Nexus 5X v1.0 Release

Hello everyone.

Welcome to the Nexus 5X 1.0 launch! We are super excited to take Nexus 5X out of Early Access.

eXplore – eXpand – eXploit – eXterminate - EXPRESS

Nexus 5X takes the core pillars of the 4X genre - deep strategy, tense diplomatic drama, and epic military encounters - and distils them into a fast-paced competitive format that is perfect for short-run sessions, allowing groups of up to eight players to complete a full playthrough together in around an hour.

If you are new to the game, we at Whatboy Games, hope you will have as much fun discovering and playing the game as we have had making it! Please join our Discord community to discuss the game, arrange games or just to hang out!

To those who have been with us through Early Access, a heartfelt thank you from all of us! Much of the quality of the game is built on your feedback and continued support. We hope you enjoy all the changes outlined below and will continue to be awesome and welcome new members into the Nexus 5X community.

The Whatboy Team

Patch Notes v1.0

New Faction – The Keepers of Ave'brenn

“From the moment that consciousness was achieved and the Khennet awoke, so did awaken the prophet Brehkk.”

The Keepers of Ave’brenn join the race for galactic dominance! A deeply spiritual, lithoid species comes to spread their message throughout the galaxy.

• The Keepers are a highly religious faction that accumulate Faith to spread their Culture automatically.
• They can ordain Archdruids on Cultured planets to double the culture resource gains from that system.
• However, their sedentary nature means it costs additional Support every time you move a fleet.

New and Update Feature

UI Scale

• Added a UI Scale bar to the options menu to change the size of the UI on screen.

Ranked Matchmaking

• You can now matchmake with other players automatically for ranked games.

Balance Updates

General

• Spaceborne: To make things a little clearer, Spaceborne no longer have Combat Advantage over other fleets, but their Strength has been increased accordingly.
• FTL Refining (Unique Resource Edict): Changed effect to give an additional speed boost, ‘All of your fleets may move for free and gain +1 Speed this turn.’
• Volatile Weaponry (Unique Resource Edict): Can no longer be used on fleets engaged in combat.

Technologies

• Sensor Drone (Physics I): Now unlocks the ‘False Orders’ plot. (Moved from Tachyon Scanner)
• Disruptors (Physics IV): Changed ‘Disruptor Strike’ fleet role effect to, ‘For this fleet's next battle, ALL ships in the system have 5 Strength.’
• Star Citadel (Physics V): Increased Starbase Strength bonus to +10 (from +5).
• Autonomous Ship Intellects (Physics V): Gives +1 Ranged Attack to all Ranged ships.
• Positronic Targeting (Physics V): Now gives Combat Advantage vs spaceborne enemies.
• Self-Replicating AI (Physics VI): Lowered tech level from Physics VII.
• Beam Focusing (Physics VII): Increased tech level from Physics VI. Now grants +3 Strength to Raider ships only (from +2 to all).
• Graviton Explosives (Physics VII): Reduced Capital ship strength bonus to +1 (from +2) and removed ‘Core Mine’ project unlock. (Moved to Terraforming).
• Zero Point Reactor (Physics VII): Reduced ship strength bonus to +1 (from +2), added +1 Ranged Attack for Ranged fleets.
• Tachyon Lances (Physics VIII): Now gives +4 Strength to Capital ships instead of all ships.
• Giga Cannon (Physics VIII): Changed effect text to, ‘Ships in this fleet gain {Weapons}[Weapons/] and this fleet gains an additional {Firepower|%}[Weapons/] if Flanking an enemy.’ for clarity.

• Plasteel Materials (Nano-Tech IV): Now gives an additional +1 Ranged Attack to Ranged ships.
• Reflective Armor (Nano-Tech IV): Increased the cost of ‘Armor Barracks’ project to 30 Materials (from 25).
• Kinetic Artillery (Nano-Tech V): Increased Dreadnought base Strength to 11 (from 10).
• Exotic Materials (Nano-Tech V): Increased Science from ‘Excavation Site’ project to 8 (from 5). Increased planetary bonuses for ‘Exotic Gas Refinery’ project to 50% (from 33%). Increased Council Votes bonus from ‘Kha’lanka Crystal Plant’ project to 8 (from 5). Increased ship Strength bonus from ‘Chemical Plant’ project to +2 (from +1).
• Neutronium Armor (Nano-Tech VI): Now gives an additional +1 Ranged Attack to Ranged ships.
• Terraforming (Nano-Tech VI): No unlocks the ‘Core Mine’ project (moved from Graviton Explosives).
• Mega Structures (Nano-Tech VI): Increased Titan base Strength boost to +50 (from +40) and per-ship Strength to 8 (from 7).

• Cultural Exchange (Social I): Changed the effect to, ‘Whenever you use Culture on a rival Empire where you do not have your Culture, gain +1 Science.’
• Diplomatic Vessels (Social I): Now unlocks the ‘Diplomatic Incident’ plot instead of ‘False Flag Operation.’
• Centralized Command (Social I): Reduced the cost of ‘Military Academy’ project to 25 Materials (from 30).
• Subconscious Education (Social II): Now unlocks the ‘False Flag Operation’ plot instead of ‘Diplomatic Incident.’
• Boarding Doctrine (Social III): Reduced the Strength on Assault Frigates to 10% of your total Army.
• Command Protocols (Social V): Reduced the Strength bonus from the ‘Swarm Tactics’ fleet role to 3% per ship (from 4%).
• Labor Guilds (Social V): Lowered tech level from Social VI. Increased Materials bonus of the ‘Labor Convoy’ fleet role to +2 (from +1).
• Adaptive Combat Algorithms (Social VI): Increased cost of ‘Battle Frame Plant’ project to 35 Materials (from 20).
• Adaptive Combat Algorithms (Social VI): Increased tech level from Social V.
• Haptic Holograms (Social VI): Reduced cost of ‘Holo Studio’ project to 35 Materials (from 50).
• Voice of the Council (Social VII): Now provides a +15% boost to your Empire Support income.
• War Council (Social VII): ‘Command Centre’ project now provides 15 Munitions (from 12) and can be built on Populous planets.

Shared Traits

• Xenophobe (Level 2 Trait): Added additional bonuses to your homeworld, +3 Population, +1 Materials and +1 Support on your homeworld.’
• Curious (Level 2 Trait): Added the additional passive effect, ‘All of your Explore Edicts become Fast.’ Fast is a new keyword that means an Edict does not take up a slot in your start-of turn draw. (Unique resource edicts are all Fast).

The United Nations of Earth

• Bolster (Admiral Edict): Can no longer be used on fleets engaged in combat.
• Manipulation (Diplomat Ultimate): This edict now costs 3 Senate Support. This is to keep the effect super powerful, but make it a harder to trigger at will.

The Turtuon Federation

• Silicon Dating (Level 3 Trait): Added additional bonuses for rich planets, ‘All Rich planets generate +1 Support, +1 Materials and +1 Science.’
• Ancient Thinkers (Level 3 Trait): No gives 3 Patriarchs (instead of 2) for using Research.
• Swapped the ‘Bastion Protocol’ (now Level 3) and ‘Enviroment Conditioning’ (now Level 5) traits.

The Voor Technocracy

• Subspace Studies (Level 3 Trait): Changed the effect of the ‘Subspace Probe’ role to, ‘"Gain +3 Science for each system with no planet and a fleet with this fleet role.’
• Advanced Warfare (Level 5 Trait): Increased Hyper-Nova base strength to 11 (from 10).
• Spaceborne (Explorer Ultimate): Reduced the Science cost to 4 (from 6).

Kel-Azaan Republic

• Exotic Hunts (Level 3 Trait): Increased Credits plunder to 12 (from 8).
• Blood Legion (Level 3 Trait): Increased Army bonus from ‘Legion Barracks’ to 5 but added a 1 Material upkeep cost.

The Chinorr Combine

• Military Data Jack (Level 5 Trait): Increased Xebec base strength to 11 (from 10).
• Buyout (Chinorr Ultimate): This Edict can now not be played within 2 turns of an upcoming council.

The Ix’Idar Star Collective

• Interference (Infiltrator Ultimate): Added the additional effect, ‘From now on your Spies do not cost Pheromones to activate.’

The Roderian Empire

• Scavenger (Fleet): Increased base Strength to 6 (from 5).
• Modular Scrap Processor (Level 3 Trait): Added passive effect ‘Gain +20% Salvage from collected Salvage.’
• Large Scale Compression (Level 5 Trait): Increased Hulk base strength to 11 (from 10).
• Repurpose (Mechanic Ultimate): Reduced cost to 10 Salvage (from 20) and changed the effect to, ‘Convert one of your fleets not in combat into a different fleet type and give its Ships +3 Strength and +2 Ranged Attack.’

The Kingdom of Yondarim

• Celestial Palace (Level 5 Trait): Increased the Zeal gained from the ‘Divine Palace’ megastructure to 10 (from 5).

The Glebsig Foundation

• Coordinate (Protector Edict): Updated effect so you gain the bonus Munitions as well as the target empire.
• Commune (Glebsig Ultimate): Changed the effect to the more Glebsig-Friendly, ‘Choose any planet not in your Empire. For the rest of the game, that planet produces resources for you as well as its owner and you both count as controlling it for Titles.’
• Outreach (Socialite Ultimate): Reduced cost to 5 Unity (from 10).

The Kilik Cooperative

• Workers Guild (Level 3 Trait): Changed the effect to ‘Gain an equal number of Materials every time you gain Welfare.’
• Void Cavalry (Level 5 Trait): Changed Peregrine fleet effect to, ‘Inspiring: The first time you activate a Peregrine fleet each turn, draw 1 Edict.’ Used to draw on every activation.
• Empower (Marshall Ultimate): Reduced the number of ships added by the Deputize Edict to 1 (from 2).
• Adjuration (Bureaucrat Ultimate): Changed the effect to, ‘Reset the Succession rewards on a non-rescorable Title you have not earned yet.’ This can now only be used to increase the points you get from an un-earned title, not allow you to rescore a title.