Astro Protocol News

[p]Our friends at Fancy Raven Games have released Interstellar Espionage Inc. a strategy game where you manage an interstellar spy business with lunchbreak-length runs.[/p][p]Explore a randomized universe, build a galaxy-wide espionage network, steal technology and corporate data. Partner with megacorporations or sell their secrets to bankrupt them. Profit and retire![/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[dynamiclink]Interstellar Espionage Inc[/dynamiclink]

[h3]Weekly Challenge Mode[/h3][p]A new Weekly Challenge is now available!
Each week, the game generates a new set of randomized galaxy settings and rules shared across all players. Your challenge seed changes automatically every Monday, so everyone in the world faces the same scenario for that week.[/p][p]Think you can finish faster than others? Share your fastest victory screenshots in the [c]#weekly-challenge[/c] channel on our Discord.[/p][h3]Ship Rebalance & Ability Updates[/h3][p]All ships have been rebalanced with new attack, damage, armor, and shield values and two abilities have been updated:[/p]

• [p]Invader now spends all action points when colonizing planets.[/p]
• [p]Oracle now provides shields to adjacent non-carrier ships, making it a valuable fleet support vessel.[/p]

[h3]UI Rework[/h3][p]We’ve reworked the station and ship build menus so they no longer require scrolling, keeping all build options visible at a glance. Menus have also been moved to the left side of the screen closer to tooltips for faster access and a more cohesive layout.[/p][h3]Other Highlights[/h3]

• [p]Added “Disband Ship” button for better fleet management.[/p]
• [p]Improved AI early-game shipbuilding and movement efficiency.[/p]
• [p]Added gradients to faction logos.[/p]
• [p]Added “No more techs available” message in the research menu.[/p]
• [p]Improved tooltip placement.[/p]
• [p]Added playtest signup link in the main menu.[/p]

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed Decentralized Shielding tech not appearing.[/p]
• [p]Fixed navigation crash.[/p]

[p]Thank you to everyone testing, sharing feedback, and helping Astro Protocol grow with every update.[/p][p]See you among the stars![/p]

[p]The 0.16 update is here, bringing major improvements to performance, AI, and overall gameplay experience.[/p][h3]Faster Multithreaded AI[/h3][p]The AI now uses all available CPU cores, making turns significantly faster on modern systems. You’ll notice much faster decision-making, especially on larger maps.
In addition, AI logic for colonization, terraforming, researching, ship-building, starport management, and positioning has been improved. Expect rival factions to me even more intelligent and challenging.[/p][h3]Two New Support Stations[/h3][p]The station selection has been expanded with two new tactical structures:[/p]

• [p]Armament Grid Station boosts attack and damage of nearby friendly ships.[/p]
• [p]Shield Matrix Station strengthens the shield of nearby friendly ships.[/p][p]These stations reward careful positioning and open new defensive and offensive strategies for mid- and late-game.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]New Notification System[/h3][p]Stay informed with the new notification UI, which highlights key in-game events and decisions. It’s now easier to keep track of what’s happening across your growing empire.[/p][h3]Other Highlights[/h3]

• [p]Reordered planets in the terraform menu[/p]
• [p]Bigger building indicators[/p]
• [p]Unmet players’ victory points now shown in end screen.[/p]
• [p]Numerous bug fixes and UI refinements.[/p]
• [p]Menus on the right side of the screen can now be closed by right clicking[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing sounds[/p]
• [p]Fix incorrect tooltip texts for techs and stations.[/p]

[h3]Next Fest[/h3][p]It’s been a couple of weeks since Steam Next Fest, and we’re still thrilled by the response, the game has now surpassed 3,000 wishlists![/p][p]A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who played, shared feedback, or spread the word. Your support continues to propel Astro Protocol forward toward launch.[/p][p]See you among the stars![/p]

[p]We’re excited to announce that Astro Protocol will be part of Next Fest, October 13–20![/p][p]To celebrate, we’re releasing Update 0.15 bringing major improvements to the demo including the Myrmidon Horde, a brand new playable faction available only during the festival week.[/p][h2]New Faction: The Myrmidon Horde[/h2][p]The Myrmidon Horde joins the battle for control of the Protocol. This faction is composed of species bound by swarm intelligence and divided into specialized sub-classes. Many slaves from other alliances have been absorbed into the swarm or adapted its parasitic survival strategies on their own. Under a rigid collective will, Myrmidons have been reshaped for different roles across the cosmos.[/p][p]Fatal experiments have accelerated their evolution, giving them high mobility at the cost of shorter lifespans. Despite their isolationist nature, Myrmidon galactic politics remain fiercely expansionist.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Ship Classes[/h2][p]Every ship in Astro Protocol now belongs to one of four core classes, giving fleets clearer roles and tactical depth.[/p]

• [p]Scout class ships are weak and inexpensive.[/p]
• [p]Cruiser class ships are fast, offensive ships with high attack and damage values.[/p]
• [p]Battleship class ships are slow, defensive ships with high armor and shield values.[/p]
• [p]Carrier class ships are long-range ships with strong support abilities.[/p]

[p]We’ve also added 19 new class-specific technologies and upgrades. Researching these allows you to specialize your fleets, from stronger Battleship armor to faster Cruisers or improved Carrier strike range. We've also renamed and rebalanced some of the ships.[/p][p]This new structure gives fleets clearer roles and new possibilities for customizing your strategy.[/p][h2]New Anomalies[/h2][p]The Protocol has become even stranger. You will now encounter new anomalies that offer powerful rewards and upgrades for specific ship classes. Choose your upgrades wisely and adapt your fleets to each challenge.[/p][p][/p][h2]Other Updates[/h2][p]We have also made a lot of other updates since 0.14.0 such as adding a new station, Network Hub which can be used to extend network, made many improvements to user interface, tutorial and enemy AI. In fact the AI improvement Xilmi has been making has made the normal difficulty AI so good that I have lost against it on two developer streams on a row now.[/p][h2]Join the Festival[/h2][p]Version 0.15 includes all the content planned for the demo. Next, our focus will shift toward developing new features and content exclusive to the full version of the game.[/p][p]If you have not tried the demo yet, now is the perfect time. It is feature complete, and the Myrmidon Horde faction will be available only during Steam Next Fest. Next Fest would also be a great time to let your friends know about the game and ask them to wishlist or play the demo.[/p][p]We will also be hosting a live developer stream at the start of the festival, showcasing Myrmidon Horde gameplay. The stream will be available on our Steam page. Will I lose against the AI for the third time in a row?[/p][p]Livestream schedule 13th of October:[/p]

• [p]Finland: 22:00 – 00:00[/p]
• [p]Central Europe: 21:00 – 23:00[/p]
• [p]United Kingdom: 20:00 – 22:00[/p]
• [p]UTC: 19:00 – 21:00[/p]
• [p]US Eastern Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM[/p]
• [p]US Central Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM[/p]
• [p]US Mountain Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM[/p]
• [p]US Pacific Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM[/p]

[p]We look forward to seeing how you will use the new faction, ship classes, and upgrades to conquer the galaxy.[/p]

[p]We’re excited to announce that Astro Protocol will be featured during Finnish Games Week with a special developer livestream 10th of October![/p][p]When:[/p]

• [p]22:00–00:00 Finnish Time[/p]
• [p]21:00–23:00 Central European Time[/p]
• [p]20:00–22:00 UTC[/p]
• [p]16:00–18:00 Eastern Time[/p]
• [p]15:00–17:00 Central Time[/p]
• [p]14:00–16:00 Mountain Time[/p]
• [p]13:00–15:00 Pacific Time[/p]

[p]We’ll be playing Astro Protocol live. Feel free to drop by, hang out, and ask questions during the stream![/p][p]Don’t miss this chance to see the game in action and meet the devs - live during Finnish Games Week![/p]