Star Traders: Frontiers Update #189: Boarders Incoming!

[fallen]

Update #189 continues to deliver on the enemy making full use of craft squadrons. With this update, enemy carriers -- including the dreaded jyeeta -- will now launch fully operational boarding shuttles! In addition, we've added a new Contact Trait, fixed some final bugs with the Jyeeta and xeno-related Talents, rebalanced a bunch of ship components and fixed a missing--but very important--clause about how the Swordsman's Sharp Counter and Wing Commando's Whirling Blade work.

Up next, we're working on a string of new vignette storylines -- thanks KickStarter backers

If you're enjoying the updates and free expansion packs, be sure to leave a review and tell a friend.

Boarders, Incoming!!!

While the enemy captains have been launching craft from their bays since the drop of the BROOD expansion pack, it is finally time for them to launch boarding shuttles as well. We've tiered these releases to be sure that captains have time to adjust to the new content and meta requirements. Shuttles -- especially those from jyeeta -- are going to make things a little more challenging! Be sure to keep your own boarding defense party ready and well-equipped in case some pirates or xeno kick open an airlock!

Rightful Counterattacks

Both Swordsman "Sharp Counter" and Wing Commando "Whirling Blade" Talent lost a critical part of their descriptions a few updates ago. Both of these attacks leave a lasting buff that enables the character to counter-attack against any enemy in the front two ranks who tries to attack them -- hit or miss. It's a key part of why these Talents are so valuable and now its back in their description!

Fix and Balance

With this update, we're following up on community suggestions and bug reports about components, Talents and lots of things! We've fixed the bug with Explorer "Artifact Profiteer" that prevented it from working with Jyeeta artifacts. We've fixed Hull Plating 4 which had the wrong stats, as well as rebalanced Defense Pattern Matrix 1 versus rank 2.

We made some fixes to the Contact discount % display -- they had become mismatched with the last update for some service types. We've also resolved an icon mismatch for the Commander Talent "Inspiring Squadron" and tightened up the rules about changing ships in dry dock.

Calling All Cyber Knights!

While we still have a lot of work to finish out the Star Traders: Frontiers development roadmap, we're excited to be coming out of the pre-production phase on our next game and ready to share. In Cyber Knights, you are the razor-sharp leader of a covert merc company operating in the New Boston Zone in 2231. Built around a core of turn-based gameplay featuring stealth, hacking, ambushes, firefights and complex missions, Cyber Knights weaves the human story of your team, their loyalty and their sacrifice in a dehumanizing cyberpunk world.

Coming to KickStarter in Feb 2020, sign up to get the call and alerted about free first day rewards, discounts and more! We're gathering the most crackpot amazing alpha team ever and we hope you'll join us.

v3.0.13 - 11/12/2019

- Enemy ships, including Jyeeta Xeno, will now use boarding shuttles effectively to board at range
- Added new Contact Trait "Legacy Seeker" for those obsessed with pre-Exodus finds, recruits Explorer
- Explorer Talent "Artifact Profiteer" now correctly fires when selling Jyeeta Artifacts for bonus profit
- Fixed missing description in Wing Commando Talent "Whirling Blade" and Swordsman "Sharp Counter" that allows counter-attacks while its buff is active!
- Rebalanced Defense Pattern Matrix 1 vs 2
- Fixed issue with "Witness Protection" mission allowing it to be completed out of order
- Fixed bonuses of Hull Plating 4 (now Void/Rad res instead of Boarding bonuses)
- Fixed all Contact Discount services to match display and reduction %s
- Fixed icon for Commander Talent "Inspiring Squadron"
- Fixed some edge case bugs with Dry Dock ship swapping

[resistor]

Kind of an odd choice to name the explorer-recruiting trait Legacy Seeker when there is also an explorer talent of the same name.

[n3ctaris]

When do carriers start to show up in the game on a semi-regular basis? Which era?

Are there any plans for non-carrier ships (meaning the ships that are not specifically designed to start with craft on purchase) to have 1 or 2 craft as a possibility? eg - Could I see an enemy paladin cruiser or fidelis cutter or a palace interceptor show up with a small craft in combat?

Thanks, great work guys! Looking forward to more unlocks and stories!

[Cory Trese]

Non-Xeno carriers are based on adjusted game level -- which is a combination of your game turn, adjusted Captain Level and Difficulty settings.

[n3ctaris]

Nov 21, 2019 19:50:04 GMT -5 Cory Trese said:

Non-Xeno carriers are based on adjusted game level -- which is a combination of your game turn, adjusted Captain Level and Difficulty settings.

This is cool, any chance you can add the threshold by which they are enabled as a part of the difficulty settings directly?

non-xeno carrior ships = from start, earlier, standard, later

Essentially, I want to fight moar carrier ships sooner! lol

[fallen]

Thanks for the feedback! We'll keep adjusting!