Star Traders: Frontiers News

It is Update #319! We've got 2 new character outfits and have completed some important work to make it easy to access the 15th small ship component on your Acheron Battlecarrier (or any ship that a modder adds who has 14+ small ship components!). As always -- huge thanks goes out to everyone playing, posting feedback and especially leaving a review!

[h2]Have You Played Cyber Knights Demo?[/h2]
Our next title will be out later this year and we're excited to share a demo in Steam Next Fest this year - we hope you'll check it out, wishlist and follow. All the same deep systems, extreme replay and maniac update styles you've come to expect and love!

Explore the dark future of 2231 as you run your crew of underworld mercenaries, pulling off high-stakes heists you choose from faction power players to survive. Cyber Knights wraps a world full of consequential story choices and character development around an extensive core of classic and new tactical RPG mechanics.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


[h2]Added 2 New Outfits[/h2]
It's always a joy to find some art time to sit down and work on new outfits for Star Traders: Frontiers. I'm very excited to have finished this pairing - both dapper, cool and stylish looks. Is this a space diplomat or a soldier who just knows how to dress?

And of course, you can mix and match these outfits to great effect with all of the other outfits in the game.


[h2]The 15th Component[/h2]
With the release of the 9000 Mass Acheron Battlecarrier, we introduced the first ship into the game that had 15 small ship components. While this worked nicely in ship upgrading and if you use the tabular style of viewing components in ship status, it was not visible in the grid mode. We've now ensured that component is visible, just scroll down!

The ability to now scroll the main ship status also helps with a few other overflow issues that have cropped up throughout the game. Those ships with lots of special effects from their ship components could possibly have that content run off the bottom of the screen and that is now resolved.

This also means that modders now have the ability to add beyond 14 small components (up to 28 should work ːsteamhappyː) to the game now.

[h2]Ship Prices[/h2]
As ship component prices shift through rebalances, we're always keeping an eye on ship prices and working to keep the buy and sell economy working nicely, even including all the discounts you can earn from contacts and talents. We've adjusted and raised a few ship prices to help keep these prices in line with the rules.

[h2]v3.3.45 - 6/25/2023[/h2]
- Added 2 new outfits
- Allow scrolling of main ship status screen to view any overflow of ship effects, components
- Fixed small component display for Acheron Battlecarrier to show 15th small component correctly
- Adjusted/raised some ship prices to avoid resell possible loops
- Fixed reports typos and crashes

Welcome to Update #318! News from the starports is that the Acheron Battlecarrier was over Mass 9000 and needed its design tweaked a bit to fit the proper Hyperwarp drive. We've also redesigned the Wolf Vector, the sleek and deadly 3400 Mass ship and raised its officer cap to an amazing 6. Spy Wars have more impact on Contact services, the Zendu Deathward is even harder to find, and we fixed the Mac OS fullscreen / resize window issues

[h2]Demo Our Upcoming Sci-Fi Game[/h2]
Captains, we are thrilled to announce that our next sci-fi game, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, will be including the upcoming Steam Next Fest, the free online demo festival running from June 19th - 26th. We hope you'll take a break from your ship's bridge to plug in and join us in New Boston, 2231 for an RPG experience offering a mix of stealth, combat and hacking.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/

[h2]Mac OS Fixes[/h2]
We've been battling the latest mac OS update Ventura which caused some havoc to our aging game engine (sometimes hard to believe, 318 updates = game published in 2017!) and its ability to fully support mac OS. With Update #318, we're aiminng to put those issues behind us. Internally on our test sets of hardware, this patch fixes all of the reported issues. :fingerscrossed: we'll be waiting to hear from you!

[h2]Acheron Hyperwarp[/h2]
The Acheron Battlecarrier had a issue with the wrong hyperwarp drive plus being over Mass if it had the right one. We have now reconfigured any new Acheron you purchase at the starport to be all setup correctly.

We are still pending the fix to allow you to view and modify the 15th component without switching to the list view. If you want to upgrade the 15th small component for now, you just need to swap over to list view.


[h2]Wolf Vector Joins S-Tier[/h2]
With a new redesign, the Wolf Vector has joined the S-tier of ships as the sole Mass 3400 ship to offer a full set of 6 officers. Any new purchase of a Wolf Vector will offer this sleek new configuration, boasting a new engine, major upgrade to its components and a price tag boost to almost $2,000,000. If you've bought a Wolf Vector before it is unaffected by the changes.

We wary if you bump into an enemy captain flying a Wolf Vector, they also get these changes! You might be surprised by just what type of punch the 3400 class ship can throw!


[h2]Spy Wars[/h2]
We're always looking for new ways to interconnect systems. The more recently added Contact service to sell Rumors is a powerful angle for certain types of captains. Now, if the contact's faction are involved in a Spy War, there is a discount on all sales of rumors.

[h2]v3.3.43 - 6/8/2023[/h2]
- Redesigned "Wolf Vector" 3400 Mass (now S-tier, 6 officer)
- Contacts receive discounts on Rumor purchases during Spy Wars
- Fixes Hyperwarp Drive on "Acheron Battlecarrier"
- Rare Relic, Zendu Deathward (Level 10) is even more rare
- Performance improvements and rendering fixes
- Fixes a data synchronization bug when hyperwarp gates were very close to planets
- Fixes fullscreen and resize window bugs in Mac OS X builds

Captains, we're excited to announce Cyber Knights: Flashpoint will be included in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, an online demo festival running June 19th - 26th.

This will be the first new demo we've offered for the game in over a year, and it's the first big milestone on our road to release later in 2023. 🎉 All of the game-shaping feedback our alpha players have given us, all of the new design & UX work to make this our best-looking game yet, and several features even our alpha players haven't seen yet are all waiting for you to try.

[h3]The demo will offer:[/h3]

• Your first big heist to pull off! Find out how our turn-based squad tactics plays. See if you have the skills to use creative stealth, a variety of weapons, and the turn order itself to accomplish objectives in each map and get your crew out alive.
  
• Six squad members in your roster; each brings a unique set of talents to your crew. In the full game you'll have opportunities to recruit new members, as well as access to multi-classing, extensive skill trees, weapon modding, cybernetics -- everything you need to build out the perfect squads for your playstyle and the needs of the jobs you're taking on.
  
• A glimpse of your main character's origins as a Cyber Knight. These elites of our dark future's underworld are rare and highly sought after. Knights have capabilities no one else in this world does -- but it comes at a cost.
  
• A first look at your safehouse; in the full game you'll have access to base-building features to expand this underground hideout, providing more opportunities to upgrade your team and expand your capabilities to take on bigger jobs as you make a name for yourself.
  
• A preview of the choices you'll need to make in this shadowy world of mercenaries, secrets, and cyberpunks. How far will you go for a chance at a better life? What are you willing to risk for the extra credits or knowledge that could make a big difference for your crew? Who will you stay loyal to? Who can you trust?
  

[h3]Don't miss it![/h3]
We'll be sharing some lore, extras, and maybe even some dev streams over the next couple of weeks. Join our Discord or follow @CyberKnightsRPG on twitter to stay in the loop.

We can't wait to show how far the game has come. While we're still hard at work fine-tuning and polishing the full game ahead of our Early Access release, it's already a thrill to offer the best-looking and most advanced set of tactical combat capabilities we've ever featured in a Trese Brothers game.

Especially if you're new to our games, as you try the demo we want you to know we are listening to feedback! We're active every day in the Steam forums and in our Discord, and we love making improvements and additions based on player feedback. This demo isn't just an opportunity for us to show the game off; it's your opportunity to make a mark on it.

We'll see you on June 19th! If you haven't already, wishlist & follow Cyber Knights of course! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/

It's Update #317 with a new Mass 9000 ship, autocannon rebalances, new Oribtal Salvage card (watch out!) and more. Starports all across the galaxy have started on hulls for the new Acheron Battlecarrier, so start saving, captains.

A huge thanks goes out to all of the community members posting on the forum, helping new players, and sharing their thoughts in reviews. We're excited to keep Star Traders: Frontiers growing with new content and additions, so you're loving the 300+ free updates be sure to drop a review and tell a friend.

[h2]What’s the latest on Cyber Knights?[/h2]
Throughout the last year, we’ve been running Cyber Knights: Flashpoint’s private alpha test for Kickstarter backers, following the same tried-and-true process we used for Star Traders: Frontiers. With 1,000 in the game now, development pace has picked up and we’re marching to the launch pad to release to Steam Early Access, so make sure you’ve wishlisted (and followed!), or join us for behind-the-scenes discussion and development snapshots in our Discord.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


[h2]New 9000 Mass Battlecarrier[/h2]
The Acheron Battlecarrier is a sprawling ship weighing in at 9000 Mass and kitted out as a battle-hardened carrier perfect for taking on Jyeeta xeno carriers head-to-head. It boasts best-in-class maximum craft defense at 78% and a unusual slot configuration that preferences Small (15) and Large (8) sized slots over medium (8). With 7 officers and 42 crew, it can sustain 5 craft and is a new contender in the most expensive and largest weight class for ships.

We'll keep the Acheron in player's only hands for a bit and shake out any balance issues before considering letting high level captains on high difficulty take this thing for a spin!


[h2]M101 Autocannon Update & Xeno Autocannon[/h2]
We've applied a fix to bring the venerable M101 Tracker Cannon up to the level it needs to be to stay competitive with other autocannons, granting it a +3% Craft Defense.

On the enemy's side, the L2 Terrox Xeno Autocannon has also gained a +3% Craft Defense, making their close-in short range ships more challenging to fight with carriers. The miasmatic death haze that floats close to the hull of the Terrox Spines makes it hellish for any wing pilot to come that close to the hull!


[h2]New Salvage Card and Updated Weights[/h2]
A new "Reactor Accident" card has been added to Orbital Salvage with a nasty -5 weighting. Take your time considering if you want to prioritize knocking this card out of the hand because it can leave your engine in a bad way, which can both cause heightened combat risk as you limp back for repairs and a hefty repair bill to boot.

We've increased the weight of the "Web of Conspiracy" card, fully doubling it, as the card has so many cool permutations and after-effects that are great in the galactic simulation.

[h2]AI Captain + Crew Build Improvements[/h2]
With Update #317, we've tweaked the appearance rates for the Caliga Vindex and Shizari Huntress to make them less common opponents. We've also fixed a longstanding bug that was allowing the AI to promote too many officers on the Caliga Vindex for an unfair advantage.

[h2]v3.3.41 - 5/13/2023[/h2]
- New 9000 Mass Battlecarrier, the Acheron
- Balanced "M101 Tracker Cannon" adding +7% Craft Defense
- L2 Xeno Autocannon adds "Miasmatic Death Haze" granting +3% Craft Defense
- Added a new "Reactor Accident" Salvage Result Card (-5)
- The "Web of Conspiracy" Card is now twice as common (because it is fun)
- Reduced chance of Caliga Vindex and Shizari Huntress enemies spawning
- Fixed too many enemy officers spawning on Caliga Vindex
- Fixed performance issues on huge maps with large numbers of living Contacts

Hello, Captains. It’s time for another STF challenge. Loyalty is important and in this challenge you will be fiercely loyal to two contacts of your choice. How will you help them meet their goals? How will you crush their enemies and those who work against them?



As always there are a few requirements for this challenge, including for the first time in a Community Challenge a specific map seed to use for your playthrough. The requirements for this challenge are:

• When you pick your two contacts to champion, Faen cannot be one of them.
  
• Drive your reputation to -100 of lower with all other contacts. It may not be possible to fully meet this requirement due to faction politics, but the goal is to get all other contact reps as low as possible.
  
• This specific map seed must be used: st-v02-28-12-95189000
  

Some ideas for what we’d love to see:

• Screenshots of your chosen contacts, your reputation screens
  
• Stories of how you built up your chosen contacts and the challenges of having (and making) so many people very angry at you
  
• Your strategies for hitting the reputation requirements, choosing your particular contacts
  
• Any other creative ways you want to share to tell us about the risks and rewards of being fiercely loyal: memes, interpretive dance, gifs, etc
  

No matter what you choose to share, please include one screenshot of your reputation screen showingn your chosen contacts and all of the people you've made very, very unhappy.



We’ve opened up a discussion here on Steam in the General Discussion forum for aIl of your posts. If you post on the discord, post in the #faction_champion_challenge channel found in the STF category.

Good luck, Captains! Choose your friends wisely!