Emperor Contest: Now a Time Based Event

Hey Sonatians! We’ve made a few adjustments to the Emperor Contest, (see https://www.starsonata.com/blog/dev-diary-emperor-system-wild-space-and-aug-sourcing/ and https://www.starsonata.com/blog/dev-diary-anatolian-expanse/), but we aren’t done with making adjustments to the system quite yet.

In the next universe, the Emperor Contest will last three weeks and the team with the most points at the end of that time will be crowned the emperor. As previously stated, the rewards will be split among the remaining teams proportionally based on the amount of influence they gained.

We hope this variant of the system is more enjoyable for everyone. It should remove the feeling of having to sprint to claim the throne as fast as possible before others get a chance to join the fray. As with previous adjustments, we will continue monitoring player feedback closely and keep an eye out for additional areas of improvement.

Something else to note is that the number of non-boss spawns has increased. We expect this will play a large role during the next contest because many more points are available per day through the roaming AI. This should move the contest away from being as boss-focused as it once was.

Fractured Galaxies

Now for the big news. In the next universe, there will be new galaxies in Wild Space called Fractured Galaxies. These are galaxies that have all the properties and resources of standard galaxies but with two major differences. They cannot be owned, and brand-new resources can be found on some of the moons. This resource can be used to increase the productivity of other Wild Space galaxies’ extraction. More on that later in the post.

You will be able to find these fractured galaxies on your universe map by either seeing their unique name (which does not follow the normal naming scheme of Wild Space galaxies) or by seeing a sword icon on the map. They are unownable and therefore permit PvP at all times. This means that any bases there are vulnerable to attack for the entire universe. Of course, there must be something valuable in these fractured galaxies to justify the danger. Fractured galaxies have a brand new resource to harvest and you will not be able to find this resource anywhere else in the game.

To keep things simple on initial release, we’ll be just adding one new resource: Goop! Using a factory purchased from the Building Academy Entrance, you can turn Goop into Goop Juice. Goop Juice has an entirely new property, unlike any other item. If you place it on a Command and Control Center station, when the base consumes Fusion Cells to own the galaxy, it will also consume Goop Juice. This will cause the entire galaxy’s stations to have their extraction rates boosted by 25%. We may consider other galaxy boosters in the future, but this is what we are going to be working with for now.

Both the raw resource (Goop) and the galaxy booster (Goop Juice) follow the rules of industrial commodities. They cannot be transwarped or put in storage and they decay on universe reset and drop on death. To extract Goop, you can purchase a Tech 20 extractor from Building Academy Entrance Galaxy. Also note that these extractors do NOT benefit from Extraction Expert! Feel free to use your strongest bases to extract Goop.

We have heard your cries to bring some wildness back to Wild Space. We hope these Fractured Galaxies add a bit more chaos, uncertainty and spiciness to our current Wild Space ecosystem!

Station Mastery Changes

We’ve been monitoring the weapon range of bases very closely since the Wild Space reworks of last year. While some players have called for us to revert the base weapon range changes entirely, we’re going to try a more surgical change that will strengthen bases overall and make combat in fractured galaxies less player-favored. Characters that have the station mastery skill will impart a 3% range boost per level to all bases owned by that character. At this time, there will be no changes to the weapons or augmenters. We feel that a surgical change like this will positively influence some metas when it comes to claiming galaxies, fighting termites, or battling for these fractured galaxies.

We haven’t seen much base combat out in the universe recently, but in case you may have forgotten, a new system has been applied to bases’ resistance to damage. Bases take decreased damage when the enemy shooting at the base is farthest away. This coupled with nearly doubling Station Mastery base range should make well-geared bases much harder to pop with long-range player ships.

There are rumors of a shadowy force roving through the multiverse. If true, we face a dire threat from interdimensional wanderers. Wielding the power of temporal travel, it is said that they hop through the parallel universes with ease. If they find a way to our universe, their insatiable hunger for plunder and power threatens to unravel the very fabric of our existence.

In response the Paxians reach out to you, the chosen few. Embark on perilous odysseys, infiltrate the lairs of the unknown, and thwart their sinister machinations. Traverse through uncharted locations, sabotage their progress, and gather vital intelligence. Together, we shall defy the odds and restore order to the infinite tapestry. Brace yourselves for a journey through time and space…. Right after the universe wipes itself!

Dev Notes

• Extractors other then space oats shut off, colonies will no longer make purchases to/from user stations, AI stations will no longer decay goods 7 days before end of the universe. Will be a reminder post.
• Stations, permanent drones, and the credits on active bots will be lost.
  • Player ships will not be affected.
• If you’re docked during the reset, you will spawn into the new universe using your docked active ship.
  • Careful not to spawn into the new universe in an immobile ship!
• Wild Space will be scrambled and receive a new map shape.
• All other layers will have the systems scrambled but contain the same shape.
• After a universe reset, all of your docked ships will be in a state of limbo allowing you to dock them all at any non-player station.  You can use the /limbo chat command only once to bring all of your docked ships back into limbo to dock them elsewhere. There is no longer a time limit.
  • You can purchase additional limbos via Limboing Tow Service at Friedman station in Free Market for 5 billion credits each.

PDT: 10:00
MDT: 11:00
CDT: 12:00
EDT: 13:00
UTC: 17:00
BST: 18:00

Hey Sonatians! We are thrilled to announce the unlocking of a brand new content zone, “Lumination,” set to captivate your imagination and challenge your skills. Players will encounter the enigmatic Prime Cyborgs and one of their Matriarchs, offering unprecedented challenges… and opportunities.

 Gateway of Lumination

The Gateway of Lumination can be found deep within the Kalthi Depths. Unlike their Corrupted brethren, who have fallen victim to a rogue AI virus, the Prime Cyborgs in Lumination have managed to avoid infection and preserve their original powers and capabilities.

As you explore the Gateway of Lumination, you will encounter an array of formidable foes and unique loot that are exclusive to this region of space. Be prepared to face challenges that test your tactical prowess and reward your bravery with exclusive equipment and bonuses.

A Test of Teamwork

Entering various Rifts is the only way to access the heart of the Lumination zone. However, their instability can only sustain a squad of up to five players, necessitating cooperation and communication among team members. Make sure to strategize and optimize your squad to maximize your chance of success.

Players will need to adapt to new boss mechanics that promote teamwork.  It’s essential to balance your team composition with damage dealers, healers, and support roles to ensure your squad can overcome the hurdles that lie ahead.

Prime Cyborgs: A Force to Reckon With

The Prime Cyborgs, masters of technology and unrivaled warriors, await your arrival in the Lumination zone. Be prepared to face enemies with advanced weaponry, sophisticated tactics, and powerful abilities that will challenge even the most seasoned Star Sonata players. Engage in epic battles and outsmart your foes to uncover the secrets of their origin and their Matriarch’s true intentions.

New Boss Fights and Exclusive Loot

The Lumination zone will feature intense boss fights against the Prime Cyborgs’ elite champions and their Matriarch. These encounters will require a keen understanding of their mechanics, impeccable timing, and unwavering teamwork to succeed. Defeating these formidable adversaries will grant players access to exclusive loot, including high-level gear, weapons, and artifacts that can significantly enhance their capabilities.

A Test of Greatness

With the release of this pinnacle challenge to Star Sonata, we are also going to be doing something a little special to go along with its release. This will take the form of a contest, where we will see who is strong enough to defeat the Matriarch. It will be released in “Contest Mode.”  This version of the boss is intended to be a most difficult challenge, requiring your best ship setups, and all of your problem solving skills. If you manage to defeat it while the contest is active, you will be granted an exclusive reward for your victory. There are a few components to this contest that will be described in our guidelines below. These must be followed so that we can properly verify the authenticity of your completion.

Contest Guidelines

• A video must be posted of you and your squad completing the fight against Matriarch Aurora and showing you and your squadmates engage.

• Only one point of view is needed, though more are appreciated.

• The video recording must be from start to finish. Please start the recording before warping into the galaxy with the boss.

• The video must be uploaded to YouTube.

• All videos must be posted to the #community-media channel in the Star Sonata discord.

• There will be a 14 day period, starting from when the instance is first opened. Any squad that completes the boss kill and submits a video within this time frame will earn the reward.

• Each player account can only be granted the reward once. Being a part of a new squad and submitting a new video does not mean that a previously rewarded account will be given a second reward.

• Every member of a squad that clears the boss and posts a video will be allowed to pick one (1) reward from the following:

  • A unique and exclusive skin made for this challenge only for a new ship that can be obtained from killing The Matriarch

    • This does not include the new ship, only access to the skin

  • An Empyreal t23 skin of your choice.

Conclusion

Prepare yourselves, Sonatians, for a breathtaking journey into the mysterious depths of the Lumination zone opens on Thursday, April 27th. Form your squad, hone your skills, and unravel the enigma of the Prime Cyborgs and their Matriarch. Embrace the challenges that await you and emerge victorious in this epic new chapter of Star Sonata. Good luck, and may the stars guide you!

In a distant corner of the universe, the space rats had developed a particularly pungent and powerful cheese. It was said that one bite of this cheese could make even the toughest of pilots swoon with pleasure.

But what the space rats didn’t realize was that their cheese was causing a cosmic disturbance. You see, the cheese was so potent that it had created a tear in the fabric of space-time. And as more and more space rats indulged in their beloved cheese, the tear grew bigger and bigger.

Before anyone knew it, the tear had become a black hole, sucking everything in its path into its vortex. And as the black hole grew, it began to pull the entire universe into its grasp.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the space rats banded together to try and stop the black hole. They tried everything from sending in their best pilots to blow it up to offering sacrifices of their precious cheese, but nothing seemed to work.

In a last ditch effort, the space rats decided to do the unthinkable. They would use their cheese to create a new universe. They harnessed the power of the cheese and channeled it into a cosmic explosion. Now the universe is collapsing on itself and will reset in one month!

Dev Notes

• Extractors other then space oats shut off, colonies will no longer make purchases to/from user stations, AI stations will no longer decay goods 7 days before end of the universe. Will be a reminder post.
• Bases, permanent drones, and the credits on active bots will be lost.
  • Player ships will not be affected.
• If you’re docked during the reset, you will spawn into the new universe using your docked active ship.
  • Careful not to spawn into the new universe in an immobile ship!
• Wild Space will be scrambled and receive a new map shape.
• All other layers will have the systems scrambled but contain the same shape.
• After a universe reset, all of your docked ships will be in a state of limbo allowing you to dock them all at any non-player station.  You can use the /limbo chat command only once to bring all of your docked ships back into limbo to dock them elsewhere. There is no longer a time limit.
  • You can purchase additional limbos via Limboing Tow Service at Friedman station in Free Market for 5 billion credits each.

PDT: 10:00
MDT: 11:00
CDT: 12:00
EDT: 13:00
UTC: 17:00
GMT: 18:00

It’s official, SPEX (the Space Point EXchange item) will be available to purchase after the universe reset! This has been in planning and talked about for years, but we’ll be breaking down exactly what they are, how they work, and our rollout plans in this blog.

For those who haven’t followed, SPEX are an in-game tradable item that are purchased for $9.95 and redeemable for 20 Space Points. Unlike Space Points, though, SPEX exists as an item within the game world and can be traded to other players in exchange for credits.

SPEX are an in-game tradable item that represent (and can be redeemed for) 20 Space Points. Space Points cannot be redeemed for SPEX.

The basic life-cycle of a SPEX item works as follows:

• A player purchases a SPEX item for $9.95 and receives it as an item on their ship.

• The purchasing player either transfers it to their own shop station to sell, or sells it to another player’s station somewhere in the universe.

• The SPEX item circulates through the in-game economy until it is eventually in the hands of someone who wishes to redeem it for 20 Space Points.

• That player redeems the SPEX item for 20 Space Points on their account, consuming the SPEX item. The newly awarded Space Points can be used in any of the usual ways (subscription time, name changes, aug resets, etc).

Due to the incredibly valuable nature of this item, it will have some unique special protections to ensure that it remains with the owner until the owner intentionally trades it away.

• SPEX can only be traded via user stations. All other methods of transferring them to another player are disabled.

• Only a station owner can interact with SPEX on their station. Their teammates cannot transfer off a SPEX or modify the price of SPEX items on that base. If the ownership of a base is lost, all SPEX items onboard will be automatically evacuated to the owner’s TSL.

• Bots cannot carry SPEX items.

We’re rolling out SPEX purchases in phases. While SPEX can be freely traded once purchased, we are going to start out with a purchase limit of 10 SPEX every 30 minutes to help us catch any early issues that may arise.

Wild Space is the foundation of Star Sonata’s version of territory control. We’ve drastically shifted the paradigm when it comes to establishing your team’s domain.

Note: This map isn’t used for this Universe’s Wild Space.

The development team has pursued to capture essence and rush of universe resets via reoccurring potential encounters to make claims for new galaxies that slowly reveal and expand from visible proto-wormholes already within existing galaxies.

Those proto-wormholes, that you may or may not have seen, will open up to reveal brand new galaxies for you to explore, and claim for your team. Some of them will be even more resource rich then the currently available galaxies as well! They will be revealed with the server up and will require no downtime.

Keep in mind that these are available to players of any team to claim and contest. You do not need to have an adjacent gal, HQ, outpost or even own a single gal anywhere else in wild space, but even if you miss this chance there will be more reveals later in the universe.

Remember that Command & Control Station Kits can be purchased at the Advanced Station Research Facility AI base within Building Academy Entrance. Located right off Lyceum and two jumps from Sol!

In a future patch, we aim to have the galaxy reveal timers built directly into the client much like Subspace invasions to better communicate. This will make it so players can more accurately plan in advance.

A timer with date and ETA of the new wormholes opening will be placed in the #dev-posts channel on the Star Sonata Discord.

Hello Sonatians!

I am delighted to announce that our Community Manager Kilando is stepping up to the rank of game admin. This is going to make your lives better and more fun in at least three ways:

1. Regular game events. Kilando has been in charge of planning our game events for a while now, but with his admin powers he’ll be able to orchestrate them without any assistance. He’s going to get creative and put on some new events you’ve never seen before, and most importantly he’ll make sure that we stick to a regular schedule.
2. Live admin assistance. Part of Kilando’s new role is to provide admin assistance on the ground during any particularly busy or stressful moments of the game, such as the Universe Reset Rush. If you accidentally start the new universe in an engineless Thatch or dock all your ships in Lunacy, Kilando is your first call.
3. New leadership in chat moderation. Kilando is now officially in charge of all chat moderation (in game and on Discord). He’ll soon announce more details on the common sense changes he’s going to drive, and I’m certain that his leadership here is going to make the chat experience a lot more informative and enjoyable for everyone.

I feel strongly that the community manager must play the game actively in order to stay up to date with player priorities and concerns. Whenever a game admin is also an active player, we must take special precautions to head off any potential conflicts of interest. Here’s a rundown of the precautions Kilando and I have set in place:

1. No game diplomacy. Kilando won’t participate in any diplomatic intrigue that his in-game associates may drum up.
2. No PvP or wars. Kilando won’t participate in any player-versus-player activities.
3. No admin actions relating to self or team. Kilando won’t take any administrative actions that relate in any way to his own player characters or those of his teammates.

I’m personally very excited to see Kilando’s plans unfold over the next few weeks and I know that he’s going to stay laser focused on what the community needs. See you all in the chats!

It’s time to celebrate! Ten years ago today, 12th November 2011, our brave pilots stepped into a brand new universe. After years of work Star Sonata 2 was ready to be released, and while the road may not have been the smoothest, we have made some great strides in that time.

10 Years Event

To celebrate, we’re hosting an event running from 12th November, 18:00 UTC (13:00 server time) until 23rd November at 05:00 UTC (00:00 server time). During this time we’ll have a whole slew of bonuses running. Anyone who logs on during this time will receive a commemorative holoprojector, Sonata, Second Impression, in recognition of the event. Each day (that is midnight to midnight, starting on the 13th at 05:00 UTC) players who login will also receive a new, special item, a visage kit. There are a total of ten, one for each day, to collect. The ten visage kits coming with this event span the tech ranges from tech 1 to tech 22. More will be coming in the future.

The bonuses for the event are increased augmenter (50%) and bindomite drops (10%), increased chances on mod rolls for dropped items and loot (10%), and prospecting node refill rate (10%) and amount extracted (10%), and comet drops (50%) until 22nd!

Visage Kits

Visage kits are a new type of item. They can be combined with the item listed in their description to alter the appearance of that item. The item you are combining it with must be unequipped. Once combined the item becomes neurobound (so use your Bindomite before combining), however you can reverse the process at any time by selecting Dismantle from the right click menu on that item.

The server will be down at June 30th 9:30PM ET / July 1st 1:30AM UTC due to Emergency Maintenance due for an estimated 5 hours. The website may be down at times during it.

We have edited the instance within Red Photon Research to be unlocked to everyone while the Red Photon Turret is dead. The key is no longer required to enter the instance as long as the turret is inoperable.

Enjoy.