Show/Hide Show/Hide

Starcom: Nexus

 
Starcom: Unknown SpaceNov 2, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsIt's been almost 3 years since Starcom: Nexus graduated from Early Access and I've spent most of that time working on the follow-up title. Based on player survey responses, I've kept the core gameplay close to the original, while at the same time trying to improve a number of features. While I'm immensely proud of Starcom: Nexus, there were a number of aspects that both players and I felt could be improved such as the appearance and layout of ship modules, improved mission tracking, autopilot etc. The game is neither a direct sequel, nor a reboot. I won't say more for the benefit of players who want to avoid spoilers, but it again has you as a newly minted commander exploring an unfamiliar universe. Many of you have already participated in the rounds of closed betas that have shaped the new title. If you haven't, there will still be at least one big round of tests before Starcom: Unknown Space drops out of warp into Early Access. Playtest invites are sent to random subscribers/survey respondents. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/f2a39652a9e796b25cf4c0d20ed6b65bf9c88a36.gif Significant changes from Starcom: Nexus: A new story with a new universe, characters, aliens and mysteries Completely revamped ship-building system featuring multi-hex modules and higher-quality models Faceless crew replaced with a command crew that progress in rank and skills Improved mission tracking system Numerous QoL improvements, like destination autopilot Improved VFX and UI Lots more! So if you enjoyed Starcom: Nexus and want more of the same but better, Starcom: Unknown Space enters Early Access on December 14, 2022.Retrospective & Future PlansApr 16, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsIt’s been a little over two years since Starcom: Nexus graduated from Early Access. Shortly after graduation, I posted a survey to find out what players liked most, and what areas they felt could use improvements in a follow-up title (more about this in a bit). Since then, I’ve received almost 1000 responses. Combined with the 1300+ player reviews on Steam, posts to the discussion forums and in-game feedback, I feel like I have a good idea what players loved about Starcom: Nexus (as well as the most common complaints). Exploration Players really loved the feeling that they were exploring a mysterious universe. The idea that through the next wormhole could be another race, artifact, or civilization that would give some surprising discovery or connection kept you pushing into the next star system or out into the void. When players recounted their favorite moments, it was often about an unexpected discovery. Like finding the mined derelict or realizing that re-aligning an accelerator ring would send them to a hidden star system. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/8a1a6d524e958b184a61778f095eb2621c361080.gif Stories & Missions Closely linked with exploration, players liked both the overall main story line, as well as the smaller sub-plots like The Phage. A common request was for greater connection between anomalies and stories. Most of the anomalies in Starcom: Nexus are simple stand-alone encounters, many players wanted more anomalies that fit into a longer stories/quests. There were a number of comments that the ending felt too abrupt. While players generally like the lack of “hand-holding” in the game, a common complaint was the mission log often didn’t provide enough direction. Shipbuilding Most players loved the modular shipbuilding element that allowed for customizing both the look and behavior of their ship, although some players disliked the “lego-brick” appearance that resulted from mostly single-hex modules. A common suggestion was upgraded modules that were bigger and better, like more powerful engines that took up twice as many hexes. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/19627fe1d5b0969fdfa2a6b7759ae0a4865e9440.gif Crew Crew in Starcom: Nexus are mostly treated as a disposable resources (aka red shirts from Star Trek). Some responses wished that there was some more depth to the crew, possibly with character progression and/or a sense of attachment to specific crew members. Other There were a number of suggestions that appeared multiple times: Faction manipulation Base-building Procedural generation (with a number of requests for not adding procedural generation, specifically to keep the "bespoke" feel) Weapon options/variants What’s Next? After the last update, I considered starting work on a DLC. But after some investigation I decided that a number of the improvements and content I wanted to create couldn’t easily be added to the game without a major overhaul. Instead I started working on a follow-up, tentatively titled Starcom: Unknown Space. The good ...Statement on UkraineMar 13, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsFollowing the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, I've considered what I want to do beyond state my support for Ukraine and condemn the terrible violence ordered by the Russian president. I've decided that any sales revenue that Steam identifies as being from the region (Russia, Ukraine, & CIS) will be donated to help the Ukrainian people. I'll apply this retroactively from the beginning of 2022. I've started with a donation to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). As a small indie game, this is not a large amount of money. But I'd rather be doing something small now than waiting until I figure out the perfect thing.New languages addedMar 18, 2020 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/68c2184bc51ffe331c39dc690df57f75585238a1.gif Starcom: Nexus has now been fully translated into German and Russian! Select your language from the language dropdown in the game's main menu to set your preference. The game has over 70,000 words of text in its conversations, anomalies, discoveries, etc., so there may be some errors. Please report any problems you find in the game's Steam discussion forum. Note: the mission log records the events in whatever language you were in at the time, so if you change language mid-game you may find the log unable to display the text if in a different character set.Version 1.0.10 now liveJan 21, 2020 - Community AnnouncementsVersion 1.0.10 is now live on the default branch. This is a relatively minor patch from a gameplay perspective, but a large amount of text has been moved into localization files in preparation for translation work. It's been tested in Beta by a couple dozen brave commanders on the opt-in branch, but there's always the possibility of bugs slipping through. As always, please report any issues on the Discussion Forums. Also, this version includes an updated Linux build. Thanks for playing Starcom: Nexus!Starcom: Nexus Out of Early Access!Dec 12, 2019 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/6abcd04dc19f818ba5ad6fc5f3e9ba1466431ab9.gif Exactly one year ago today, Starcom: Nexus launched into Early Access. Thanks to the support, playtesting and feedback from the thousands of players to experience its evolution, the game is now ready for general release. In that time, there have been many updates, new features, alien races, technologies, missions and player suggested improvements. The universe has grown from a few dozen sectors to a huge galaxy. There are now hundreds of unique planet encounters, spatial anomalies and artifacts. To celebrate the full launch, the game is now 15% off, so for those of you patiently waiting for it to exit Early Access, now is a great time to grab it. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped bring the game this far, particularly Early Access players who took a chance on it, and to new players, welcome! Version 1.0.4 Now LiveNov 18, 2019 - Community AnnouncementsBuild 1.0.4 is live on the default branch. This is a minor quality-of-life update. Change list: Several new music tracks, changes to environmental music logic Increase visibility of "!" planet icons on map Map/game zoom speed options Experimental Polish localization Minor bug and typo fixes Graduating from Early Access: December 12, 2019Nov 13, 2019 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/68c2184bc51ffe331c39dc690df57f75585238a1.gif For Steam users patiently waiting for Starcom: Nexus to graduate from Early Access, it's almost here. On December 12, after one year in Early Access, the game will enter full release. The year anniversary is actually a coincidence, I originally planned for the very start of December but had to postpone a week due to non-development related scheduling issues. Launching into full release does not mean that development will stop; it does mean that I believe the game has reached a state of full, quality playability. Also, to ensure that the full release is the best possible experience for new players, between now and then I will be focusing primarily on bug fixes and "quality of life" type issues. For all current players, thank you so much for having the faith to support an indie Early Access title and the incredibly helpful feedback you've given!Release Candidate 1.0.3 Now on Default BranchNov 4, 2019 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/c74d7672d8ba6f1ca72b7be9b7d138158639ca6b.gif Release Candidate 1.0.3 has been promoted to the default branch. If you've been playing 0.16, you can continue playing in that version by switching branches as described here. Here are the major changes from 0.16 to 1.0.3: Quick save system: player can now save (almost) anywhere with F5 Option to disable autosave on warp New sector environments, minor improvement to nebula performance Updates to various late game missions Additional missions New space artifacts New anomalies New reputation effects New achievement Improve mission log performance Procedural generation now detects and re-rolls invalid universe (e.g., missing min number of particular anomaly) Aggro due to friendly fire effects shortened, clamped per incident Fix to localization not appearing in dialogues Added baseline experimental Czech, Korean and Japanese translations Numerous bug fixes As always, you can give feedback and report bugs in the discussion forum or by pressing F8 in game.Release Candidate 1.0.3Oct 29, 2019 - Community AnnouncementsRelease Candidate 1.0.3, currently available as an opt-in Beta, will be promoted to the default branch next week. This version fixes a number of bugs, adds some minor quality of life improvements, adds several new anomalies and missions and provides a bit more direction for the player during the mid to late game. It does not mean the end of development, but it does mean barring any unforeseen issues that the game should graduate from Early Access into general release before the end of the year, as promised. Expect an announcement of the exact date soon. This is a save-incompatible release, but if you're in the middle of a game, don't worry-- as always you can continue playing by switching branches as described here.Early Access Pricing: Last Chance Sale!Oct 3, 2019 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/a2c81becfee0787b5b24f445e3c3d089b51e34ac.gif Starcom: Nexus is closing in on graduating from Early Access into general release. It's been quite a journey so far. Since launch, the size of the game universe has more than doubled. We've added new races, new missions, new technologies and weapons, lots of new anomalies, controller support, and hundreds of improvements based on player feedback. While more content is still being added, the core gameplay is well-polished. I expect there to be at least one more Early Access update before the game graduates, but the game's price will be increasing from the Early Access price to its general release price after the current sale period ends. So this will probably be your last chance to get Starcom: Nexus at this price for the near future. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Early Access players who have supported the game by buying it, as well as helped shape the game with their feedback and suggestions. Without you, the game wouldn't have reached the quality and depth it has. Thank you! Version 0.16.1 Now Live on Default Branch!Sep 25, 2019 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/813f1faeff21808c1c7111c0354adf117c113e04.gif Version 0.16.1 is now live on the main, "default" branch. If you have been playing 0.14 (the current default build) there are quite a few changes, particularly in the late game. This is the first version with an ending to the story line. Non-spoilery list of changes since 0.14: End game scenario New technologies New anomalies, now totaling over 200 unique New space artifacts and discoveries New side missions/side-quests New alien races Improvements to mission log system Changes to early game/tutorial Havok more powerful, also targets asteroids and debris Changes to music tracks Objective indicators on map Improvements to controller support Players can now mod the stat modifiers from techs (See StarcomNexus_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/readme.txt in your game install folder) Various minor gameplay adjustments Numerous bug fixes. Save games are not compatible with content updates, but if you were in the middle of a game, don't panic. Your save game is still there and can be accessed by rolling back your client. See here for instructions. As always, if you encounter any bugs or have any questions or suggestions, submit them via F8, post in the discussion forum or join the game's Discord. Thanks for playing Starcom: Nexus! - KevinBeta 0.16 Now Available on Opt-in BranchSep 18, 2019 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33465355/c66898c77b02ed6b3e88a0321253728522a0960e.gif Update 0.16 is now available as an opt-in Beta. Assuming no major problems, that version will become the default branch sometime next week. To opt-in now, you just need to right-click on the game in your library, choose properties and go to the Betas tab. There is no password. Click here to see detailed instructions. If you are playing 0.14 (the current default build) there are quite a few changes, particularly in the late game. This is the first version with an ending to the story line. Non-spoilery list of changes since 0.14: End game scenario New technologies New anomalies, now totaling over 200 unique New space artifacts and discoveries New side missions/side-quests New alien races Improvements to mission log system Changes to early game/tutorial Havok more powerful, also targets asteroids and debris Changes to music tracks Objective indicators on map Improvements to controller support Players can now mod the stat modifiers from techs (See StarcomNexus_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/readme.txt in your game install folder) Various minor gameplay adjustments Numerous bug fixes. As always, if you encounter any bugs or have any questions or suggestions, submit them via F8, post in the discussion forum or join the game's Discord. Note that save games are not compatible across content updates, but you always have the option of switching to a previous build to keep playing an older save.Version 0.14 now live on default branch!Jun 3, 2019 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33465355/6f4b4e326f0b0b49b174ccda3db00ed3d7f43e7d.gif Version 0.14 is now live on the main, "default" branch. Here's a list of non-spoilery changes since 0.12.x (version 0.13 was an opt-in only branch): Drone launcher tech Warp hopper "shockwave" tech Faster deep space "cruise" speed, techs to boost More sectors More planet anomalies Map tooltips for planets, stars and artifacts Ship speed in HUD Changes to storm nebula Corrected armor module values Additional late game missions, content Deep space discoveries Improved mission log filter UI Changed tech drop unlocks to make "bad rolls" less likely to keep players from acquiring a tech More enemy ships New threat model (used to calculate random encounters) New alien race New music tracks Some fully procedural star systems Load game screen shows thumbnail of last anomaly surveyed, to help identify save points Added ability to delete saves from load game screen Fixes to visibility system (determining who can see what) Improvements to controller support Option to disable controller auto-detect Loading screen tips Misc balance changes, tech costs Misc bug fixes Also, there's a feature priority poll on the website. If you've played the game, vote on what you'd like me to prioritize in the next updates. Save games are not compatible with content updates, but if you were in the middle of a game, don't panic. Your save game is still there and can be accessed by rolling back your client. The version you probably want is Beta 0.12 Stable. See here for instructions. As always, if you encounter any bugs or have any questions or suggestions, submit them via F8, post in the discussion forum or join the game's Discord. Thanks for playing Starcom: Nexus! - KevinVersion 0.12.4 now live on main branch!Mar 28, 2019 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33465355/dd15634ec62cf049b17ab6ab7c4bbce173fb675c.gif Starcom: Nexus has now been updated to 0.12.4 on the main, "default" branch. The previous default was 0.10.3, so if that's the last one you played, there are quite a few changes. Here is the spoiler-free list of the major ones if you missed last weekend's update. Universe is now generated with a hybrid procedural/designed system. Some sectors are procedurally generated, some are designed, some are a combination. Bigger universe. There are now close to 100 star systems with over 300 planets, over half of which have some kind of anomaly or discovery. 130+ unique planetary anomalies/scan discoveries. New alien races. New technologies. New weapons. New missions/side-quests. New achievements. Updated trade system. Experimental difficulty settings. Improved controller support. Players can now leave notes on the map by right-clicking. Improvements to the mission log including search function. Updates to localization. Various balances changes. Misc. bug fixes. Save games are not compatible with content updates, but if you were in the middle of a game, don't panic. Your save game is still there and can be accessed by rolling back your client. The version you probably want is Beta 0.10 Stable. See here for instructions. As always, if you encounter any bugs or have any questions or suggestions, submit them via F8, post in the discussion forum or join the game's Discord. Thanks for playing Starcom: Nexus! - Kevin https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33465355/8a1a6d524e958b184a61778f095eb2621c361080.gifBeta 0.12 Opt-in UpdateMar 24, 2019 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33465355/18d31cd99249c3198cb75ca51abe32e704edbfb1.gif Update 0.12 is now available as an opt-in Beta. Assuming no major problems, that version will become the default branch next week. To opt-in now, you just need to right-click on the game in your library, choose properties and go to the Betas tab. There is no password. Click here to see detailed instructions. If you're playing 0.10.3 (the current default build) there are quite a few changes. Non-spoiler list of the major changes since 0.10.3: Universe is now generated with a hybrid procedural/designed system. Some sectors are procedurally generated, some are designed, some are a combination. Bigger universe. There are now close to 100 star systems with over 300 planets, over half of which have some kind of anomaly or discovery. 130+ unique planetary anomalies/scan discoveries. New technologies. New weapons. New missions/side-quests. New achievements. Updated trade system. Experimental difficulty settings. Improved controller support. Players can now leave notes on the map by right-clicking. Improvements to the mission log including search function. Updates to localization. Various balances changes. Misc. bug fixes. As always, if you encounter any bugs or have any questions or suggestions, submit them via F8, post in the discussion forum or join the game's Discord. Note that during Early Access save games are not compatible across content updates, but you always have the option of switching to a previous build to keep playing an older save.Version 0.10.3 live on default branchJan 27, 2019 - Community AnnouncementsGreetings Commanders, The game has been updated to 0.10.3 on the main branch. Save games are not compatible with content updates, but if you were in the middle of a game, don't panic. Your save game is still there and can be accessed by rolling back your client. See here for instructions. Spoiler-free summary of new features in 0.10.x: New content: sectors, anomalies, new races, etc. Dynamic announcements (don't require client update) Various mission changes New random encounter system Changes to drop generation Coordinates and distance of cursor on map Soften shield "hit" sound Nexus gateway fades to black instead of white Player engines get a performance boost in deep space Numerous balance changes to techs Players able to build locked blueprints fixed Save games use ship name Save game pruning Lots of misc bug fixes, quality of life improvements Other news: Valve has approved the submitted trading cards which are now available. The card images are high-res renderings of some of my favorite anomaly images. Cloud-save has been enabled. As always, if you have any questions or technical problems you can reach out to me or other players for help via: The Steam Community discussion forums The game Discord channel - Kevin One of the many new anomaly images from the latest update. What could it be? https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33465355/5b41342eed8bd7e87d851fe30ddf53b810259b4b.pngBeta 0.10.x BranchJan 19, 2019 - Community AnnouncementsAs I posted in the latest Weekly Update, Beta 0.10.x is available for players who want to try it out. For now, this is an "opt-in" Beta. Assuming no major problems, that version will become the default branch in a little over a week. To opt-in, you just need to right-click on the game in your library, choose properties and go to the Betas tab. There is no password. Click here to see detailed instructions. Here's what's new: More sectors, anomalies and discoveries Two new races Updates to the random ship encounter system Changes to drops Misc. balance changes Mission objective highlighting in HUD more conspicuous Map shows cursor coordinates and astral unit distance Save games use ship name in save name Save game auto-pruning Updates to the experimental localization system Misc. quality of life and bug fixes As always, if you encounter any bugs or have any questions or suggestions, please post in the discussion forum or on the game's Discord. Note that during Early Access save games are not compatible across content updates, but you always have the option of switching to an older build to keep playing an older save.Version 0.9.4 updateDec 21, 2018 - Community AnnouncementsI've just pushed 0.9.4 to the default branch. This primarily is just a fix for the issue with some joysticks/controllers wrestling control away from the keyboard/mouse. If anyone encounters an issue with this build, please let me know!Starcom: Nexus is now available!Dec 12, 2018 - Community AnnouncementsToday's the day! I'm really excited, and a bit nervous. After two years of development and five rounds of closed betas, Starcom: Nexus is finally available on Steam Early Access. https://store.steampowered.com/app/863590/Starcom_Nexus/ The feedback from beta testers has helped make each version better than the last. Here are some of the anonymous feedback comments submitted by testers: "Hi developers!, I tried to find something wrong with this game but I must say that I failed. I totally love it!" "Hey everyone, I LOVE this game, great job!" "So, I was just going to have a look, and now the night is over and I am through the game This probably is the worst beta test feedback you ever got, since a beta test is all about bugs normally, but seriously, this pre-early access-beta runs better than a lot of released games by larger developing teams. Thank you for letting me participate and getting a first impression of Starcom: Nexus." Of course, this is far from the end of the road. I expect the game to spend at least another six months in Early Access, probably more. I hope you will help me make Starcom: Nexus one of the best single player space adventures ever. How can you give feedback? There are lots of ways for you to give feedback or ask questions about the game: You can give feedback in game at any time by pressing 'F8'. This is anonymous, so if you have a question, I suggest using one of the other channels. Joining our Discord: https://discord.gg/uddMTC5 Posting to the Steam Discussion hub: https://steamcommunity.com/app/863590/discussions/ I'll be checking all those channels almost every day. - Kevin

Meta