Star Traders: Frontiers News

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

Captains, welcome back from the void. Come sit a while in the spice hall and listen to the stories we have today - of Exo-Scouts and explorers, salvagers and supporters of the grand factions.

With Update #354, we've added the all new Exo-Scout profession to the game. And after 6 years, we're releasing our first ever DLC - a totally-optional, no-content-gated $5 Supporter's Badge.

[h2]Supporter's Badge DLC ($5)[/h2]
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.

Instead, we’re launching this Supporters DLC to give those who want to support our studio a way to do so, if you find it worth it for all the extra content that’s been added to the game since full launch:

• RELIC Expansion - all new Orbital Salvage Op and the Scavenger Job and Profession
  
• TERROX Expansion - new xeno ships, components, and crew jobs
  
• INTERDICTION Expansion - added carrier ship types, 3 types of craft and matching Wing Jobs
  
• HIGHFALL Expansion - late game Era determines the direction of the coalition with Dissension or Consolidation story arcs
  
• BROOD Expansion - all new late game Era with new and terrifying Jyeeta alien species
  
• CATALYST Expansion - all new Scientific Intel system, Scientist Job and Profession
  
• TEMPLAR Expansion - crossover storyline with unique NPCs and weapons added
  
• CARTOGRAPHER Expansion - map seed v2 improving all map generation, allowing for larger and smaller maps, new default map
  
• MODS Expansion - added official mod support for the game, including all-unlocks mod version & Steam Workshop support
  
• Many more new ships, gear, crew jobs, cosmetics, professions, traits, ship components, story vignettes, planet art, modding support, and more across hundreds of other updates.
  

^and this was last updated in January 2023; we've just kept adding since then lol.

If you like the way we do things here at Trese Brothers, and want to support the future of the Star Traders series, this DLC offers a way to show that support.

Whether you're a new captain or you've ridden out 300+ updates since Early Access with us on this crazy journey, thank you for your support in all of its many forms - hanging out with us in Discord, posting on reddit or in the Steam forums, sending in bug reports and new suggestions or leaving a review.

We're looking forward to bringing you more Star Traders.

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


[h2]Exo-Scout Profession[/h2]
We are thrilled to roll out a new profession - the Exo-Scout who boasts an ancient Star Traders charter, hailing from the days when the quadrants were yet to be founded and the Templar were signing charters themselves to bring more Star Traders into the space-faring fold.

The Exo-Scout is a great profession for their focus and two-fold versatility: they can be kitted out to be a very adaptable crew combatant or a leader in Exploration-heavy career. Or both. Or stand toe-to-toe with xeno. Or die horribly standing on the toes of the xeno ... It all depends on how you do it, captain.



Adding new professions opens up totally new paths to play for both systems and role-playing purposes and we can't wait to see what you do with the Exo-Scout - tell us your stories!


[h2]Better Trait Generators[/h2]
Traits are generated for characters based on their homeworld, faction and job. We've improved the options that can be rolled up for Exo-Scouts and Blade Masters with Update #354, giving them a few more options to pull from which can make them more exciting recruits or additions to the crew.


[h2]Conflict-Linked Mission Expirations[/h2]
Missions linked to Conflicts always have the risk that the Conflict expires. In some cases, the game has not been handling the expiration of the Conflict with the best grace, and instead of printing a message about "intel from ERROR" which wasn't very helpful. We've cleaned up a number of these misprints with a more helpful message.


[h2]Double Landing UI Bug[/h2]
We fixed one series of clicks or keystrokes you could make that would result in you getting hit (or maybe you think of it as a bonus?) with a double Landing on a planet. Once you've landed, you're counted as landed and do not get another landing event unless you move or play a round of an Orbital Op. This bug could cause a landing event without either of these circumstances being true.
 
[h2]v3.4.1 - 9/17/2024[/h2]
- New Profession: Exo-Scout (Leads exploration and crew combat from the back line)
- Updated starting Trait generators to support Blade Master & Exo Scout
- Fixed several issues with Conflict-linked Missions after the Conflict expired
- Fixed a UI issue that could cause a double landing
- Fixed typos for the Blade Master profession's Traits

The Summer of Star Traders isn't over yet! This is our 9th update since we opened the doors for the Summer event and we're excited to say - it's been so much fun, we're going to keep on rolling into the Autumn of Star Traders. While Update #353 is a Bomber-focused rebalance and bug fix, we've got some exciting things coming up so stay tuned.

[h2]Our new game is more than halfway through Early Access![/h2]
Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, our stealth & squad tactics heist RPG, launched into Steam Early Access in late 2023 and has received over 135 updates! Does that sound familiar to any other (space captain) game you love? Cyber Knight's features even more in-depth character builds, turn-based stealth & combat, and a major evolution on the Star Trader's story engine that selects storylines and weaves different members of your squad and contacts into them in dynamic ways that we never achieved with STF. We hope you'll come check it out or wishlist it to give it another look when the game launches!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/

[h2]Bomber Meta Rebalance[/h2]
We've rebalanced many of the ranges in Bomber damage, straightening out some odd bends and crooks in the progression. We've widened up the range of the damage dice rolled for bombs, pushing for more impact from buffing Talents in order to get the most optimal bombing runs. Some later game bombers have also had their Radiation Damage buffed.


[h2]Scraping off the bugs[/h2]
A big thanks goes out to players continuing to report bugs here on Steam and through other channels. Star Traders: Frontiers continues to draw new captains to the void and with each new play through, we can still find little things that can improved or fixed.


This update fixes some ship combat logs that were sometimes showed giant negative numbers (-135810933181) instead of the actual dice rolls (22 Strong Dice) which could occur if the enemy captain or officers used Talents like Blood Game.

We've fixed a possible crash in the defeat screen if the enemy Captain tried to use a Prize Ship talent to claim your ship in the case of your captain's death or defeat.

We also fixed a few mixed up values and hovers in the craft screen - either purchasing or reviewing them - where the Radiation and Void Damage hovers could flip or where the minimum Rank shown for craft purchases could just end up being the wrong value in longer craft lists.

Thanks to all of our players, we've got more coming in the Summer of Star Traders!

[h2]v3.3.121 - 9/13/2024[/h2]
- Rebalanced Small Craft Bomber Damage, Damage Ranges, Radiation Damage Ratios (human+xeno)
- Fixed Radiation and Void Dmg hovers showing incorrect rules in craft list
- Fixed AI ship boarding messages and rolls when AI uses boarding Talents like Blood Game
- Fixes defeat screen crash where the AI would attempt to seize a player's ship as a prize ship
- Fixes issues with Minimum Rank and Small Craft Purchases (Display & Rules now match)
- Fixed reported bugs and crashes

From the wastes we have returned, Star Traders! Some late summer vacation put a pause on Star Traders: Frontiers updates for a minute but we're back in the spice hall and let's keep this ride going. Let's check out what we've got in Update #352!

[h2]Updates for All![/h2]
Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, our stealth & squad tactics heist RPG, launched into Steam Early Access and how is marching to Update #132 and a major milestone MAGNITUDE v2 today as it battles through its ambitious public roadmap. In celebration of the big milestone hit, the entire Steam catalog including Star Traders: Frontiers and Cyber Knights: Flashpoint are on sale this week.

If you're looking for a story rich, squad-based RPG, take a minute to follow, wishlist or try Cyber Knights! 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 Dragoon Missile Launcher[/h2]
With Update #325, we've released a new Dragoon is small slot level 9 missile launcher. As the highest level small slot missile around, it has a solid 80 Radiation Damage and a big boost for regular ship damage that lets it beat out both the Valkri and Gargoyle missiles for sheer crushing power.


[h2]Improved Crew Dmg / Morale Dmg during Travel & Landing[/h2]
With this update, we've completed a full review of travel and landing saves for Ship Ops, Electronics and other Skills that are used. We found a few places where the math - which is taking into account a lot of factors like crew size, component complexity, Rumors, etc - could get extremely spikey and produce unfairly large damage results for both health and Morale.

These issues were especially caused by bad Rumors. Bad, bad Rumors :D

We've smoothed these over to reduce sudden spikes. In other advice, be sure to have enough Saving Talents, ensure that you have highly skilled crew to work your specialized ships (keep your Skill Saves well above 100%!) and where possible keep all soft skills (Doctor, Command, Intimidate) above the head count of crew on board.


[h2]New AI Ships in the Mix[/h2]
We've also finished testing the AI ship builder capabilities for a number of new hulls - including the Vengeance Class Mk3, Wolfpack Interceptor, Paladin Crusader and Voracious. While it is nice that you can now use Prize Ship to capture these ships as your own, it is important to be wary of enemy captains who are flying these recently released hulls as they are doing pretty interesting things with them.

Finally, we've added a new AI variation for the Terrox Deathspear which can help the AI turn it into an even more deadly boat.

[h2]Re-balanced 2 Railguns[/h2]
We tweaked the balance on the Seraphim Railgun and the Daystar Railgun to ensure that they fit into the mold of the weapon class and are appropriate in stats for the small and medium slots. Be sure to check them out as you consider your next ship build.

v3.3.119 - 8/26/2024
- New Ship Weapon: Dragoon Missile Launcher (medium slot)
- Improved rules for Crew Damage and Crew Morale Damage as a result of Rumor, Travel or Landing tests
- New enemy AI for "Vengeance Class Mk3" + "Wolfpack Interceptor" + "Paladin Crusader" + "Voracious Class" + "Terrox Deathspear"
- Reworked "Daystar Railgun" Ship Weapon (small slot)
- Buffed Seraphim Railgun Array (medium slot)
- Fixed reported bugs and crashes