Less go-fetch, more action in the storyline arcs.
- Reduced go-talk and go-read steps across the three storyline arcs.
- Changed each storyline arc to tour several stations instead of one hub.
- Added five new dockable stations.
- Changed Meridian Cross to an independent station.
- Fixed objective text that could show a raw internal tag.
Read-and-sign storyline missions no longer need salvage gear.
- Fixed storyline read-and-sign missions that wrongly required salvage gear.
- Added a basic mining laser and salvage cutter to the starting hub’s shop.
Markers name the destination system, not a number.
- Fixed route and quest markers showing a sector number or Unknown System instead of the destination’s name.
Off-screen marker labels are readable again.
- Fixed off-screen marker names getting cut off at the bottom edge of the screen.
- Changed off-screen marker names to white with a black outline.
UI scale snaps in steps and applies on release.
- Changed the UI Scale slider to snap in 5% steps and apply on release instead of rescaling the interface live while you drag.
Kills drop the enemy's actual gear, rarely.
- Changed kills to drop one or two of the modules the enemy was actually using, at a low chance.
Fly dark with low-signature shields and drives.
- Added stealth shield and engine families that trade some strength for a much lower signature.
Run gear trials in your own private arena.
- Changed gear trials to run in a private instance entered through a range portal.
- Added a cloak certification that gates cloak and coating gear.
- Reworked the scanner trials to require a scanner sensitive enough to hold faint contacts.
Your starter scanner spots ships again.
- Fixed the starter scanner barely detecting other ships and nearby ore.
Your gear decides who can see you on radar.
- Added a radar signature that comes from your equipped gear.
- Added cloak and coating gear that hide you from weaker scanners.
- Added stronger scanners that hunt down stealthed ships.
- Changed firing a weapon to blow your cover.
- Added a cloak shimmer to ships near the edge of detection.
Ships now fire one gun at a time.
- Changed ships to fire one weapon at a time.
- Added live weapon swapping on the R key.
- Reduced weapon energy starvation.
- Reworked weapon certifications into a ten-second break-the-target challenge.
- Added a field requirement to every gear certification.
- Reworked and expanded the shield lineup.
- Rebalanced ship hulls.
Dying to a faction squares your grudge with it.
- Added revenge-kill forgiveness, so a faction that kills you drops its grudge and stops hunting you.
- Left your earned faction reputation untouched by it.
Mercenary contracts now target outlaws, not your guild.
- Fixed mercenary contracts to send you after lawless outlaws instead of your own guild.
- Added a hostile outlaw enemy holding the lawless frontier past Mercenary space.
- Kept the Federation and Trader storylines unchanged.
Galaxy map danger now reads exact.
- Fixed the galaxy map to show each system’s exact danger level.
- Removed an estimate that could read one level too high until nearby space was charted.
Danger now ramps by distance from safe territory.
- Changed danger to scale with how far you travel from safe territory.
- Changed the first jumps past any faction border into a gentle, low-threat frontier.
- Kept deep unclaimed space dangerous for committed expeditions.
- Fixed frontier headquarters that sat surrounded by instant danger.
Distinct ship classes and a sharper frontier contract.
- Added distinct ship classes with stats shaped to each role.
- Changed enemies to fly a hull that fits their role.
- Changed the early Mercenary contract to send you to a nearby frontier with rogue crews.
- Fixed autopilot to bring you right up to your target.
- Changed docking to require being close to the station.
- Changed the radar direction arc to be smaller and sit closer to your ship.
Plain quest instructions and color-coded edge markers.
- Added a plain instruction line to each quest objective in the tracker and journal.
- Changed edge markers to show white for standard contacts.
- Changed edge markers to show purple for your tracked quest.
- Changed edge markers to show blue for your target lock.
- Changed edge markers to show the real ship or object image when it is within scanner range.
- Changed edge markers to show a default icon when the contact is out of scanner range.
Passing through calm space no longer provokes locals.
- Changed territorial enemies in calm, low-threat regions to stay neutral as you pass nearby.
- Changed them to grow wary faster only in genuinely dangerous space.
- Fixed an early Mercenary contract that pointed at an enemy that never appeared.
Target foes stay put in their home space.
- Changed enemy factions to keep a steady presence in their home territory.
- Changed kill objectives to send you where those enemies live.
- Added a tracked-objective marker pointing the way to them.
Enemies fight at a readable range, plus a target marker.
- Changed most enemies to close in and fight at a readable on-screen range.
- Kept snipers and the toughest enemies at their longer standoff distance.
- Added a color-coded edge marker pointing toward your current target lock.
Kill objectives keep enemies in reach.
- Fixed hunt and defend objectives so enemies stay nearby to finish the fight.
Smoother, more forgiving first hour.
- Fixed survey contacts so there is always one present to scan.
- Changed the opening fight to refill a downed raider within seconds.
- Reduced station repair costs by roughly half.
- Raised the payout on the first couple of story missions.
The opening fight always has its two raiders.
- Fixed the opening fight occasionally missing its two raiders.
Survey scans register reliably again.
- Fixed a survey contact drifting just past scanner range.
- Made the opening Mercenary fight winnable on starter gear.
The Mercenary storyline no longer dead-ends.
- Fixed the opening Mercenary mission dead-ending when its raiders never appeared.