disposal since they have sunlight in addition to other sources).