HIDDEN FOG 1.1 & 1.2 UPDATES

Yes, we have 2 small updates going in over the space of one week. The first one is December 18th and the second one is December 19th.

We have not tried to patch this rapidly before so this is a test and a learning experience in and of itself.

There are bug fixes, server-side process improvements, memory use reductions, cleanups, and other small changes. Many won't be visible to you but some will, such as improvements to the first hallway and upgrades to the graphics settings in the escape menu.

More useful details can be found here:

HOLIDAY FIRESIDE CHAT

We had a fun fireside chat with Raph Koster on livestream yesterday.

There were leaks – some visual like concept art for Hyugons, Stokadi, and the Fae! There were other leaks like visual effects and minor details about stealth. The Bioscanner was leaked – collect all the fauna. And upcoming changes to chat. And did he mention the Corruption?

Raph answered a bunch of questions from the audience including related to music professions, acting, Newsnet, lore, the moon Haven and its planet Crucible, reactivating previously-learned skills, and player-made missions.

If you missed out, you can see the video recording here:

HOLIDAY CHANGES TO THE PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

The two small updates, combined with the holidays, are making us slightly rethink our test schedule for the rest of December.

STRESS TEST!

We need your help. If you can spare us one hour this month, please make it be 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern/20:00 CET on Saturday, December 20th.

Please log into the game on any character, new or existing. Come to the TPL space station and help us push our servers to the limit. Thank you in advance for this valuable service.

LOGO MERCH AVAILABLE

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. 

Your weekly update on Stars Reach

HIDDEN FOG UPDATE

This test cycle has been extremely helpful and we have a list of bugs we are working through – some of which you can see on the roadmap.

Day and night visuals were improved. Volumetric fog and improved terrain tiling were added. The overall effect of these changes can be dramatic and not all of the lighting values and tuning have been completed so more will improve over time. The volumetric fog does impact performance so we have set it as a preference in the escape menu – defaulted to off. (Hence the "hidden fog" reference.) Note: there is one bug affecting lighting in the initial hallway. If you have volumetric fog set to off, some light sources will not be functioning. This is being worked on now.

There will be a minor patch next week with bug fixes, user interface tweaks, updates to the simulation, and tiny changes to the initial hallway. The update notes will be posted mid-next week.

More useful details can be found here:

TESTING PLANET ROTATION

Recent additions to the game include Wild Wormholes e GovBot.

Wild Wormholes is being temporarily mothballed while we work on features to support it and make it attractive. This was planned. We needed to shake out the framework of it, prove it could do what we wanted, and now we go back to tooling to make it fun.

GovBot is doing what we hoped it would do, but with only four static planets at this time, we need to rotate those planets out occasionally so that there are new resources, opportunities for new players, etc.

Additionally, the mechanics of a planet being "shut down" is part of our gameplay and so we need to test those systems out, regardless of how often it actually occurs in the game.

So we're making this change to ensure that:

• There are always new resources entering into the game (which will occur naturally once we have a Galactic Frontier to explore but for now, it needs a way to occur);
• The worlds aren't constantly in a ripped up state. New players need to see new pristine worlds occasionally, because that will also be common in the launched game;
• That more than just a handful of people get to try the GovBot experience from scratch. With four static planets, there's no way to allow new players to participate in the GovBot experience if all the planets are already max leveled;
• That we experience as many biomes and types of planets as possible during these testing phases.

The drawback, of course, is that established planets will rotate out after a month of playtest time. A month is quite a long time to play and people can get emotionally bonded. That's totally understandable. However, the homesteads and citizenships will be refunded to players when it occurs and there will be plenty of warning before a rotation occurs. Players can pick up items they've made and use them on a new planet.

Ultimately, this is still a pre-alpha testing phase and despite the drawback mentioned above, we're opting for the overwhelmingly positive aspects so that our tests can produce the most effective and fun game as early as possible. We hope you understand.

MASSIVELYOP NOTES VISUAL IMPROVEMENTS

MassivelyOP remarks that while the most recent patch for Stars Reach might not bring a barn burning addition like player cities, what it does do is refine and improve several aspects of the game including several visual effects, the tutorial, and a few facets of its general gameplay experience.

You can read the full article here:

MMORPG EXPLAINS PATCH UPDATES

MMORPG.com mentions that the update doesn't just touch art and visuals. The new player experience has now been completely overhauled with a number of aesthetic improvements, wider hallways to feel less claustrophobic, and a few changes to make the experience a bit more intuitive, from changed dialogue to putting in a ladder where there was previously a shaft you should climb.

They mention that one of the biggest goals in this update is clearly performance improvement. In addition to the visual upgrades and faster rendering, they've reduced the number of objects where possible. You can check out the full patch notes for more details on all of the changes, as well as improvements and fixes to see how the team is shaping development.

PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

We are making testing schedule adjustments for the holidays. This current test will run through Tuesday morning, as usual. But the next test will run Thursday through Monday evening.

This change will allow us to deploy a mini patch a day early on the next cycle. More on this later.

LOGO MERCH AVAILABLE

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:

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. 

Your weekly update on Stars Reach

HIDDEN FOG UPDATE

The mists parted yesterday and a new update came into view. You can patch your Stars Reach Playtest app in your Steam library as you read this newsletter.

Day and night visuals were improved. Volumetric fog and improved terrain tiling were added. The overall effect of these changes can be dramatic and not all of the lighting values and tuning have been completed so more will improve over time. The volumetric fog does impact performance so we have set it as a preference in the escape menu – defaulted to off. (Hence the "hidden fog" reference.) Turn it on and experience it, watch it adapt to terrain height, then decide for yourself.

Expect caves and crevices to be darker (and benefit immensely from your light sources) as we have improved our global illumination model. Ambient occlusion is now computed more dynamically.

Our custom-made reflections implementation also takes ambient occlusion into account and now results in much better colors of metals, custom reflections on flora, and better performance. More details can be found here:

FIRESIDE CHAT SATURDAY

Our next Fireside Chat will be Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 9:00 AM Pacific. Dave Georgeson will join us to describe the new update and answer questions about our design choices, what we are working on next, and our roadmap in general.

You can watch the Fireside Chat live on Twitch.TV/PlayStarsReach.

CONTROLLED CHAOS INTERVIEWS DAVE GEORGESON

After carefully pouring over the public roadmap, Controlled Chaos had a list of questions for Game Director Dave Georgeson.

Dave's first answer immediately made us laugh. He explains his vision for the roadmap and how we use it.

PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

As the Fireside chat ends on Saturday, the playtest begins for Hidden Fog Update. Come join us for the briefing and the playtest which will run through to Tuesday morning USTZ as usual.

We will take advantage of a short downtime on December 9th & 10th for back end maintenance and improvements before resuming on December 11th.

LOGO MERCH AVAILABLE

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: 

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. 

Your weekly update on Stars Reach

NEW UPDATE NEXT WEEK

We have not yet announced what is coming in next week's update but savvy observers have been watching our public roadmap.

Update notes will be posted next week. We will leave you some surprises for that post, but here's the roadmap in the meantime.

FIRESIDE CHAT

Our next Fireside Chat will be Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 9:00 AM Pacific. Dave Georgeson will join us to describe the new update and answer questions about our roadmap and design choices.

NEW PLAYER ONBOARDING LIVESTREAM

Did you know that nearly anything in this game is (or will be) interactable? You just need the right tool. Most new players miss this (as we watch them on livestream or video.) There is so much to learn. So we're going to try something new: hands-on new player onboarding.

Thursday, November 27, we will feature new player training for our weekly livestream. Everyone is welcome to join us in the game and we'll help you get up-to-speed on Stars Reach. Or shy folks can watch us on Twitch.TV from a safe distance.

When the playtest opens at 9:00am Pacific (noon Eastern), please launch the game from your Steam library, create a new character, and make your way down the initial hallway. When you go through the gateway at the end of the hallway, you can then join us on the TPL Space Station.

CONTROLLED CHAOS INTERVIEWS LIGHT BATES

Technical Designer Light Bates explains elements of the GovBot update, the dev team's reactions to how the players interacted with the GovBot, and tries not to leak anything too sensitive. And something about spam.

PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

The playtest continues with GovBot Update from Thursday (US Thanksgiving) morning through Tuesday morning, December 2, (119 hour test). Then next week we are installing a new game update with a quick initial test on Thursday, December 4, 2025.

LOGO MERCH AVAILABLE

We currently have three sets of logo merchandise in stock:

• The Transplanetary League set
• The Stars Reach logo set
• The Infinite Worlds set

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. 

ON THE GOVBOT UPDATE

The GovBot update is the talk of the town right now but perhaps you have not read through the entire patch notes: https://starsreach.com/govbot-update.

If you prefer to hear about it firsthand from one of the designers who worked on it, you can listen to the interview with Technical Designer Light Bates.

FIRESIDE CHAT

If you missed last weekend's fireside chat, you can hear another take on the most recent update from Game Director Dave Georgeson.

Also, Dave spends time talking about the roadmap and our priorities.

MMORPG EXPLAINS STARS REACH ROADMAP

MMORPG.com commented on our roadmap that we are "aiming for accountability and transparency about which features are planned and in that pipeline."

The author explains that we are in "full-fledged development testing, with occasional updates and playtests shared from the team." 

CONTROLLED CHAOS' FIRST YEAR OF PLAYTESTING

This past year has been a journey of playtesting for Controlled Chaos. He takes us through the progression he experienced, the highlights of his year, and the feelings that were engendered. 

In the famous words of Virginia Slim's, "We've come a long way, baby."

CONTROLLED CHAOS ALSO EXPLAINS THE GOVBOT UPDATE

Did you know that the GovBot update lets you rule a planet in Stars Reach?

While one might ask our first official major of any city in Stars Reach, Dr. Drake Vellaut, it turns out that one could also ask Controlled Chaos about this subject!

PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

The playtest continues with GovBot Update from Thursday morning through Tuesday morning, December 2, USTZ (119 hour tests).

LOGO MERCH AVAILABLE

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.