STRATUS DEVELOPMENT UPDATE — WORKSHOP TECH SLOTS

After further adjustments and testing, we are rolling out a new update introducing Tech Slot requirements for research and production.

Workshop Tech Slots

When a player constructs a Workshop, it now begins with two Tech Slots. These slots determine how many technologies can be placed into production at the Workshop.

To gain additional Tech Slots, players must now upgrade their Workshop. Each Workshop upgrade provides an additional slot, allowing more technologies to be placed into production.

Workshop upgrades now require players to meet two requirements:

• The required amount of resources

• Control of a required number of islands

This gives Workshop upgrades a functional purpose within the progression of the game, rather than allowing them to be upgraded without meaningful requirements.

Workshop Visual Upgrades

Workshops now once again use their fade-in effect when upgrading. We have also put the groundwork in place for Workshop meshes to change with each upgrade level.

As the new Workshop models are completed, these will be swapped into the appropriate upgrade stages, allowing Workshops to visibly evolve as they are upgraded.

Now on the Testing Branch

The updated build has now been uploaded to the Steam Testing Branch and is ready for playtesting.

The exact requirements and balance will continue to be adjusted as testing progresses, but this update moves Workshops toward functioning more clearly as technology production centers. Technologies can no longer simply be placed into production without available Tech Slots, and Workshop upgrades now have meaningful gameplay requirements tied to resources and island control.

We’re very pleased with the response we’ve received from everyone helping us playtest Stratus. With the major stability issues being worked through and our focus now shifting increasingly toward unit balance and gameplay refinement, the game continues to take another step forward.

The Storm is building. For the Storm!