Star Traders: Frontiers Update #149: Wayfinder's Command

[fallen]

Update #149 comes hot on the heels of #148 and issues in the final set of changes to the base Jobs that have been in planning and testing for a while now. In addition to Navs gaining some Command, both Gunners and Navs have gained a new saving Talent as well. We've improved the ease of finding the "Xeno Ruins" story, rebalanced new ship component, improved details on 2 crew combat Talents that nuke enemy Morale and fixed a host of community reported issues.

Thanks to everyone for sharing feedback, posting suggestions and bugs! If you're enjoying the game and the relentless pace of updates, we hope you will take a moment to post a review!

Wrapping Base Job Rebalance

We've moved quickly after Update #148 to finish the remaining rebalances to the base Jobs that were planned. With Gunners gaining a pool of Tactics over Ship Ops, they've helped add additional attack and range change dice to every ship in the galaxy. Now, with Update #149, we're finishing this sweep by splitting the Hyperwarp Navigators Tactics Skill into Command and Tactics. With Command taking their secondary Skill slot, Navs are now more helpful in defense and escape during ship combat while still retaining some value in range change and attack. Of course, their actual Navigation Skill plays a larger role if the ship is at long range in every type of maneuver.

On the bridge of a ship, your hyperwarp navigators often work together as a team, plotting and pathfinding through the void. They carry an important burden -- keeping the entire ship on course -- and it is especially heavy when they are called on to navigate a hyperwarp gate. And so, the voice and opinions of a Navigator are respected among the crew as everyone knows that their lives are in their hands at some point during the journey. And so, Command fits as a perfect secondary Skill for the Navs.


The final additions in this rebalance are two new Talents -- a Tactics saving Talent for your Gunners at rank 1 and a Command saving Talent for your Hyperwarp Navigators at rank 11. These new Talents provide new options for covering these critical Skill saves with protective Talents. The new "Bullseye Certainty" is the first saving Talent for Gunners, helping them fill a more rounded out role within the ship and the rank 11 "Pathfinder's Lead" makes Navigators one of the most unique and highly demanded Jobs in having a whooping 3 saving Talents.

All of the changes to the Gunner and Navigator Jobs have some subtle impacts to the ship combat meta which will play out in the following weeks. Excited to hear everyone's feedback about these changes to the ability to get Tactics and Command dice pool through standard crew.

Morale Nukers

We've fixed two issues with crew combat Talent descriptions missing an important clause that they nuke enemy Morale. Both Commander's Scorn and the Combat Medic's Toxin Terror were missing these clauses. They reduce the target's Morale by 10 + Intimidate or 10 + Doctor respectively.

Follow Up Balance

We've adjusted the Xeno Ruins story to be easier to find, now allowing it to also turn up during wilderness zone "Discovery" Rumors as well as the quadrant-wide "Artifact Finds".

The Plague Ward component was a bit OP and has been re-tuned with changes to its Medical Rating, cost and jump cost.

Wrapping up some late arrival craft bugs, we've fixed an issue with how Interdictor Buffs were being wrongly applied to the ship instead of launched craft as well as resolving an issue where certain enemy AI types refused to shoot at craft. This new round of fixes is bringing us much closer to the carrier AI being released.

We've also fixed bugs with Slippery Trader, Winning Compromise and Loyalty Rousing.

v2.5.25 - 5/12/2019

- "Xeno Ruins" explorer unique card story vignette can now appear during "Discovery" wilderness zone rumor as well as quadrant "Artifact Find"
- Rebuilt Hyperwarp Navigator Skill progression to add Command as a secondary Skill and bump Tactics to tertiary -- more valuable in defense and escape
- Added new Command Saving Talent for Hyperwarp Navigators at rank 11
- Added new Tactics Saving Talent for Gunners at rank 1
- Tweaked progression of Tactics for Gunner Job to start slower
- Adjusted price, medical rating and jump cost of "Plague Ward" component
- Added important missing description to Combat Medic's "Toxin Terror" and Commander's "Scorn" both cause (10+Skill) Morale Loss
- Fixed bug preventing enemy ship from firing on small craft with certain weapon types
- Fixed issue with "Tip of the Spear" and "Screening Swarm" causing the buffs to be transferred to the capital ship instead of craft
- Fixed bug preventing "Winning Compromise" and other price increasing Talents from firing reliably
- Fixed bug with Commander's "Loyalty Rousing" Talent causing it to heal more Morale than described
- Fixed bug allowing Smuggler's "Slippery Trade" to fire even if Rep loss was 0
- Fixed bug preventing credits display from updating immediately upon selling a ship in Dry Dock
- Fixed missing skill listing in Spice Hall Recruit

[contributor]

Wow I have this on Android already and you just posted it here an hour ago. Google employees must be on crack again. Maybe you have a player in their review department?

[fallen]

Android got a lucky posting last night and then Steam this morning. We're trying to get that player lol

[pendell]

If anyone's interested in the concept of navigators with command skill, I recommend one of R.A. Heinlein's Juveniles, 'Starman Jones'.

www.amazon.com/Starman-Jones-Heinleins-Juveniles-Book-ebook/dp/B00APA1MLQ/

It's actually quite similar in some ways to the early star traders universe. The hero is a young man who had an uncle for an astrogator, but he is himself otherwise locked out of space since he isn't a hereditary member of the spacing guilds. Shades there of the Clan structure seen in the ST polities. Not only is Command a mandatory skill for a Captain, no one in this story who is not an astrogator can be in line of command.

I won't spoil the story, but I think it would fit well in as an ST prequel during the pre-Guild era... especially if we decide that the spacing guild later renamed itself "Alta Mesa".

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[tarquelne]

I really like the Gunners getting Tactics. I had them on my ships only begrudgingly.

I like the rationale for Navigators getting Command - I do think they’re extremely valuable. I’d like to give them even more spice. It might help them see further. (I don’t care if there are physical alterations. We’ll never let anyone see them. Esp. not those witches ...)

It’s usually Intimidate saves I run low on, though, unless my ship happens to be full of Pirates. The Quartermaster’s Command save serves me well. Hmm ... just realized the QM does not have an Intimidate save. I guess I get by on the QM’s raw skill in the early game, then tend to be caught out when it stops being good enough.


Yay on bombers getting more bite.

[grävling]

I always buy an early bounty hunter so that I can get the 'initimidate save' and the 'reputation save' skills, even if the guy is a wimp and never leaves the ship.

[grävling]

Now that every navigator can get you a command save, it seems a waste to always start your Quarter Master with one. Change to Perceptive Boss or Contract Bargain? Change the Quartermaster to have a level 1 intimidate save, and start the game with them knowing that?

Hmmm.... I now see that it is a save for level 11 navigators, and I'll start with a helping of skip off the void instead, as usual. So maybe it isn't such a waste.

[brentaur]

I have also found it hard to get intimidate saves on deck. I think a QM intimidate save makes sense given their role and also would help balance crew management a little better, especially in the early game.

[dmesse]

My immediate feedback with the update is the now much bigger felt risk of fielding small craft as enemy captains are actively using shipboard weapons to target my launched pilots.

I guess we were being spoiled with how seldom they are in danger. =)