Star Traders: Frontiers News

Star Traders! What you say? Another update? No, impossible. Not from these lazy bones. We'll its true - your favorite 2D space trading RPG has done it again - Update #359 has arrived with new fun things for Captains of any vintage, old and new, to explore. Update #359 includes a new Mass 9000 ship, a new Armored Cargo Hold 3, boosts to some Explorer cards appearance rates, and a sweeping set of fixes on components from community reports.

[h2]Want to help shape our next game?[/h2]
So many of our updates for Star Traders are based on feedback from you all. But there are limits to what we can do in a game 6 years after its release. Our new tactical heist RPG, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, is roaring along in the second half of its Early Access but we are using the same formula to listen, discuss and improve the game straight from community feedback. There is still plenty of room for content ideas and shifts in gameplay based on what early players are finding fun. For example, we're actively soliciting Talent ideas for the new Gunslinger class that is coming and some of the best are going straight into the game.

We hope you'll join us to make this game another one you’ll be enjoying for years to come.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


[h2]Degla Heavylift[/h2]
With Update #359, we have word of a brand new super-massive hull that is being constructed in De Valtos starports across the galaxy. The Degla Megalift is the ship for all your cargo hauling needs. Equipped with a massive fuel tank and an even larger cargo hold the Degla Heavylift is a big brother of the Degla Megalift. Boasting 12 small, 11 medium and 7 large slots, the Degla is a new super-massive class ship to configure, trick out and see how it compares to your other super-massive hulls. We can't wait to see how you kit out your Heavylift.

Both Degla architecture ships have a long and storied history, first appearing in Star Traders classic in 2014. Now both the Megalift and Heavylift have recurred in Star Traders: Frontiers in the years 2018 and 2024.

[h2]New Armored Cargo Hold 3[/h2]
The new Armored Cargo Hoid 3 fills a gap in the progression and helps build out your heavily defended cargo transports.

[h2]Zendu Relic Boost[/h2]
Based on our stats, the Zendu Relic cards were not appearing often enough so we have further increased the weighting chance that they will appear in a hand of Explorer cards. Good luck, relic hunters - the way is dangerous and road is long, but if you survive the rewards are sweet.

We've also increased the drop rate for Contact Network (which uncovered a Contact and all of their positive and negatively linked Contacts).


[h2]Component Improvements and Rebalance[/h2]
We've made some component and ship fixes based on your excellent feedback. We've improved Battle Prow 8 to add +3 Ship Weapon Initiative to help you get the first shots. We 've also adjusted the Armored Bulkheads 6 stats to ensure that they fit within the progression. We've corrected the loadouts on the Allistar Huntress (which had too many starting officer cabins). And we've also resolved a number of odd bugs with Large Hangers, including one that granted over 240 Medical Rating for some of these components (!??!).

[h2]v3.4.11 - #359: Venerable Heavylift - 10/26/2024[/h2]
- New Ship: "Degla Heavylift" (9000M Heavy Transport)
- New Component: Armored Cargo Hold 3
- Further increased drop rate for "Zendu Relic" Explorer card
- Increased drop rate for Uncover Contact Network (1 Contact + All Links)
- Battle Prow 8 now adds +3 Ship Weapon Initiative
- Further fixes for logging issues with ship component damage
- Fixes for "Alistar Huntress" component loadouts
- Fixes for Large Hanger and high Medical Ratings
- Fixes for Large Hanger ship combat buffs
- Fixes for Armored Bulkheads 6

Star Traders, captains and travelers of the void - we are back again with another Star Traders: Frontiers update. This one took a while to finish -- more complicated than it sounds fixing some of the weirder bugs that were reported this week. Ahhh, STF, the gift (that you paid for) that keeps on giving (us more and more bugs.)

We're excited to keep this update train rolling and wanted to extend a hearty Thank you! to everyone who has posted a review or "badged up" to the Supporter Badge. You help us keep developing this lovely void simulation RPG ;)

[h2]Ultra Carrier 9000M[/h2]
Update #358 sees a new ultra carrier hull being constructed at Moklumnue starports around the quadrants, the Alistar Huntress. The Huntress joins the rare 9000 Mass category, bringing the number of these ships to 5. We are planning to release two more soon -- a 9000M heavy hauler transport, and a 9000M high durability battlecruiser to provide a foil for one of the all-time most popular ships, the Sword Battlecruiser.

The Alistar Huntress stands out within the super heavy category with the best in class Armor, middle of the road base Shields, Hull Points second only to the Cautela Titan, matched for best in class Base Fuel, 7 officers, 42 crew, 6 max craft and a component allocation of 16 small, 9 medium and 7 large.


[h2]3 New Defensive Components[/h2]
Update #358 also includes significant component expansions for ship components that can round out a defensive ship build, adding more options for Radiation and Void resistance as well as Armor and Shielding. These categories haven't seen expansions in some time, so these are considered prototypes and will likely see some balancing buffs or nerfs in the coming patches. For now, and until we complete the balance passes, the Enemy Ship Architect is prohibited from using these new components in hostile ship builds until they are verified.


[h2]New Explorer Card: Contact Network[/h2]
We have added a new card to the Explorer game, and fixed some existing ones. The new card is a +5 draw that, if picked, provides a Reputation-positive introduction to a Contact -- and all of that Contact's Links. This card has proven to be pretty powerful, as it can establish an entire mission and RTG network in a single pull.

In addition, we fixed some bugs with how Experience was allocated on the Zendu Revelations card and increased the drop rates on the Zendu Relic cards, which were not appearing in hands at the rate we intended due to some unexpected math oddities.

[h2]Other Bug Fixes![/h2]
In ship combat, you all reported some issues where the wrong component could be listed in the log -- this applied to both damage and repair talents and some small craft combat log messages. The error was strictly in the display code, but still glad to see it fixed. It explains occasional reports that a component was listed as damaged during battle but then later would be found undamaged.


[h2]Enemy Ship Warning![/h2]
We also gave the enemy shpip builder 2 new ships. Big ones. With lots of guns. Enjoy!

While rare the Bounty Hunter enemies may now come after you in the Alistar Huntress and the Military Office enemies may be at the helm of a Shizari Huntress.

[h2]v3.4.9 - #358: Huntress Grand - 10/11/2024[/h2]
- New Ship: "Alistar Huntress" (9000M Heavy Carrier)
- New Component: Hull Plating 6 (Void + Rad)
- New Component: Armored Bulkheads 6 (Armor + Void)
- New Component: Reinforced Structures 6 (Shield + Rad)
- Increased drop rate for "Zendu Relic" Explorer card
- New Explorer Card: Uncover Contact Network (1 Contact + All Links)
- Fixes for Ship Combat Buffs that Repair Components, Improved Logging
- Fixed some issues with Ship Component sort in Starport
- Fixed some logging issues for Victory Talents that damage Ship Components
- Warning: Bounty Hunter AI can (rare) proc "Alistar Huntress"
- Warning: Military AI can (rare) proc "Shizari Huntress"
- Fixed Reported Bugs

Star Traders - welcome all new captains to the void! We've been pushing new art updates in thanks for all the captains who jumped on the Supporter's Badge DLC recently. Unfortunately, one of the types of new artwork - Contact faces - is one we haven't done in a long time and we botched it just a little bit. In a small fraction of games, you could end up with a hung Contact list. We decided the only want to fix this was with more artwork!

Thanks to everyone who has joined us on this crazy journey, and enjoy this small, art-heavy update!


[h2]+4 Contact Faces[/h2]
We're excited to add 4 more Contact faces to the game, matching yesterday's +4 for a big +8 in variety. These interesting, odd, and fashionable gravs live their lives on the known worlds of the void. They are power players, criminals, princes and more. It is always exciting to come back to this catalog and add more depth!

[h2]Fixed 2 Bugs[/h2]
We fixed a bug that could cause your Contact list to refuse to open (thanks Update #356!) and also an old bug that could cause some variations of the Plague Era storyline to hang.

[h2]Battle Prow Prices[/h2]
The 3 new Battle Prows from #356 also had a minor issue of their price being the same regardless of level. This is now resolved with this patch.

It is a short one, but we hope the artwork sweetened it!

[h2]v3.4.7 - #357: Faces of the Void - 10/6/2024[/h2]
- New Art! Added art for 4 new Contact characters
- Fixed bug that could prevent contact list from opening
- Fixed bug with dialog in Plague Era that could crash at end of Era mission
- Fixed same price for Battle Prow 6, 7, 8

Welcome all new Turn-based RPG Fest captains! The void, the spice hall, and great adventure waits. Also the xeno are waiting. So let's get updating before they catch up to us. Update #56 includes new artwork, new Battle Prow ship components, improvements to Hangar Bays and an important fix for xeno ship encounters as well as balance changes to the Terrox Deathspear.

[h2]Cyber Knights: Flashpoint is in Turn-based RPG Fest too![/h2]
If you haven’t checked it out in a bit, our new game Cyber Knights: Flashpoint is evolving fast in Early Access with Update #150 recently going live. For Turn-based RPG Fest, we released a batch of stories that are filling out the Treaty '31 Era (you know Eras, Star Traders!!!) in which a new megacorporation joins the New Boston charter and "comes to town".

All support for Cyber Knights ultimately results in a brighter future for Star Traders, so hope you’ll check it out and spread the word!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


[h2]New Contact and Planet Artwork![/h2]
We wanted to send out special thanks to all of our amazing captains who have "badged up" and purchased the Supporter Badge DLC with some new and exciting artwork. We already released some new planetary environments in the last update, but this time we've come back to hit Zenrin Prime with a special city background as well as add a cool "underwater wreck" artboard for oceanic wild zones.

Also, we've added 4 new classic looks for your grav Contacts. We're excited to come back to expanding this catalog a bit after such a long break - it is also fun to see such new and interesting faces as you land across the quadrants and meet its power players.

[h2]Beastly Battle Prow 6, 7 and 8[/h2]
Rolling off the line in true beast mode, these Battle Prows boast major bonuses to boarding operations and craft defense as well as major Armor bonuses. These advanced versions of the less Battle Prows sell for a major penny, so they'll often be late career upgrades for boarding heavy, close range combat ships.

[h2]Hangar Bay Improvements[/h2]
We've continued to adjust and buff the meta around Hangar bays as a useful part of your ship stats in addition to holding craft. Stronger hangar bays - of which you need a couple - make larger carriers more powerful and more viable. With this update we've improved the Large Hangar Bay as well as its Shielded and Reinforced variations to grant additional defense bonus, bonuses against attack enemy craft and heightened armor.

The Alta Mesa Warhawk Hangar Bay joins in the boost with its own bonuses to Craft Defense and ship defense as well.

The variations in hangar bays can help you puzzle together the right results you want out of the stats from these bays as you build out a ship that might have to dedicate 4+ component slots to them in order to support your fleet.


[h2]Xeno Ship Crashes / Fails[/h2]
For all those players hitting issues where a xeno ship would be encountered and then the Fight button in the ship encounter screen would lead to a black screen or a crash, we've resolve the issue now! Apologies for the bug and you can fight xeno again.


[h2]Deathspear Xeno Balance[/h2]
The Terrox Deathspear has received some balance changes to ensure it is different and exciting enough of a combatant in ship. With Update #356, we have reduced its Ship Hull by 10% (300 pts) and increased its base Armor by +2. You can carve through the Deathspear a little faster now assuming you can reduce or work around the armor!

[h2]v3.4.5 - #356: Hall of Memories - 10/4/2024[/h2]
- New Art! New planetary image added -- new Zenrin Prime specific art, Hall of Memories
- New Art! New planetary image added -- new Oceanic wild zone shows crashed ship
- New Art! Added art for 4 new Contact characters
- New Ship Components: Battle Prow 6-8; optimized for close range boarding and cover for craft
- Buffs for Large Hangar Bay (Normal, Shielded, Reinforced) now grants Ship Defense, Craft Attack, Armor
- Warhawk Hangar Bay now grants Craft Defense, Craft Offense and Ship Defense
- Fixed issue with xeno ship fights ending in black screen or crash
- Reduced Terrox Deathspear Xeno Ship Hull Points by 10% (-300)
- Increased Terrox Deathspear Base Armor by +2

The Summer of Star Traders is coming to a close but fear not - this begins the long, cold, dark of winter. Expect the worst -- freezing blasts of content, new ships flying like icy daggers, a veritable blizzard of new stuff for Star Traders. So, take the captains' chair, buckle up, get a warm space suit and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Whatever Autumn, move over for the Winter of Star Traders!


[h2]Supporter's Badge DLC ($5)[/h2]
First up, let us extra a huge THANK YOU to all the captains who have "badged up" to the new Supporters Badge DLC. We knew you liked the updates, but wow! Let's keep it rolling.

Since it is our first and only DLC for Star Traders: Frontiers, we're going to keep talking about it in the next few updates so that players who didn't see the original post can catch the news - we've added a $5 DLC to Star Traders: Frontiers.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3198060/Star_Traders_Frontiers_Supporter_Badge/

This DLC contains no additional game content, it only supports the many years of free content and features added to the base game since release. The Supporter DLC adds a small Supporter's Badge graphic to your main menu and ship status screen; no in-game effects, locked content or features, it's purely a way to support our studio and the future of Star Traders if you desire to do so.

Since Star Traders: Frontier’s full launch in 2018, we’ve been thrilled to keep the game growing with an ongoing stream of free content updates, more than 250 of them over 6 years (not counting the 90 updates in EA). We’ve often been asked about expansions or paid DLC content, but we believed making content available for free to everyone who bought the game is the better way to do it.

Now, with the game having more than twice (in some areas three times) as much content as it did at launch, some have suggested that we raise the price, but we don’t think that makes sense for keeping the Star Traders community growing.


[h2]New Planetary Artwork[/h2]
First, the exciting stuff -- thanks to everyone who is carrying a Supporter Badge -- this update includes new artwork for planetary landings. This update brings 3 new custom-made art boards to add variety to Jungle outposts, Molten Urban and Desert wilds. These art boards will show up for all players immediately when installing v3.4.3, no map regeneration is required. Trese Brothers -- always backwards compatible!



[h2]Zendu Relics in Exploration[/h2]
Second, a new rare card that drops unique (one per game) S-tier relic gear. This new card appears in the Explorer game deck, most often on high danger worlds. This card, if drawn, will grant Experience, Traits and of course, a piece of Relic Gear. There are two groups with 4 unique pieces of gear each. Each of the 8 gear pieces will ever only appear once per Captain.

While we were adding these new pieces of gear, we discovered a rounding error that was causing a meaningful % of Relics to never drop in most saved games. While adding the new card we also fixed the existing Explorer card that grants Relics so that the entire range of intended rewards is available.

This adds about 20 relics that were not dropping back into the catalogs. Enjoy!


[h2]Ship Crippling Effects[/h2]
This patch rolls up a number of balance adjustments we've been testing in ship combat for the past few weeks. All together they adjust Crippling Effects to increase their variation from each other and to make them each more impactful on ship combat.

Be warned -- these more deadly effects can hit both your opponents and your own ship equally. Double check that your crew is ready with enough ship combat effect purging Talents to clear these if you get them.

This is the first of several balance adjustments for ship combat aimed at adding more variety to some elements that were too similar to others. For example, Electrical Fires and Hull Venting are now substantially different when compared. Depending on if you're trying to cook crew or burn out weapons, one or the other will be a better choice.

So get out there Captain and enjoy the last rays of this year's summer sun. Grab a cup of hot spice, take in some new planetary vistas and go relic hunting in the latest Star Traders: Frontiers update.

[h2]v3.4.3 - #355: Jungle Moon, Zendu Relic - 9/19/2024[/h2]
- New Art! 3 New planetary images added -- new Jungle Moon, Molten City and Desert Waste
- New ultra-rare, ultra-powerful "Zendu Relic" Explorer card and 8 new pieces of unique gear
- Revised Crippling Effects -- 'Bomb' can now cause Secondary Explosions, 'Rocket' can now trigger cause Engine Failure
- Secondary Explosions (caused by Bomb and Missile) crippling effect received a damage boost
- System Blackout (caused by Energy Weapons) crippling effect now reduces Reactor Points by -2 (-1 previously)
- Crew Panic (caused by Mass Drivers) crippling effect now includes -10 Escape penalty
- Electrical Fires now cause +25% more component damage over time, and -10% less crew damage
- Venting Hull now causes +25% more crew damage over time, and -10% less component damage
- Fixed issue preventing certain types of gear (about 20) from dropping as relics