We’re excited to officially confirm that Astro Protocol will launch as a full release on February 9.
We’ve also just released update 0.21, the final major update before launch. From here on, our focus will shift to bug fixing, smaller quality-of-life improvements, and adding a few more anomalies for variety.
Gameplay Changes
Several systems have been refined to improve variety, balance, and strategic decision-making:
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Added Shattered Sector and Fractal Corridors map generators, creating more constrained and fragmented map layouts (not available in demo)
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Added more anomalies to increase exploration variety
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United Tellus bonus changed from extending the network to +1 network range
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Terraform, exterminate, and discover actions now cost energy when performed outside your network
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Decreased the attack and damage of Phantoms
User Experience
The user experience has received further polish ahead of release:
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Reworked the start of the tutorial for clearer pacing
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Updated tutorial steps and explanations
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Improved tutorial map edges
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Improved minor factions menu for better readability
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Added help buttons to menus for quicker access to explanations
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Added a force end turn option by holding Shift + End Turn
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Improved tooltips and shortened long tech names
Audio & Graphics
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Added new music tracks
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Various small visual improvements across the UI
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Updated map edge texture
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Added a new Earth planet texture
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Darkened map background elements to improve overall visibility
AI & Performance
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Improved AI technology research selection
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General performance improvements
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Improved performance on large maps
Looking Ahead to Release
With update 0.21, Astro Protocol is now feature-complete. The remaining updates before launch will focus on stability, polish, and final balance tweaks to ensure a strong full release experience.
Thank you to everyone who has played, tested, and shared feedback throughout development. Your input has been instrumental in shaping Astro Protocol into what it is today.
See you among the stars!