HIRED STARS - Update & The Voice of the Empire

Strategic Navigation & Training Overhaul

This update focuses on refining the strategic flow, expanding player agency in the sandbox, and delivering a significant leap in audio immersion.

Intelligence & Trade Clarity

• AddedStrategic Scouting & ReadabilityStars outside current range now display available goods as a "?" to emphasize scouting, while trade quantities within range feature larger text for faster identification.
• AdjustedEnhanced TooltipsThe trading scene has received a UI polish with improved tooltips to streamline the procurement process.

Campaign & Sandbox Flexibility

• RemovedNew Game ParametersCommanders can now customize their experience. The "Emperor’s Rage" (Doom Fleet) and Ambitions can be disabled for a pure, uninterrupted sandbox experience.
• AddedTactical OnboardingThe tutorial no longer triggers by default. Instead, a strategic hint appears upon the first entry to the star map. Auto-tutorial remains an option in the New Game menu.
• RemovedQuest CleanupEnd-game battle fleets are now removed after the main quest concludes to ensure stars are no longer permanently blocked.
• AdjustedMod SupportThe Mods scene is updated to support future community content and custom modifications.

The Training Grounds

• AddedDedicated Training MenuA new "Training" button in the Main Menu leads to a completely redone demo, which now serves as a training module.
• AdjustedComplete OverhaulThe training / demo experience has been rebuilt from the ground up. This includes entirely new scenario descriptions , updated tactical text , and helpful tips to better guide commanders through combat.
• AdjustedOptimized PerformanceServer connectivity is reduced to a minimum for a smoother experience.

Audio & Voice Over Progress

• AddedAtmospheric ReconditioningThe loud sound when entering mission planning is replaced with a calmer, driving combat theme . New distinct audio cues are added for scouting and trading.
• AddedImperial EchoesProfessional voice-over development is moving at a steady pace. Major progress has been made on the Intro and Tutorial , which are now fully voiced. Visit the Training mode to experience these new recordings firsthand and preview the latest progress.

Technical Alignment & Deployment Schedule

Implementing the new voice system requires deep structural changes to the game core. To ensure stability, these updates must be deployed all at once in a single major release. Consequently, the next update will require more development time than usual. Your patience is appreciated as these systems are integrated. Barring the discovery of any critical bugs in the current build, there will be no further updates until this major overhaul is complete. Expect this deployment around the end of March.

Stability & Bug Suppression

All initial issues reported following the first release have been successfully resolved. No known bugs from the launch version remain in the current build. This phase of critical bugfixing is now considered complete; unless further errors are reported, the focus shifts entirely to the upcoming major content update.

Join the Discussion

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