*NEW* GOVBOT UPDATE

The GovBot is a Transplanetary League construct that serves two purposes:

• It’s a sequence of tasks that a group of planetary pioneers can use to establish a township on a new planet, and;

• It enables the tools that the government of that new township will need to maintain and grow the planet going forward.

Players may (optionally) become citizens of a specific planet. To do so, go to the GovBot on a planet, access the kiosk and choose to become a citizen there.

If you are already a citizen on another planet, you’ll have to renounce that citizenship first before you can become a citizen elsewhere.

You cannot access any other GovBot functionality until you become a citizen of that planet.

GovBots have levels, and they start at level 1. To move to the next level, the citizens of that planet must rally together to bring resources and Klaatu to the GovBot. Once they Deposit enough materials and currency in the GovBot, the mission will complete and new functionality will be unlocked for the township.

The first goal is to unlock a Missions Kiosk for the planet.

When the first mission is completed, the Mayor will be notified of the community’s success and the next mission will automatically begin.

This is a small fraction of the important information in this update. Please find the rest here:

https://starsreach.com/govbot-update

Today, we reveal our Stars Reach development roadmap. We built something more than just a timeline, but a living page!

You can click on individual cards for more information. Additionally, watch cards move between categories (forward and backward) as development progresses.

We want your feedback, so don’t be shy and let’s hear some typing on those keyboards!

https://starsreach.com/roadmap

MassivelyOP warmly compared Stars Reach’s new government system to the original government system in Star Wars Galaxies. The commenters agreed with the writer on the strong resemblance to the cherished memories of SWG.

\[READ MORE]

They watched the new Servitors video by Stars Reach Lab. They checked out our living roadmap, comparing it to a Trello board, but might not have noticed that one can click on a tile and open it for more details.

They are right. We’re having a great week!

Explore the full article →

The Lab series continues with a look at The Servitors.

The old ones left their garden of planets in the care of their faithful Servitors. They care for us, for our planets, and all the flora and fauna living on these worlds.

Endlessly polite, they may still schedule you for termination with the right motivation.

Saturday’s Fireside Chat is our 50th Fireside Chat. Dave Georgeson will be joining Carneros to break down the new update and talk about our newly-posted development roadmap.

We currently have three sets of logo merchandise in stock:

• The Transplanetary League set

• The Stars Reach logo set

• The Infinite Worlds set

You can visit the store here: https://starsreach.com/store

HOW YOU CAN HELP 

If there is one thing you can do to help us, you can wishlist us on Steam. This makes a difference for the algorithm and also helps on the day we eventually launch on Steam. Thank you for this support. 

Hey Everyone,

the new version 1.0.7 for the ongoing playtest is now available.

This time It is meant to test the following:

• New enemy archetypes

• Fast paced gameplay passages

• Music selection (Jukebox)

• Performance

• Color coded enemies

Update Notes Playtest Version 1.0.7::

The jukebox is now available based on a community suggestion.

• Added a Jukebox:: " Select a song you want to hear as background music "

Notes (Jukebox):

• The jukebox can be found within the "GAME SETTINGS"

• To play the selected song in any level, you need to press "SELECTED SONG"

• Added a new level (5)

• New enemy archetypes (randomized)

• Faster paced gameplay

  Notes (Level):

• This level is available as normal and hard difficulty. But at the moment the hard difficulty only change the amount of health you collect and the challenges.

• The enemy count does not change at the moment, this will be updated later after reciving some feedback about the difficulty of the normal mode (it is kinda hard).

• The enemies are randomized, so it can be the bigger ones come a little to close.

• Also the enemies are color coded. Blue enemies = range weapons, Green enemies = unstoppable & attack can not be interupt, Standard enemies = red glowing eyes (like in the picture above).

Bugfixes:

• Bug #2 - (Fixed:: Playtest v. 1.0.7 (2025_11_14) Level end statistic display:: Cursor does not display the standard menu cursor . The correct cursor will now be displayed.

Have fun.

• NPC Dialogue - Fixed minor grammar mistakes and improved sentence context.

• Enemy Target Lock System - Updated the Enemy Target Lock System so that whenever the player is fighting Apphass Kexxir, the boss, as long as the system is enabled, it will always be locked into Apphass Kexxir. This could potentially ease the boss combat for players who have the Enemy Target Lock System enabled.

Hey everyone!

We’re incredibly excited to announce that the PENANCE Closed Beta will be live from November 21 to November 23!

This is a huge step for the project, and we’d love to have you with us as we test and polish the experience before the upcoming demo release. This Beta will be mainly focused on gameplay, and you'll be able to:

• Test core stealth and survival mechanics

• Report bugs and help us refine the experience

• Share feedback on pacing, atmosphere, difficulty, and overall feel (i.e. if anything feels unnatural)

Your input during this phase is incredibly valuable. Every bit of feedback helps shape the future of PENANCE.

If you’d like to participate, just join our Discord below and grab access to the Beta channel here, and we will add you to the channel and grant you access on Steam.

Thank you all for the support. We can’t wait to hear what you think, and we hope you enjoy this early glimpse into Calen’s journey or... should we say nightmare?

— Furistic Studio & Kitsundie Tales

*NEW* GOVBOT UPDATE

The GovBot is a Transplanetary League construct that serves two purposes:

• It’s a sequence of tasks that a group of planetary pioneers can use to establish a township on a new planet, and;

• It enables the tools that the government of that new township will need to maintain and grow the planet going forward.

Players may (optionally) become citizens of a specific planet. To do so, go to the GovBot on a planet, access the kiosk and choose to become a citizen there.

If you are already a citizen on another planet, you’ll have to renounce that citizenship first before you can become a citizen elsewhere.

You cannot access any other GovBot functionality until you become a citizen of that planet.

GovBots have levels, and they start at level 1. To move to the next level, the citizens of that planet must rally together to bring resources and Klaatu to the GovBot. Once they Deposit enough materials and currency in the GovBot, the mission will complete and new functionality will be unlocked for the township.

The first goal is to unlock a Missions Kiosk for the planet.

When the first mission is completed, the Mayor will be notified of the community’s success and the next mission will automatically begin.

This is a small fraction of the important information in this update. Please find the rest here:

https://starsreach.com/govbot-update/

Today, we reveal our Stars Reach development roadmap. We built something more than just a timeline, but a living page!

You can click on individual cards for more information. Additionally, watch cards move between categories (forward and backward) as development progresses.

We want your feedback, so don’t be shy and let’s hear some typing on those keyboards!

https://starsreach.com/roadmap/

MassivelyOP warmly compared Stars Reach’s new government system to the original government system in Star Wars Galaxies. The commenters agreed with the writer on the strong resemblance to the cherished memories of SWG.

\[READ MORE]

They watched the new Servitors video by Stars Reach Lab. They checked out our living roadmap, comparing it to a Trello board, but might not have noticed that one can click on a tile and open it for more details.

They are right. We’re having a great week!

Explore the full article →

The Lab series continues with a look at The Servitors.

The old ones left their garden of planets in the care of their faithful Servitors. They care for us, for our planets, and all the flora and fauna living on these worlds.

Endlessly polite, they may still schedule you for termination with the right motivation.

Saturday’s Fireside Chat is our 50th Fireside Chat. Dave Georgeson will be joining Carneros to break down the new update and talk about our newly-posted development roadmap.

We currently have three sets of logo merchandise in stock:

• The Transplanetary League set

• The Stars Reach logo set

• The Infinite Worlds set

You can visit the store here: https://starsreach.com/store

HOW YOU CAN HELP 

If there is one thing you can do to help us, you can wishlist us on Steam. This makes a difference for the algorithm and also helps on the day we eventually launch on Steam. Thank you for this support. 

I’ve added deeper customization for skins — they now support masks, textures, and multiple color channels, giving you way more options to create your own style. Early Access is coming soon with even more content!

Changes

• Added two new quests. For the Jam! & Gilliver's Travels.

• Improved intro message.

• Fixed level up alerts showing lower values than you had.

• Removed the Forge stats Quality Equipped block.

• Pinned quests now say "Ready to turn in" rather than "Complete.

• Added an overlay when loading a map.

• Added a new Mix All Button.

Backend

• Updated A* to a newer version.

Hey Commanders,

This is Sasori speaking from the ruins: we’ve heard you loud and clear about the frustrations with the tutorial experience in Ferrous and this patch seeks to address those reported issues.

• Players tell us the tutorial is confusing, or incomplete, especially when it comes to the core mechanics (e.g., summoning, unit types, cover) and how they tie into the larger strategy.

• Some systems introduced later in the tutorial were behind a progression system, this confused many players who voiced a desire to pick and choose.

• There are complaints that the tutorial dialogue doesn’t clearly show the big picture of why you’re doing what you’re doing (not just how). As well as issues with graphics inconsistently loading or even maps.

• Because of all this, the barrier to joining the videogame-boardgame mix of Ferrous is higher than we want. And that’s on us.

1. Tutorial menu overhaul

   • The tutorial has been broken into modular missions that each end with a clear “mission complete” indicator, and summary of what you just learned and how it fits into the full game. Players can play any mission as they wish and no longer have to "progress" through them. We also playtested and fixed levels that were demonstrating the previously mentioned issues (UI Text, Map Graphics, Units/Maps loading correctly)

   • The extra resources in the tutorial area, Ruleset v3, v4 and Lewis R. K. Intro Video have had their links updated to newer versions of all game materials.

   • We’re adding tooltips and reminders of what you just learned when you reach a similar situation in your first live match. Tooltips will be formally implemented in another hotfix this month and be toggleable from the Options menu. Allowing players to highlight objects ingame and instantly get a run down.

   • All matches start with a “fast track” tutorial for experienced players who just want a refresher and jump into a match. For now it details controls but will include links to rulesets and rulebooks

2. Better pacing & context

   • Instead of dumping all controls at you, the tutorial will space them naturally as you play, tied to real examples (first summon, first mech race/crash, first board-phase decision).

   • We’ll explicitly show how the board game side and the digital side overlap: e.g., “Here’s how summoning on the board influences your digital unit roster.”

3. Feedback loop & tracking

   • We’ll include an option in the menu to restart the tutorial at any time.

   • We'll add analytics to track where players are dropping out of the tutorial, so we can prioritize where the friction is worst. We may implement this in other parts of the game to better track pain points.

4. Short-term fixes

   • While overhaul is under way, we’re deploying minor fixes: clarify ambiguous wording in existing tutorial missions, fix UI indicators that weren’t obvious, and ensure no tutorial breaks/blockers.

   • Release a “Getting Started” cheatsheet PDF, Lewis has a narration here on Steam and on our Discord so folks can choose low-friction entry:

   • We fixed a bug where Mechalomania did not appear in the main menu that has been remedied

   • Adding some more Biped units that we have alluded to like the Qilin, Malista, Tohka, and Shellbreaker.

Because Ferrous isn’t just another digital wargame — it’s a hybrid board/digital/mixed-reality strategy experience. If players can’t grasp the core logic and flow of your game, the whole vibe doesn’t hit. We want you in the game, not fighting the tutorial to even get there.

Also: first impressions matter. If newcomers hit a confusing tutorial, they may close the game before they see the depth you built. We’re investing in smoother entry so that when the chaos, betrayal and gear-trading begin, we’re ready.

• Next patch (v2.2.6): Add new unit types including Infantry, Vehicles(Air + Land), Drones, and Emplacements, targeted in ~3 weeks. we also want to expand upon the current map selection to show off all the new obstacles and gameplay possibilities

• Playable Scenarios (v2.3.0): Add support for all Game-Types from custom game menu as well as some "Historical Battle" scenarios that players can play through 1v1. We also intend to implement modular rulesets and, ideally, the first looks at Online Multiplayer alongside a corresponding event.

• Faction Traits, Pilots, and Addons: We are planning to experiment with Faction Abilities, add Pilots formally for players to create and customize; not just purchase in the marketplace. Bipedal mechs will also get more possibilities for modifying their frames with items like additional Backpack types, and new addons like Levitators, Generators, and FCS.

• Meanwhile: we’ll post tutorial feedback threads on Steam Community and Discord. We want your input: where did you get stuck? What didn’t make sense? What did you skip because it felt irrelevant? What would you like to see?

• Post-launch: we’ll keep iterating the tutorial based on real player data and feedback; this will be a living system, not a one-and-done. Long term support is also planned into well after release next year.

• If you hit a confusing or blocking spot in the tutorial, please drop a comment in the thread or DM us on Discord. Send a screenshot if that helps.

• If you skipped the tutorial and still felt lost, tell us what you had to guess, or what mechanics you didn’t understand until later in the game.

• If you are a veteran board game / wargame player (hello from the 900-year-old man), try the new “fast track” state when it drops and tell us whether it’s the right pace.

• If you haven’t tried the tutorial in a while; give it another spin once the next patch hits, and tell us if things feel smoother. Our discord is the best place to let us know somethings off or to report bugs and very soon we will be adding a bug report button from where you currently are in the game. Here's your invitation to our: Discord

I know you, you thrive in the ruins, trading gears for glory, trusting no one. We built Ferrous for people like you, and we built the tutorial badly. But this is fixable. Together we’ll make sure the first step into the mecha world is as ruthless and engaging as the battles you'll fight.

Thank You for Playing!
Team Ferrous

Hey everyone,

This update is a bigger one. It adds full background music support, introduces the Skydeck environment, and includes a long list of improvements across UI, UX, and overall feel.

The new Skydeck is a rooftop parking area with an underground party vibe. It is a place where you can display up to 38 of your favorite cars and walk around between them.

Lots can be purchased, cars can be placed on display, and the whole area is designed as a small social showroom for your collection.
Color cycling for displayed cars is supported with the number keys 1 and 2, and racing cars can change their vinyls with the number keys 3 and 4.


Skydeck adds a reason to revisit your collection and gives a new way to appreciate the cars you have unlocked so far.

DriveWave now has background music. You can enable it through the new jukebox menu and build your own playlist from a library of 142 tracks. The tracks cover several genres, and while most of them are AI-generated, the quality is high and fits the driving atmosphere extremely well.


You can add and remove songs freely, reorder your playlist, and use crossfade, shuffle, and repeat to control how the music flows while your car heads off into the distance.
This feature is meant to make the whole experience feel more alive, especially for long sessions.

A large set of UI and UX updates were made to make the game more consistent and smoother to interact with.
Menu transitions are cleaner, scrolling is more responsive, and most navigation paths now require fewer clicks.
Visual clarity has been improved in several screens, including car details, filters, and environment selection.
Small layout issues that existed in previous versions have also been addressed.

A number of cars received multiplier increases to better match their intended performance levels.
This affects progression speed for certain car types and should make the collection feel more balanced as a whole.

The layout of the main menu has been updated to make space for the Skydeck button.
Leaderboards and Achievements have been moved to a new location that keeps them accessible without crowding the interface.
General stability improvements were made across many systems to reduce small hiccups during long sessions.

These are huge changes for the game and I had to revamp several systems to accomodate these features, so bugs will be as of nature. I'm all ears to any feedback and bug reports!

See you on the road.
– Tolga