Starforged Legacy News

[p]Good afternoon, Commanders![/p][p]First, a massive thank you for over 700 playtest sign-ups! We hope you've been enjoying the open beta (we've certainly enjoyed reading your feedback). We have some exciting news to share regarding our last major playtest update and the fast-approaching transition to a demo, as well as touch on some new features currently in development![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Open Beta Playtest Update[/h2][h3]
Beta Build 1997[/h3][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][p]Today's update to our Open Beta Playtest is a big one, with a heavy focus on our transition from playtest to demo! This includes;[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Four New Map Modifiers - Ion Storms, Nebula, Gravity Wells, and Gravitational Anomalies can now influence a sector.[/p]
• [p]Partial Gamepad Support - Most menus and gameplay now support gamepad navigation (Skill Tree and Shop UI still pending support).[/p]
• [p]Loadout System - Each ship now has three different configurations: one default and two alternative loadouts that can be unlocked by completing missions viewable on the ship selection screen.[/p]
• [p]Cruise Missile Redesign - New firing pattern that arcs from above onto targets.[/p]
• [p]Alien Faction Removed - The Alien faction has been removed from the game for rework and reimplementation with the full version of the game![/p]
• [p]Available Ships Reduced - Player Ships have been consolidated into a single ship of each classification for the demo, although this is offset by the new loadout system![/p]

[p][/p][p]You can find all the details of today's update here:[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Launch Preparations[/h2][p][/p][h3]So, When is the Demo?[/h3][p]It's been our plan to deploy one final major update to our open beta (see previous section), and have our industrious test pilots (you) help us identify any last-minute bugs, balance changes, or unsealed airlocks that need to be addressed before launch. Once we're ready, we'll close the playtest and launch our demo! We're optimistic that the Starforged Legacy Demo will release within the next few weeks![/p][p][/p][h3]How Will this Differ from the Open Beta?[/h3][p]While the Open Beta has effectively been the entire game as it currently stands in development, the goal of the demo will be to deliver a carefully tailored snippet of the game to prospective pilots ahead of its full release. This means some content will be reserved for the full version, such as the full range of unlockable ships, augments, or enemy types.[/p][p][/p][p]Despite the end of the beta, your feedback will still play a crucial role in development, as we'll regularly update the demo to squash bugs, implement balance changes, and potentially add new content over its lifespan![/p][p][/p][h3]Will My Save Data Transfer?[/h3][p]Saved data, such as skill tree unlocks and gathered resources, will not be transferred from the open beta to the demo.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]On The Radar[/h2][p] [/p][h3]Unlocks[/h3][p][/p][p]Ship loadouts, introduced within today's update, offer pilots reconfigurations of each ship's default loadout, allowing you to experiment with entirely new playstyles! These will be acquired by completing in-game objectives.[/p][p][/p][p]We hope to extend this unlock system to seed future runs with additional augments as a result of your victories (or failures) and completed missions! Contrary to the placeholder text in the preview above, no, not all rewards will be unlocked by destroying 10,000 enemies as a Battleship (but you can expect some requirements to follow this pattern).[/p][p][/p][p]We don't expect unlocks to be fully implemented at the launch of the demo, as we're still refining what augments we'd like to be 'locked' behind progression and how exactly we want them to be unlocked.[/p][p][/p][p]If you have a suggestion for a potential unlock (e.g., "Unlock Worldbreaker Payload by achieving 200% damage radius."), we urge you to report to our community Discord and send us the suggestion directly! [/p][p][/p][p]In a similar vein, you've probably noticed that hangar setting above isn't in the game yet, but it is something we're working on to serve as your base of operations where you'll customize your ship before a run. We can't quite say when it'll make its full debut, as we're still polishing things up, but we wanted to share an early concept![/p][p][/p][h3]Controller and Steam Deck Support[/h3][p][/p][p]
We made a ton of progress towards full gamepad support with today's update, and expect to achieve full support before the launch of our demo. It's our ambition to nab that elusive 'green-check' (full Steam Deck Support) before launch for those who prefer to unleash galactic destruction from the comfort of their couches, public spaces, or spaceships of their own![/p][p]
(Note: Please don't play Starforged Legacy while operating an actual spaceship.)[/p][p][/p][h3]Bullet Heaven Fest 3.0[/h3][p]In other news, we're excited to share that we'll be taking part in Bullet Haven Festival 3.0, running from December 4 to 11!
[/p][p]This weeklong event will feature hundreds of bullet-hell titles, discounts, demos, and livestreams—it's a prime opportunity for games to make important announcements, coughcoughuscough, so keep your coms open! While there's not much to share just yet, you can get your fill of bullet-hell(heaven?) goodness by looking over last year's festival.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Wishlist (and Playtest) Starforged Legacy[/h2][p]If you've read this far, Wishlist Starforged Legacy if you haven't already![/p][p]
Our open beta will remain open until the demo is released. Go for an intergalactic test-drive and share your thoughts with us via our community Discord or survey link in-game![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Communication Systems Online[/h2][p]Receive incoming transmissions: news, announcements, devlogs, and deep-space disturbances, by following Second Shift Games on X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, Reddit, and TikTok, or by visiting our website: SecondShiftGames.com.[/p][p][/p][p]Join our community Discord to chat with the developers and fellow pilots, and give your feedback on the game![/p][p][/p][p]Wishing you clear skies, Commander.[/p][p]// END TRANSMISSION //[/p]

[h2]Demo Preparations[/h2][p]In preparation for the demo release, the following content has been removed:[/p]

• [p]Alien Faction: The alien faction has been removed for rework and reimplementation at a later date or with the complete version of the game.[/p]
• [p]Player Ships: The pool of player ships has been reduced to one of each classification (Cruiser, Frigate, and Battleship), being the Ironhide, Nova Lance, and Nemesis.[/p]
  • [p]Despite the smaller number of playable ships, each ship now has two additional alternate loadouts that can be unlocked by completing missions.[/p]
  • [p]Players start with only the Ironhide (Cruiser) by default, and unlock the Nova Lance (Frigate) and Nemesis (Battleship) by completing a run and winning a run, respectively.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]New Content[/h2][h3]Map Modifiers[/h3]

• [p]Ion Storms: Lightning strikes randomly across the map.[/p]
  • [p]Getting hit reduces Shield Capacity by 25%.[/p]
  • [p]Reduces Shield Recharge Rate by 100% for 10 seconds.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Nebula: Region is clouded, reducing visibility.[/p]
  • [p]All weapon targeting range is reduced to a maximum of 60M.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Gravity Wells: Small gravity wells pull you toward their centers.[/p]
  • [p]Center contact deals damage to enemies.[/p]
  • [p]Players get "Black Hole's Touch" effect: +100% Max Hull and Shield, -50% Damage.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Gravitational Anomalies: Random spawning gravitational anomalies.[/p]
  • [p]Function is the same as Gravity Wells, but larger.[/p]
  • [p]3-second lifespan.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Cruise Missile Redesign[/h3]

• [p]New Firing Pattern: Missiles now fire straight up, arc over, and come down on targets from above.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Partial Gamepad Support[/h3]

• [p]Most menus and gameplay now support gamepad navigation (Skill Tree and Shop UI still pending support).[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Loadout System[/h3]

• [p]Three Configurations: Each ship now has a default and two unlockable alternative loadouts.[/p]
  • [p]Additional alternate loadouts can be unlocked by completing missions viewable on the ship selection screen.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Balance Changes[/h2][h3]Map Modifiers[/h3]

• [p]Removed Modifiers: These did not have the desired gameplay impacts that are expected from this system and have been removed for the time being: Weapon Instability, Energy Fluctuations, Elite Forces, Rapid Response, and Overwhelming Numbers.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Weapon Balance[/h3]

• [p]Cruise Missiles:[/p]
  • [p]Damage increased from 18 to 24.[/p]
  • [p]Speed increased from 4000 to 5500.[/p]
  • [p]The initial speed of the projectile increased from 1000 to 2000.[/p]
• [p]Cluster Warhead: Projectiles now have a 3-second lifespan.[/p]
• [p]Fragmented Rounds: Max pierce set to 10.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Enemy Balance[/h3]

• [p]Pirate Battleship Contaminator:[/p]
  • [p]Weapon loadout changed from 'Auto Slugger' to 'Rad Thrower'.[/p]
  • [p]Damage and attack speed rebalanced.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Spawning:[/p]
  • [p]Fixed groups no longer spawning when the max enemy count is reached.[/p]
  • [p]Increased number of single enemies spawning.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Sizes: Some enemies have been increased in size for improved visibility.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Progression[/h3]

• [p]Experience Requirements: Increased past level 40 for extended late-game progression.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Mission Balance[/h3]

• [p]Gas Control: No longer loses progress when you leave the capture zone.[/p]
• [p]Mineable Missions: Base crystal value increased from 6 to 8.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Environment[/h3]

• [p]Large Asteroids: Improved obstacle navigation to prevent enemies from becoming stuck.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Visual Enhancements[/h2][h3]VFX[/h3]

• [p]Thermoflux Projector: New, improved explosion VFX.[/p]
• [p]Rad Thrower: Projectile VFX updated to not die on lifetime end, new impact VFX.[/p]
• [p]Radiation Projectiles: Updated to look better with local space.[/p]
• [p]Explosion Spheres: Rotated 90 degrees on the Y axis to hide circle tops.[/p]
• [p]Smoke Dither: Updated material for better particle color usage.[/p]
• [p]Sakashima Sundrive: VFX now properly ends if thrusters are cancelled early.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Optimizations[/h3]

• [p]New Rendering System: Masked materials with dithering replace transparent materials.[/p]
• [p]Opacity Settings: Changed from 0.01-0.9 to 0-1 scale.[/p]
• [p]Slider Control: A new slider parameter enables per-effect opacity control.[/p]
• [p]Performance Gains: Significant FPS improvements across all scenarios.[/p]
• [p]Rebel Cruiser Models: Base, Demolition, Irradiated, Junkyard, and Ranged Rebel Cruiser models have undergone significant optimization.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Ship Destruction[/h3]

• [p]Rebel Cruisers: Now break apart when they explode.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Death: Now includes debris effects with new Rebel debris material.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Content Polish[/h3]

• [p]Enemy Visuals:[/p]
  • [p]Cell shading color slightly brighter.[/p]
  • [p]Outlines changed to be clearer.[/p]
• [p]Upgrade Interactable: New mesh and symbol.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Thruster Positions: Rebel Cruiser thruster sizes and positions corrected.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Audio Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Clock Tick Sound: New sound added to the end of the map countdown.[/p]
• [p]Mining Laser: Volume reduced from 1.0 to 0.05.[/p]
• [p]CWM Missile Rocket: Added attenuation to prevent sounding at player location.[/p]
• [p]Concurrency Systems:[/p]
  • [p]Mining and Impact cues now have concurrency sets.[/p]
  • [p]Pickup VFX trails capped at 25 active trails.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Bugfixes[/h2]

• [p]Vulnerability Overload: Fixed negative damage scaling.[/p]
• [p]Piercing Weapons: Fixed piercing weapons not piercing asteroids.[/p]
• [p]Cruise Missile: Added minimum homing increase to prevent missing targets.[/p]
• [p]Swarm Missile: Fixed timers continuing while projectiles were in the pool.[/p]

• [p]Hardened Bullets: Fixed level 5 displaying a 10% increase instead of 100%.[/p]
• [p]Prime Condition: Fixed being on the incorrect starting component.[/p]
• [p]AI Manager: Fixed issues where enemies could become invulnerable.[/p]

[h2]New Content[/h2][h3]Ship Loadout Updates[/h3]

• [p]Trailblazer (Frigate)[/p]
  • [p]Swarm Missiles with Rapid Swarm and Shattered Shields.[/p]
  • [p]Chemical Thrusters exchanged for Plasma Thrusters.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Ironhide (Cruiser)[/p]
  • [p]Autocannon with Combat Catalyst and Nanobots.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Pulsar (Cruiser)[/p]
  • [p]Standard Missile with Follow-Up Strike and Electro Reactive Armor.[/p]
  • [p]Plasma Thrusters exchanged for Micro-Warp Drive.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Nemesis (Battleship)[/p]
  • [p]Cruise Missile with Range Amplifier and Prime Condition.[/p]
  • [p]Chemical Thrusters exchanged for Micro-Warp Drive.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Leviathan (Battleship)[/p]
  • [p]Railgun with One In The Chamber and Reload Rush.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Victory Sequence[/h3]

• [p]Victory Sequence: When the final boss is defeated, the camera circles the exploding boss as the world slows down (similar to the player death sequence, but victorious).[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Performance-Based Enemy Spawning[/h3]

• [p]Adaptive Difficulty: Enemy spawn rates now respond to how quickly you kill enemies for increased challenge and reward.[/p]
• [p]Better Spread: Enemies now spawn more spread out around the player rather than from one direction.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Visual Feedback Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Player Damage Numbers: Red-colored damage numbers when taking damage (lasts 0.25s longer, no accumulation).[/p]
• [p]Player Healing Numbers: Green healing numbers are now visible on the player ship.[/p]
• [p]Warp Timer: New visual countdown timer that becomes visible during the final 30 seconds, turns red, and pulses at 10-second intervals.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Weapon Slot Progression[/h3]

• [p]New 'Damage' Tree Skill: Unlock +1 max weapon slot for all ships.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]New Augments[/h3]

• [p]Counter Strike Protocol: New augment available on thrusters.[/p]
• [p]Evasive Fire: New augment available on thrusters.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2][h3]Augments[/h3][p]Major Functionality Changes[/p]

• [p]Sakashima Sundrive: Deals damage to nearby enemies while afterburners are active.[/p]
• [p]Range Amplifier: Now scales damage based on target distance.[/p]
• [p]Radiation Release: Now scales from Thruster Component Level.[/p]
• [p]Waste Heat Recycling: After Teleporting, spawns radiation clouds dealing damage (scales with Thruster Component Level).[/p]
• [p]Hardened Bullets: On Pierce, chance to increase Piercing Strength by 1 (available on all Projectiles).[/p]
• [p]Glancing Blows: On Dodge, chance to knockback nearby enemies.[/p]
• [p]Critical Support: On Crit, increases Critical Damage (resets on Reload).[/p]
• [p]Phase Corrosion: Now deals damage and applies a slow effect.[/p]
• [p]Plasma Aftershock: Now only triggers on weapon-kill.[/p]
• [p]Weapon Overclocking: Changed to attack rate gain instead of damage.[/p]
• [p]Follow Up Strike: Now has scaling damage, and missiles can crit.[/p]
• [p]Focused Fire: Changes Swarm Missile targeting to a single enemy with repeated strike damage bonus.[/p]
• [p]Booster Rockets: Increases projectile speed on Fire (no longer reduces fire rate or increases damage radius, resets on Reload).[/p]
• [p]Reactor Hit: Triggers on stun instead of one-shot kills (payoff for stun builds).[/p]
• [p]Heated Chamber: Only on Autocannon/Machine Gun, increases Pierce Chance on Fire (resets on Reload).[/p]
• [p]Rapid Swarm: Increases Fire Rate on Fire (resets on Reload).[/p]
• [p]Reactive Countermeasures: Triggers anytime the player loses health, mine damage scales with Hull Component Level.[/p]
• [p]Smart Rounds: Can trigger itself, uses pooled projectiles, proper projectile speed, can crit, 100% damage static, 90% max chance.[/p]
• [p]Shattered Shields: Now triggers on shield damage as opposed to shield breaking, removed slow, reduced cooldown.[/p]
• [p]Reactive Armor: When receiving Health damage, damages random enemies within range for a percentage of Max Health.[/p]
• [p]Stasis Explosion: Added chance to stun, removed plasma damage.[/p]
• [p]Thruster Targeting: Removed crit chance, added stun chance.[/p]
• [p]Recycled Ammo: Lower chance, cannot exceed Max Ammo.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Buffed Augments[/p]

• [p]Deathmark Tether: Tether spawn chance increased.[/p]
• [p]Radiation Leak: Base damage increased.[/p]
• [p]Repeated Rounds: Updated description and buffed damage increase.[/p]
• [p]Gravitational Thrusters: Pull increased from 800 to 2000, pulls every 0.5s instead of 1s.[/p]
• [p]Thermal Feedback Loop: Increased radius at level 5 for consistency.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Nerfed Augments[/p]

• [p]Reactor Breach: Removed pierce chance bonus.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Drop Pool Adjustments[/p]

• [p]Defense Protocol: Now available on all weapons.[/p]
• [p]Chain Reaction: Now available on all weapons, increased damage scalar.[/p]
• [p]Belt Fed: Now available on all weapons.[/p]
• [p]Relentless Fire: Now available on all weapons.[/p]
• [p]Perfect Shot: Now available on all projectile weapons.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Interactables[/h3]

• [p]Beacons: Now a single press instead of holding to open.[/p]
• [p]Spawn Location: Can now spawn closer to the map center.[/p]
• [p]Increased Base Caches: Increased number of caches that can spawn to 6-8 caches (from 4-6).[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Combat[/h3]

• [p]Enemy Melee Rework (Major Difficulty Increase):[/p]
  • [p]Previous Behavior: Enemies dealt damage once and immediately died on collision with the player.[/p]
  • [p]New Behavior: Enemies now deal damage repeatedly on collision until either the enemy or player is destroyed. This significantly increases punishment for allowing enemies to reach you.[/p]
• [p]Final Boss: Now always aggroes the player. Difficulty continues to scale on the final mission.[/p]
• [p]Tier 1 Enemy Health: Reduced scaling to maintain fodder role.[/p]
• [p]Melee Enemy Damage: Reduced by 20-40% depending on tier to compensate for repeated hits.[/p]
• [p]Exploder Enemies:[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Tier 2 ability range and movement.[/p]
  • [p]Killing Exploder during ability triggers an explosion (damages enemies only, not the player).[/p]
  • [p]Fixed activation range for Tier 2 Exploders.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed explosion indicator offset.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Self-Destruction: Enemies no longer kill themselves when stuck (attempted fix for boss possibly despawning).[/p]
• [p]Target Death Fix: Enemies no longer get stuck when their target dies or despawns.[/p]
• [p]Dodge Cap: Player dodge is now clamped to 0.9 (90% max).[/p]

[p] [/p][h3]Ships[/h3]

• [p]Cruisers & Battleships: Now stop more quickly when no movement is applied.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Missions[/h3]

• [p]Engager Missions: Optional Engager missions are now activated by pressing a button, similar to caches, rather than upon 'capturing'.[/p]
• [p]Station Defense: Now spawns as a secondary mission.[/p]
• [p]Bounty/Ambush Missions: Removed Battleship enemies.[/p]
• [p]Mission Support Bundle: New rewards (50% Health + Random Upgrade) for Rescue Operation and Lone Survivor.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Currency[/h3]

• [p]Enemy Currency Drop Rate: Reduced to 10% (from 15%).[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Enhancements[/h3]

• [p]Armor Enhancement: Removed temporarily.[/p]
• [p]Core System: Removed Pickup Radius (available through other enhancements).[/p]
• [p]Projectile Count Enhancement: Now Rare/Epic/Legendary only (removed Uncommon), reduced projectile amounts at higher rarities.[/p]
• [p]Pierce Enhancements: Updated description to include "of ALL Projectile Weapons".[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Powerups[/h3]

• [p]Thermoflux Projector: Reworked as screen-wide 'nuke'. Basic enemies take maximum health damage, and bosses take 30% maximum health damage.[/p]
• [p]Weapon Coolant Pickup: Removed.[/p]
• [p]Reinforced Plating: Removed.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Skill Tree[/h3]

• [p]Max Weapon Slots Skill: New skill in the Damage tree increases max weapon slots by 1 for all ships.[/p]
• [p]Highest Skill Tier Cost: Increased cost by adding a credits requirement in addition to the artifact cost.[/p]
• [p]Removed Skills: Environmental Resistance and Augment-specific skills have been removed and will be replaced with future skills.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Visual Enhancements[/h2][h3]VFX[/h3]

• [p]Tether Laser: New material, improved rendering.[/p]
• [p]Reactive Armor Laser: New laser effect.[/p]
• [p]Radiation Clouds: Smaller plumes, thicker lightning. Dithered version for increased performance and visibility.[/p]
• [p]Shattered Shields: Updated for a more shield-themed and technical appearance.[/p]
• [p]Slow VFX: Now lasts 5s (from 2s).[/p]
• [p]Missile Explosions: Updated universal explosion for Cruise/Swarm/Standard missiles with color differentiation.[/p]
• [p]Upgrade Interactable: No longer spins.[/p]
• [p]XP Gather: Trailing XP VFX now stops properly.[/p]
• [p]AoE Hit-Reactions: Mesh shield now reacts more accurately to AoE attacks.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Explosion Indicator: Adjusted offset to more accurately display the effect radius.[/p]
• [p]Railgun Impact: Removed size scaling from debris.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Optimizations[/h3]

• [p]Rebel Ships: Major triangle count reductions with new LODs.[/p]
• [p]Rebel Ship Colors: Updated to a lighter red for better readability.[/p]
• [p]Crate Textures: Reduced resolution.[/p]
• [p]Radiation Clouds: Significantly reduced bloom.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Ship Destruction[/h3]

• [p]NPC Ships: Added destructible meshes for Civilian Escort and Merchant Escort (an awesome effect, but at what cost?).[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Content Polish[/h3]

• [p]Hologram Opacity: Increased for better visibility.[/p]
• [p]Upgrade Interactable: No longer spins.[/p]
• [p]Targeting Enhancement: Renamed to "Targeting AI" with updated icon.[/p]
• [p]New Icons: Counter Strike Protocol, Evasive Fire.[/p]
• [p]Updated Icons: Sniper Targeting, Spliced Thrusters, Sakashima Sundrive, Hologram Skin.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Asteroids[/h3]

• [p]Spawn Delay: Removed asteroid field spawn delay[/p]
• [p]Max Asteroids: Reduced to 75 from 100.[/p]
• [p]Collision Destroy Delay: Removed for better responsiveness.[/p]
• [p]Interactables: Added measures to prevent interactables from spawning within asteroids.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Bugfixes[/h2]

• [p]Alien Portal: Fixed an issue where the Alien Portal would become unkillable.[/p]
• [p]Weapon Firing: Fixed an issue with weapons not firing.[/p]
• [p]Ammo Consumption: Fixed single-projectile weapons not consuming ammo properly.[/p]
• [p]Ammo Explosion: Fixed infinite loop caused by augment triggering itself.[/p]
• [p]Damage Numbers: Fixed player damage numbers offset and mining text offset.[/p]
• [p]Cache Animations: Animation can no longer be spammed.[/p]
• [p]Tier 2 Exploders: Fixed not moving during ability activation and oversized ability radius.[/p]
• [p]Target Death: Fixed enemies getting stuck when their target died or despawned.[/p]
• [p]Reroll Currency: Fixed refund bug when pressing skip after purchases (no more free rerolls for you).[/p]
• [p]Session Stats: Now properly track between maps.[/p]
• [p]Experience Auto-Collect Skill: Fixed an issue where the auto-collect skill wouldn't trigger correctly.[/p]
• [p]Shop Costs: Fixed augment scaling costs being visual-only.[/p]
• [p]Blow Back Augment: Fixed making reload time slower instead of faster.[/p]
• [p]Overcharged Barrels Enhancement: Fixed not working.[/p]
• [p]Rifle Barreling Enhancement: Fixed not working.[/p]
• [p]Zone Control Sounds: No longer plays while the game is paused.[/p]

[p]Greetings, Commander! Today, we bring you not one, not two, but three very important announcements regarding Starforged Legacy! They say good things come in threes. Of course, 'they' have never been cornered by a triad of reber warships, but we digress. Let's get into the details.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Win A Key To The Game[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]The brass is impressed with the performance of our recruits! So impressed in fact, they're looking to promote particularly daring pilots to full-time captains (we'd like to award some of our testers with keys to the full game)![/p][p][/p][p]To qualify, submit a screenshot of your post-mission 'Victory' screen in the #contests channel on our community Discord. Multiple submissions are allowed if you happen to surpass your own high score, but make sure your final score is submitted by October 17th at 20:00 EST.[/p][p][/p][p]After the deadline, we'll review the submissions and distribute keys to the three highest-scoring participants! These keys won't have much use at the moment, per se, since the playtest build is the current and complete state of the game. However, these keys will grant you full access when we launch in Early Access, 1.0, and beyond![/p][p][/p][p]Remember, your score is currently based on the number of enemy fighters destroyed, with tougher enemies and elites awarding more points. And as of today, your difficulty setting will also play a role! Speaking of which…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Playtest Update[/h2][p]Thanks to the feedback from our testers over the past week, we've rolled out a new playtest build for Starforged Legacy. This update includes:[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

• [p]Score Multipliers & Global Leaderboard: We've added score multipliers for different difficulty levels. Now you'll be rewarded for your bravery (or foolishness) with a higher score, and you can see how you compare to other pilots after each run! [/p]
• [p]Augment and Enhancement Rebalances: Many augments have been redesigned, rebalanced, or removed, with some specific modifiers now being granted through new enhancement options.[/p]
• [p]Projectile Count Overhaul: All weapons, except for Swarm Missiles, now feature a spread mechanic when firing rapidly or in large bursts. Only the first projectile in each 'burst' consumes ammo. This drastically alters how many weapons scale with projectile count, leading to some very, very broken combinations you'll undoubtedly discover for yourself.[/p]
• [p]Interactables Expanded: Interactables (XP and Credit Caches, Beacons) have seen major updates to their spawn rates. Caches now open with a single click instead of holding to open. Beacons take less time to unlock, and players might find three new Cache types that provide Augments, Upgrades, and Power-Ups.[/p][p][/p]

[p]You can find the full patch notes here;
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Playtest Extension[/h2][p]The previously announced end date of October 17th has been scrapped. The open beta playtest for Starforged Legacy is now extended indefinitely (or, at least, until we release a demo)![/p][p][/p][p]You can expect regular updates, like the one mentioned above, every few weeks. We hope you'll continue to provide feedback as we roll out new features and improvements![/p][p] [/p][h3]An Important Note:[/h3][p]Once we're ready to release a polished demo ahead of the February 2026 Steam Next Fest, the Starforged Legacy playtest will be decommissioned. While the playtest includes all features currently in development, the demo will be a more focused experience, offering a taste of the whole game. So don't be surprised if the demo has a smaller selection of ships, augments, or features.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Wishlist Starforged Legacy[/h2][p]As always, if you're enjoying the playtest, let us know by wishlisting and following the game![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Communication Systems Online[/h2][p]Receive incoming transmissions: news, announcements, devlogs, and deep-space disturbances, by following Second Shift Games on X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, Reddit, and TikTok, or by visiting our website: SecondShiftGames.com.[/p][p][/p][p]Join our community Discord to chat with the developers and fellow pilots, and give your feedback on the game![/p][p][/p][p]Wishing you clear skies, Commander.[/p][p]// END TRANSMISSION //[/p]

[h2]New Content[/h2][p][/p][h3]Score System & Leaderboard[/h3]

• [p]Leaderboards: Compete globally with integrated rankings.[/p]
• [p]Score Tracking: Full score system with real-time HUD display.[/p]
• [p]Difficulty Multipliers: Prove your skill with massive score bonuses:[/p]
  • [p]Normal: 1x score.[/p]
  • [p]Hard: 1.5x score multiplier.[/p]
  • [p]Impossible: 2.5x score multiplier.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Interactables[/h3]

• [p]Augment Cache: Rare cache that rewards a random augment choice.[/p]
• [p]Upgrade Cache: Rare cache that rewards a free upgrade.[/p]
• [p]Power Up Cache: Rewards a random power-up.[/p]
• [p]All Caches: Now a single press instead of holding to open.[/p]
• [p]Beacons: Reduced unlock time to 0.5s (from longer duration).[/p]
• [p]Map Scaling: +1 Cache per 2 maps, +1 Beacon per 3 maps.[/p]
• [p]Credit Cache: +1 pickup spawned per map.[/p]
• [p]Experience Cache: +2 pickups spawned per map.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]New Enhancements[/h3]

• [p]Weapon Modulator: Increases projectiles per shot (Uncommon/Rare/Epic/Legendary for easier acquisition).[/p]
• [p]Mega Rounds: Increases Weapon Damage Radius.[/p]
• [p]Rifle Barreling: Increases Critical Strike Damage.[/p]
• [p]Sniper Targeting: Increases Critical Strike Chance.[/p]
• [p]Targeting Enhancement: Increases Weapon Range.[/p]
• [p]Quantum Rounds: Increases Pierce Strength.[/p]
• [p]Overcharge Rounds: Increases Pierce Chance.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Gameplay Improvements[/h2][p][/p][h3]Weapon System Overhaul[/h3]

• [p]Spread & Accuracy System: All weapons (except Swarm Missiles) now feature spread mechanics when firing extremely quickly and in large bursts.[/p]
• [p]Burst Fire Changes: Projectiles spawn much faster at 0.025s intervals.[/p]
• [p]Ammo Consumption: Only the first projectile in a burst consumes ammo (not each individual projectile).[/p]
• [p]Max Attack Rate: Set to 0.01 for all player weapons (maximum fire rate).[/p]
• [p]Cruise Missiles: Now target enemies like Standard Missiles instead of ground locations.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Damage Number System[/h3]

• [p]Actor Accumulation: Damage numbers now accumulate per-actor for cleaner visual feedback.[/p]
• [p]Optimization: Massive performance improvements for damage number calculations.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Enhancement System[/h3]

• [p]Future Weapon Application: Enhancements now apply to weapons equipped after acquisition.[/p]
• [p]Rarity Adjustments: Enhanced drop rates for Rare and Epic qualities.[/p]
• [p]Gambit Enhancements Removed: Removed all variants that had a trade-off for cleaner progression.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2][p][/p][h3]Augment Balance[/h3][p][/p][p]Major Functionality Changes[/p]

• [p]Burst Fire: Now increases projectiles gained but reduces fire rate.[/p]
• [p]Barrage Mode: Now drops on all Missiles (expanded availability).[/p]
• [p]Nuclear Warhead: Radiation cloud damage now scales, removed damage increase, and fire rate reduction.[/p]
• [p]Winged Hussar Thrusters: No longer has knockback, stuns in AOE only.[/p]
• [p]Plasma Overload: No longer deals instant damage, applies plasma effect instead.[/p]
• [p]Extreme Velocity: No longer gives pierce strength or reduces attack speed.[/p]
• [p]Volatile Overcharge: Updated to prevent triggering on plasma damage.[/p]
• [p]Ablative Plating: Now increases Health Resistance instead of armor and has no cooldown. [/p]
• [p]Titanium Plating: Now increases Health Resistance instead of armor.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Buffed Augments[/p]

• [p]Warp Resistance: No longer has a debuff.[/p]
• [p]World Breaker Payload: No longer has a reload time debuff.[/p]
• [p]Stasis Warhead: Chance to slow increased.[/p]
• [p]Stasis Rounds: Chance to slow increased.[/p]
• [p]Plasma Rounds: Increased damage.[/p]
• [p]Vulnerability Overload: Buffed damage increase.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Nerfed Augments[/p]

• [p]Ammo Explosion: Removed crit chance gain.[/p]
• [p]Critical Burn: Removed crit chance gain.[/p]
• [p]Ordinance Overdriver: Removed crit chance gain, fixed stacking issue (now stacks once but is more powerful).[/p][p][/p]

[p]Drop Pool Adjustments[/p]

• [p]Deathmark Tether: Increased spawn chance significantly.[/p]
• [p]Burst Fire: Now drops on all projectile weapons.[/p]
• [p]Augment Shop Cost: Augments in shops now cost +50 Credits per map index.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Removed Augments: Burstfire Chamber, Extended Autoloader, Transfer Power, Micro-Warp Rounds, Weapon Modulator.[/p][p][/p][p]These augments have been removed either because they cause imbalance, don't provide a significant advantage to players, or aren't distinct enough from other augments. They could be reintroduced after rebalancing.[/p][p][/p][h3]Combat Balance[/h3]

• [p]XP Drop System: Higher-tier enemies drop multiple XP pickups.[/p]
  • [p]Cruisers: 10 XP pickups.[/p]
  • [p]Carriers: 20 XP pickups.[/p]
  • [p]Battleships: 30 XP pickups.[/p]
• [p]Cruiser & Carrier Health: Reduced for better early-game balance.[/p]
• [p]Tier 1 Melee Health: Reduced throughout progression.[/p]
• [p]Alien Mini-Boss: Reduced Teleporting and Time Bubble durations.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Mission Balance[/h3]

• [p]Unknown Technology: Reduced capture time to 5s (from 7s), added level-up reward.[/p]
• [p]Merchant Escort: Health increased to 600, zone capture reduced to 6s, and reduced enemy spawn rate.[/p]
• [p]Merchant Rescue: Health increased to 400, gun damage increased to 6, and reduced health scaling (0.9 from 1.4).[/p]
• [p]Anomaly Crystals: Reduced to 4 collectables (from 5), EQS range reduced.[/p]
• [p]Emergency Mining: Removed damage penalty, added health and currency rewards.[/p]
• [p]Primary Mission Rewards: Now gives augments instead of weapons (weapons moved to challenge missions).[/p]
• [p]Lone Survivor & Rescue Operation: Added health rewards for mission diversity.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Ship & Movement Balance[/h3]

• [p]Cruiser Base Acceleration: Increased.[/p]
• [p]Battleship Base Acceleration: Increased.[/p]
• [p]Phase Drive: Reduced default speed.[/p]
• [p]Mining Range: Standardized to 6000 for all ship classes.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Map Modifier Balance[/h3]

• [p]Solar Flare: Removes 50% of shields (from 100%).[/p]
• [p]Thruster Boost: Increases enemy speed by 50% (from 100%), properly reduces player thruster cooldowns.[/p]
• [p]Thruster Pickup: Speed buff reduced to 75% (from 120%), added 50% cooldown reduction.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Experience Balance[/h3]

• [p]Post-Level 100: Significantly increased XP requirements to slow progression.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Skills[/h3]

• [p]Removed Skills: Slow Duration and generic Duration skills removed.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Visual Enhancements[/h2]

• [p]New Zone Materials: Distinct materials for Player zones, Enemy zones, and Capture zones with unique colors.[/p]
• [p]Enhanced Cache Visuals: Color-coded materials (Gold, Purple, Blue) with static mesh rewards visible.[/p]
• [p]Zone Capture Display: Updated fill visualization for all zone control missions.[/p]
• [p]VFX Improvements: Optimized projectile trails and pickup visual effects.[/p]
• [p]Planet Updates: New planet variations for uninhabited backgrounds with improved rotation settings.[/p]
• [p]Interactable Polish: Updated models and animations for upgrade stations and crates.[/p]
• [p]Ammo Explosion & Plasma Aftershock: Significantly reduced brightness for better visibility.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]SFX Enhancements[/h2]

• [p]UI Sounds: Added sounds for upgrade, menu, and map interactions.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Bugfixes[/h2]

• [p]Ordinance Overdriver: Fixed fire rate buff stacking incorrectly.[/p]
• [p]Rerolls: Now properly persist between maps instead of resetting.[/p]
• [p]Off-Target Projectiles: Fixed projectiles firing incorrectly when manually aiming or when the target dies mid-burst.[/p]
• [p]Component Display: Fixed ship component level and weapons displaying wrong values when upgrading augments.[/p]
• [p]Mining Range: Fixed mining not working at higher values, standardized to 6000.[/p]
• [p]Crit Enhancement: Fixed not actually granting critical strike chance.[/p]
• [p]Overcharged Barrels: Fixed not increasing damage (corrected tag usage and reduced to 5%).[/p]
• [p]Enemy Rotation: Fixed cruisers rotating extremely slowly.[/p]
• [p]Shield Reactions: Fixed melee attacks not triggering shield reactions.[/p]
• [p]Rail Gun VFX: Fixed visual effects not working.[/p]
• [p]Weapon Overcharge Pickup: Removed incorrect max shield override.[/p]
• [p]Zone Control Sound: Fixed the issue of playing when the game is paused.[/p]
• [p]Plasma Aftershock Description: Fixed incorrect stat ordering in description.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Performance Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Damage Number System: Massive optimization pass reducing calculation overhead.[/p]
• [p]Pickup Trail VFX: Optimized particle system for better performance.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Meshes: Improved LOD settings across all enemy ships.[/p]
• [p]VFX Ribbons: Performance improvements to projectile trail effects.[/p]