This is a fairly significant update. Some of this was already made available in the previous security update but here it all comes together.\n\nThis update includes the 2nd tier of tech tree upgrades which cover automating the systems unlocked in the first tier. On top of this the systems that you will upgrade and build out in the first tier have been reworked in some ways. Where previously you would have not had access to the laser turret until much later, it is now one of the first weapons techs you will unlock alongside missiles.

You can catch some of the early work on automation in this video here

On top of this comes the new dialogue system.\n\nThis new dialogue system allows for a whole host of new possibilities with respect to character interactions. Where as previously conversations were strictly linear, you can now have more natural conversations with characters by asking them about different topics relevant to the current conversation. You may even find that simply talking to a character yields rewards.

This update is being released specifically to address a security concern in the Unity Engine. The security patch has been applied and the game has been rebuilt with this security patch in place. Additionally I have some small updates.

-- First pass on new dialogue system for character interactions. The older, linear one-shot dialogue system will remain to be used for various purposes like tutorial or story specific dialogue delivery.

-- Tweaks to numerous lights to affect better performance across the entire experience.

-- Added the new music player to the game.

As some of you may already be aware, I have been working on other games. While progress on FR: Battlespace has been slow this month, this is not without cause. One the one hand I am trying to be more intentional and thoughtful with Battlespace than I was with FR1. Which was kind of chaotic and filled with mistakes. On the other hand I\'ve been working on a tech demo for a new project that I got pretty focused on this month. This is a project that I\'ve had in my head since 2015 and have been working my way towards realizing.\n

This past month of September 2025 I spent an extraordinary amount of time grinding on the Frontiers Reach : Mercenaries Tech Demo. My original intention behind this was to submit the game to Epic Mega Grants and see if I could get secure funds to migrate my tools to UE5. However after seeing large AAA studios struggle, and doing some personal research into feasibility of migrating to the engine, I became convinced that migrating to UE5 at this time is not a task worth undertaking, even if I could get Epic Games to fund much of the work required to do so.

\n\nThat said, I don\'t want to let the work I\'ve done go to waste, so today I want to announce that October 1st, the Frontiers Reach : Mercenaries Tech Demo will be available for everyone to download and try. This tech demo is currently only available through the Patreon I\'ve setup to help fund the game. But you do NOT need to be a subscriber after October 1st. Subscribers will get access to unique perks, but you can play for free if you are interested in just checking it out.\n\n\nAs with every project, some of the technology developed in this Tech Demo is being applied to other projects. For instance, Frontiers Reach : Battlespace and the Mercenaries Tech Demo have both used the same Music Player I bought off the Unity Asset Store some years ago. But that music player was horrible for performance and did not smoothly blend between songs or playlists. So to solve both a quality and performance issue, I built my own. This new music player is already in the tech demo and will be in Frontiers Reach : Battlespace in the next big update.

Below is a video showing some of the work that has been done this past month of September.\n\n[dynamiclink href=\"https://youtu.be/CgGRRdskpjU\"][/dynamiclink]

Additionally I would like to invite everyone to join the Blind Alien Productions Steam Group. I intend to post more frequently there in the coming months and use that group for those who are die-hards of the Frontiers Reach Universe and want to get regular updates through Steam.\n

https://steamcommunity.com/groups/BlindAlienProductions

Hello again!\n\nIt\'s been a while sine the last update but I assure work on the game is still on going! This past month work was a little slow as I went through a major relocation that took the better part of a weekend to execute. That said, I am once again working on game dev!

This weekends update is a massive one and I don\'t want to keep anyone waiting any longer than I have so we\'re going to jump right in.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45504197/2dbc404a9ae73afb258b5fc716582cf34aae5374.png\"][/img]

The image above is the latest and greatest of the tech tree updates. This visual overhaul is a massive change in and of itself. Additionally a large number of back end changes have been executed to make the game run more efficiently and to effect a better experience throughout.\n\n\nThe Tree Updates\n\n - The tech tree is now presented as a diagram of the ship, with each division of the tech tree contained in a menu that becomes accessible after unlocking that division.\n - New tutorial hints as the player moves through the very beginning of the game.\n - Numerous changes to technology costs to better affect how the player progresses through the early game.\n - Several new technologies have been added across the tech tree divisions.\n - ALL of the data for the tech tree has been reworked to use a data driven solution for better scalability moving forward.\n\n\nNew Assignment Improvements\n\n - Added landing craft and landing craft assignments. These are unlocked through the tech tree via the Squadron Operations division.\n\n\nQuality of Life Updates\n\n - Added mouse cursor swapping. The mouse cursor will now swap between the orange pointer and a targeting reticle depending upon what you are mousing over.\n - Added a chillout camera mode that will cycle through different camera views automatically.\n - Added an interior to the bridge of the carrier and a camera view for it.\n - Tweaks to lighting to affect better performance.\n\n\nFoundational Work\n\n - Reworked data for planetary locations for better scalability. This change will make it possible to add every planet from FR1 into Battlespace in future updates.

Minor changes this update.

• Added a button for deleting profiles.

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• Made it possible to close panels by hitting the same button used to open them.

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• Fixed a bug that could cause the comms beacons to not show up when around a planet after unlocking the upgrade.

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• Fixed a bug that could prevent unlocking upgrades when the exact amount of spare parts was held.

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• Fixed a bug that could cause the laser to keep firing when it wasn\'t supposed to.

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• Fixed a bug that could keep a couple of upgrades being unlockable.

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Today is the first update to Frontiers Reach : Battlespace in Early Access, and it\'s fairly big one but not necessarily a major update.

NEW PLAYER EXPERIENCE

First and foremost is that there is an updated new player experience. This new player experience is built not only as a story intro, but also as a means of easing players into the experience even more so. This change also accompanies another. The inclusion of Scrap Parts into upgrade costs. When you first start out you\'re going to be docked up at an asteroid station in a scrap yard and will be reliant upon the scrapyard for your first few upgrades. To facilitate this, a couple of key changes were made to how story content is delivered and that enabled a more robust means of creating a tutorial like experience in this early stage.

[dynamiclink href=\"https://youtu.be/axXZY3DcHnU\"][/dynamiclink]You will need to create a new player profile in game as a result of these changes. Apologies for that, I\'ll do my best in future updates to reduce the necessity of creating a new player profile.

NEW HELM CONTROL PANEL

The Helm control panel has been updated for better visual appeal. This new presentation uses a map that helps show where you are at in the galaxy.

[dynamiclink href=\"https://youtu.be/Z-rxRK_Ly6Q\"][/dynamiclink]This is accompanied by better indication of your current location.

TECH TREE ADJUSTMENTS

There is currently a more drastic overhaul of the tech tree in the works, but for this update I\'ve gone ahead and made some key changes. First off is that some new technologies have been added to facilitate the improved new player experience. Additionally the new Scrap Parts currency has been added to the cost of every technology.

[img src=\"https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/45504197/c3f1b6d033b435e0bb6348860f3f7baba8f9bf8c.png\"][/img]

SCRAP PARTS CURRENCY

As you\'ve seen mentioned above, there is a new currency type that has been added. That currency is called Scrap Parts. This new currency is required for all upgrades on the tech tree. One of the more important changes with the inclusion of Scrap Parts is that they can be acquired by the player when the Logistics Panel is unlocked. Further increasing the usefulness of launching the salvage fleet.\n\n\n\n\nFIXES AND TWEAKS

• Fixed a bug that could cause cargo in the logistics panel to go into the negatives and result in a broken save file.

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• Fixed a bug that could make upgrades accessible without a scaffold when they were supposed to require the scaffold.

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• Expanded player presence in story content. Player name, portrait, and vessel name will now appear in story content.

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• The second and third engine upgrades will unlock 2 locations each allowing for a slightly less linear path through the lesser southeast quadrant of the galaxy.

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• Fixed a bug that made background stars invisible.

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