Update #308 adds 4 new pieces of gear you find in early-game Orbital Salvage and rebalances the life of the clothing merchant -- both regular Clothing and Luxury Clothing and increased the risks of Salvaging while Radiation Storms hover over the quadrant.

Thanks to everyone posting feedback, reviews and sharing the game with friends this wintery season. The Pirate's Life Community Challenge is still on-going so be sure to join up and we'll see you on the boards --

Right now ~1,000 of the Kickstarter backers for Cyber Knights: Flashpoint have access to the game’s private alpha and are giving us great feedback as the game gets closer to Early Access. Make sure you’ve wishlisted and followed Cyber Knights for news and a special discount when it’s released!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


With Update #308, we've expanded the options for lootable items while Salvaging. These new items focus on survivability builds, increasing Armor, Fortitude and Initiative and are great starters but will likely be phased out by future purchases and discoveries during Salvage or stories.

The new items include the Tarbax Plate (+Armor, +Debuff Res), Penta Scale (+Armor, +Dodge, +Fortitude), Galbreth Bright (+Resilience, +Debuff Res, +Deflection) and Memret Scale (+Armor, +Init).


The life of a cloth merchant has gotten more interesting with Update #308 as the flow of both regular Clothing and Luxury Clothing has seen overhaul.

There are minor and major changes to demand and production -- Farming zones are now major producers of Clothing while Industrial and Hi-Tech Orbitals have had minor increases to Luxury Clothing production. Population and Tradeway demand for clothing has increased. The voracious Luxury Population zones want Luxury Clothing even more than before.

And there are some new vectors altogether -- Hi-Tech Orbitals no longer manufacture Clothing and Tradeways are now interested in Luxury Clothing where they were not before.

And remember, all of these demand factors are scaled by the zone's Population, so the highly populous Lux Pop zones -- so seek out those large pop worlds for the best trade triangles.

Salvaging under dangerous conditions -- with disastrous Radiation Storms threatening on the horizon -- has become even more risky. Now, the "Reduce Duration" card which will slash the durations of other positive Rumors in the area savagely are even more likely to appear when you have Radiation Storm Rumors in the Quadrant. This is another way that the risk in Salvaging ticks up and that the local context is even more important to your choice of when and where to take these risks.

- Economy adjustments for Clothing, Luxury Clothing to improve trade flow
- During Quadrant-wide Radiation Storms, Orbital Rumors will draw 50% more Rumor Duraction Reduction cards
- Added 4 additional early-game Salvage loot items focused on combat survivability
- New Military Gear: Tarbax Underplate
- New Relic Gear: Penta Scale
- New Medical Gears: Galbreth Bright, Memret Scaling
- Minor performance improvements, fixed reported typos & crashes

Update #307 follows on the Zucho Mil-Accords with an addititional positive Trait reward card for Salvaging, updated rules for all Trait cards from Salvaging, rebalances to key components like Water-Fuel Reclamation and a new useful bonus for all Meshes, Weaves and Coating ship components.

Thanks to everyone sharing the game, posting to the forums and leaving a review as we drop this newest update.

Speaking of new, new new -- if word hasn't trickled down from the tippity top of the New Boston spires, leaked below the streets and drip-drip-dripped into your safehouse, we're here to tell you about our upcoming turn-based cyberpunk heist RPG. Cyber Knights: Flashpoint will be coming to Steam in 2022 and mixes stealth, hacking and tactical combat with deep RPG elements and a unique heist system for missions. The wishlist button is calling your name, Knight.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210?snr=1_2108_9__2107

We've been thrilled by the number of captains jumping into the Pirate's Life Challenge and have decided to extend it through January of 2023. To keep it spicey and dicey, we've added two new wrinkles for you to try out if you want to -- or just play it under the original challenge rules!

1. Be a pirate against only a single faction. Pick one and be merciless.
   
2. Be a pirate against everyone. Be an indie pirate and go after every faction. How will you make it when everyone is turned against you?

A new +5 Salvage card has appeared in Update #307, the "Far From Home" card grants a rare chance to gain a positive Trait from a short list of Traits that all improve Death Save, such as Durable, Lucky, Revenant and Life-Spark.

Also, for all other cards that add Traits, we have improved the rules for how they seek and find crew to give those Traits to as well as ensuring that in the case that Traits can't be granted (everyone has all the Traits!) then large XP bonuses are granted instead and the result text is more clear.


With Update #307, we've improved the position in the meta for 3 wide categories of ship component types: Coatings, Weaves and Meshes. These components now help buff either Radiation or Void Resistance, making them more useful to a wider variety of ships.

A number of components have been repriced and rebalanced in Update #307 as we are taking a moment to sweep the ship component catalog, improve balance, pricing and progression as we prepare for future adjustments.

Water-Fuel Reclamation 4 now adds +18 more Water-Fuel (up to 48 now), reduces 4 more fuel when jumping (up to -16 now) and adds +2 more Navigation skill pool (up to 4 now). It is a significantly more appealing component and a more viable step up from WFR 3 now.


Update #307 also fixed an issue that was identified by the help of some highly experienced captains. In games with far advanced dates that had completed the final story Era, a bug introduced by modding support could prevent certain sets of new storylines from starting in the game. This bug did cover the recently added Zucho Mil-Accords and the follow-on story event we added for Consolidation / Dissension in Update #305.

We also fixed a bug with the Research Lead contact added in Update #305 to fix the useless "Special Service" to a service offering Specialist Wing Gear.

- Improved trait-granting rules for "Impactful Expedition" Orbital Card
- Added new rare trait-granting card focused on Death Save Traits (+5 Salvage Reward Card)
- Hull Coating, Weaves and Meshes now grant some Radiation & Void Resistance
- Completely Rebalanced "Water-Fuel Reclamation 4"
- Repriced & rebalanced "Ferrochromium Plating"
- Repriced & rebalanced "Iridlaentine Weave-Coating"
- Fixed dead-end "Special Service" in Research Lead Contact to be Wing Gear
- Fixed bug preventing new stories from proccing into very old saved games beyond the last Era
- Minor platform support patches, fixed report crashes & text issues

What better way to welcome a 30% off deal for Autumn Sale than to launch update #306! Yes, that's update 3-0-6. A huge thanks to the community on Steam and Discord. for all the feedback and help improving the game and welcoming new captains to the void. If you're enjoying the game and the pace of updates, please take a moment to share it with a friend and post a review!

With Update #306: Zucho Mil, we've added a new story event that will usually occur in the second half of the 3rd century AE and makes a new grade of craft available as well as adding a new orbital operation card.

Earlier this year, we launched Cyber Knights: Flashpoint’s private alpha test for Kickstarter backers, following the same tried-and-true process we used for Star Traders: Frontiers. With 1,000 in the game now, development pace has picked up and we’re on the long march to release on Steam, so make sure you’ve wishlisted (and followed!), or join us for behind-the-scenes discussion and development snapshots in our Discord.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


Following on other major Trade Alliance events, the Zucho Mil-Accords features a triple military Alliance event and usher in an era of grade 8 craft. These most powerful new craft to hit starports are available through Syndicate channels only as these factions harden their stance against the Great Houses and Clans late in the third century AE.

Visit De Valtos for the newest Frostburn VX6 interdictor, Cadar with the Poseidon heavy bomber and Rychart with the Swordbreaker XV shuttle for daring boarding operations.


Late in the third century, it becomes more and more common for the factions to illegally deploy anti-ship mines in orbit to prevent piracy, protect salvage sites and try to ward off spies. Even those valiant militants patrolling to protect the void are at risk. The most famous of all types is the Zucho Anti-Ship Mine which begin to appear after the triple Alliance during certain types of Rumors including Terrox and Jyeeta Xeno rumors, Pirate and Solar War Conflicts.

In additional, some types of Rumors -- both good and bad -- have become less likely to be ended early during Conflicts. The chance of any card that reduces Rumor duration such as Salvage or Blockade of cards that can reduce Salvage and Quarantine Rumors is now reduced during Conflicts.

We've also addressed the recently reported crashes so a huge thanks goes out to everyone helping surface these issues.

- Added new story event -- Syndicate Zucho Mil-Accord -- which creates a triple military Alliance and releases grade 8 craft
- New Interdictor: Frostburn VX6 (grade 8; De Valtos)
- New Shuttle: Swordbreaker XV (grade 8; Rychart)
- New Bomber: Poseidon Heavy (grade 8; Cadar)
- After Zucho Mil-Accord, Zucho Anti-Ship Mines appear as Orbital Risks during Xeno, Jyeeta, Pirate and Syndicate Wars
- During Conflicts Orbital Rumors will draw 50% fewer Rumor Duration Reduction cards
- Minor performance improvements, fixed reported typos & crashes

Welcome to Update #305, which adds new planetary artwork and a new set of late-game story events that further reward your story choices, show technological advancement in the factions and introduce unique components and Contact types.

We're also excited to share the November community challenge - it's a Pirate's Life (For Me!) - join in the fun and the silly hats!
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/335620/view/3376037401308938450

We always love seeing how many of you have pieced together the lore of Star Traders from the stories within, and enjoy the flavor of this universe your Captain is a part of. In our next game, we’re telling a very different sci-fi story but with the same depth we bring to all our worlds. Check out the dark-future feel of our upcoming cyberpunk heist RPG, and wishlist it today!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


On the far end of the Consolidation / Dissension Era, there is already a story event in which a specific faction -- based on your actions or inaction -- gains a new technology that enables a powerful and unique ship component. As the years grind by and you continue to ply the void, these research advances are now allowed to further progress and in time, a second story event will occur which further improves the ship component category where the faction focused their advances -- Alta Mesa on the Battle Bridges, De Valtos on ECCM Screen Matrix and Thulun on Interlocking Sensor Matrix. Each component is the pinnacle of its chain of components and worthy of their high price tag.

I'll skip further spoilers about the Era and the involved choices, but it is a new story event, ship component and even -- a new Contact type.


A new unique Contact will appear with the story event -- and this Research Lead has a great set of services, makes for a very powerful ally in a starport and recruits Pilots and a powerful secondary Job depending on the faction they are due to story choices. As some of the factions continue to develop their power centers around the Coalition, their research arms continue to break out ahead of the competition.

- Added new "Distant Glacier" Ice World outpost image
- Added story event post Consolidation / Dissension, further research progress for factions
- Meeting unique and powerful contact "Research Lead"
- Gain access to new high-level component based on Era choices
- Added new component: Alta Mesa stands to gain Battle Bridge 4
- Added new component: De Valtos can gain ECCM Screen Matrix 6
- Added new component: Thulun can gain Interlocking Sensor Matrix 6

As Update #304 installs itself into your local starport with some important component rebalances and a host of new high-level components to shop, we're also excited to share the November community challenge - it's a Pirate's Life (For Me!)
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/335620/view/3376037401308938450

Check out the full details of the update below and a huge thanks to everyone sharing the game, leaving a review and posting feedback and suggestions onto the Steam boards.

Right now ~1,000 of the Kickstarter backers for Cyber Knights: Flashpoint have access to the game’s private alpha and are giving us great feedback as the game gets closer to Early Access. We also have some public demos on our roadmap for events coming up this fall. Make sure you’ve wishlisted and followed Cyber Knights for news and a special discount when it’s released!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/

The worlds of the Star Traders scattered across the quadrants are many, and we're excited to add two more art boards for landing zones to Garden world outposts.

With Update #304, we've revisited the catalog of Sensor Arrays and made some adjustments to ensure their progression is clearly expressed. Sensor Arrays provide more consistent bonuses across their progression from rank 1 to 4 and their installation and repair times are also correctly aligned with other small slot components.

In addition, a new 5th rank Sensor Array 5 has come online granting best in class Navigation and attack bonuses as well as and matched Electronics with Sensor Array 4.

The requirements for starports that can install Signature Dampeners have also been increased a bit as part of this rebalance.


The estimates for all Orbital Scoop components were slightly too high and have been adjusted for this update. This should help prevent players from expecting more during fuel returned during Orbital operations. A good thing, now there is an Orbital Scoop 5 component that can provide the best in class scooping for your reduced fuel cost. Install a few of these for free ops!

A new small slot Advanced Medical Chamber has joined the family and offers a superior +3 Medical Rating though it comes with neither Armor nor Shielding bonuses. The Shielded Medical Chamber now adds +2 Jump Cost to help keep it balanced within the small slot medical component options and keep it fairly weighted against the Reinforced Medical Chamber.


In another win of a long run of wins for carriers, the Advanced Hangar Bay is now for sale in Thulun starports across the galaxy. Built for those captains looking to take an aggressive stance, the Advance Hangar Bay provides a place for a craft, bonus fuel and aggressive bonuses against enemy craft.

With the changes to components and all the adjustments to costs over the last few months, we've taken a moment to correct some ship prices. The Caliga Vindex has been raised to $2.1m credits and the Shizari Huntress has gained a much needed bump to $1.2m. These changes match up to the components installed on the hulls and ensure prize ship and resale prices provide fair values in the starport market.

- Added two new "Valley View" Garden World outpost images
- Added new component "Advanced Medical Chamber" (Size 1)
- Added new component "Sensor Array 5" (Size 1)
- Added new component "Orbital Fuel Scoop 5" (Size 2)
- Added new Thulun component "Advanced Hangar Bay" (Size 2)
- Added Hyperwarp Jump Cost to 'Shielded Medical Chamber'
- Rebalanced Sensor Array 1-4
- Fixed issues with Orbital Fuel Scoop Estimates
- Adjusted ship prices for 'Caliga Vindex' and 'Shizari Huntress'

(original challenge description below)

Ahoy, Captains! These last couple of months it’s been all about plundering your way through the galaxy while avoiding walking the airlock in our Pirate’s Life Challenge. You all have been *ahem* “acquiring” loot, conscripting crew, and wearing the best of pirate fashion!

We’ve really enjoyed reading your stories and have been impressed by your plunder! If you want to catch up on all of the pirating and fun, check out the challenge discussion thread and pop into our Discord and head to #pirates_life_challenge.

A few highlights from the challenge:

Shallowrain, for giving us this excellent meme about the best things in life.



Scathe, for giving us all the stats on their career as a pirate, looting over 3700 pieces of cargo and conscripting 15 crew members. Ultimately, Scathe ended up with 6008 pieces of cargo looted!


Matt gave us lots of great stories about their adventures with Captain Michagorov, including surviving a mutiny and recovering through conscription, all while wearing the very important pirate hat!


Great work, Captains! So many of you participated in the challenge, sharing your screenshots, stories and more. Thank you all! Even though the official time frame for the challenge is over, we’d still love to hear about your attempt at this challenge (or any of the previous community challenges) any time!

Stay tuned for future challenges!


Update (11/30/2022) original challenge posted below.

The Pirate’s Life challenge has been a lot of fun throughout November, so we are extending it through early January with some additional challenges. Here are two more ways to challenge yourself while plundering your way through the universe.

1) Be a pirate against only a single faction. Pick one and be merciless.
2) Be a pirate against everyone. Be an indie pirate and go after every faction. How will you make it when everyone is turned against you?

The other requirements for the challenge are listed below and you can, of course, continue to do the challenge as we originally posted it!


Avast ye, Captains. It’s time for the November 2022 STF challenge. Last time, we did a trade focused merchant challenge. This time, though, it’s all about piracy in the Pirate’s Life Challenge. Time to plunder, capture, and steal your way through the universe.

This challenge is very open for how you want to play being a Pirate, but there are a few requirements. The requirements for this challenge are:

• No buying from faction worlds. You can buy from Indie worlds and sell at any world, but as this is a pirate challenge, we want to emphasize plundering and capturing goods from other ships!
  
• 5 of your crew must be conscripted. This requirement will take time to complete, but by the end of the challenge at least 5 of your crew need to have been conscripted from another ship.

Some ideas for what we’d love to see:

• Screenshots of your stats on cargo looted and crew conscripted, your crew, your stash of loot
  
• Stories of your conscripted crew and how they became part of your team, your favorite pirating adventure/encounter
  
• Your strategies for being a pirate: how do you find your next target, what do you do with your plundered loot
  
• Any other creative ways you want to share to tell us how you became the universe’s most notorious pirate

No matter what you choose to share, please include one screenshot of your piracy stats (cargo looted and crew conscripted)!



We’ve opened up a discussion here on Steam in the General Discussion forum for aIl of your posts. If you post on the discord, post in the #pirates_life_challenge channel found in the STF category.

Yarr, it’s time to plunder, Captain! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures and exploits!

After a short break, we're back warming up the update train with Update #303 Patchwork. With a new environmental artboard and some adjustments to the Contact simulation, this minor patch gets things moving again with more to come.

The last community challenge -- Merchant Mogul -- has wrapped up and the team is prepping the next exciting chapter of those challenges, so stay tuned.

Thanks to everyone for the on-going support, sharing feedback and sharing the game!

We've added a new planetary artboard for the icy vastness of iceworld outposts. We've also tweaked and adjusted some of the recently added artboards for color and improved cropping.

WIth this update, we've tuned a number of Contact starting points for the betterment of the Contact ecosystem. The Retired Bodyguard and Racketeer Contacts have both had their starting Influence values reduced and their action pattern adjusted so that they are better at building Influence over time. On the other hand, we have increased the starting Influence for all Templar Contacts, including the Templar Militant, and also applied an additional Templar-only rule that slows their Influence pace changes, to reflect their Zendu ways.

- Added new 'Ice Outpost' planet artwork
- Fixed bug with 'Zendu Lineage' Trait
- Adjustment base influence for "Retired Bodyguard" & "Racketeer"
- Revised influence equations for Templar / Templar Militant

Update #302 continues to press on adding new scores to the game, adding new artwork for environments and addressing some quality of life UX work in buying ship components and selling Intel to Contacts. Most importantly, the new scores tracking for Conflicts opens up the possibility to add an entirely new type of player-direction mission where you're working to influence Conflicts directly -- any way you choose. That's an exciting future for a near-term update, but for now -- its Update #302!

We always love seeing how many of you have pieced together the lore of Star Traders from the stories within, and enjoy the flavor of this universe your Captain is a part of. In our next game, we’re telling a very different sci-fi story but with the same depth we bring to all our worlds. Check out the dark-future feel of our upcoming cyberpunk heist RPG, and wishlist it today!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


Your captain's scores page now keeps record of exactly how much you've influenced any of the retribution justice Conflicts within the game. The scores are factionless, so they are counting only how many points you've added to *any* Solar War over your career. But, for bragging rights as the ultimate assassin, faction warrior or peacemaker these new scores are exciting record of your actions.

The latest community challenge -- Merchant Mogul -- is making good use of the some of the recently added captain's scores and we're looking at some ideas how a new challenge could be created around these 7 new scores as well. We're always open to additional community challenge ideas, so please do share :D

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/335620/view/3374906503254336022

Update #302 adds another 5 new landing backgrounds for small urban zones nestled in among the beautiful wilderness remote environments -- small heat-shielded city in molten mountains, towers rising from misty jungles and peaceful settlements spread across idyllic garden-world scapes.

We've received a number of posts recently on the Steam forums about improvements we could make to different buying and selling UIs in the game so we've started on some of those items with Update #302. When shopping for ship components, your sort order is now remembered and we are continuing to discuss the use cases for remembering filtering -- it is coming soon! In addition, the scroll position in your Selling Intel screen is kept so that you can much easier target and sell multiple sets of records without as much work.

- Added 7 new Contact Scores to track your career's impact on Conflict Scores by type
- See your impact on Solar Wars, Trade Bans, etc from the Scores screen
- Added 5 new environment backgrounds for oceanic and radioactive worlds
- Sorting choice is remembered between shopping screens for components
- When selling Intel to Contact, the scroll position in the list is correctly remembered
- Fixed issues with oceanic world Urban zone artwork selection logic

(original challenge description below)

This month it’s been all about making that money in our Merchant Mogul challenge. You all have been stockpiling rare goods, making some massive trades, and building your trade empires, all while dodging those pesky pirates.

We’ve really enjoyed reading your stories and have been duly impressed at some of the trades you all have made! If you want to catch up on all of the bartering and fun, check out the challenge discussion thread and pop into our Discord and head to #merchant_mogul_challenge.

A few highlights from the month:


Tomcat for several massive trades, but 15.6m was the biggest one we saw! That’s a lot of spice. 😲


nhdkentun for this very impressive stash of trade goods. Set up to make some money when those get sold!


matt for sharing their adventures with pirates. Pirates can definitely complicate your plans for building your trade empire. 😄


RhysOnasi for this excellent meme on the struggles with the xeno. Always showing up at the worst time.

Great work, Captains! So many of you participated in the challenge, sharing your screenshots, stories and more. Thank you all! Even though September is over, we’d still love to hear about your attempt at this challenge (or any of the previous community challenges) any time!

Stay tuned for future challenges!


Hello, Captains. It’s time for the September 2022 STF challenge. This time it’s all about trade in our Merchant Mogul challenge. Brush up on your bartering skills and try to remember where you secretly stashed those valuable goods. How will you influence the universe through trade? How much money will you make?


This is a trade focused challenge. Update 301 added six new trade scores that will help you to tell the story about building your trade empire. Here are the requirements for this challenge:

• Build a respectable cargo ship with at least 100 cargo space
  
• That’s it. No really, just the one requirement. We want you to have the chance to play how you want as you grow your wealth through trade.

• Screenshots of your trading stats: highest single trade, number of trades over $500k
  
• Your strategies for making money, how you impacted trade conflicts
  
• Your favorite port to trade in, your most profitable trade triangle
  
• Your own creative way to tell us about how you became the greatest trader

No matter what you choose to share, please include one screenshot of your trade stats!

We’ve opened up a discussion here on Steam in the General Discussion forum for aIl of your posts. If you post in the discord, post in the #merchant_mogul_challenge channel found in the STF category.

Go make that money, Captain! Looking forward to hearing about your growing trade empire!

Update #301 follows closely on the release of Wing Commando profession to fix 2 small bugs with the new Captain job as well as adding 6 new fun and competitive scores tracking your skill as a trader, a new option for easier play on laptops and PC tablets and 6 new art backgrounds for wilderness zones to make your time out of the void even more beautiful.

Speaking of new, new new -- if word hasn't trickled down from the tippity top of the New Boston spires, leaked below the streets and drip-drip-dripped into your safehouse, we're here to tell you about our upcoming turn-based cyberpunk heist RPG. Cyber Knights: Flashpoint will be coming to Steam in 2022 and mixes stealth, hacking and tactical combat with deep RPG elements and a unique heist system for missions. The wishlist button is calling your name, Knight.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021210/Cyber_Knights_Flashpoint/


With Update #301, we're prepping for an upcoming community challenge and so added 6 new exciting scores for traders and smugglers. Your Captain Scores page will now report on the number of trades you made in the Exchange and Black Market that were up to the $50,000 and $500,000 thresholds in value. Rack up a couple of those and feel like a rich any mighty trader.

In addition, the game is now tracking the value of your highest value trade in both Exchange and Black Market. Bragging rights activated -- make some hard earned credits and post up your scores!


For those players who have a touchscreen where right click is not easily accessible -- such as those using Microsoft Surface, ultrabooks, or PC tablets -- we've now added a new option to make the game easier to run with only a touchscreen. In the options menu, you can enable "Touch Screen" option and then make sure that the "Touch to Navigate" option is set and you should be able to play with a stylus or a finger more easily.

Update #301 adds another 6 new wilderness backgrounds for dangerous and remote environments -- desolate deserts, forgotten jungle clearings and towering mountain ranges. As you travel and explore the void, enjoy the new views.

Wing Commando profession launched with a few small bugs! Sometimes, they were not allowed to take command of a shuttle and the game just kept insinuating that they lacked the training to handle the high g-force. Insulting! Now fixed.

Also, the Attributes from the Profession Trait were wrong, now also fixed!

- Added 6 new environment backgrounds for remote wilderness
- Added new Captain Scores to track highest value Exchange and Black Market trades of your career
- Added new Captain Scores to track Exchange and Black Market trades over $50K and $500K
- Added new option "Touch Screen" for desktop platforms with touch screens (Surface, etc)
- Fixed bug preventing Wing Commando from being put into a shuttle
- Fixed wrong Attributes for Wing Commando's Traits