Hello, Wayfarers!
This week, we’re looking back at Making Waves Update 8.9.0, the creations you shared for Harvestwake, and a player-hosted mystery that brought a little danger to an abandoned village. It’s been a great autumn season so far, and we’ve really enjoyed spending it with the community!
We also want to let you know what’s ahead for the team. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be focusing on bugs and performance, so you may see fewer updates from us while we concentrate on that work.
A Quieter Few Weeks
We know that bugs and performance issues can interrupt your adventures and make it harder to enjoy your time in Stars Reach. For the next few weeks, we’re hunkering down to work on them!
That means we may be a little quieter and have fewer updates to share during this period. Please continue sending us your bug reports and feedback during this time! They help us understand where you’re running into trouble, and we truly appreciate it!
Making Waves Update 8.9.0
If you haven’t had a chance to explore the latest update yet, Making Waves gives you new ways to travel, work with your party, and shape your corner of the galaxy.
Take a swim: Everyone can now swim and dive without learning a skill first. Rangers can train Orienteering to improve swimming, climbing, and uphill travel.
Coordinate your party: The new Strategist specialization lets party leaders mark a target and call for coordinated attacks.
Make and share maps: Cartographers can craft tradeable maps from their surveys and waypoints, and equip them for a minimap. Maps have ten hours of active display time and cannot be repaired.
Grow your town: Town rules now apply within a defined territory that expands as the GovBot levels up. Existing homesteads and zoning lots outside the new boundary remain in place.
Find more ways to build and trade: Larger homestead sizes give builders more room, while marketplace changes let buyers purchase part of a stack and give sellers more control over listings.
There are also new Sniper Rifle and Grenade Launcher abilities, along with improvements to projectile and Healix hit detection.
Read the full Making Waves Update 8.9.0 notes.
Harvestwake’s Winning Builds
Thank you to everyone who shared a creation for the Harvestwake Building Contest and joined us for the festival. From a spooky ride to a garden full of hidden surprises, you gave us some memorable places to visit.
Congratulations to our winners!
First place: Justa Mirage for Just a Spooktacular Ride, a Harvestwake ride built around Hubert’s escalator. Justa Mirage will get to design a public planet experience and receive 30,000 Klaatu.
Second place: LDP for WeKea, a deserted furniture store with an unsettling basement. LDP receives 20,000 Klaatu.
Third place: Harabella for Hara’s Garden, a community garden with tricks and treats hidden throughout. Harabella receives 10,000 Klaatu.
All three winners will also receive a special edition Stars Reach Harvestfest coffee mug. Winners, please contact Leric on Discord for your prizes!
A Shadow Among the Settlers
Last Friday, Traver hosted Shadow Among the Settlers, an interactive murder-mystery adventure beginning at the Cohufotag 1 spaceport.
The premise sent Wayfarers to an abandoned village where a murderer was lurking among the settlers. One player would secretly receive the murder weapon, while the group searched for clues and voted on a suspect. A majority vote against an innocent player would eliminate the accusers, too, so every accusation carried a risk.
Many people died in the creepy expanse of fog which shrouded the village, and we had a lot of fun!
Thank you to Traver, for putting this adventure together!
Wow Moments from Around the Galaxy
There’s a lot to discover in Stars Reach, and sometimes a screenshot says it best. Here are a few moments from around the galaxy:
Thank you for exploring, building, celebrating, and sharing your adventures with us, Wayfarers. We’re grateful to be making Stars Reach alongside you!
The Stars Reach Team