Star Traders: Frontiers News

Last year we were more than qualified for Steam's Labor of Love nomation and we've dropped almost an additional 100 updates since then! All the updates are coming to the game free without additional cost, without gimmicks -- just amazing features, new contents, system improvements, and now the Map v2 generator.

We're not done with Star Traders: Frontiers yet and still have more to do. In fact, 2021 is going to bring some of the most exciting changes yet as we complete the long-posted public roadmap and look to what's next.

As they say, Shalun favors the brave so let's charge the fences and nominate Star Traders: Frontiers for this years Labor of Love.

Also, if you'd like to help "nominate" Cyber Knights: Flashpoint as next year's "Best New Turn-Based Tactics Cyberpunk Heist RPG" then click wishlist below!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/

Last Updated 11/25/2020 at 6 PM EST

We're celebrating the Autumn Sale and the coming close of the year with a series of big updates! With Update #240, we're rolling out the major milestone "CARTOGRAPHER" which debuts the highly anticipated map generator version 2.0.

Major Milestone CARTOGRAPHER adds map seeds v2 to the map generator as a new option. These new maps feature better balance, more variety and up to 60 max quadrants. Within the quadrants themselves, we've improved the variety of the maps to include both quadrants that are much larger and harder to traverse as well as those that are even denser. The changes are a roll-up of all the feedback we've gathered from 3 years and hundreds of thousands of maps generated with v1. It is hard to summarize them all, except to say that map v2 are going to create more exciting, more varied and (if you configure it) larger galaxies.

It is critical to say up front that you can keep playing all of your captains who are on v1 maps. You can also keep starting new games on v1 maps you love. If you create new maps in v2, they will come with all the improvements but ALL of our updates are always fully backwards compatible so there is no concern of invalidated saved games or any of those amateur-hour shenanigans.

If word hasn't trickled down from the tippity top of the New Boston spires, leaked below the streets and drip-drip-dripped into your safehouse, we're here to tell you about our upcoming turn-based cyberpunk heist RPG. Cyber Knights: Flashpoint will be coming to Steam in 2021 and mixes stealth, hacking and tactical combat with deep RPG elements and a unique heist system for missions. The wishlist button is calling your name, Knight. If you didn't know, now you know.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


It is also that special season of the year when Steam asks us all to nominate amazing games that we love. This year, we're going up for Labor of Love and hope you'll join in by nominating us!

[h2]Create New V2 Maps![/h2]
Just make sure the "Use Map v2 Generator" checkbox is enabled when create a new map to use all the new map proc gen rules and content. You can still create v1 maps by unchecking the box.




[h2]Map Preview[/h2]
Joining map seeds v2 in Update #240 is the all new map preview feature set. When you are browsing maps you can now see a quick summary of the details for that map, including the counts of how many quadrants each faction owns as well as the total zone count for each faction.

If you need to know more, you can pop open the map preview from within the map list and take a spin around the map without needing to start a new game. This map preview includes everything you need to know, showing all the gates, quadrants, systems and their zones as well as all the stats. You can filter and sort the data just as you would in the game. Finally, this display also highlights the starting quadrant for each faction so you can look and see exactly where you'd get going (and what Danger you'd find) if you started as Javat versus Thulun.

For map grinders, this is really exciting. If you're looking for a certain structure, something new and original, or a map that is tilted toward a certain faction you can now grind and examine maps far more quickly and enjoyably.


[h2]Default Map for V2[/h2]
We have decided not to roll out a default map for map seed v2 yet. If you start a new game and use the default map, you will start on the map v1 default map. We are putting out a call to all captains to suggest seeds for the default map. The default map for v1 was discovered in this way during the game's alpha, found and promoted by some enterprising captains.

Please share the coolest seeds you find on the Map V2 Seed Exchange thread and post your seeds that could be candidates for the v2 default map to the Default Map V2 thread.

[h2]v3.1.1 - 11/25/2020[/h2]
- Map Seed v2 creates all new, improved, larger maps
- Create endless new map variety, improved balance and proc gen rules, up to 60 quads
- Improved variety of quadrant maps including very large and dense maps
- Keep playing v1 seeds and captains as much as you like
- New map preview features allows you to examine a map before playing it
- Map preview includes starting quadrants, ability to look at all zone data
- New map details shown when selecting a map including faction quadrants and zones
- When drawing a "Strike a Blow" card from Spying, added Electronics save to be extra sneaky and avoid Rep loss
- Fixed reward and availability of Major Score orbital ops card

[h2]v3.1.3 - 11/25/2020[/h2]
- Fixed some issues with hyperwarp gate linking in v2 maps

[h2]v3.1.4 - Mac Only[/h2]
- Fixed crash in v2 map gen for Mac OS

Update #239 cuts down another major content milestone on our dev roadmap by delivering a heaping mile of new guns, armor and gear. With 22 new high level pieces of equipment added -- between Contacts, ship's weapon lockers and Salvage-ready relics -- there is a bevy of new stuff to go hunting. We know your officers will be bickering over who gets what!

With this major new blast of equipment, we're excited to announce we've far exceeded the content expansion for weapons, armor and gear and have officially struck it from the roadmap. We had it penciled in at 200% and this new set has brought us over the 300% line. It is high time to knock it from the list and move on to what is next! As with all the content expansion milestones, this is not a promise that we won't add more later :D


[h2]Cyber Knights: Flashpoint[/h2]
If you haven't heard the rumors of Cyber Knights: Flashpoint crackling across the matrix in 2231, maybe you should just read about it on PCGamer.com! They've just helped us share our upcoming turn-based cyberpunk RPG. Cyber Knights: Flashpoint which is on its way to Steam in 2021. Mixing elements of stealth, hacking and tactical combat, Flashpoint is a true turn-based tactics RPG. You'll want to Wishlist this puppy today because -- that's right, you can get cyberdog and cybercat companions. If you didn't know, now you know.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


[h2]Weapon Locker A6[/h2]
To the tune of over $350,000 and requiring a starport with Military Rating 10, the A6 is the most difficult of weapon lockers to secure for your ship. However, boasting grade 6 Phoenix-class weaponry and armor, it provides the easiest full-team access to the most powerful weaponry. The A6 focuses on providing a direct ramp up in power and utility from the A5. However, as these are mid to late game weaponry, a small percentage of the Accuracy bonus points have been shaved off (usually 1-2 pts) and dedicated their value to the Damage, Parry, Init and Piercing scores.

Enemy ships -- especially those of the military design -- will start to install A6 in mid to late game as of Update #238, so be sure to be ready for their harder hits.


[h2]Grade 5 Gear[/h2]
All Contacts who sell gear -- specialist, military or wing -- now offer grade 5. Some powerful and truly cool items are landing with this update including the new GAATSO Interlink and Mammothshot.

[h2]Destroying Ships to Support Conflicts[/h2]
The ramifications of destroying enemy ships during Solar War and Trade War Conflicts was not previously well expressed in the game. We've now added it to the tooltips for Conflicts and slightly expanded the rule for Trade Wars.

If you destroy a Military Officer, Bounty Hunter, Zealot, Spy or Pirate ship during a Solar War, you strike a blow in the Conflict for the other faction and gain Rep with that faction. If you destroy a Smugger, Merchant or Pirate (new addition!) during a Trade War, you strike a blow as well.

This is another great way you can take action in Conflicts on top of all the other options.

[h2]v3.0.125 - 11/16/2020[/h2]
- Added ship component Weapon Locker A6 provides Phoenix-class weapons and armor (6 new weapons, 3 new armors)
- Contacts now sell up to grade 5 for all gear types (Military, Specialist, Wing)
- Added 4 new grade 5 gears (Mammothshot, Cambre Cutter, GAATSO Interlink, Vrax Harness)
- Added 6 new ultra rare level 9 Relic Weapons (Towerblade, Kiret Karat, Titan Heavy, Arbitration Breacher, Otrike Mauler, Solar Viper Heavy)
- Added 3 new ultra rare level 8 Relic Armors (Frozburn Mesh, Strak Heavy, Gauzlight Stern)
- Rebalanced prices of Armor for sale by Contact and found salvaging
- Rebalanced prices of Weapons found salvaging
- Minor bebalance to some level 5 and 6 gear, Bladeguide Aegis, Plasfire Cutter
- Added rules for supporting Conflicts by destroying ships to Conflict tooltips
- Destroy Merchant, Smuggler or Pirate ships to support Trade War and gain Rep
- Destroy Military Officer, Bounty Hunter, Zealot, Spy or Pirate ships to support Trade War and gain Rep

Update #238 continues some of the follow-up work from the major milestone CATALYST released last month. With this update, we've added 2 new Contacts and upgraded more Contact Traits to better enable Intel / Scientific Intel. We've also improved the dual-Intel system to better allow Contacts to be fully interested in both types. Finally, we've added a filter to the Contact list dedicated to Scientific Intel.


[h2]Away Team Community Challenge[/h2]
We've kicked off a new Community Challenge for the month of November, challenging you to build your best Away Team of 3 and see how rich you can get exploring before someone falls.
https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/335620/view/2961640281625025897

[h2]New Contacts[/h2]
Two new Contacts have joined the ranks of gravs. The Military Researcher provides rank, recruits Soldiers, sells Military Gear and buys Scientific Intel. The Retired Theoretician recruits Scientists, has Black Market potential, sells Specialist Gear and buys Scientific Intel. These two new additions help improve the recruitment tables, expands access to Scientists and adds more options for selling Scientific Intel.

[h2]Intel-Buying Traits[/h2]
With Update #238, we've expanded the Contact Trait system around Traits that enable buying Intel. Contacts with Trait "Covert" and "Data Hound" are now always willing to buy Intel, even if they already bought Scientific Intel. Contacts with Trait "Researcher" and "Technologist" are now always willing to buy Scientific Intel even if they already bought Intel. These Traits now create cool situations in which a Contact will buy both, giving you even more avenues to Rep up with your Contacts.

[h2]Improved Filtering[/h2]
To help you find Contacts who will buy your Scientific Intel, we've added a new filter to the Contact list specifically for Scientific Intel. The Intel filter is now only for faction espionage Intel, making it faster to find exactly what you need.

[h2]Cyber Knights: Flashpoint[/h2]
If word hasn't trickled down from the tippity top of the dome, seeped through the cracked concrete down to your safehouse, we've got news for you about our upcoming turn-based cyberpunk RPG. Cyber Knights: Flashpoint will be coming to Steam in 2021 and mixes elements of stealth, hacking and tactical combat with deep RPG elements and base building. You'll want to Wishlist this puppy today because -- that's right, you can get cyberdog and cybercat companions. If you didn't know, now you know.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/

[h2]v3.0.123 - 11/6/2020[/h2]
- Added 2 new Contact types -- Military Researcher and Retired Theoretician offering variety of buying Scientific Intel, recruits, rank and permit
- Added Contact list filter for "Buys Scientific Intel" separate from "Buys Intel"
- Contacts with Trait "Covert" and "Data Hound" are now always willing to buy Intel
- Contacts with Trait "Researcher" and "Technologist" are now always willing to buy Scientific
- Fixed issues with Intel buying Traits when overlapping with Contact type services, Contacts with such Traits might by both types of Intel
- Improved clarity in a few places with Scientific Intel, fixed other typos

[h2]End-of-Month Wrap-up: The Winner, Honorable Mentions, and Next Month’s Challenge...[/h2]
(Original challenge description below, skip to it?)
[h3]Congratulations to the Away Team challenge winner: bogboy3![/h3]

After three runs of the challenge, bogboy3's Captain Blanca White Shirt proved the most successful, even at Impossible Difficulty. Completing 143 expeditions, her team fell at last while using their talents to avoid conflict with other scavengers… only to run right into a Xeno nest. There were no survivors. Farewell, away team. 1,961.25 pieces (points) to beam up.

[h3]Honorable Mentions[/h3]
Zer0winds, the first to fall. Her Captain Alice Stratos, of the independent research ship Aurora, set the tone for all of us in this challenge with her short but wonderfully written expedition logs, ending with the famous last words, “this expedition seems to be going well.”

Shad1902, whose exploration ambitions were well underway before getting side-tracked (as plans made in this universe so often do), by an adventure offered to the Star Trader too enticing to pass up.


And last but not least, thanks to all of you who chimed in with challenge strategies, tips, and encouragement.

If you couldn’t quite get to this challenge in November or wrap it up over the Thanksgiving holidays, no worries! You can still post a run report for doing the Away Team challenge (or any of our previous challenges) at any time on the Steam forums or in our Discord.

We’ll always consider notable runs (impressive gameplay, fun screenshots / edits, fan art or stories) for a share on our Twitter or Facebook.

[h3]The December Challenge is coming tomorrow![/h3]
Get ready to celebrate a Star Trader tradition as old as Father Time, with a community challenge twist (or shake, or stir) we’ve never done before.

[h2]The Away Team Challenge![/h2]

We're kicking off a new run of brand new community challenges for you! This one’s for the explorers, the wilderness seekers, our Captains whose journeys through the void are to seek out strange, new worlds… and see what valuables might be hiding on them. 😁

Choose an “away team” of 3 crew members -- it can include your captain or officers but must include at least one regular crew member. No other crew members may have more Exploring card game Talents than any member of your away team trio at any time. This includes both Talents that remove or replace risk cards and Talents that passively increase Explorer rewards. We want to see who can explore the most while keeping the same consistent away team alive and kicking.

Away Team of Only 3
Whenever you encounter a crew combat while Exploring, you must include your entire 3 character Away Team in the battle, regardless of their condition. The fourth position in your combat squad is yours to fill as you see fit and is not a member of the Away Team This 4th character is completely up to you, does not need to be the same character between fights, can be crew/officer/captain and does not need to have any Explorer Talents. If you encounter a combat outside of Exploring, you can send anyone to the fight you want and have no requirement to use the Away Team but you may chose to do so.

Your Away team MUST include 3 characters:
> 1 crew member
> 1 officer, captain or crew member
> 1 officer, captain or crew member



Ends if Away Team Member Dies
If you lose a member of your away team, your run has ended. Regardless of how your Away Team member dies -- killed in an Explorer combat, killed in a non-Explorer combat, dead by torpedo, lost in an airlock accident -- at that time, use the scoring rules shown here to total your score. However, after totaling your score you may start a second run of the challenge by selecting a new away team from your crew. For your second run, select a new away team of 3, but:

• Only one member from your previous away team may be part of your second away team. Traumatized by the death of their close companion, if the other member is surviving they must be dismissed or retrained to have fewer Explorer Talents than the new away team trio.
  
• Any unsold Scientific Intel must be sold before starting a new run. This Scientific Intel counts toward the score of your first run.
  

The second run scores just like the first except that your second score only includes points earned after you’ve formed your second away team. If your second run ends with an away team member death, you may start further subsequent runs with the same rules and scoring requirements.

The rule requiring that no other crew member has more Exploring Talents that any member of your away team increases the difficulty of the challenge. You must build an away team who is both skilled in crew combat as well as exploring. Or you can run light on Exploring Talents on the away team but that means the entire crew has to run light.

[h2]Scoring Rules[/h2]

Points awarded for:
1 point per exploration expeditions without losing an away team member (running the explorer card game, not explorer-based combats)
5 points per Scientific Intel sold to contacts
20 points each for up to 3 wilderness zones you include in your report, with at least three sentences about your adventures on the surface

Bonus points:
+0.25x points per difficulty level above basic
2x points for surviving 100 crew battles started from exploration
1.5x points for including a Scientist Captain in the away team

Note the bonuses are multiplicative. Therefore, at maximum you would get the calculation:
(Base Points) x 1.5 (for Scientist) x 2.5 (for Impossible diff) x 2.0 (for 100 explorer battles)

Counting Explorer Talents
No other crew member or officer may have more Exploring Talents than any member of your Away Team trio at any time. Therefore, your Away Team member with the lowest number of Explorer card game Talents sets the maximum for any member of the rest of your crew. If your Away Team each has 1 Explorer card game Talent, then any member of your crew may have 1 Explorer card game Talent but no non-Away Team member may have 2 Explorer card game Talents.

Only Talents that modify the cards or rewards of the Explorer card game are counted. Therefore, Exo-Scout's "Scout's Intuition" Talent which automatically saves a failed Explorer save does not count as it does not change the cards or their rewards. On the other hand, Exo-Scout's "Persistent Search" increases the rewards of Explorer cards and therefore is counted. So is Exo-Scout's "Keen Senses" which rerolls a risk card.

This rule also allows for you to play an entire crew that has no Explorer card game Talents. This would allow your Away Team to have no Explorer card game Talents and focus solely on crew combat Jobs.

Screenshots:
At the start and end of a run, the required screenshots are of:
Ship Status > Captains Log > Stats showing the “Traveling Far” section which includes exploration count and crew combats from exploration
Your away team members at the start of the run, any survivors at the end of the run.

Tasteful black-and-white “in memoriam” screenshots / memes of any dead members are optional.

Winners will receive internet fame and leaderboard-backed bragging rights, but honorable mentions await those who display creativity and effort as well.

Alright captains, ready your away teams. It’s wild out there, don’t get munched.


[h2]Previous Challenges[/h2]
You can also check out some of the awesome community challenges that have been run before:

• Firefly Tour travels the galaxy with only your officers
  
• Underworld Renown tests Smugglers
  
• Legendary Hunter challenges Bounty Hunters
  
• Small Ship to Prize Ship can burn even the best combat captain