No, not Cyber Knights with 2020 behind us now, we thought it was worth looking back at allll the things that are new with Star Traders: Frontiers over the past year. Weve more than doubled much of the content in the game since release, and after over 50 updates just last year, there might even be something you missed

1) More map control

Veteran players have always been able to add to their replay experience by changing the procedurally-generated universe itself at the start of a new playthrough. Now weve released map seeds version 2, allowing you to create better-balanced, more unique, and larger universe maps.
See updates #240, CARTOGRAPHER, and update #241, Mapmaker Rising, for details on the features weve added for maps. Finally in the latest GREAT HOUSES we introduced a new default map to the game from the version 2 seed.

2) New stories, new ways to play

In 2020 we added three new story vignettes to the game, two new jobs, and brand new mission types!
CATALYST, update #232, added the Scientist job along with scientific intel to the game. Another classic sci-fi archetype, the Scientist in Star Traders: Frontiers adds to both exploration gameplay and rewards for encounters with the xeno. The Blade Dancer job, from update 202, added an aggressive blades combatant, rich in Steel Song lore and unique talents, for your combat crews. And just this month weve added the Saboteur. This new job brings new boarding combat abilities, opens up more long-range boarding options, and specializes in talents for wrecking the enemy ship and crew after a successful boarding.
Story updates are always exciting, and the extensive work they take to complete pays off with some of the most unique experiences Star Traders: Frontiers has to offer. In 2020 we added three:

• Spirit of Cadonya - a hunt for a ship of legend, diving deep into the lore of the Exodus.
• The Clan Skyline Trade Accord - a new galactic event that creates one of the largest trade alliances in the game, opens up new advanced craft, and shakes up contacts in the political simulator.
• Avengent Lost - the capstone storyline for the Jyeeta Brood Era, this brings all new allies and enemies, new unique contact types, story-specific gear, and... Templars!

And most recently, weve expanded the mission types available! Across multiple updates, weve been expanding the mission system; contacts can now offer missions based on rumors, like salvage opportunities. Weve also started experimenting with self-directed missions... Contacts can now offer you a mission for gathering intel; it will be of a specific type or related to a specific faction, but where and how you gather it is up to you. Both of these new mission capabilities increase your ability to play the way you want to play while still aiding your faction and contacts goals and earning you a nice payday. Well continue to expand these capabilities over the year.

3) A limited number of crew members can now equip gear

Its a change that would sound small to anyone new to Star Traders, but long-time players will tell you is one of the most significant changes weve made to the game since launch. In update #225, a limited number of crew members gained the ability to equip the valuable specialist gear that was previously restricted to your ships officers. This has opened up the possibilities for your crew builds quite a bit, no longer requiring the devotion of so many officers to your boarding party / crew combat A-teams. As the number of crew who can equip this gear is based on your Captains level, it also provides another nice reward for keeping your Captain (and their career) alive and growing.

4) Tons of quality-of-life improvements

We are constantly listening and responding to the feedback you all provide -- in the Steam forums, in our Discord, on Reddit, and on social media. Thanks to you, we have made countless improvements to the UI and descriptions, fixed dozens of rare but squish-worthy bugs, and been able to prioritize the gameplay improvements that matter most to you. Just to name a few of the big ones:

• Added a game option setting for faster crew combat
• Added option to review a recruit before hiring
• Ship component shopping (everything is cleanly grouped by categories, better filters, ability to preview a ship hulls stats and components before buying)
• Drydock ship transfers
• Entirely-keyboard-controlled combat.
• Pay contacts to learn far-flung Economic and Recruit Rumors
• Rumors youve paid to learn about are now extended if they were about to expire
• Mission planning features added to the map & better map integration with the mission offer screen

5) Massive amounts more variety and customization

In a game where replayability is one of its greatest strengths, variety is essential to making that sustainable. So wherever possible, weve added more:

• +41 talents
• +39 new crew weapons/armor/gear
• +17 new cards for card games
• +18 new faces and over 900 new outfit combos (not even counting gloves, which can now be set separately)
• +10 new ships and 47 new ship components
• New enemy AI and leveling options, increasing the variety of challenges as you level up (and giving you the option of conscripting better enemy crew members)

A rework of ship engines and the addition of several new bridge components are two big changes that have helped us ensure that ships of all masses, from tiny scouts to massive carriers, provide balanced gameplay while continuing to feel different from each other.
And we know how much many of you value customization options to ensure your Captain and crew members look the way your story about them feels. We closed out 2020 with a massive push to expand customization options, and started the year by crossing off two big content expansion milestones from our roadmap with crew outfits and crew faces.

Still more exciting things ahead

Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, our cyberpunk heist RPG, is going into its private alpha and aiming for Early Access by the end of the year. But even as work on that next game intensifies, Star Traders: Frontiers will continue to get new and significant content added. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/ This year will be another big year of updates. Youve seen us tease some of these here (further mission capabilities) and in our dev streams (even more map capabilities in a v3 expansion). We still have some big story milestones left on the roadmap that will see all new story quadrants and Eras to be added to the game. Thanks to your continued enjoyment and support of the game, were as enthusiastic as ever about continuing to expand it. Hope your year is off to a great start! Be sure to leave / update your review if youd like to join us in celebrating all these additions to the game, and help us spread the word!

[ 2021-01-30 17:23:05 CET ] [ Original post ]