Star Vortex News

[p]This has been requested before, and I was hesitant to add a New Game+ mode because it was never part of my original end-game plan.[/p][p]It turns out my assumption that players would finish Sector 3 and simply wait for more content was… optimistic. Instead, many of you kept repeating Sector 3, grinding slowly until you got bored.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Game+[/h2][p]So, credit goes to LegoMaster on Discord for finally convincing me.[/p][p]When you reach the end of Sector 3, you can now start New Game+. This resets the story back to the beginning while keeping your ship, items and upgrades. Enemy levels increase, and you can repeat New Game+ as many times as you like, all the way to level 100.[/p][p]I’m not sure whether New Game+ will be part of the final end-game, but for now it should give those of you who want to keep playing something meaningful to do.[/p][p][/p][h2]Graphical Improvements[/h2][p]I’ve also taken another pass at improving the graphics, as detailed in the patch notes. Bloom has been adjusted, contrast and saturation have been increased, and subtle lens flares have been added to enhance the lighting. If lens flares aren’t your thing, they can be disabled in the settings. All sprites now also use normal maps, which should give the lighting a bit more depth and polish.[/p][p][/p][p]There’s no Sector 4 progress report, as New Game+ took the bulk of my time. I’m back on Sector 4 work now though, and writing new story dialog tonight.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Features / Content[/h3][p]• New Game+ is now available at the end of the current content.[/p][p][/p][h3]Balance Changes[/h3][p]• Adjusted XP from missions and encounters so they decrease at higher levels.[/p][p][/p][h3]Quality of Life / Accessibility[/h3][p]• Added normal maps to sprites so they react better to lighting.[/p][p]• Added lens flares to brighter lights and a graphics setting to disable them.[/p][p]• Adjusted bloom, saturation and contrast settings for a darker, more vibrant display.[/p][p]• Added a darker cloud layer to improve contrast and movement.[/p][p]• Sped up text animations on menus to double their old speed.[/p][p]• Missile launcher DPS is now calculated from recharge instead of reload time.[/p][p]• Auto untarget out of range is now auto untarget off-screen.[/p][p]• Auto target closest will now target the nearest on-screen enemy to your old target.[/p][p]• Auto target closest now takes priority over auto target aggressor.[/p][p]• Auto target closest now only targets enemies on-screen.[/p][p]• Auto target aggressor is now disabled by default.[/p][p]• Auto un-target off-screen is now enabled by default.[/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p]• Further fix for null references in GameShip.CountItem().[/p][p]• Fixed view frustum error when a ship hyperdrive jumps out during combat.[/p][p]• Fixed color of corrosive bubbles in explosions to match debris.[/p][p]• Fixed auto target closest being able to select invisible enemies.[/p][p]• Bastion is now correctly marked as a Pantheon encounter.[/p]

[p]Quick interruption to your regularly scheduled updates. This one’s mainly for streamers, but it’s been requested more than once and was easy to implement.[/p][p][/p][h2]Twitch Integration Is Live[/h2][p]You can now enable Twitch Integration from the Advanced Settings. Turn it on and you’ll unlock a new Twitch tab where you can configure live viewer voting.[/p][p][/p][p]Drop in your Twitch channel name and your chat can influence your run in real time by voting with [c]#1[/c], [c]#2[/c], etc. Yes, both good and bad things can happen.[/p][p][/p][p]Every option is fully configurable, including disabling the more evil choices.[/p][p]There are also a few smaller fixes and tweaks in this update. A new physics accuracy setting has been added too. Higher settings can smooth things out on high-end systems, while dropping to 30Hz may help performance on lower-end machines.[/p][p]Good luck to those who choose to try out the new twitch votes. Enjoy![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Features / Content[/h3][p]• Added Twitch integration in settings, viewers can now decide your fate.[/p][p][/p][h3]Balance Changes[/h3][p]• Adjusted XP requirements from levels 75+ to follow a steeper progression curve.[/p][p][/p][h3]Quality of Life / Accessibility[/h3][p]• Updated German translations.[/p][p][/p][h3]Performance[/h3][p]• Adjusted default physics update rate from 50hz to 60hz.[/p][p]• Added new physics update rate setting with 30hz, 60hz and 120hz options.[/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p]• Fixed bug with some modifiers being listed as valid when they were not.[/p][p]• Fixed null reference in GameShip.CountItem() from Consumables displays on the HUD.[/p][p]• Fixed spelling mistake in slot linking.[/p][p]• Corrected waypoint names so they correctly follow the Greek alphabet.[/p]

[p]Another update. This one includes a load of more requested features and some pretty critical bug fixes. If there are any issues, let me know and I’ll hotfix them over the weekend.[/p][p][/p][h2]Auto Special Icons[/h2][p]If you like your automated weapons and drones, this one is for you. They now show up on the ship bar like activatable weapons. You can’t actually activate them yourself, but they show when they’re activating, when they’re on cooldown, and how many of your drones are currently deployed. I’ve drawn a load of new icons for them as well![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Assembler: Valid Modifiers List[/h2][p]If you’re confused about what modifiers can go on an item, you can now click the little question mark next to its name when replacing modifiers in the Assembler. This will bring up a new window that lists every possible modifier that can be transferred.[/p][p][/p][p]In addition to this, Engineer Relios will now give you a bit more explanation about how things work the first time you open each of the sections in the Assembler. Hopefully this will help new players better understand how it all works.[/p][p][/p][h2]Trader Improvements[/h2][p]You’ll now find slightly fewer traders in each sector. However, instead of selling a mix of item rarities, they now sell only rare items.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Enemy Tethers[/h2][p]In Skirmish and Warzone encounters, if you somehow attract the aggro of lots of enemies at once, you can now run away and they will give up the chase after a while. This should make these encounters a bit more forgiving if you’re getting overwhelmed.[/p][p]This does not apply to Species-XI invasions, Intercepts, Rescues, Elite encounters, or boss fights.[/p][p][/p][h2]Keystone Fix[/h2][p]I’m aware that Sector Keystones had vanished from the final sector gateways. This was an error on my part caused by renaming the final sector to ‘Sector 4 - Phase 1’, as the keystones were mapped by name. This issue should now be resolved in all existing saves.[/p][p][/p][h2]German Translation[/h2][p]Eganos, one of our Discord users, has been hard at work updating the German translations. If that’s your language, you should now find the game easier to understand.[/p][p][/p][h2]Sector 4 Progress[/h2][p]Work on Sector 4 and other features continues behind the scenes. Some screenshots are shown below![/p][p][/p][h2]Roadmap Updated[/h2][p]Finally, I’ve updated the roadmap to include everything I’ve previously mentioned in passing, along with every concrete plan I’ve shared for the game before we leave Early Access.[/p][p][/p][p]You can view the roadmap in full either in-game or on our Discord. As it’s becoming clear that the content rollout is going to take some time, I’ve prioritized the addition of New Game+. This will appear as a popup at the end of the current content and will allow you to restart the story from Sector 1 with everything at a higher level. This should let players continue progressing without running out of challenging enemies.[/p][p]I expect New Game+ to arrive in the next update, so hopefully that won’t be too far away. Enjoy![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Features / Content[/h3][p]• Added a new roadmap with more details on past updates and plans for Early Access.[/p][p]• Auto Special weapons now display on the ship bar, showing charges and cooldowns.[/p][p]• Players can now view a list of valid modifiers in the Assembler.[/p][p]• Enemies in Skirmish and Warzone encounters now abandon the chase if you flee too far away.[/p][p][/p][h3]Balance Changes[/h3][p]• Slightly reduced frequency of trader encounters across all sectors.[/p][p]• Traders now only stock rare items rather than a mix of rare and different.[/p][p]• Spiral Laser damage increased by 10%.[/p][p][/p][h3]Quality of Life / Accessibility[/h3][p]• Added new tutorial popups for Infected Seeds and Waypoints.[/p][p]• Added some dialog from Engineer Relios explaining the Assembler a bit more.[/p][p]• Added text animations throughout the game as text loads in.[/p][p]• Added a short delay to dismissing dialog popups to avoid missing them by mistake.[/p][p]• German translations updated.[/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p]• Fixed Sector Keystones not appearing in the final sector gateway.[/p][p]• Physics bodies now correctly interpolate for smoother movement at higher frame rates.[/p][p]• Save code now attempts a manual delete and write operation if the replacement fails.[/p][p]• UI canvases now disable during scene transitions to avoid GridLayout errors.[/p][p]• Removed redundant placeholder text from some input elements in ship design.[/p][p]• Fixed an issue where the hyperdrive jump button in navigation would stop working.[/p][p]• Global modifier list now displays in a more logical order.[/p][p]• Fixed inconsistencies with some salvage and damage type names from different sources.[/p][p]• Drones no longer spawn from the initial ship during the tutorial cutscene.[/p][p]• Drones now correctly attribute aggro to their parent ship.[/p][p]• Fixed patch notes and credits panels opening at incorrect scroll positions.[/p][p]• Newly purchased items can now be dragged directly into occupied equipment slots.[/p][p]• Stackable items can now be purchased even if cargo space is full.[/p]

[p]This is a quick hotfix for some reported issues with the last update. Mainly that some vipers and some Shadow faction ships were becoming immune to damage.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Balance Changes[/h3][p]• Weapon types should now drop more evenly spread without a heavy favour for primary weapons.[/p][p]• All weapon types can now drop at any level as old requirements have been removed.[/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p]• Fixed bug where some ships in attached squadrons would get stuck as immune to damage.[/p][p]• Fixed bug where targets immune to damage would not be automatically untargeted.[/p][p]• Fixed various floating-point errors around the game when comparing against zero.[/p][p]• Fixed issue where tractor beams would have more power on lower framerates.[/p]

[p]Quick update based on recent player feedback. Work on Sector 4 (Phase 1) is ongoing, with a progress update below.[/p][p][/p][h2]Boost Invulnerability Change[/h2][p]Originally, boosting disabled weapons while you were immune to damage. That made sense as it stopped you from abusing the mechanic. Since then, heat generation was added to boosting which adds a limit to how long it can be used.[/p][p]Because of that, weapon disabling and freezing of consumable cooldowns have been removed.[/p][p][/p][p]This should make combat feel nicer, especially for drones and automated weapons, which no longer de-activate when you boost around enemies.[/p][p]Steam Community Post: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2098160/discussions/0/685241653181707684/[/p][p][/p][h2]Aim Improvements / Worsening[/h2][p]Yes, both.[/p][p]Enemy AI using lasers will now often miss their initial shot, even if you are flying directly away from them or stationary. This makes laser fire easier to read and dodge, which is especially important on higher difficulties.[/p][p]Conversely, friendly AI (drones, turrets, automatic weapons, and beacon ships) has become more accurate. They now account for target acceleration when leading projectile shots, resulting in more reliable hits.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Welcome Back, Commander[/h2][p]This one is straight from the Steam Community: the Carrier class has been renamed to Commander, and all applicable upgrades now also apply to summoned Beacon ships.[/p][p][/p][p]Steam Community Post: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2098160/discussions/0/685240979008013682/[/p][p][/p][h2]Loot Changes[/h2][p]The loot table slightly favours weapons you already have equipped. For example, if you are using Skeran Lasers, you are more likely to find additional Skeran Lasers. This system works well for weapons, but it has been disabled for passives. Since passives are unique, repeatedly finding the same ones serves no purpose and was annoying me during some of my balance tests.[/p][p][/p][h2]Balance Changes[/h2][p]This update focuses heavily on balance. I've played through most of the early game and adjusted values to smooth it out. I'm still a little worried it may be too easy overall, but I want to let the changes settle before gathering feedback.[/p][p]A major item change is a reduction to resistors across the board. Players were reaching maximum resistances too easily, so the values have been pulled back to better align with the effective hull provided by Armor Plating, Bio Network and Hull Reinforcement.[/p][p]These reductions are not retroactively applied. Be warned, if you upgrade an existing resistor, you may notice its values decrease instead of increase.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Sector 4 Progress[/h2][p]Sector 4 will be released in three phases, matching how you will play through it. Each phase ends with charging the weapon Echo is building, and enemies will increase in strength with each phase.[/p][p]Phase 1 will cover levels 45 to 50 and will release as soon as all content and story elements are complete.[/p][p][/p][p]Sector 4 also features a unique layout with a partial ring structures expanding outward from Earth itself.[/p][p][/p][p]I will continue sharing progress shots alongside future updates I'm hoping it'll be done in the coming months, but getting it right is more important than rushing it.[/p][p][/p][p]There are 4 days left on the 15% discount, so if you know anyone who's on the fence, now's the time. Hope you're all enjoying the holidays and having fun![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Features / Content[/h3][p]• Carrier class renamed to Commander and now also improves Beacons.[/p][p][/p][h3]Balance Changes[/h3][p]• Boost Invulnerability no longer disables weapons. [/p][p]• Laser enemies now miss on their initial aim and are more thrown off by dodging.[/p][p]• Passives no longer benefit from the equipped item drop chance bonus.[/p][p]• Increased all enemy hull/shields by +15% across the game.[/p][p]• Increased all enemy damage by +10% across the game.[/p][p]• Reduced Behemoth Plasma Gun damage by -25%.[/p][p]• Increased hull slider to match shields for all difficulties above normal.[/p][p]• Increased the amount of item salvage you get from increasing difficulty.[/p][p]• Maximum slider values in custom difficulty increased from 500% to 700%.[/p][p]• Increased damage of Hunter (Skeran Elite) by +25%.[/p][p]• Increased damage of Matriarch (Skeran Elite) by +25%.[/p][p]• Reduced damage of Orchid (Skeran Elite) by -33%.[/p][p]• Increased Behemoth (Skeran Boss) shields by +40%.[/p][p]• Increased Behemoth (Skeran Boss) hull by +25%.[/p][p]• Different passives are now guaranteed to have 1 global modifier.[/p][p]• Rare passives are now guaranteed to have 2 global modifiers.[/p][p]• Primary weapon lasers no longer increase DPS when rapidly moved between targets.[/p][p]• Reduced resistance of all resistors to bring them in line with other passives.[/p][p]• Reduced resistance of the Infinity Stones legendary resistor significantly.[/p][p]• Damage reflection now reflects damage before armor and resistance calculations.[/p][p][/p][h3]Quality of Life / Accessibility[/h3][p]• Radar icons now scale with the size of the ships they represent.[/p][p]• New developer setting added for immutable items when testing crafting.[/p][p]• Equipped items are now excluded from selection when choosing items to destroy.[/p][p]• Item selection in Assembler now only includes the current page of storage.[/p][p]• Turn speed modifier now specifies that it applies to projectiles.[/p][p]• Speed modifier now specifies that it applies to pulses.[/p][p]• Velocity modifier now specifies that it applies to weapons.[/p][p]• Duration modifier now specifies that it applies to temporary effects.[/p][p]• Improved modifier tooltips for 'On Crit' to explain stack size does not increase.[/p][p]• Drones and Auto Launchers now calculate enemy acceleration when aiming.[/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p]• Displacement will no longer remove temporary effects from specials.[/p][p]• Player can no longer be destroyed after a boss encounter is complete.[/p][p]• Fixed floating point rounding errors in modifier tooltips.[/p][p]• Unequipped items from slot removal are now ejected if cargo is full.[/p][p]• Sandbox difficulties now correctly reflect those in the actual game.[/p][p]• Enemy lasers no longer flicker on and off when you're at the edge of range.[/p][p]• Fixed spacing of some asteroid clusters overlapping due to bigger asteroids.[/p][p]• Fixed issue where drones would not correctly retarget when target was destroyed.[/p][p]• Fixed issue where some AI would stop firing at Vipers.[/p]