Starforged Legacy News

[h2]Additions[/h2]

• [p]Main Menu Art updated.[/p]

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2]

• [p]Boss health and shield scaling reduced.[/p]
• [p]Experience scaling adjusted to be more difficult at higher levels.[/p]

[h2]Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Interactables and caches can now be collected regardless of camera distance.[/p]

[h2]Miscellaneous[/h2]

• [p]Interactables will now spawn less frequently on the edges of the map.[/p]

[h2]Calling All Test Pilots[/h2][p]Calibrate your weapons, ignite your thrusters, and prepare for launch from Friday, October 3rd, to Friday, October 17th, for Starforged Legacy's third wave of open beta testing![/p][p][/p][p]This is an Open Beta Test, meaning that all individuals who've previously requested access or participated in a beta will regain access to the game, and any new recruits who request access on the Starforged Legacy Steam page during this period will be granted access immediately.[/p][p][/p][p]We're seeking feedback on significant changes to the game's core gameplay loop and systems, thanks in no small part to your after-action reports from the last test. Speaking of, let's get to the briefing.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]What To Look Out For[/h2][p]First off, the incoming asteroids, missiles, lasers, and pirates intent on scrapping your ship for parts. That aside, here's what's new in the latest build: [/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel]

• [p]Overhauled Gameplay Loop and Mission System - All sectors now share the same Primary Mission: survive. This shifts focus to Secondary Missions, which now encompass what were previously 'Primary Missions', and Engagement Missions, which must be opted into.[/p]

• [p]Improved Enemy Scaling and Behavior - Enemy health now scales much more aggressively, and enemies spawn in greater numbers. Enemy movement speed and acceleration now scale with difficulty rating, and distant enemies will receive a speed boost to catch up to players.[/p]
• [p]Simplified Starmap - The Starmap has been condensed for faster, more intense runs. Sectors have been simplified into 'Normal' and 'Challenge' maps, where the latter feature increased difficulty and map modifiers in exchange for a greater reward.[/p]
• [p]Movement Ability Rework - Fuel has been abandoned in favor of a cooldown and duration system for movement abilities. Ship classifications (Frigate, Cruiser, and Battleship) have had their movement speeds and acceleration adjusted to differentiate each class further.[/p]
• [p]Rebel Faction Redesign - The rebel (pirate) faction has undergone a full visual overhaul that better reflects their... "resourceful" nature.[/p]
• [p]Interactables System - New world objects appear, offering both free and purchasable rewards such as XP, credits, augments, and upgrades.[/p]
• [p]Score Chase - Players now accumulate a run 'score' based on enemies destroyed. Higher-tier enemies are worth more points![/p][p][/p]

[p]Our goal is to make every sector a rewarding experience for the bold and the explorative, while making the enemy feel like a true swarm. Seriously, use your Skill Tree. You'll need it.[/p][p][/p][p]For a complete list of changes and additions, refer to the patch notes;[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Report To High Command[/h2][p]All pilots are required (highly encouraged) to report any anomalous activity (bugs), as well as their mission summary (feedback and suggestions), to their superior officers (us, the developers)![/p][p][/p][p]You can file your report in-game using the 'Playtest Survey' button or by using the link below.

Starforged Legacy Playtest Survey[/p][p][/p][p]We also encourage you to share your experiences with us directly through the Starforged Legacy Discord server![/p][p]
Starforged Legacy Discord Server[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Wishlist Starforged Legacy[/h2][p]If you've yet to do so, wishlist Starforged Legacy on Steam and follow the game for future announcements and playtest opportunities![/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]Game Flow Redesign: Streamlined mission structure, shifting focus to secondary objectives.[/p]
  • [p]Single Primary Mission: Survive for the designated time—your baseline objective.[/p]
  • [p]Secondary and Engagement Missions: The primary focus of each map, these offer meaningful rewards and challenges. 'Engagement Missions' are optional objectives that appear, requiring the player to accept them.[/p]
  • [p]Secondary Missions now reward immediately upon completion.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Normal vs Challenge Maps: Two distinct map types on the star map.[/p]
  • [p]Normal Maps: Standard difficulty with no modifiers.[/p]
  • [p]Challenge Maps: Higher difficulty with map modifiers (Meteor Storms, Radiation Clouds, High-Alert Enemies, etc.). Challenge maps offer better rewards but pose greater threats.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Interactables System: Interactive world objects are spawned throughout maps.[/p]
  • [p]Free Interactables: Credits (low/medium/high) and experience (low/medium/high).[/p]
  • [p]Paid Interactables: Random augment and upgrade choice.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]9 New Mission Types: Expanded mission variety with distinct objectives.[/p]
  • [p]Planetary Scan: Use deployed scanners to gather planetary data.[/p]
  • [p]Unknown Technology: Scan old ships to identify lost crew members.[/p]
  • [p]Gas Control: Defend gas containers while they complete collection.[/p]
  • [p]Militia Defense: Power up militia missile defense stations under attack.[/p]
  • [p]Alien Station: Upload AI to control rebooting alien stations.[/p]
  • [p]CWM Station: Take control of CWM stations before construction completes.[/p]
  • [p]Anomaly Crystals: Collect valuable crystals from slipspace anomalies.[/p]
  • [p]Broken AI: Recover AI fragments with Schema Project information.[/p]
  • [p]Militia Support: Recover lost militia missile supplies.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Currency Drop System: Enemies now drop physical currency pickups instead of instant rewards.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Adjustable Camera: Camera distance can now be adjusted (default scroll wheel).[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Score Chase - Players now accumulate a run 'score' based on enemies destroyed. Higher-tier enemies are worth more points.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Gameplay Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Automatic Warp Progression: Primary Missions automatically trigger 30-second warp charging when complete.[/p]
• [p]Faster Mission Pacing: Reduced mission requirements across the board.[/p]
• [p]Compact Star Map: Hex map reduced for shorter runs.[/p]
• [p]Enhanced Enemy Behavior: Recycling system teleports distant enemies to maintain engagement.[/p]
• [p]Performance Improvements: Various optimizations, including projectile pooling for smoother gameplay.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2][p][/p][h3]Movement Ability Overhaul[/h3]

• [p]Fuel System Removed: All movement abilities now use only Cooldowns and Duration.[/p]
• [p]New Action Bar Widget: Visual display for cooldown and duration tracking.[/p]
• [p]Ability Cancel: Because feathering fuel is no longer possible, chemical thrusters and phase drive movement abilities can be canceled by pressing your movement ability key again while the ability is active (default shift).[/p]

[h3]Ship Classification Movement Rework[/h3]

• [p]Differentiating Ship Classes: Frigates, Cruisers, and Battleships have all had their unique speed and acceleration characteristics adjusted to differentiate them further.[/p][p][/p]

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

• [p]Bastion Protocol: New functionality; shields always recharge while stationary with an increased recharge rate.[/p]
• [p]Chain Reaction: Simplified to chance-based explosions on kill.[/p]
• [p]Combat Catalyst: Removed stacking limitation for more consistent scaling.[/p]
• [p]CQC Targeting Computer: Complete rework; "Damage increased by {1} for each enemy within targeting range".[/p]
• [p]Defense Protocol: Now shoots extra projectiles at random enemies (scales with level).[/p]
• [p]Exposed Shot: Now reduces health and shield resistance by 50% instead of flat armor reduction.[/p]
• [p]Phase Corrosion: Now reduces health and shield resistance by 50% instead of flat armor reduction.[/p]
• [p]Pulsing Plating: No longer slows, now inflicts knockback.[/p]
• [p]Soft Point: Renamed to 'Disabling Rounds', buffed damage increase, and piercing chance reduction no longer scales with level.[/p]
• [p]Plasma Aftershock: Changed from activating on 'one-shot kill' to 'on kill'.[/p]
• [p]Prime Condition: No longer debuffs the player for being under the health threshold.[/p]
• [p]Reactive Recharge: Removed cooldown (movement abilities now have their own cooldowns).[/p]
• [p]Phase Corrosion: Fixed bug with resistances not applying correctly; now scales with level.
  [/p]

[p]Buffed Augments[/p]

• [p]Critical Capacity: Increased critical strike damage bonus.[/p]
• [p]Deathmark Tether: Damage increase set to static 100%.[/p]
• [p]Emergency Assault: Buffed global damage scalar.[/p]
• [p]Radiation Leak: Fixed description, increased cloud size, and damage.[/p]
• [p]Heated Chamber: Removed increased projectiles and debuff.[/p]
• [p]Shattered Shields: Damage radius now scales, max damage increased.[/p]
• [p]Gravitic Manipulation Field: Slowing radius increased.[/p]
• [p]Shield Extender: Increased shields given (decreased shield recharge rate slightly).[/p]
• [p]Weapons Matrix Override: Buffed damage scalar.[/p]
• [p]Plasma Overload: Increased damage and damage radius.[/p]
• [p]Explosive Rounds: Increased damage radius.[/p]
• [p]Thermal Feedback Loop: Damage scalar increased.[/p]
• [p]Reactor Breach: Simplified description, removed reload reduction.[/p]
• [p]Micro Warp Rounds: Increased targeting range.[/p]
• [p]Kinetic Guidance: Crit chance and projectile speed reduction are now static, crit damage increased.[/p]
• [p]Glancing Blows: Increased maximum dodge amount to 20% (previously 10%).[/p][p][/p]

[p]Nerfed Augments[/p]

• [p]Electro Reactive Armor: Decreased maximum health bonus to 175% (previously 250%).[/p]
• [p]Bastion Protocol: Decreased shield recharge percentage.[/p]

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

• [p]Reactive Countermeasures: Added to armor drop pools.[/p]
• [p]Reactor Hit: Now available on all weapons (previously autocannon-exclusive).[/p][p][/p]

[p]Removed Augments: Heavy Armor, Neutron Plating, Weapon Energy Recycler, Enhanced Missile Storage, Weapon Modulator, Plasma Tether, Missile Proficiency, Projectile Proficiency, First Contact, Concussive Warhead, Perfect Reload, All For Me, Fragile Bullets, Deep Space Anomaly.[/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]Level-Up Knockback: Upon leveling up, the player's ship will now knock back surrounding enemies.[/p]
• [p]Weapon Capacity: Frigate and Cruiser max weapons have been reduced to 2, and Battleship maximum weapons have been reduced to 3.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Scaling: Movement speed and acceleration now scale with difficulty rating.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Catch-Up: Distant enemies receive a temporary speed boost.[/p]
• [p]Environmental Dangers: All maps can now spawn meteor storms or radiation clouds at reduced rates.[/p]
• [p]Stun Mechanics: 10-second cooldown before reapplication, mini-bosses and bosses are now immune.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Visual Enhancements[/h2]

• [p]Complete CWM Faction Overhaul: Entire rebel faction redesigned with new ship models. New "scrappy human" aesthetic reflecting limited resources and creative engineering.[/p]
• [p]Mission Asset Improvements: Updated materials and visual polish for mission objects.[/p]
• [p]New Missile Models: Standard, Cruise, and Swarm Missiles feature new static meshes.[/p]
• [p]Enhanced VFX: Updated trails for XP and currency pickups with color-coded effects.[/p]
• [p]Improved Sun Visibility: Added a polarizing filter over stars for increased visibility.[/p]
• [p]New UI Animation: Augments, upgrades, and weapons now 'pop-up' in their respective UIs.[/p]
• [p]New Augment Art: Many augmentations now feature new artwork.[/p]
• [p]Augment Level Coloration: Much like enhancements and rarity, augments are now color-coded to reflect their level.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Damage Indicator: Enemies will now briefly flash white when taking damage.[/p]
• [p]Modifiers Tooltip: Modifier tooltip (above weapons bar) now displays correctly when hovered and has received a visual upgrade.[/p]
• [p]Stun/Slow Indicator: New VFX to indicate enemies affected by slow or stun.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Audio Enhancements[/h2]

• [p]Interactables SFX: A slew of player interactions (mission capturing, power-up containers, mining) have received new SFX.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Known Issues[/h2]

• [p]Caches and other interactable containers/stations cannot be interacted with if the player's camera is zoomed too far out.[/p]

[h2]Beta Registration Open[/h2][p]Greetings, Commander! From now until September 12th, you may access the Starforged Legacy playtest from our Steam page! All pilots will be granted immediate access—no need to wait for acceptance![/p][p][/p][p]This is a crucial opportunity for us to gather feedback on the game before its demo release, and we're seeking all the feedback we can get. Invite your friends! Invite your enemies! Don't invite that one guy (you know the one), but you get the idea. If you need help convincing a particularly stubborn party, feel free to send them our revised gameplay trailer;[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]What's New[/h2][p]Highlights of this week's build include ten new augments, an overhaul of all ships' starting loadouts, a more predictable progression that replaces exponential scaling, a rework of the Tactical and Combat Container missions, and extensive improvements to both graphical fidelity and gameplay balance.[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][p]We're particularly eager to hear your thoughts on the new 'tethering' augmentations that provide a deployable means of area-denial: Death Mark Tether, Gravitational Tether, Plasma Tether, and Deep Space Anomaly.[/p][p][/p][p]Interestingly, we don't actually recall designing the last one. Instead, it feels as though a mysterious cosmic force guided our hands into making it. Whatever the case, we've assessed that it poses an acceptable level of threat to pilots (minimum) and enemies (maximum), so it too shall be included in this test.[/p][p][/p][p]You can view this update's changelog in its entirety here;[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Giving Feedback[/h2][p][/p][h3]Playtest Survey[/h3][p]Your feedback is important to us (it's the whole reason we're writing this post)! Once you've had your fill of alien-crushing, pirate-vaporizing action, we urge you to fill out our Playtester Survey! This will only take a few minutes, and you can access the survey from the main menu in-game, or use this conveniently placed button;

Starforged Legacy Playtest Survey[/p][p][/p][h3]I Found a Bug![/h3][p]You sure did! Wow, that is a lot of legs. Oh no, that's fine; we don't need to see it any closer. Ha ha, alright, please take it away now.[/p][p][/p][p]That reminds us—if you come across any bugs in Starforged Legacy, have feedback for the game, or just want to chat about your experiences playing, we encourage you to join the Starforged Legacy Discord![/p][p][/p][p]Join the Starforged Legacy Discord[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Wishlist Starforged Legacy[/h2][p]Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't ask you to wishlist Starforged Legacy if you're enjoying the beta. We're incredibly thankful for those who are interested in our project and would like to see it succeed as much as we do.
[/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]Ship Loadout Updates[/h3][p][/p]

• [p]Trailblazer (Frigate)[/p]
  • [p]Standard Missile with Follow-Up Strike (chance for additional missiles on crit).[/p]
  • [p]Subsystem with Gravitic Manipulation (slows nearby enemies periodically).[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Nova Lance (Frigate)[/p]
  • [p]Machine Gun with Extended Autoloader (additional projectiles per burst but slower fire rate).[/p]
  • [p]Phase Drive with Dimensional Tear (chance to destroy enemies when phasing through them).[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Ironhide (Cruiser)[/p]
  • [p]Rail Gun with Reactor Breach (chance on pierce to create AoE radiation cloud on the enemy).[/p]
  • [p]Electro Reactive Armor (shield reduced, but hull increased and now automatically repairs itself). [/p][p][/p]
• [p]Pulsar (Cruiser)[/p]
  • [p]Swarm Missiles with Rapid Swarm (each burst fired increases fire rate).[/p]
  • [p]Burst Drive with Armored Charge (while using burst drive, all damage is reduced).[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Nemesis (Battleship)[/p]
  • [p]Cruise Missile with Critical Capacity (increased crit chance and damage, but slower fire rate and smaller damage radius) and Ordinance Overdriver (on crit increases fire rate and reloads a missile). [/p][p][/p]
• [p]Leviathan (Battleship)[/p]
  • [p]Autocannon with Chain Reaction (on kill chance to trigger additional explosions on nearby enemies)[/p]
  • [p]Micro Warp Drive with Warp Resistance (increased hull resistance and armor after teleporting).[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Augments[/h3][p][/p][p] Tether System [/p]

• [p]Death Mark Tether: Tethers up to 4 enemies, increasing damage dealt by 50%. [/p]
• [p]Gravitational Tether: Tethers up to 4 enemies and pulls them toward gravitational effects. [/p]
• [p]Plasma Tether: Killing plasma-affected enemies creates tethers that spread plasma burn. [/p]
• [p]Deep Space Anomaly: Creates tentacle effects that damage overlapping enemies.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Weapon Augments [/p]

• [p]Focused Fire (Swarm): Damage increases per projectile in a burst, but reduces radius. [/p]
• [p]Chain Reaction (Autocannon): Kill chance for secondary explosions with reload penalty. [/p]
• [p]Reactor Breach (Projectiles): Pierce chance to create radiation leaks. [/p][p][/p]

[p]Thruster Augments [/p]

• [p]Displacement Field (Phase Drive): Knockback and slow on phase end. [/p]
• [p]Dimensional Tear (Phase Drive): Chance to destroy non-boss enemies while phasing. [/p]
• [p]Warp Resistance (Teleport): Post-warp hull resistance and armor with cooldown penalty. [/p][p] [/p]

[h3]Additional New Content:[/h3]

• [p]Emergency Takeover Skill: Replaces Emergency Warp - AI overloads reactor on lethal damage, killing nearby enemies and healing to 25% hull. [/p][p] [/p]

[h2]Gameplay Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Enhanced Mission Mechanics: Power Zones replace static pickups with interactive buff areas. [/p]
• [p]Improved Camera Perspective: All ships now use a different camera distance for enhanced battlefield awareness. [/p]
• [p]Currency Drop Integration: Asteroids now have a 15% chance to drop currency, weapon coolant, or hull repair. [/p]
• [p]Enhanced Mission Feedback: The Data Salvage mission provides clearer objectives and incorrect scan notifications.[/p]
• [p]Visual Damage Feedback: Player damage numbers now appear in red for better visibility. [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Balance Changes[/h2][p][/p][h3]Difficulty System Overhaul[/h3]

• [p]Linear Scaling: Replaced exponential difficulty with a predictable linear progression while maintaining intended difficulties.[/p][p] [/p]

[h3]Extensive Augment Balance Pass[/h3]

• [p]Berzerker Energy: No longer prevents shield regeneration, increased shield drain, but buffed damage. [/p]
• [p]Bastion Protocol: Max Shield increase now permanent, added shield cooldown reduction. [/p]
• [p]Critical Support: Simplified reload penalty with critical strike chance for other weapons. [/p]
• [p]Glancing Blows: Now increases Dodge Chance while moving instead of damage reduction. [/p]
• [p]Phase Corrosion: Added slow effect to armor breach application. [/p]
• [p]Gravitic Manipulation Field: Now available for Sub-System components with a scaling radius. [/p]
• [p]Relentless Fire: Damage increases per shot with magazine and fire rate changes. [/p]
• [p]Winged Hussar Thrusters: Added stun effect and increased knockback radius. [/p]
• [p]Extended Autoloader: Now starts at +2 projectiles instead of +1. [/p]
• [p]Ranged Amplifier: Increased targeting range and damage output.[/p]
• [p]Waste Heat Recycling: Buffed damage increase with updated description. [/p][p] [/p]

[h3]Weapon Balance[/h3]

• [p]Rail Gun: Damage increased to 35 (from 20), attack speed reduced to 1.5 (from 1.2), max ammo increased to 8 (from 5). [/p]
• [p]Machine Gun: Increased ProjectileBurstTime to 0.125 (from 0.05) for better multi-projectile visibility. [/p][p][/p]

[h3]Mission Balance[/h3]

• [p]Contamination Breach: Reduced scaling from 0.6 to 0.3 to maintain reasonable station health at high difficulties. [/p]
• [p]Space Station/Containment Breach: Reduced spawn chances and removed from certain pools. [/p]

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

• [p]Mining Laser Persistence: Fixed mining laser effects staying active after leaving range, particularly on Nemesis ships. [/p]
• [p]Teleport During Level Up: Fixed bug where teleporting during level up could launch players far away. [/p]
• [p]Mission Progression: Fixed Black Box and Data Collection missing rewards. [/p]
• [p]Ship Movement: Improved NPC escort and merchant collision to prevent getting stuck. [/p]
• [p]Quest Tracker: Fixed mission description text using incorrect text source. [/p]
• [p]Projectile Damage: Fixed projectiles not dealing damage when the explosion radius was less than 0. [/p]
• [p]Swarm Missile Events: Fixed Swarm Missiles not properly calling OnFire events which was preventing some augments from working with it.[/p]
• [p]Armored Charge: Fixed damage reduction activating from input press instead of only during Burst Drive use. [/p]
• [p]Enemy Experience: Fixed enemies using incorrect experience data tables. [/p]
• [p]Learning Curve: Fixed an issue where the augment was working incorrectly while moving. [/p]
• [p]Mission Spawning: Reduced problematic Space Station and Contamination Breach spawn rates on the Star Map. [/p][p][/p]

[h2]Visual Enhancements[/h2]

• [p]Currency Visualization: New static meshes for Money and Artifacts matching UI symbols. [/p]