Stars Reach has put forth another update to its pre-alpha, and this one has some pretty impactful additions that players will want to know about, particularly if they’re into combat and mining – activities that are arguably the most fleshed-out in the current test version of the sandbox MMORPG.
Playable Worlds is once again leaning into procedural generation, only this time it’s using proc gen tech to create variants of its creatures, which the studio says has increased its critter count from just under 20 to over 120. This also means that creatures aren’t quite as soloable as they used to be, will be able to use a wide variety of attacks, and can now resist certain weapons in some cases.
The update has also brought the robotic Maker drones back to the game in two versions: small and medium. For those unfamiliar, Makers are invisible drones that tweak lifeforms on the planet it is assigned to, adjusting them to a point when they meet parameters that are known only to them. Making them visible will require a skill for the trailblazer tool earned on the Ranger tree, and players will need to ensure that Maker populations are kept in check, since they replicate themselves and can make creatures much stronger.
This in turn feeds in to combat updates that include nameplate color-coding to indicate an enemy’s threat level, the introduction of a wide variety of status effects, changes to shields as well as a new status-reflecting shield, and the need to use consumables to not only heal but clear status effects or temporarily buff stats with food. The Healix tool (and in turn support-minded players) will also become more useful as a result, allowing players to heal damage and mass-remove status effects.
This update isn’t only about monsters, robots, and the slaying of each; there are also some changes to mining, primarily in the form of different hardness levels for most metals and stones, making them take longer to break through. Later updates will introduce more features for the terraformer that makes it faster at breaking through materials in general or for specific materials, but for now Playable Worlds is seeking to dial in hardness values.
Other features in the build include the winter season actively freezing water, a filter that shows what items players can craft while at any crafting table, adjustments to battery drain for the grappling hook and shield, and some new flora. There aren’t any real patch notes to be read but the changes are available in dev blog form.
Checking on the MMORPG’s Kickstarter, it’s currently at just over $620K raised at time of reporting with three days left in the crowdfunding drive. As a reminder, the studio promises to unlock an upgrade to the building system before launch – if funding hits the $650K mark.
