Update #57 brings the wrecking ball into the v2.2.x family of the Dev Roadmap. We've knocked out two major goals in a single strike, introduced a metric ton of new content, exciting new Talents, advanced the Era track and slain a host of bugs. It's a classic Thursday morning release!
Have at 'em! En guard! If you like updates, leave a review and tell a friend about Star Traders: Frontiers!
We're now more than half of the way through the v2.2.x family with one more big story drop coming an the customizable hotkeys (which Cory is already building) on its way. Then, we're on to the most exciting of all dev families -- the v2.3.x! Check the full EA Dev Roadmap for details and our studio's ideas about Relentless Updates.
Prize Ship Talents
Prize Ship Talents are both the first Rank 15 Talents in the game as well as very exciting new ways to gain access to ships, Rep and piles of credits. However, by the laws of the Star Trader charter, you cannot simply take any other captain's ship. You must claim the ship as a prize during a retribution justice Conflict -- a Solar War, Trade War or Spy War.
As Prize Ship Talents launch, the Zealot, Military Officer and Pirate have each gained one. Each allows the character to claim an enemy ship during victory IF there is a landing zone of the opposing faction in the same quadrant. That is, if Zenrin and Moklumnue are in a Spy War and you defeat a Zenrin Spy Captain in battle, you may claim that ship as your own at the prize court if and only if there is a Moklumnue landing zone in the quadrant.
These Talents will send you hunting out Quadrants that share systems of the two warring factions and haunting their systems in patrol and blockade maneuvers to find the right ship at the right time. But the pay off can be immense, capturing ships upgraded by the enemy captains. You'll have to pay a hefty fee to the prize court for towing and docking, so seek out larger ships to really rake in the profits.
Of course, as the capture of an enemy ship is a blow in the conflict, you'll gain your faction a large Conflict Score boost with every strike.
Check the in-game text for other rules about what types of Captains you can target specifically by Conflict type, such as during a Trade War a prize court will only accept a claim on a Merchant, Smuggler or Pirate ship.
Early Coalition Era
We won't go into depth on the new Era much here, other than it directly follows the Second Founding. For those captains who have not started this era, Arbiter Brokstrom puts out the call for talents captains, and any captain may rejoin her storyline, even if you did not in the early eras. She and a number of other Contacts are also joining in the new Faction that you can start to rep up with, even if it is weak in its early stages.
Check the Rumor List for full details on the Era and all of its effects across the game. While the Arbiter's time sensitive missions are now available for the Era, we've got a few more story arcs that will fill in the rest of the era on the coming soon list. As with all eras, we will keep expanding and deepening their impacts and storylines even as we move on to the next big one!
v2.2.43 - 4/25/2018
- Added major story Era: Early Coalition Era
- Check the Rumors List for the Era's details and all impacts of the first years of the UC
- Major impacts on mission types, rumor creation, conflicts between factions, contact actions
- During Early Coalition Era, Powerful "Coalition Liaison" Contacts continue to spawn
- Arbiter now switches her Faction at start of Coalition, Arbiter's storylines results in gained UC Rep
- Arbiter puts out the call for Star Traders at start of Coalition, any Captain can pick up her storyline again
- Additional Early Coalition storylines arriving soon
- First Rank 15 Talents - Prize Ship Talents!
- New Talent: Murderous Tribute - Violently seize Conflict Prizes (Pirate)
- New Talent: Fanatical Court - Seize Conflict Prizes with corrupt judgements (Zealot)
- New Talent: Military Tribunal - Seize Conflict Prizes with a bold military case (Military Officer)
- Reduced Permits available from Smuggler Prince to Grade 3
- Increased Permits available from High Prince to Grade 4
- Spice Runner Contact now always offers Black Market, no longer Trait-reliant
- Fixed issues with Calagan Faen's overlapping Traits for new games
- Improved character animations in regards to face, hat, eyewear
- Fixed issue with Call of the Strong's peronsal objectives hanging around
- Performance tuning and increased simulation cycles for Contact and Faction AI/Conflict/Rumors
- Hyperwarp Jumps are now slightly faster but more dangerous when failed
- Fixed some bugs with Conflict displays in Preamble
- New "Faction Militant" Contact Type added to Contact simulator
- Fixed bugs with installing Ship Components on heavily damaged ships
- Fixed labeling and Reputation loss logging bugs for Trade Wars in certain Exchanges
- Fixed bug that allowed Talents to be used with wrong weapons
- Fixed issue with new Contacts appearing without Talent activation