Starship Troopers: Extermination News

Welcome to our first Developer Diary for Starship Troopers: Extermination!

Today we are unveiling some exciting new content, features, and changes coming to our game in Update 0.5.0 - Hives of Valaka next week! We will also be diving into some of our design thoughts and intentions behind the upcoming additions to our existing Class Progression system.



Class progression is a cornerstone of our game. When we introduced the Bastion, Hunter, and Operator to the Starship Troopers Universe we wanted to make sure they each had a meaningful impact in the game. One of the things we want to accomplish with our Class design is to ensure each base shooter archetype was represented; we feel we have hit that mark so far with having a support, dps, and tank focused Class.

As we continue to evolve and design what our final progression system will entail, we felt it was still very important to continue to add in new Utilities, Perks, and Weapons to each Class.

[h2]Bastion[/h2]
[h3]Utilities[/h3]

• Deployable Shield Wall - Wartime Adversary Limiter. A deployable mini-structure that can wall-off confined areas. Enemies will attack the walls first.
  
• Portable Sentry Turret - A Sentry turret that can be deployed, shoots at nearby enemies and explodes when destroyed.
  
• Overcharge module - Attach to offensive structures to give a boost (Increase damage output of Turrets, or add passive shock damage to attacking Bugs. Lasts 30 seconds, slightly damaging the structure during the duration)
  

[h3]Perks[/h3]

• Long-Range Repairs - Increases Build Tool’s maximum repair range up to 15 meters
  
• Reinforced Repairs - Repair walls, gates and bunkers past 100% (Up to a maximum of +30%)
  

[h3]Weapons[/h3]

• TW-2 S.P.L.I.T Shotgun (Auto) - The SPecial Light Infantry Tactical Shotgun (Auto) is a powerful close range auto shotgun, with improved fire rate.
  
  

[h2]Hunter[/h2]
[h3]Utilities[/h3]

• Shock Field Device - Creates a circular shock field that stuns Bugs.
  

[h3]Perks[/h3]

• Mobile Training - Increases clamber speed for hunters, no longer slowed by bug attacks.
  
• Running Start - Get some extra height when you run and jump at the same time.
  
• Spotter Training - Spotting a bug scans it (on 15-second cooldown)
  
• Watkins Trigger - All explosives on the trooper detonate on death
  

[h3]Weapons[/h3]

• TW-2 S.P.L.I.T Shotgun (Slug) - The SPecial Light Infantry Tactical Shotgun (Slug) is a powerful pump-action shotgun, with single shot slugs - better at range and single target fire.
  
  
• Morita XXX Sniper Rifle - A heavy hitting, long range bolt action rifle. Precision pest control.
  
  

[h2]Operator[/h2]
[h3]Utilities[/h3]

• Rally Beacon - Allow troopers to respawn on the beacon.
  
• Stim Dispenser - Place a dispenser that allows any trooper to pick up a Stim utility.
  
• Guardian Drone - A deployable drone follows the operator and shoots at nearby enemies.
  

[h3]Perks[/h3]

• Refined - While continuously using the repair tool on a refinery harvest time will be sped up by 30%
  
• Running Start - Get some extra height when you sprint and jump at the same time.
  
• On your Feet! - Gives the ability to revive troopers at a distance by shouting at them; the longer the distance the slower the revive.
  

[h3]Weapons[/h3]

• TW-2 S.P.L.I.T Shotgun - The standard SPecial Light Infantry Tactical Shotgun is a powerful close range pump-action shotgun that fires a spray of shots and has high stun damage
  
  

[h2]New Rank Cap[/h2]
Each Class will now progress to Class Rank 30, and Class XP gain will also be capped at Rank 30. Moving forward, players cannot earn bonus Class XP after they hit this Rank cap per Class. Please note that we will be looking to increase the Rank cap again in the future (and of course that means more new Weapons, Perks, and Utilities as well!).

Players will still get rewarded Career Rank Progression XP, as we have now split those XP pools out, and are rewarded post match. Career Rank Progression has also been increased to Rank 30 for this update!

[h2]Progression Tracking[/h2]
Update 0.5.0 - Hives of Valaka is also bringing some changes to our progression tracking. While these changes are mostly invisible to you, we wanted to shed more light on what happens behind the scenes when changes like this are made.

For Class progression, we track XP individually for each Class. As for your Career Rank, we would previously determine your rank from the sum of the three classes’ XP. If your Bastion had 7,000 XP, your Hunter 22,000 XP, and your Operator 10,000 XP, your Career XP would be the sum of those (39,000 XP).

In the Hives of Valaka update, we are separating these two ‘tracks’ of progression. Your Career XP is now tracked separately from the Class XP. What does this mean for existing players and their XP? In short, you aren’t losing progress anywhere.

When you launch the Hives of Valaka update for the first time, we still use the sum of your Class XP as the starting point of your Career XP. From this point on, any XP gained during a match is accumulated separately for the Class you play, and your Career.

[h3]Example[/h3]
Let’s walk through an example. Let’s say you previously had:

• 16,500 XP for Bastion (Rank 10)
  
• 14,000 XP for Hunter (Rank 9)
  
• 3,000 XP for Operator (Rank 4)
  

Your starting Career XP would be 33,500, which would take you to Career Rank 16.

Starting in this update, Class XP gain is also capped at the current maximum rank (Rank 30 in Hives of Valaka). But, since the XP gain is now properly separated you can still gain Career Rank XP even if your current Class is maxed out.

Now to answer a question we’re sure some of our top Troopers have been wondering:

Q: “What if I have already exceeded the XP cap for any of the three classes?”

A: Don't worry, your previously gained experience points aren’t disappearing anywhere! You will simply stop gaining XP for a Class, until we raise the Class Rank cap again in the future.

-

Now that’s all for today, but we’ll have more information on next week’s update very soon!

Stay tuned, and thank you for supporting our game!
- Starship Troopers: Extermination Development Team

Troopers, gear up for an adrenaline-pumping descent into the very heart of Valaka in our most explosive update yet! Update 0.5.0 - Hives of Valaka will release on Steam on Thursday, October 12th!


We’ll have more information released in the coming week before launch, but here is a taste of what you can expect in this new update:

[h2]New Features[/h2]

1. Hive Hunt Game Mode - Dive deep into the treacherous caverns of Valaka with your squad of four Troopers. Your mission? Deliver nukes straight to the heart of the Arachnid nests and blast those Bugs to smithereens!
   
   
2. Trooper Utilities and Class Perks - Choose from a fresh selection of class utilities and perks to customize your loadout for maximum Bug-blasting efficiency, and to give you an edge in the new Hive Hunt game mode.
   
   
3. New Reload Mechanic for the Twin MG - Coordination is key! Introducing a brand new reload mechanic for the Twin MG. Sync up with your squad mates to keep the lead flying and the Bugs dying.
   
   
4. New Weapons - Equip yourselves with cutting-edge firepower to take the fight to the Arachnids. The Armory is now stocked with a couple of powerful and game-changing additions that will leave the Bugs begging for mercy.
   
   
5. Improved Trooper Models - We've overhauled Trooper models to ensure you look as sharp as your aim. Get ready to stride into battle with confidence and style!
   
   
6. And More! - We've listened to your feedback and made a slew of other tweaks, improvements, and optimizations to make this the most immersive Starship Troopers experience yet!
   

Get ready to experience the heart-pounding action of Hive Hunt, Troopers! Suit up, grab your gear, and prepare to annihilate the Arachnid threat. Update 0.5.0 - Hive Hunt is on its way, so stay tuned and prepare for the drop!

Attention, Troopers! Pyre Actual here. Sit your rears and open your ears! Mission Command has seen fit to transmit a SITREP to prepare you for a new upcoming mission.

Allow me to read it to you.

[h3][MISSION BRIEFING: HIVES OF VALAKA][/h3]

ahem.

Prepare yourselves, valiant Troopers, for a descent into the very bowels of the treacherous planet Valaka! The Bugs have been permitted to harass our operations with impunity for too long – it’s time to bring the fight to them!! 

As the battlefront shifts, so too must your unyielding resolve. We’ll be sending teams of 4 into the subterranean depths. This will bring new challenges to you and your squad, as you fight through hordes of Arachnids in order to deliver a nuclear payload directly into their Hives. Engage the enemy with the ferocity and determination of the Federation’s best, for within these caves you’ll discover the crucible in which you shall be tempered!!

This hostile, pitch black terrain will test your mettle, demanding adaptability and impeccable teamwork! Abandon your fear and stand resolute in the face of the impending darkness. The survival of humanity hinges upon your courage and tenacity. Rally your fellow Troopers and fortify yourselves. Together, we shall strike at the very heart of the Arachnid menace!

Our triumph is inevitable, for we are the Vanguard of humanity, the Mobile Infantry, and our legacy is one of unyielding bravery.

Provehito in Altum, brave Troopers!

[h3][END OF TRANSMISSION][/h3]

And that’s it.

Stay vigilant! We will be sending out further directives from Mission Command in the coming days. Now get out there and be ready to hit ‘em where it hurts!

Pyre Actual Out.

Hey everyone! In an effort to better understand the troopers contributing to the war effort, we've created a questionnaire for all of you. If you can take a couple minutes to answer a few questions about yourself, the Federation will appreciate your service. Thanks for doing your part! 🫡

[h2]Questionnaire[/h2]

Hey Everyone, we're back with another Q&A! A very big thanks to everyone who submitted a question this month, the response has been overwhelming. We wish we could answer all of them, but of course we have to make sure we don’t get into too much trouble with HQ. If you missed our last Q&A transmission, you can find it here: August Q&A

[h2]Questions[/h2]
Now let's dive right into your questions!

What's the roadmap going to look like regarding weapons?
We are looking to add multiple weapons every year for each class.

Will there be customization for Classes?
Yes, we will be looking to add customization that really brings out each trooper's individuality. That being said, each type of customization must be grounded in the Troopers Universe.

Different ammo types that are better for different types of bug?
We love this idea, we have bounced around some thoughts in this area. We want to make sure each damage type has a reason to exist and has a risk vs reward against the Bug threat.

Will there be any weapons from Starship Troopers 2 and more from the New Animated Movies?
Short answer is Yes.

Could there be an air-strike mechanic?
Yes one day for sure, it is something we want to incorporate into the game, we are looking at is it a power up item or something that incorporates base building, for example a communication building.

PVP Mode?
Not at this time.

Will there be an in Game Friends/Clan list?
In regards to friends we have an approved design and we will be rolling out a more robust friends feature in 2024. Now since you brought up Clans, well some news to share is that we are really excited to bring a clan experience to the game and we are hoping to launch our version of clans with the first iteration of Galactic War in early 2024.

Any chance for an 8 player game mode?
Yes, we are planning on having many of our modes available for different party sizes.

Is there any chance Support will get back the power up build tool?
Great question, since we are actively designing our Class Progression 2.0 for 2024 these are the types of discussions we are having. This feedback is very valuable in how the final system handles perks for classes.

What parts of the Starship Troopers IP are you able to draw from?
We can use anything from the five films of Starship Troopers, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, Starship Troopers: Invasion, and Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars.

Will we see any plans to add lore into the game?
Yes, we want to have a very robust metagame around lore, we want to make it more than just a codex. As we get closer to finalizing the design we will share more.

Will there ever be a story/campaign mode, or any intention of adding a Solo (PvE) gamemode?
We realize there's a great number of players out there who want to contribute to the war effort but through a more solo-driven experience. While we can't commit to anything right now, we are actively investigating what a solo-esque experience might look like for our game, but we can honestly say we are not looking at adding a traditional narrative campaign.

Can you give us an idea on how Galactic War MetaGame impacts how people play?
All we can say is that more news is coming in the next couple of months for our Galactic War MetaGame. We plan on releasing our first iteration of Galactic War in early 2024. Look for an updated Roadmap to come mid to late October that highlights that and other updates to the Roadmap.

Are there any plans to bring the gameplay down into the bug tunnels?
Yes, really really soon.

Where does Hero of the Federation Difficulty fit into the Future Roadmap?
Closer to launch, we are very hesitant to add in more difficulty levels until we release Galactic War.

Flying Bugs?
Yes, eventually we want to include them in the game.

Any chance of upgrading the player amount per server?
Not at this time, our focus is currently to have our servers accommodate up to 16 players.

Will the Class level cap be extended?
Yes, we will be updating the Level cap really soon, then maybe one more time in our lead up to our Class Progression 2.0 reset coming in 2024.

Will there be a Tutorial expansion?
Not at this time, but as the game receives more features we will look for opportunities to flesh out the tutorial experience.

Will there be Tactical map upgrades?
Yes, we have a new tactical map design that we will be looking to roll out in 2024 that includes more options to help the player navigate the levels, find squad mates and provide more in-game information.

Thank you so much for being such an awesome community and joining us in this adventure!
Starship Troopers: Extermination Team Out!