Hello Sonatians!

We can barely contain our excitement for the upcoming Universe Reset! Brace yourselves for an array of incredible updates and features heading your way with the upcoming patch. Here’s just a taste of what’s to come:

Kalthi Depths DGs

After DGing received a Perilous Space expansion recently, we wanted to continue that trend and add another expansion into a familiar space. Kalthi Depths DGs are finally returning, and have been given a facelift, making them much more interesting than before!

There are 10 new DG bosses to fight and farm — enjoy 5 new ship blueprints alongside plenty of other new items to find. 11 variants of mob guards, some of which are brand new, some of which will be souped up versions of familiar foes from Perilous Space. These DGs have been tuned to be fairly difficult with rewards to match whether you’re farming it solo or together. This expansion even comes with brand new Platinum level Strontium-90 missions, making token acquisition scale into the late game.

New Loot Standards

The dev team have been in discussions about drop rates across Star Sonata for a few months now. Enkelin developed a tool that allows us to see the real time investment required to receive drops of specific rarities. Using this tool we’ve gone through many popular endgame zones and applied these rates to them as we can.

Empyrean, Ruined Sanctuary, Akuq’ba, Anomalous Passageway, Dragon’s Lair, Olympus, Zaphragi Emperor, and Bonnet have been adjusted so far, and more will be coming! This tool will allow us to make loot drops much more consistent going forward for newly introduced content zones as well.

Ruined Sanctuary Changes

Ruined Sanctuary has been given new drops including 3 new ships and many items alongside the previously mentioned loot buff.
This zone has also been made to be Star Sonata’s only duo (two player) instance, so you and a friend can go in and conquer these enemies together.

Skill Zone Rebalances

A few zones have been noticeably harder than they needed to be for a while now, and are being toned down to more appropriate levels for their target audiences.

• Olympus has been rebalanced towards a medium-sized squad of tech 20 players.

• Subspace Ubers and minibosses have been given the same treatment but for a squad of tech 21 players.

• Empyreal Fleets and regular mobs have been toned down similarly for a squad of tech 22 players.

These should be much more achievable now for aspiring players to finally be able to earn their own skills and loot, progressing naturally without relying on the help of much more powerful characters.

AI Empire HQs

The AI empire HQs have been improved. There are now four unique and worthwhile galaxies that any wild space conqueror may want to look into taking next universe:

• Scorpius, the mining galaxy.

• Citadel, the tiered commodity galaxy and has centralized T0 extraction.

• Paradise, the perfect colony galaxy.

• Dorado has lots of T0s, but no metals!

The idea behind this expansion to the AI empires was for these galaxies to each have a unique spin on what they offer. Instead of being generally good like an exotic galaxy, they specialize — being better than exotics in some areas but weaker at others

Anatolian Expanse Tweaks

The Anatolian Expanse and the emperor system have been a hotly debated topic in the community. Generally, we agree that our current system is missing some of the key things that made our historical emperor contest and the politics around it exciting.

Our end goal is to bring back some of that intrigue and a bit more risk in the emperor contest than what we have now. However, Rome was not built in a day. We still want to retain having an emperor system in the meantime while we work on this goal. To support this, we’ve lined up some changes for the current system to address some of the biggest pain points, including benefitting smaller groups rather than rewarding only the biggest teams taking part in the system.

Emperor contests will now only take place once a universe, around the middle or a month into each universe. This should address various concerns around the constant slog that was being created by multiple contests per universe.

There will be rewards taken from the emperor team’s spoils and given to the top ten teams with influence above a certain threshold. More will be given to the teams higher on the leaderboard at the time that emperor is awarded. To support this, all teams entering the expanse will require a team HQ somewhere in the universe to receive that reward.

There are some other slight tweaks regarding the layers layout that should improve the experience as well. We’ve made three new galaxies that connect the arms in the layer and removed the gate guards and static turrets to make moving around the layer not unnecessarily cumbersome.

We hope these tweaks make engaging with the expanse clearer, more streamlined, and more rewarding for any pilots who are interested in a dynamic experience! Stay tuned in the future for greater iterations to how the Emperor’s Crown may be obtained!

Hello Sonatians, we have some exciting news to share from a recent change to the system that distributes augmenters as loot. Last October we added guaranteed augmenter loot to all Dungeon bosses, with a spread of tech levels and augmenter types to help standardize sourcing rates. Since then, we’ve tracked the results of the system and found that while most sourcing rates had settled into a consistent pattern, there were a few anomalies in the distribution of loot. Good news! The outcome shows a system that has a more fair and balanced distribution and can be seen in the charts provided below.

October 2022 – April 2023 Augmenter Distribution by Type and Tech Level

This chart shows augmenter sourcing data from October 2022 to April 2023. For the most part, the lower-tech augmenters are dropped more frequently and therefore there are more of them in the game. As the level of tech increases you can see the number of those items decrease, almost across the board.

However, there are a few points where this is not the case. The spikes in “Good” (red) augmenters show that something was off about these items, especially in the Electric, Firing, and Recovery categories. The team set out to find out why their drop rate was not in line with their tech level. They used loot logs to identify the sources of these augmenters and discovered that they were coming from outside of the intended Dungeon areas.

April 2023 – May 2023 Augmenter Distribution per Type

The data one month after the fix shows us getting much closer to the intended distribution of loot. After removing the anomalous sources outside of the dungeon areas, the augmenter loot distribution conforms to what we originally envisioned. Lower-tech augmenters have higher numbers for the most part and the higher-tech augmenters are fewer. Since April, 51% of augmenters are from Dungeon Galaxies and 24% from Dungeon Galaxy bosses. These numbers will continue to rise as we add more bosses.

Top 100 Augmenter Farmers

In the midst of all this talk about augmenter drop rates, a team member thought it would be fun to see how the top 100 augmenter farmers stack up. It appears there are a couple of people really leading the pack!

We appreciate your continued support and look forward to hearing any feedback you have on this update. Thank you for playing!

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

[Lumination Zone]

• Drastically buffed the drop rates of Matriarch Aurora.
• Buffed various stats of items that drop. (Player volunteered to update wiki stats).
• Removed Exotic item requirement from Exalted Blueprints.
• Added additional loot.

[Anatolia]

• Anatolian bosses have had their mechanics adjusted:
  • Starategos clusterbomb damage reduced, now imparts a negative Damage tweak.
  • Polemarchos clusterbomb now imparts a negative Damage tweak.
  • Taxiarhos and Starategos Wave damage significantly reduced.
  • Bosses’ Artillery Drone damage significantly reduced.
  • Magcannon and Laser weapons used by most Anatolians have had their damage significantly reduced.
  • Anatolian mobs Physical projectile damage significantly reduced.
  • Reduced Anatolian Light Fighter and Heavy Fighter damage.
  • Increase Anatolian Freighters damage and defense.
  • Added additional mechanics to mobs.

[Client / UI]

• References to “Bases” have been unified to “Stations” instead.
• Added client support for displaying the type of drone / base in the targeting window (Not currently live yet).
• Updated various errors and references from TSL to Storage Locker.

[Item Changes]

• Nuclear Waste now decays on Universe Reset.
• Fixed Annihilator Beam Z to being heat instead of incorrectly energy.
• Celestial Protection Beam fixed so it properly works.
• Reduced Range debuff on Celestial Destabilizing Beam from -25% to -15%.
• Transferred 6,000 enriched nuclear materials from initial materials to periodic materials for the Kalthi Warrior Focus: Heart Blueprint, Kalthi Warrior Focus: Body Blueprint, and Kalthi Warrior Focus: Mind Blueprint.
• Reduced the electricity cost of extreme regenerative shields.
• Removed Twisted Re-structon from Twisted Extensive, compact, and leech charge drones.
• Changed Empyreal Noctis Fighter Aura from 300 to 2000 range.
• Updated description on Empyreal Eclipse’s Super to more accurately reflect how it works.
• Adjusted Empyreal Saros speed super’s holoprojector to be more subtle.
• Gaia Station Kit IX can be attached now.

[Next Universe Changes]

• Converted the Olympus tractor beam turn in missions from missions to Trade Bay Exchanges.
• Removed A Fair Trade mission from Paxian Strong hold, a trade bay exchange already exists.
• Adjusted Earthforce Space resource distributions to be in line with the new Wild Space system.

[AI Changes]

• Increased drop rate for Nightfury Hull Remains, Nightfury Hull Fragments, Green Battleship Hull Remains and Green Battleship Hull Fragments.
• Fixed an issue with Tadpole’s spawning as Death’s Head in Strontium.

[Server]

• Energies out of fuel now generate at 75% efficiency instead of 25%.
• You can no longer attack squad mates in arena galaxies (colosseum) or PvP Zones (Anatolia).

[Bug Fixes]

• Fixed a bug where parasites which could stack their effect weren’t stacking.

[Lumination Zone]

• AI within zone no longer spawn with augmenters or mods.
• Adjusted Frigates to have more turning so they don’t drift as far while fighting and removed their warp devices.
• Changes to Matriarch Aurora:
  • Boss now resets when all players have died.
  • Matriarch Aurora now shows up on the instance leaderboard
  • Aurora’s galaxy chat messages now float above them much akin to a player talking in galaxy chat.
  • Adjusted the the true damage environment damage to better reflect the distance of the bubbles of all the phases.
  • Fixed issue with “flashlight beam” on Nullifier Platforms so players can clearly see them. Also adjusted so their firing stays within the “flashlight instead of spraying” and increased their projectile speed.
  • Overseer now uses True Damage instead of Heat.
  • Nullifier Shield now has damage soaks to match the boss.
  • Updated mine visuals to be more visually appealing and more clear what is happening.
  • Increased the speed of the Mobile Nullifier Platforms so they fly in formation with the Aurora easier.
  • Changed the Nullifier Shield to do a shockwave effect instead of a missile-like warhead effect to communicate more effectively when its damage super is activated.
  • Fixed an issue with the mines not self destructing.
  • Fixed an issue with Mobile Nullifier Platforms not inheriting hate.
  • Adjusted various mobs stats.

[Anatolia]

• Now has a new PvP Zone tag that disables the requirement to turn off safety lock to engage in PvP. Note: This has to be manually enabled by an admin within 48 hours.
• Fixed a bug where Radiation kills of the Anatolian AI didn’t grant influence.

[Client / UI Changes]

• Fixed a bug that caused a crash when doing a market check on an invalid item.
• Fixed a bug with cycling through via “Q” or “Tab” that sometimes reverted to the previous selection.
• Fixed /like stating it can use teamname in /help as that is handled now under /teamlike.
• “Toss Some” now works with multiple selections in ships.
• Fixed several Merchant Navy textures not properly loading.
• Updated button at the bottom of the UI for jumping through wormholes from “Warp” to “Jump”.

[Item Changes]

• Aurora overloaders given more unique descriptions.
• Aurora Blueprints for Fighters, Drones, Shield Chargers and Overloaders changed to build multiples of the items.
• Adjusted Aurora Shield Chargers, Augmenters, Fighters, and Overloaders stats. Note: Additional item buffs should be in the next patch.
• Reduced the Nuclear Waste on Rudimentary Admix Blueprint from 10 million to 1.5 million.
• Changed the following for both the Lunarium and Selenium Blueprints:
  • Reduced Steel Girders from 111k to 11k.
  • Added 400 Sub-Shield Reactors.
• Transwarps now can be used any time when out of combat but require 75% shields while in combat.
• Firestream had its Thrust augmod reduced from 50% to 10%.
• Fixed Twisted Honey’s Amplifier graphic to match the effect distance.
• Removed Base Transferences from Blueprint packs.
• Removed Base Transferences as a requirement from various blueprints.
• Corrected the tweak effect description on the Simple Blockade, Blockade, and Advanced blockade to say -x Vulnerability to all damage instead of -x Resistance to all damage.
• Corrected Rudimentary Damage Augmenter to say gives some damage instead of shield, and Rudimentary Shield Augmenter to say gives some shield instead of damage.

[Universe Changes]

• Removed team from AI Station within Blue Photon Test Range.
• Firestream is now available in Infernal Tempest via Trade Bay Item Exchange.

[Mission Changes]

• Reduced the number of UrQa Capital Ship Augmenters from 2 to 1 for Augmenter Tweaking 10.
• Reduced the number of Aveksaka Augmenters required from 3 to 2 for Augmenter Tweaking 10.

[Server]

• Automated random events every other weekend.
• Ships that cannot be captured or Radiation Expert captured no longer can be irradiated and blow up.
• All tractors for Players, AI and bots disable when an object becomes irradiated.
• AI Stations restrictions for being Subscribed/Premium is now prioritized before a skill check requirement.
• Item Teleporters now list their restrictions and information on the item stats itself.
• Mission tracking objects will no longer display a mission target icon unless that object is visible to the player.
• Made it so termite nests in Biologique and Emphatic Biology won’t spawn a nest if there is no Player Station in the galaxy.
• Boss resets now give them full shields and energy.
• Fixed a bug with environmental damage not always working.

[Bug Fixes]

• Fixed a bug for a stack of weapons passing on multiple of the stack’s mods instead of just one instance.
• Fixed a bug in Funky Monkey causing characters without the skill to also receive the 16% reduction to HPS.
• Fixed an issue with the Imperial Dry Dock and Imperial Augmenter Retrieval not working.
• Fixed an issue with diffusers that may result in slightly different interactions with healing weapons.
• Fixed a bug with Beam based Super Items that allowed them to get Range and Tracking Auramods/Auratweaks.
• Fixed a bug with the Owned Ship limit that allowed 1 more then the limit.
• Fixed a bug where the TSL wouldn’t update to a new account’s TSL information when switching characters/accounts without either /f or redocking.
• Fixed a bug when a character has logged into the universe for the first time the safety lock is defaulted off even though the client says its turned on.
• Fixed the bug not listing all the stats listed on DNA Extractors such as electricity and range.
• Fixed a bug where server treated +vulnerability tweaks as good and -vulnerability tweaks as bad.
• Fixed a bug that allowed user to remote toss of a PVP Item (Ex. Anatolian Crests) from a docked ship so long as your active ship is undocked.
• Fixed a bug that prevented direct messaging mutual friends if the player was muted.
• Fixed a bug with auto targeting to something else when the current selection is a player object.

[Lumination Changes]

• Changed Matriarch Aurora’s Nullifier Mines to no longer do energy damage with their beams.
• No longer spawns frigates for an enrage.
• Adjusted charging for Mobile Platforms and ensured they self destructed.
• Adjusted Aurora and Shield to stay in formation better.
• Mines no longer spawn with mods and increased the range they can be seen at with a good radar.
• Fixed various despawn timers for mobs.

[Item Changes]

• Added warp wake to Frag Drone.
• MIRV’s are no longer Gunner locked.
• Added augmenter slots to permanent drone descriptions.
• If there is no target in range for the Advanced Targeting Computers – will fire normally.

[AI Changes]

• Reduced range of Brute Force’s tractor.
• Reduced Baniq Qokuji’bakoqi’Qa’s Tractor Strength in Akuq’Ba.

[Bug Fixes]

• Fixed a inverse on Disintegrator Missiles’ Surgical Vulnerability debuff.

Greetings Sonatians, we’ve seen your initial efforts to defeat the Matriarch and applaud you! With a little over a week left in “Contest Mode,” this is definitely the hardest piece of content ever released and many squads have given their best to defeat it.

From the footage that has been shared with us, we have been able to identify some unintended issues with the boss. We have fast-tracked a batch of fixes for a patch currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 2nd. This gives players the option to continue fighting the current version and obtain the rewards on the hardest version possible, or you can opt to wait for the fixes and try again with a refreshed squad.

List of fast-tracked changes

• Handmaidens and Nullifier Platforms will now correctly despawn after performing their tasks.

• Aurora is now less agile and the Shield is now more agile to allow them to stay together.

• The 15-minute enrage mechanic (Frigate spawns) is entirely removed!

• Nullifier Mines are now more visible so players can clearly see and react to their AOE effects.

• Mines no longer use Energy damage-type. This eliminates unintended energy critical hit effects so your engines don’t drop out right when you need to maneuver.

Many thanks to everyone who’s bravely gone toe-to-appendage with the Matriarch, and especially to those who’ve hooked us up with footage of their attempts. We are looking forward to seeing how you handle the boss in its revised form and hope to award some trophies before the contest ends!

[Item Changes]

• Changes to Missiles and Missile Launcher:
  • Migrated damage baseline from launchers to missiles: Missiles damage generally increased and Damage bonus of launcher drastically reduced in a similar layout as fighters.
  • Various missile classification and damage adjustments.
  • Various debuff effects adjusted.
• Gunner’s Targeting Computers  now use the main weapon as if the deathblossom is turned off if there is no valid target instead of not fire at all.
• Experimental Nuclear Fusion Collector Fusion Cell cost reduced from 125 to 20.
• Prototype Nuclear Fusion Collector: Fusion Cell cost reduced from 250 to 35.
• Nuclear Fusion Collector: Fusion Cell cost reduced from 500 to 50.
• Subterranean Nuclear Fusion Collector: Fusion Cell cost from 5 Quickened Fusion Cells to 5 Vitalized Fusion Cells.
• Planetary Core Nuclear Fusion Collector: Fusion Cell cost reduced from 1 Energized Fusion Cells to 1 Quickened Fusion Cells.
• All other t12-t20 Fusion extractors with any periodic Fusion Cell cost was transitioned to Sentient Chatbots.

[Bug Fixes]

• Fixed a bug where base gear wasn’t listing the number of workers they require to equip.
• Fixed a potential deadlock server crash with bots unable to find correct path to player.
• Fixed a bug with Projectile on hit effects transferring between galaxies.
• Fix for achievements not registering if the kill is done by a fighter or a bot.

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!

[Item Changes]

• Increased the tech range of drops chances for Apollo+, Hestia+ and Artemis+ and Hermes+ Blueprints.
• Set resting length on Singularity Spheres and Merchant Navy Contrivers’ tractors to zero.
• Increased the electricity per shot with weapons with an AoE “On Hit” effects.
• Zeus’ Lightning Torpedo will do less damage and use more electricity.
• Vazuk’ka Qa is now marked as Exalted quality instead of artifact and had stats adjusted.
• Hazardous Space Still space out output changed from 200 to 280 to match the efficiency of all other upgraded industrial commodities (IC) factories.
• Restored Automated Hydroponics to the Automated Attached Miner Kit IV.
• Automated Hydroponics now supports 2,000 workers instead of the previous 2,525 workers.
• Pusher and Puller tractors now have significantly less weight.
• Puller and Hitchhiker tractors now have 0 resting length.

[Server]

• Mobile drones that already had warp wake have now had their warp wake distance standardized to 500 + 25 * tech level, up to a maximum of 1000.
• Removed Disable Missile/Enable Missiles from X menu for bots.

[Bug Fixes]

• AI and Bots will now factor in Resistance to All Auras and tweaks when valuing what to attack.
• Fixed an issue with missile / fighter bays not passing on stats to missiles / fighters.
• Fixed a bug that prevented use of fighters/missiles on AI.
• Fixed a bug that caused some in-builts not to equip on AI.