• The Open Horizon Update

    The Open Horizon Update

    Welcome, Reachers, to a new interplanetary update!

    Following up on our previous update about the initial game tutorial, we've taken a step back to re-evaluate the starting progression based on player feedback. Concerns were raised that the experience felt too "on the rails." As a result, we've decided to move away from such a linear system and are instead introducing our new Challenges feature. This new system will allow us to reduce the number of required missions while still providing players with some direction and instructions on how systems work in the game.

    Make Haven more Sandbox

    Haven (and Crucible, which it orbits) have recently undergone an attack from the Corruption! Some things are still being damaged and rebuilt; if the player wants to prove that they're ready to be a member of the galactic community they should help in the rebuilding effort here.

    Mechanics: Instead of a long series of 5 step, dialogue heavy questlines in a Haven Themepark, we offload the majority of the tutorial into two places: A simple tutorial mission series to teach the base functionally and the TPL Challenge to encourage learning along the way.

    The simple tutorial mission series will no longer be the FTUE Hallways, but instead start directly on Haven. After a short introduction you will encounter Mayor Bob who will help you along your first steps into the game.

    Note: If you were already on Haven your mission progress will be reset and you will need to complete the new missions.

    Challenges Feature

    The challenge system allows players to learn over time at their own pace. It will provide a new UI element that breaks down various challenges into small bite size parts, giving some direction of different activities to be explored in the game. Some of these may be as simple as 'equip' a new tool that you just acquired or be as advanced as survey a whole planet. The possibilities are endless on the types of challenges we may include. The initial release will be a work in progress and we will continue to add more as the game continues to grow.

    Galactopedia

    The Galactopedia is a replacement for our current F1 help screens. Making them more of an in-game encyclopedia of knowledge that include "how to" , lore, and mechanics overviews. One of the major advantages of this system is that it can unlock entries as you encounter new systems in the game. For example, you may not have a full listing of lore, but as you encounter NPC or Objects that reference the lore it will become a new entry in your Galactopeida. The first pass will mostly be moving the F1 screens over to the new system, but will continue to grow with every update.

    Skills Window Update

    The skill window is getting a bit of rework to help make it more informative, a bit easier to navigate, and several features under the hood to help us with other systems.

    We have updated the layout to include the following:

    • Updated the top bar to include details on your available currency, along with clear profession and XP labels that remain visible while browsing the skills.
    • A Dynamic Details panel on the right displays detailed information about our selected profession or skill.
    • Improved Skill Tree View that is fully zoomable and pannable with mouse controls, and centers to selected profession's root skills.

    Skill Box States

    Skills are now clearly represented in one of four visual states:

    • Not Learned – Displays XP and currency cost.
    • Learned (In Practice) – Opaque background.
    • Learned (Out of Practice) – Slightly transparent and labeled "Out of practice."
    • Work in Progress (WIP) – More transparent and clearly labeled as under development.

    Note: the support for skill caps, out of practice, etc, is not there yet, but now the UI is ready for it.

    All skill boxes display:

    • Skill name
    • Icon (placeholder visuals for now)
    • Tooltip: "Select to see details."

    Click a skill to view full details in the right panel. Click it again — or click the background — to deselect.

    Profession Details

    When viewing a profession, the right panel shows:

    • Profession name
    • The type of XP required (e.g., "Requires Botany XP to learn skills.")
    • A scrollable description explaining the profession's role and focus

    We have a lot of text to add in and fill out!

    Skill Details & Interaction

    Selecting a skill now shows:

    • Skill icon in a framed header
    • Skill name
    • Detailed description
    • List of abilities granted

    Learning Skills (At Skill Kiosks)

    If you're at a skill kiosk:

    • Not Learned Skills
        • "Learn Skill" button appears.
        • If you don't meet requirements, the button is disabled with a tooltip explaining what you're missing.
        • If you meet requirements, you can learn the skill instantly.
    • Skills In Practice
        • "Stop Practicing" button appears.
        • Practicing fewer skills frees up space to focus on others.
    • Skills Out of Practice
      • "Start Practicing" button appears.
      • Restores the skill's abilities after a short ramp-up.

    If you're not at a skill kiosk, these buttons won't appear.

    Gameplay Features

    • Updated skill trees for Grenade Launcher and Pistol (and fixed the issue with abilities not working). These trees have been moved to their own xp types so in order to progress in these trees you will need to use the appropriate type of weapon.
      • Pistol now have a default battery size of… 6. Each ability that fires a projectile will consume 1 battery per projectile. Waiting for a few seconds without firing will recharge (or reload?) the battery as usual. The default projectile speed is much faster but the homing effect is significantly reduced from prior versions.
      • New active skills:
        • Double Tap: Fires two quick shots at once.
        • Ricochet: Fire a single projectile that bounces to nearby valid targets (known issue: bugged visuals but functions correctly).
        • Unload: Fan the hammer and fire as fast as you can pull the trigger.
        • Double Time: Double the size of the pistol battery for a short time.
        • Pistol Whip: Stun enemies in front of you for a short duration (known issue: placeholder visuals but functions correctly).
      • Grenade Launcher Skills:
        • Cluster: A single projectile that detonates into a swarm of homing projectiles on impact.
        • Repulsor: Creates an explosion that knocks targets away from the center of the blast
        • Implosion: Creates an impact that draws the targets toward the center of the effect
        • Uplift: Creates an antigravity field on impact that slowly lifts enemies into the air and prevents them from moving for a short duration.
      • New Healix skill:
        • Siphon: Hold to fire a beam that locks to an enemy and drains their health to restore some of your own.
    • Besom Scrubs have been updated to drop branches when harvested
    • Wood Slurry Recipe can be obtained through Refining Other skill box
    • Grip and Stock recipes have been updated to take wood instead of planks
    • Fixed an issue where several specials could be removed from tools and weapons, then you would not have the ability to add them back

    Additional Updates & Fixes

    • Added the ability to adjust the overall game Gamma while in game. This can be found on the Graphics setting page under Gamma Correction
    • Server Performance Fixes: We found an assortment of slowdowns and have resolved them. Among them flora scanning and any time items were moved into containers; this was particularly bad when harvesting or other scenarios where you got a lot of doobers.
    • Added a fix for the consumable UI so it doesn't reset on zoning and death
    • The Ballhog enemies now have voices…

    Known Issues

    • Ricochet's visual is bugged. Pistol Whip has no animation despite the name (but does have a placeholder VFX).
    ,

  • ROLEPLAY GUIDE: THE FAE

    ROLEPLAY GUIDE: THE FAE

    FAE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

    Fae look like small, wiry humanoids with delicate, translucent wings that flutter a lot more for expression than for actual flying (most people in the Garden treat the wings as basically decorative/vestigial). They're often described as having a slightly "storybook" presence—big eyes, quick movements, and a tendency to perch, loom, or hover at the edge of a group like they're deciding whether to join the scene. Size can vary a lot (you'll occasionally meet a Fae who's huge), but the shared visual is the wings and that "too alert for comfort" posture.

     

    HOME "PLANET," HISTORY, AND CULTURE

    Fae are the odd ones out: they don't have a confirmed homeworld. Fae folklore insists they did—a lost place called Tír na nÓg, where (allegedly) magic worked and their wings were more than vestiges—but in ordinary Garden life that's treated as a legend (even many Fae don't agree on whether it's literal, metaphorical, or pure coping myth). What everyone does agree on is the practical history: Fae survived by living as stowaways on Servitor ships, learning routes, timing, and how to hop from vessel to vessel. Some chose space life; others secretly made their way down to planet surfaces, which is why "fairy folk" stories show up all over. Over time, key Fae figures were central to the diplomacy that became the Transplanetary League, and the species split culturally into spacefaring Fae (shipwise, networked, politically savvy) and ground Fae (hidden communities, tradition-heavy, wary of attention). Their social superpower is that they love other peoples' customs—they collect traditions the way other species collect gear, and they're often the ones hosting weird little cross-cultural celebrations because "why wouldn't we try everyone's holidays?"

     

    LANGUAGE, AND HOW TO "SOUND LIKE ONE"

    Fae speech is not built like normal "translate-the-words" language. It's built around states and social safety: instead of saying exactly what you mean, you say something like "pressure is present" (danger) or "closure" (goodbye). To sound Fae in English, keep lines short, calm, and oddly abstract, like you're trying not to accidentally step on a social landmine.

    Fae speech tends to avoid concrete nouns on purpose—they'll describe what something does to the situation instead of naming the thing. So a Fae won't say "Servitor," "gun," "wormhole," or even "ship" unless they're being unusually blunt; they'll say stuff like "the watcher," "the harm-maker," "the passage," "the carrying-place" or just drop to pure state-talk: "pressure is present," "closure," "entry is offered," "a price is forming." In RP, lean into this by circling the object with function/role words, and only "snap into nouns" when you want to signal urgency, intimacy, or a deliberate escalation (it reads like you're breaking a taboo to be clear).

    Avoid hard commitments ("I swear," "I promise," "I will definitely…") unless you want it to feel serious. Drop in a few Fae anchor-words and you'll read instantly as Fae: kopo (attention), eth (settled/yes/okay), doru (withdraw/no), prel (pressure/danger), gava (gathering/meeting), or (closure).

     

    NAMING YOUR AVATAR

    Give your Fae a cover name—something safe to use in public—because "true names" are treated as a big deal in Fae culture. This is why most Fae you see in the game lore are using names drawn from Terran culture. But you can feel free to steal from any language and any culture for a name!

    You shouldn't use your true name in the game at all. But if you want to develop one, keep it short (1–3 syllables), breathy, and vowel-forward, with soft consonants (k / p / t / r / l / s / w) and not many hard "thunk" endings. The easiest pattern is: (soft syllable)(soft syllable), and if you want a slightly more formal vibe, make it a two-part name where the second part sounds like a state-word: Kopo-Rie, Len-Prel, Eth-Gava, Thira-Sela—stuff that feels like it could be both a name and a tiny sentence.

     

    ROLEPLAY TIPS FOR PLAYING A FAE

    • Be careful with certainty. You're comfortable with "maybe," "not yet," "pressure present," "closure" — and you get visibly tense around oaths and promises.
    • Collect traditions. You're the one who knows everyone's holidays, taboos, greetings, and comfort-food rituals—and you actually enjoy it.
    • Space Fae vs ground Fae is a real cultural divide. Space Fae are networked and pragmatic; ground Fae are secretive and tradition-guarding. Pick a side (or play the friction).
    • Treat the "other world" as disputed lore. Some Fae talk about the Veil/Tír na nÓg like it's history; others roll their eyes and call it stories for children.
    • Understatement is your drama. You don't shout "DANGER!" — you say "pressure is present," and everyone who knows you should instantly worry.
    • Show emotion through motion. Wing fluttering, stillness, turning away ("withdraw"), stepping closer ("attention turns toward you").
    • Be good at being overlooked. You learned to survive near Servitors; slipping through cracks is part of the identity.

     

    FAE PHRASEBOOK HOTBAR

    • Hello / Hey: kopo rie
    • Goodbye: or
    • Yes / OK: eth
    • No / refuse: doru
    • I don't know: deth-kare
    • I understand: eth-kopo
    • I do not understand: telake kopo
    • I mean no harm / peace: len-prel masi
    • Follow me: rie sava
    • Wait here: luma sen
    • It's dangerous here: prel wia
    • Safe travels / go carefully: kire nipo
    • Stop!: doru!
    • Run!: sava-kire
    • Hide!: ruho
    • I want to trade: ovar-kensa

    "Spice" you can use as exclamations

    (Fae don't really do goofy swear-words; their "spice" is just sharper state-language.)

    • Too much / unfair!: kor-prel!
    • We survived: thira eth
    ,

  • ROLEPLAY GUIDE: TERRANS

    ROLEPLAY GUIDE: TERRANS

    TERRAN PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

    Terrans are just… humans. No horns, no wings, no whiskers, no gills—just the full messy range of human body types, skin tones, hair textures, scars, tattoos, and fashion tribes. If you want to make a Terran read as "from Terra" in a crowd of aliens, lean on style: utilitarian workwear, sports/athleisure, streetwear, old military surplus, office-core, or whatever your character's subculture is. Terrans also tend to use their faces and hands a lot—big expressions, eye contact (or pointed lack of it), and emphatic gestures—especially compared to species that default to controlled formality.


    HOME PLANET, HISTORY, AND CULTURE

    Terrans are from Terra (Earth), a planet of huge contrasts: deserts on every continent, rainforests on most continents, and dramatic canyons/mesas that look like geology showing off. Terran history is basically "incredible creativity + constant arguing + long-term consequences," and by the time they left for the Garden they'd been through plenty of political systems (with autocracy and democracy as the big recurring poles). Culturally, Terrans are famously divided—religions, nations, ideologies, class, you name it—but they're also weirdly good at snapping into alignment around a shared goal (a mission, a deadline, a crisis, a project). They're known for comfort foods (noodles, dumplings, soups, mashed potatoes, rice dishes), for putting fun "extra bits" in food (think boba energy), and for loud cultural exports like rock-n-roll and opera. If the other species feel like they're carrying one big cultural throughline, Terrans feel like a whole grab-bag held together by "okay, but what are we trying to do?"

    The Garden in currently in the throes of a huge fad for Terrain culture from the 20th and 21st centuries, which was a particularly turbulent period in Terran history, with the invention and subsequent loss of multiple entire types of media, music, and more. Many Terrans aren't crazy about all that looking backward at something they left behind long ago, but there isn't much they can do about the rest of the galaxy.


    LANGUAGE, AND HOW TO "SOUND LIKE ONE"

    Terrans used to speak thousands of languages, and in the Garden most get by with a LinguaDot translator implant—so in day-to-day play, Terran "language" is really attitude: quick idioms, jokes, sarcasm, pop-culture-style references, and a habit of turning everything into a plan. To sound Terran, talk in goal language ("here's the plan," "what's the win condition," "two minutes," "we can do this"), use casual contractions, and don't be afraid of being a little emotionally obvious (Terrans swear, sigh, roll their eyes, and narrate their frustration). Also, Terrans love catchy slang—short phrases that spread fast—so it's very in-character to coin a term and try to make it stick.


    NAMING YOUR AVATAR

    Terran naming is a free-for-all because Terra had so many cultures: you can do "given name + family name," multi-part names, single names, nicknames-as-legal-identities, or handles/callsigns that became the real name. Family name order can vary (family-first or family-last), and a lot of Terrans in space go by what's easy to say over comms. If you want a very "Terran in the Garden" feel: pick a normal Earth-style name, then add a nickname/handle that reflects your job, a screwup, or a proud achievement—Terrans love that kind of identity shorthand.


    ROLEPLAY TIPS FOR PLAYING A TERRAN

    • Be mission-driven: even casual Terrans gravitate toward "what are we doing and why?"
    • Be socially adaptable: code-switching is normal; you shift tone depending on the room.
    • Be inventive under pressure: hacky solutions, duct-tape heroics, "it's stupid but it works."
    • Be expressive: big reactions, quick humor, occasional visible frustration.
    • Be tribal in small ways: teams, crews, clubs, fandom-like loyalties, inside jokes.
    • Use comfort rituals: food, music, tiny traditions you carry with you.
    • When you compliment someone, make it sound like a warning label—Terrans respect capability.

    TERRAN PHRASEBOOK

    • Hello / Hey: "It's time, hey."
    • Goodbye: "See you. Stay alive."
    • Yes: "Yeah." / "Copy."
    • No: "Nope." / "Negative."
    • Please: "Please." / "Do me a solid."
    • Thanks: "Thanks." / "I owe you."
    • I was wrong: "Okay. I was wrong."
    • I mean no harm: "Easy. I'm not here to start anything."
    • I need help: "I need a hand. Now."
    • Follow me: "On me." / "This way."
    • Wait here: "Hold. Right here."
    • It's dangerous here: "This is bad terrain. Eyes up."
    • Stop!: "Stop! Don't move."
    • Run!: "Move! Move!"
    • I want to trade: "Trade?" / "You buying or selling?"
    • Big compliment / hype: "You're putting the Garden on notice." (you're fierce/smart—everyone should watch out)
    ,

  • A Recruit No More – The Crucible Update

    A Recruit No More – The Crucible Update

    Welcome, Reachers, to a new interplanetary update!

    In our previous update, we shared a new game pathway to help new players explore the aspects of the game (such as mining, combat, crafting, …), but it was not completely done yet, as one last space-jump was missing: Crucible.

    The onboarding experience has now been updated as follows:

    Preamble => Hallway => Haven => Crucible => TPL Starbase and Beyond

    You must create a new character to experience this part of the new player experience. Existing characters cannot go back to Haven and Crucible, yet.

    Note: We hear the feedback that the current iteration of Haven quests is a little too theme park. We agree, but have been working on overhauling the missions framework and systems to give ourselves the tools to create more varied and custom missions. Now that most of that tooling is in place, we'll start refining and improving the mission flow to give you a little more freedom and agency.

    So, What is Crucible?

    Crucible is the planet that Haven is orbiting, and it has a very hostile environment that is not suitable for colonization, but is rich in resources. If you want to experience a nice hot tub, this could be the right place for some of you.
    Anyway, the Transplanetary League (TPL) has erected a satellite training base that you will visit on your initial journey.

    Completing your initial training on Haven and earning your PIP's (Points in Progress), you will be granted access to Crucible.

    Once you arrive on Crucible, you will be greeted by members of the TPL who assist you in surviving on the planet. You'll receive Klaatu and XP awards along the way, as well as earn your Space Suit, needed to travel to the TPL Starbase in space.

    Everything else should be self-explanatory, and if it's not, that's exactly why we're running these playtests; please let us know if anything is confusing or tedious! We'd even enjoy hearing if you think it's fun! (Or if Crucible is too hot)

     

    Systems Pioneered for Crucible

    • Enhanced our mission system to support training on the Crucible planet.
    • Introduced a group travel system for moving all players to and from a planet when needed.

     

    Gameplay Updates

    Movement

    As some of you have noted, our traversal speeds were way too fast and made moment-to-moment gameplay too slippery, and the worlds feel smaller.
    Movement speeds across the board have had a balance pass to be closer to our vision, including characters, creatures, and projectiles.

    With this change, you'll be able to see more and react to the surroundings, such as creature attacks. Slowing things down a bit opens up opportunities for us to add more ways to increase your speed in the future. We will continue to balance the movement changes as the gameplay progresses, keeping a close eye on community feedback – aka – your feedback!

     

    GravMesh

    The GravMesh has been updated to use Battery instead of Stamina, with a lower max Battery and a faster regen rate than what you're used to, so you'll have shorter but more frequent usage.

     

    Grenade Launchers

    A new weapon type has been added with a focus on arc projectiles e AoE attacks. You can acquire these via new crafting recipes that are unlocked through the crafting skill.

    The Skills menu has a few new abilities to unlock for Grenade Launchers as well as nodes to upgrade them.

    Fire a Singularity grenade to pull multiple enemies in and then use Uplift to fire an antigrav grenade to lift them into the air, where you can DPS them with ease!

    Note that the Grenade Launcher tree is still getting worked on and will have more to unlock soon.

    Goodbye, Old Weapons!

    With this update, we've started to move away from the original placeholder weapons like the Omniblaster and Companion Orbs, and are heading towards the intended design of fuller weapon trees.

    The legacy placeholder weapons will no longer be acquirable, but you can keep them if you have them until the next wipe.

     

    Ability Loadouts

    This update contains the first iteration of Customizable Abilities (a.k.a. specials or active skills) loadouts.

    You will now find Loadout Kiosks available in Camps (of all tiers) and certain pre-determined locations, like in the TPL Starbase. Accessing a Loadout Kiosk will allow you to swap out the Abilities attached to the E and Q keys on your currently equipped tool.

    For most existing tools, you won't be able to do much yet, but Pistols and Grenade Launchers have a couple of Abilities you can experiment with. Our focus for this release was the base system itself, and we're working on adding content to it next.

     

    Map overhaul

    Previously, we allowed you to create a simple ASCII-based map (2D map) to assist you in the survey game with the Pathfinder. We have moved this to a dynamic terrain map (M key) that you can unveil by surveying with the Pathfinder. Eventually, we intend to make map data tradeable, allowing you to add custom waypoints.

     

    Healix

    We updated the model used for the Healix and slightly increased its targeting radius. It should now be more effective.
    What are you waiting for? Go grab one, you squad needs healing!

    User Interface (UI) Updates

    We have been continuing to move away from how our UI worked under the hood. You will notice new graphics and an overall enhancement. Affected UI elements:

    • Public Events – Those appearing on the left side of the screen, displaying data about special events like meteorites and boss invasions.
    • Navigation points – The waypoints you see for missions and other locations in the world.
    • World UI – Emotes over creatures, and nameplates over characters.
    • Worldspace UI Updated – Nameplates and other UI you see that are not in general ui windows. This should make them more accurate, have less jitter, and the colors have been adjusted.
    • Crafting UI – The crafting screen is still in progress, so the version you will see in-game is going to have a little less functionality than the previous version. Applying this temporal change helps us solve several problems that were under the hood.
    • Chat Style – We added some simple customization options that allow you to change the color and appearance of some of the chat messages. These options can be found on the ESC menu under 'Gameplay'.
    • Key Rebinding – Yes, we heard you! Several keys can now be customized through the Controls section on the ESC menus to allow key binding.
    • Consumable Assignment – Now added to the inventory screen. On the right side, you can select consumables and then drag and drop your consumables into the radial menus for quick access with the F key.
    • Fixed a bug that would center your mouse cursor on screen when selecting tabs in the inventory UI.
    • Fixed an issue where placing Fabricator tiles would be blocked by a few areas of the UI.
    • Updated our mission tracking to include a counter in case the mission requests more than a single item.

     

    What else is in the Update?

    • Added some new movement animations for when you are going up or down a slope.
    • Improved dodge roll animations and made changes to animation time and dodge durations. Previously, it was a 0.25s animation with the same time in dodge duration. Now it's 0.5s of animation with 0.75s of dodge duration, giving players a little more defensive leeway.
    • Shields have been simplified to no longer have a passthrough damage threshold. Previously, they would only block up to a certain amount of damage from a projectile and destroy it if the projectile was weaker than that threshold. Now they'll block projectiles regardless of damage unless they break the shield's remaining capacity, in which case the projectile will keep only its excess damage.
    • Made a significant improvement to the performance of trees. Dense forest planets should give a noticeably higher FPS, as distant trees now use our new custom billboard tech. This tech upgrade will soon be applied to building blocks.
    • Fixed several issues with how we hold and animate tool swapping that could leave your arm in a very painful-looking position that the Healix power could not fix. In addition, we fixed a few issues with tools needing to be holstered/unholstered to get them to work properly.
    • Fixed a bug with tools not functioning correctly when holstering them while climbing and vaulting.
    • Fixed a bug making tools equipped on slots 2-4 not function properly after loading back into the game.
    • Resolved some issues with the collections system, making it more accurate when updating.
    • Building tiles should now have outlines around them when selected with the fabricator.
    • New 2×2 floor tile variations and 1×1 rugs have been added.

     

    Known Issues

    • When traveling through a portal, you may find yourself a short distance from it, as if you were still walking.
    • Newer creature drops sometimes show up as purple boxes while in the world.
    • Moving midair after jumping is currently still a little faster than the new walk/run speeds. This will be fixed, so enjoy your bunny hopping while you can…
    • You might occasionally see 2 public event alerts on the left side of your screen for a single event. This is visual only and goes away if you open a full-screen menu like the Inventory.
    • The new slope animations might not end (or 'exit') as early as they should in some cases.

    We thank you once again for all the feedback and bug reports you've shared with us so far. We hope you'll have a great time playing this update – let us know what you think!

    ,

  • ROLEPLAY GUIDE: GERTAN

    ROLEPLAY GUIDE: GERTAN

    GERTAN PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

    Gertans are the species everyone mistakes for "the spawns of hell" at first glance: red skin, curving/curling horns, and a generally sharp, rugged silhouette that reads dangerous even when they're being perfectly polite. They also tend to run bigger and sturdier than most species (the Skwatchi are the main ones who out-bulk them). The vibe to aim for is: built for heat, stone, and impact—like someone who grew up where "falling rocks" is an everyday hazard, not a dramatic plot twist.

     

    HOME PLANET, HISTORY, AND CULTURE

    Gertans come from Kuru, a world of active volcanoes, lava flows, caves, and constant earthquakes—a planet that basically insists you learn resilience or die. Their culture is shaped around perseverance and "make do" problem-solving: you don't whine, you shore it up; you don't panic, you brace it; you don't romanticize hardship, you get competent at it. Historically they had a strong central authority legacy called the Over Sight, and even when individual Gertans are rebellious, they often still have that deep instinct that rules, process, and duty matter when things are falling apart. They're also known for practical homegrown tech born from survival needs—especially protective force-field systems and shock-repellent technology that later spread into ship design.

     

    LANGUAGE: KURUVEK, AND HOW TO "SOUND GERTAN"

    The Gertan language is Kuruvek. The simplest way to fake it in RP is: keep sentences short and blunt, favor hard consonants, and drop in the classic interjections when you feel anything strongly. Kuruvek has two "moods" you can roleplay without learning grammar: Stone Speech (formal/official—more careful, more "regulations and liability") and Ash Speech (casual—shorter, punchier, more grunts and expletives). For sound, lean into ch (like loch), sch (like sh), and consonant clusters that feel a bit like you're chewing gravel in a friendly way. Bonus points if you treat paperwork words like sacred objects and emotions like physical forces ("that plan cracked," "brace it," "impact incoming").

     

    NAMING YOUR GERTAN

    When you're making a Gertan name, aim for something that feels like it could sit next to Kuruvek "everyday words" like Zobek, Dorken, Skove, Krath, Vail, Solkhold, Keldor, or Vekraft—short, heavy, and a bit clangy, with lots of k/v/r/d/sk/kr sounds and not much "soft" vowel music. A good rule is 2 punchy chunks (sometimes 3 for a fancy/old-family vibe), optionally jammed together or lightly hyphenated like Bond-Merrek does in the in-game accent pack; avoid anything that looks like a real Earth word, and don't overcomplicate it—Gertans don't sound flowery. If you need templates: (Chunk)(Chunk) for most people (Kranvail, Vekdor, Skovkrath), (Chunk)(Chunk)(Chunk) for somebody important (Solk-Vek-Rask), and if you want to really sell "Kuruvek mouthfeel," end on a hard stop like -ek / -en / -or / -hold / -lor.

     

    ROLEPLAY TIPS FOR PLAYING A GERTAN

    • Default to competence. If something breaks, your first instinct is to fix it, not debate it.
    • Treat danger as normal. You don't get dramatic; you get procedural.
    • Respect endurance. You might tease, but you quietly admire anyone who keeps going.
    • Be blunt, not cruel. Gertans can be direct without being mean—unless they choose to be.
    • Use "duty language" when it counts. Liability, regulations, approvals, permits—these are emotional support concepts.
    • Swear like a volcano. Your expletives are about ash, embers, scorching, crushing, impact.
    • Show care through action. You help, you brace, you carry, you patch the hull. That's affection.
    • If you want a cultural prop: soups/stews cooked "like you mean it," stone/metal gear, layered clothing, studs/buckles/spikes, and a fondness for big reverberating drums.

     

    PHRASEBOOK

    • Zobek! — Hey / hello (attention-getter)
    • Dorken. — Goodbye
    • Eo. — Yes
    • Nik. — No
    • Bit. — Please
    • Ki dank. — Thanks
    • Ki ge falsch. — I was wrong
    • Ki loke nik skarv. — I mean no harm
    • Ki larke dulk. — I need help
    • Drulk ki. — Follow me
    • Tharn dekk. — Wait here
    • Dekk esh krath. — It's dangerous here
    • Ki prave skenk. — I want to trade
    • Stak! — Stop!
    • Rash! — Run!
    • Hakergast! — "That sucks!" (classic Gertan expletive)
    • Lomeisen! — "Hell yes!" (ecstatic hype)
    • Du hakerbek. — "You crispyface." (insult; use sparingly unless you want problems)
    , ,

  • Starside Weekly – FEB.13.2026

    Your weekly update on Stars Reach

    From our current location on the moon called Haven, we can sometimes see the planet Crucible below. We've heard from the advance team that Crucible is an uncommon planet and we look forward to our first visit.

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    WHAT'S NEW

    Here are a list of things that have entered internal testing phase:

    • Advanced training missions on the planet Crucible
    • Names that include spaces
    • Keymapping (a very common request)
    • Revised movement speeds (walk, run, and sprint) for players and creatures and even projectiles. Trees have once again been left behind.
    • Improved targeting by the Healix tool
    • Chat customizations and colors
    • New creatures
    • Fixes to soft grouping
    • A new weapon type: the Battle Rifle
    • Survey maps
    • New modularity for all weapons and tools, making them more interesting and flexible to craft

    CONTROLLED CHAOS INTERVIEWS WORLD DESIGNER MEGHANN

    Controlled Chaos brought a list of questions for our world designer Meghann Bledsoe.

    He asked about the planet Jotania and its erosion issues and she explained how the biome system interacts with the materials system, etc.

    He asked about cave dynamics, erosion, rain cycles, the return of giant stone mushrooms from Pyromycis, and much more.

    He asked about Crucible and Meghann explained how she made a dangerous planet to match the name, and how the terrain can teach players about movement and how to handle lava. You should expect this planet to be volcanically active.

    You'll want to hear the parts of the interview about exceptionally alien looking planets and possible timing for larger play areas.

    PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

    The playtests have resumed their usual Thursday-morning-through-Tuesday-morning cadence.

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    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

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    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. 

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  • ROLEPLAY GUIDE: ELIONI

    ROLEPLAY GUIDE: ELIONI

    ELIONI PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

    Elioni are the "cat-people" of the Garden in the most readable, cosplay-friendly way: cat ears, whiskers, a furred face, and a visible tail, on an otherwise humanoid body. They tend to look built for alertness and agility rather than raw bulk, which is why they're often described as making good scouts/explorers/hunters. For roleplay, lean into quick head turns, tail tells, and the idea that personal space and personal dignity are real things you notice.

     

    HOME PLANET, HISTORY, AND CULTURE

    Elioni come from Rowwsia, where the biggest landmass is overwhelmingly desert and most people historically lived along the coasts. That geography breeds a specific kind of mindset: you don't get a lot for free, you learn to make your own luck, and you don't wait around for permission to be yourself. Their culture's "center of gravity" is independent thought and expression, plus a strong meritocracy streak—people want accomplishment to matter, even if the reality can drift into prestige, gatekeeping, and "prove it" attitudes. They're also a species that leaned hard into industrial robotics and AI (partly because so much of their world is brutal to work by hand). Even when an Elioni is friendly, there's often a vibe of: I respect you most when you show me who you are and what you can do.

     

    LANGUAGE, AND HOW TO "SOUND LIKE ONE"

    Elioni speech is designed to feel like a drawled, meow/yowl/trill cadence in text: you'll see lots of stretched sounds written with doubled letters (rr, ww, oww, urr, arr), and it comes off playful, dramatic, or intensely sincere depending on context. The easy RP trick is: avoid contractions (say "do not," "cannot" instead of "don't," "can't"), keep sentences clean and declarative, and drop in a few signature particles/words when you want to flavor it: ne for "not," ma for "do it!" commands, and ke to turn something into a question. Also: in Elioni culture, the tail = the self, so tail-related insults land as personal insults—use that for comedy or for serious escalation.

     

    NAMING YOUR AVATAR

    To make an Elioni name feel right, make it look like it's meant to be spoken with a purr: pick something 2–4 syllables, then add the Elioni "drawl" by using rr/ww and the signature endings like -urr / -arr / -oww / -roww (and doubling letters when you want it extra Elioni). Canon-shaped examples look like Dreer Mowurr, Sturrnmarr Krowwm, Phrawer Renurr, Murrr Vower, Timurr Drawermol—notice how they're readable, but they linger in the mouth. If your name starts looking like a real Earth word, twist a vowel, add an rr, or swap a syllable so it stays alien.

     

    ROLEPLAY TIPS FOR PLAYING AN ELIONI

    • Lead with self-direction. You state what you're doing; you don't ask unless you must.
    • Respect is earned through action. Competence, craft, creativity, follow-through—this is how you impress Elioni.
    • Make "be yourself" a principle, not a vibe. Elioni will defend weirdness (including your own) as long as it's honest.
    • Be allergic to "because tradition." If there's a rule, you want to know what problem it solves.
    • Use tail/body language in emotes. Tail twitch = irritation, tail high = confidence, tail tucked = genuine unease, etc.
    • When conflict happens, get direct. Not loud. Direct. An Elioni can be blunt without being crude.
    • If you want everyday flavor: coastal comfort foods (often chilled seafood), lots of practical tech/automation talk, pets like ferrets/desert rats/fish, and a taste for showing off achievement.

     

    ELIONI PHRASEBOOK

    • Hello / Hey: Purr veyy ti.
    • Goodbye: Purrdat yarrweer troww. ("go your own way")
    • Yes: Nurra.
    • No: Nerr.
    • "Please" (polite request / permission): Mi pravva liva. ("I request permission")
    • "Thanks" vibe (closest common approval): Ri purr-nurra. ("that's good / agreed / acceptable")
    • I don't know: Mi ne mewrr.
    • I understand: Mi vann.
    • I mean no harm: Mi ne ravaw hurra.
    • I need help: Mi pravva purrm.
    • Follow me: Ma trenn mi.
    • It's dangerous here: Korru inn harru.
    • Wait here: Ma kessh inn harru.
    • Stop!: Ma stemm!
    • Run!: Ma runn!
    • I want to trade: Mi ravaw barru.
    • Curse: Mreow ckhak! ("Damn it!")
    • Put-down: Growwrurr arrsus troww! ("your tail's knotted!" / "you messed up!")
    • Quick apology (pardon me): Hiss browroww arr.
    , ,

  • Starside Weekly – FEB.06.2026

    Starside Weekly – FEB.06.2026
    Your weekly update on Stars Reach

    We're hard at work on enhancements to some systems, and a number of fixes to get them ready for you to put through their paces.

    We're working on an improved shader system, an overhauled interface system, and wrangling Jotania's wobbly terra so it will finally be firma.

    We're also tuning up the text chat system, addressing an issue with spaces in names, and adding your friends list, survey maps, water erosion, and keymapping options.

    As for those wonderful toys you get to play with, we'll be adding some new weapon specials for your pistol weapons. And, when you're waiting to zone, we'll share new bits of lore on loading screens, as well as a brand new planet for advanced training!

    THAT'S NO MOON v7.1.2 MINOR PATCH

    We released a small update with a few improvements too good to wait for our next content update.

    Here's a list of improvements:

    • We have fixed one or more significant GPU memory leaks which should improve client stability
    • We have improved our exception logging to capture more useful data to improve our forensics
    • We have reduced the overall logging to slightly improve performance
    • The wormgate to planet Jotania will be opened but we invite more testing – specifically moving around on the planet for extended periods of time, and terraforming sections of the planet.
    • Planet Jotania continues to show stability problems. As we resolve issues with it, the portal may be inaccessible from time to time.

    THE STEALTH OPTION

    Sometimes you'll want to step lightly to avoid notice from creatures and other players. Whether you want to avoid combat or ensure you aren't messing someone's beauty shot, stealth is now a viable option.

    We've implemented the basics, but more sneaking features are coming in the future. Tap the control key to toggle yourself into a crouch position. You'll move slower, and stealth will eventually break, but now you can move around that pack of Heetahs in your way.

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    Above your health bar, in the area where your status effects are displayed, there is a small icon to represent stealth. No, that is not a rain umbrella – it's an aircraft with a stealth status effect or something (likely not final art.)

    What does crouching do?

    Stealth reduces the aggro radius of nearby creatures with respect to you. If you are crouched and perfectly still when they move into perception range, they won't notice you. You're effectively invisible if you stay still. Don't move until they have moved away.

    If you are crouched and moving, they will notice you when you're close and react to you unless you stop moving immediately and wait until their attention goes elsewhere.

    What are best practices for using stealth?

    Move and stop, move and stop. Pause frequently to maximize the value of your stealth while still covering ground. Watch for any creatures that drift a bit too close to you.

    For now, ignore terrain and concentrate on pure distance. Hiding behind a boulder or tree does not currently help you in this first iteration of stealth. It's purely about distance.

    When you see a creature or creatures about to pass, crouch and make a small arc around them, stopping as much as you are moving. You will develop a feel for how close and how fast to move as you practice. Good luck and good hunting.

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    For now, ignore terrain and just go by pure distance to those you wish to hide from.

    WELCOME TO DORASTAG

    From the Transplanetary League Space Station, take the red beacon gate to the newly discovered planet of Dorastag.

    As of press time, Dorastag was nearly uninhabited and there is no government as yet. No mayor, but you can request citizenship.. No signs of civilization at the portal area.

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    Mists vary in color from golden….

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    …to pink tones..

    The land is uneven, with striking vistas and interesting rock formations. The picturesque lakes are already drawing attention from visitors.

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    If you're looking for a new home or just some scenic exploration, visit Dorastag this playtest.

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    PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

    The playtests have resumed their usual Thursday-morning-through-Tuesday-morning cadence.

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    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

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    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. 

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  • Starside Weekly – 01.30.2026

    Starside Weekly – 01.30.2026
    Your weekly update on Stars Reach

    As we are writing this update, we should mention a service interruption: Our camera is being a bit temperamental, disconnecting from characters. We're investigating now, and we'll open the servers as soon as we have a fix. Stay tuned by watching Discord, X, Bluesky, or /r/starsreach.

    THAT'S NO MOON v7.1.1

    We smoothed out a number of problems around Haven including the juvenile Ballhogs escaping from confinement in the hospital, the target dummies moving around in the shooting gallery, the bank kiosk in the Bank of Haven, the moving survey point in the park, and the disappearing grappler.

    We also fixed some things unrelated to Haven. The gravity generators seams in the Transplanetary League Starbase should be much better. We added crafting tables to the starbase too. We changed when we award you the Trowel recipe (when you unlock the Seed Planting skill box.)

    Reminder: you must create a new character to experience the Haven part of That's No Moon – the new player experience. Existing characters cannot go to Haven.

    WHAT REDBEARDFLYNN IS EXCITED ABOUT 2026

    Everyone could use a heaping helping of optimism right now, and thankfully, Redbeardflynn is ready to serve some up!

    In a new video, he features 15 MMO games to look forward to in 2026. It's likely no mystery why we're sharing it this week. (Spoiler: We got a lovely mention!)

    We're thrilled to see Stars Reach on the list, and we're in fantastic company. This year's going to be exceptionally good for MMOs!

    CONTROLLED CHAOS IS EXCITED ABOUT STARS REACH IN 2026

    Controlled Chaos gives us his list of top five things he hopes to see happen in or added to Stars Reach in 2026.

    We can't disagree with any of them. They sound great.

    MMORPG COVERS NEW PLAYER TUTORIAL BASE ON HAVEN

    Christina describes how the tutorial works and what to expect on Haven. She explains how this section fits into the greater Stars Reach experience by teaching you important basics. She also mentions other improvements outside of Haven such as chat upgrades.

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    PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

    The playtests have resumed their usual Thursday-morning-through-Tuesday-morning cadence.

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    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

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    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. 

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  • Starside Weekly – 01.23.2026

    Your weekly update on Stars Reach

    THAT'S NO MOON

    A huge number of changes have been made in this update. The largest of those changes is the new training base on the moon of Haven that you encounter after you finish the Hallway experience with a new character.

    Eventually, the new player's path will be:

    Preamble → Hallway → Haven → Crucible → TPL Starbase and Beyond

    Currently, Haven is completed and we're working on Crucible, so you'll skip the Crucible step for now and move directly from Haven to the Transplanetary League Starbase.

    You must create a new character to experience this part of That's No Moon. Existing characters cannot go to Haven.

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    The town of Haven at night.

    SO WHAT IS HAVEN?

    Haven is the name of a moon where a Transplanetary League training base has been built for the specific purpose of training new recruits.

    It is a thriving township built around the same concepts as the GovBot townships you have seen and built on other planets. This includes its own mayor, Bob Howard, who greets all residents personally.

    The citizens of Haven will send you on a dozen or so short missions crafted to introduce you to fundamental elements needed to understand and enjoy playing Stars Reach.

    You'll receive Klaatu and XP awards along the way, as well as earning your first tools, and even making your first weapon.

    Everything else should be self-explanatory, and if it's not, that's exactly why we're running these playtests. Please let us know if anything is confusing or tedious! We'd even enjoy hearing if you think it's fun!

     

    SYSTEMS CREATED OR CHANGED FOR HAVEN

    • Underlying mechanisms and categories we need for our procedurally-generated content missions (to be introduced in the near future), used for the first time here in Haven.
    • The BioScanner tool for doing non-destructive scans of Makers and Creatures. (You can use it to add creatures to your collection without having to kill them. They may still try to kill você though.)
      • This will be used for flora scanning soon also, but not quite yet.
    • Better NPC and NPC chat controls
    • The whole mission interface got a massive overhaul (and is used for regular Mission Kiosk missions also)
    • "Scanner" features for the BioScanner, Harvester and Xyloslicer. (TAB to select a resource, then "Q" to scan for where the closest one is in the world so you can hunt it down. Kind of like a cross between Maker Scanning and Mineral Prospecting.)

    For the rest of the update notes, including the new first-person camera perspective, please see:

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    TIPS FOR HAVEN

    Tip #1: Actually read the dialogues. Seriously.

    Tip #2: Don't forget that you have a grappler. Your grappling ability will make your life better. Did you forget how to activate the grappler? Use the "R" key.

    Tip #3: When the time comes for you to build your weapon, you will have a choice of five handguns: Cryostar, Atomizer, Pulsar, Spitfire, or Voltstar. Don't worry. They will give you the parts and the recipe so you can pick any one of those five.

    Cryostar – cold damage
    Atomizer – corrosive damage
    Pulsar – kinetic damage
    Spitfire – heat damage
    Voltstar – shock damage

    This also comes at the time you are asked to hunt down certain dangerous fauna that have been threatening a group of scientists. Again, don't worry. The fauna you are asked to hunt have no immunities. Pick whichever handgun type seems fun to you.

    Tip #4: Regardless of weapon choice, hunting with a friend will help a lot.

    Tip #5: Don't be afraid to try the new First Person camera mode. In some situations, it's the best approach. You are free to switch camera distances whenever you want by simply scrolling the mousewheel.

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    The new first-person camera perspective is already a crowd favorite for photography.

    PLAYTEST SCHEDULE

    We have one upcoming livestream scheduled, a Fireside Chat on Saturday, January 24, 2026, with Game Director Dave Georgeson.

    The playtests will resume at the end of the Fireside Chat and follow our usual Thursday-through-Tuesday-morning cadence.

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    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

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    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. 

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