Space Wars: Interstellar Empires news & patch notes

New PvP Server: Chiron with advanced AI Out of beta testing, attack AI is now active. They essentially act as live players, attacking enemy sectors and trying to capture them. There are two kinds: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/4237475df57b34c6136cfdefab8453ff517e49b7.png Basic class III & IV attack AI: Easy to kill, makes for quick XP points for players wanting to defend a sector, or ally with them to enhance your sector performance. 'Hero' class V & VI attack AI: Destroyers & light cruisers with experienced crews and very intelligent strategic play. They are very tough to defeat, playing as good as any SpaceWars veteran. Be careful of fighting these opponents unless you're up to the challenge, but they are an incredible asset when they are on your side! Previous PvP Server: Trifid II won by Hive {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c5df3ccb86e2256db9de08a7a9a1ca07b11ac6e5.jpg Congrats to Enicrop for absolutely dominating the server (with over 1mil XP), eventually destroying all enemy homeworlds with a Behemoth and an Ancient Hive Entity. Genari put up a good fight with Aries, sss, Zorg, Hook and Gnarly, and Sol participants Hooman & Vesuvius tried to take back hive sectors but were eventually overwhelmed by the horde. Ma'Alaketh Equaa and AyyLmao were dominating early in the server with advanced tech and were the last to be destroyed, as they were insulated from the Hive by Genari and Sol. Also honorable mentions to CserZ, Zeco, Beo, Moonboo, and ghaun.

New Server: Saneth

New five-faction server is now up! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/313a150b81c18131dbd56ccc3379be0c4eac6fd8.jpg The Genari Starkiller arrives in orbit around Earth, with the Sol Imperial defense platform nearby A fierce battle between Sol Imperial Worlds and Genari United Empire ended with the Sol Homeworld of Earth being defeated led by RevenyasReven and his Starkiller flagship. The hive was defeated first, and Ma'Alaketh thereafter, with Sol being the last one standing against the Genari. Also, congrats to Taco, Mentor, Amishjoe, BurgerBing, Doc Grumpets as the great defenders of Sol, eventually succumbing to Genari. What class of ship will you achieve this server? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/545e1f4796df2c0abbeeeed0001c5a8c4f81bfad.jpg {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ff3473fa55137e825a63e0840493b0ddcc8c114f.jpg

New Feature: Attack AI

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/4237475df57b34c6136cfdefab8453ff517e49b7.png A Sol Mendi fires on a Genari Agile Flyer Players will notice a new feature implemented in this server -- Attack AI. Not only will local stations send out defending ships when players attack borders, some stations now send out Class III and IV attackers to hit borders as well. Take advantage of this and join AI to coordinate attacks on sectors, or defend against them for extra experience and officer points. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/b38fda3850e9714671ec600990f4809b6ae0dacf.jpg Eventually you will be seeing 'Hero Attack AI' which will be leveled up AI destroyers and cruisers that work in groups to assault larger sectors, just like you do.

New Server: Rigel II

A new five-faction server now online, players may choose between:

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/97513de5cbc78bc7cc3c7780bb8f14bc4d2a1d8d.jpg{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ae96fce7fe03d6281e17261fd92b06bdbecf5d8f.jpg{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/76916ab27d745cd63464e8cdfdb7a905cbfde554.jpg{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/6d62c0ad72704265f2ca882eceb544cbefc314d9.jpg{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/b4ab4e9a9d99fefae7513684b42cd56c1bc8eebe.jpg Sol Imperial Worlds - The Human military dictatorship, with well rounded ships and initiative Genari United Empire - The brutish conquerors with heavy armor, marines, alpha strike Ma'Alaketh Confederation - The most tech-advanced with powerful shields and ranged weapons Perseus Hive - Living ships that rely on sheer numbers and accelerated growth & regeneration Free Peoples of Sol - Pirates of the galaxy with the ability to strike anywhere & stolen tech {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/621ac886a6b50103cf8ed83c7edd72ed54ada64e.jpg The Sol Titan and Colossus dreadnoughts approach the Ma'Alaketh Dyson Sphere

Previous Server: Jupiter II

Congratulations to top Sol players Bravus and Heinous who had the dream team of the Titan and Colossus dreadnoughts, combined with the help of Beo and his Nagara Beam Cruiser and DarthVaper's Krakatoa mobile defense platform taking out the Ma'Alaketh Dyson Sphere. John McMilan kept watch on defense. Commendations also go out to: Genari's best players: Hook & Amishjoe Hive's best players: Kunll & Zigzagler Free Peoples' best players: Xeen & Mandosa {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/a3e2fc61f965efe4b4b6a1bc4988577ebf6b19e3.jpg The battleship Yamato near Earth

Updates & Patches:

-New Ma'Alaketh Engineer Skill: Quantum Field. The engineer specializes in force field technology, and has adapted a secondary unit to further protect the ship from damage. -XP cost for Sol/Genari/Ma'Alaketh battleships & dreadnoughts have been reduced significantly. -The Ma'Alaketh Tetrarch light cruiser now has its hull reduced from 82 to 72. -The Hive carapace protective layer skill now increases hull by 10%, not 30%. -The ship skill bug has been fixed.

New Server: Jupiter II

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ebf8edcd8f56bb136d5701493c92510c8d2c3b09.jpg A new five faction server is now online, after a Hive domination victory on the Eagle server. Initially, Genari looked to be winning, taking on all sides and destroying the Pirates' homeworld, but eventually the Ma'Alaketh and Hive races grew more dominant over time. The Perseus Hive, though weak at start, can become hard to defeat in a long run server, as they continue to grow stronger if left to their endless consumption. The final top scores for Eagle below: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/99d8b5fa5b9c40ca1a3cec6e23b3897c2bf0812b.jpg

New Ma'Alaketh ship designs

The Ma'Alaketh class 7 command cruiser Consul has been reworked into a new design, along with its smaller hybrid destroyer variants the Acolytes. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/a28bd7de3641d2d9a42fba77a07dd6384cff09b5.png

New Concept ships & designs

Now that all five playable factions/races have been completed, new ship designs will be introduced in forthcoming servers for all the races, in various classes. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/3fdee5c8f3d805b2a7c22a943609134305640a93.jpg{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/5194a3ae3eddc665d562ba764925006d065d11ad.jpg{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/add9ae88eaa701026ab43d429e91b4f89fb5b5e9.jpg

Eagle Server: The Very First Five Faction PvP

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/7b19ad425961472b9a34e462add0601c0ecac391.jpg After several years in development, we now have all five races playable, each with their own unique playstyles. Over 50 ships per race, they all have their own attributes and special designs integrated for competition, PvP and PvE play. Right now you can choose a race and compete, but you are also open to switch your character and try a different race during this server run without being forced to play a specific race for the entire server duration.

SOL IMPERIAL WORLDS

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/01bba8a4c82175bd2c4b40ddbee3ade20e8dd8ff.jpg -Sol plasma technology -Ion drive technology -Well rounded race with no distinct strengths or weaknesses -Bordering all four enemy races -Easiest to play

GENARI STAR EMPIRE

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/657f8a1e07a3f977295241602da7ba4341dec240.jpg -Efficient, low cost missile technology -Heavily armored -Strong low-tier ships -Marine boarding pods -Bordering all four enemy races -Easy to play

MA'ALAKETH CONFEDERATION

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/1db1a4598e056a736262fcb8e6a98bd0d0fac574.png -Very advanced ion drives -Extreme range particle beams -Dampening field systems -Very powerful force field technology -Advanced repair drones

PERSEUS HIVE

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/713b57a1f75d750906ebf227353a78b515e75f2a.png -Special regenerative abilities -Swarm/telepathy command multiple organisms -Very diverse 'ship' selection -Powerful plasma wave launchers -Proboscis

FREE PEOPLES OF SOL

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/b45d576588b95223eb53f3c6f73aa21cc665e074.png -Can attack any sector -Large pirate fleets -Powerful boarding units -Can ally with specific races to fight others

New Server: Pirate PvE

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ef85428fb2945706e07072072b6aa633ee69989b.jpg The fifth and final faction for Space Wars, the Free Peoples of Sol has finally launched. On this server, players can try these 'Pirates', working together against AI to dominate the server. Originating from New Terra in the Helix Nebula, this faction is a conglomeration of Human and Genari defectors that combine their technology (along with some stolen Ma'Alaketh tech) to produce some rather unique warships. Their strengths: -Can support large fleets of AI combat ships -Strong boarding units and xp gains from capturing ships/bounties -Can attack any sector, regardless of being adjacent to a captured region {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c1c93807987bcc5de08c2d1ce226c2c01562ae1d.jpg Their weaknesses: -Very expensive ships -No high tier battleships or dreadnaughts -Long cooldowns for lost ships -Only three dedicated officers -Weak support ships {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/9e7ec1bbd44aca526b46bbbe61523df95bf33a37.png So have fun and enjoy this new faction, with all its unique ways to conquer the galaxy :)

New Server: Cruisers Maximus

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/16e7fba32e5e80b52b2fe182f2b46b630efcd0b7.jpg This is a new four faction PvP server, with one limitation however -- all four races are limited to Class VI ships as their strongest warship. That means Heavy Cruisers, Battleships and Dreadnoughts are not available on this server. It will allow players to hone their skills on workhorses of their race, which are the frigates, destroyers, and light cruisers. Also the win parameters are not to destroy all the enemy homeworlds this time, but attempt to dominate 90% of the galaxy map.

Previous Server: Ganymede Victory to the Hive

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/55f21298ec0f98b52d4edc172421f7236192ac65.jpg Two of the strongest Hive players worked as a team, fed off the Sol race, which collapsed first: Veterans Nocabonac and Heinous dominated their way through Sol and Genari, eventually taking out the Ma'Alaketh Dyson Sphere to win the server. Also a shoutout to sss, KhanJB, beo, Hook, zorg, genari_neko as Genari, initially dominating the server until the Hive grew too strong for them to hold back.

Pirate Faction development in Progress

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/17e01136a796e8b81b03be39c6e0e838667b8cd4.jpg It is very likely that the next server will be the first time that players can try the rather unique Free Peoples' of Sol (pirate) faction. Skills, ships, and characters are being finalized behind the scenes on the development server, as well as squashing the inevitable bugs. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/60f23daa7d9d49e07678983fc42af0e29234c348.jpg

New PvP Server: Ganymede

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8a246e7fefd83e0593768dc7abc86f58f97d782f.jpg New Server with all for races accessible under normal win conditions: Sol Imperial Worlds, Genari United Empire, Ma'Alaketh Confederation, and the Perseus Hive. Some of you veteran players who stick to the same race every time, should try other races and enjoy the flavor and variety of each... you never know you might find a new favorite! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/3e9d95ea094939b8b0bdf45157e664be679e7bbd.jpg Sol Imperial Worlds: The 'jack of all trades' good at all, best at none, always the most popular to new players. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/4d3b5bd055d1ab8fb08c3fcc6d059a03524397f8.jpg Genari United Empire: Brutishly strong, tough ships, but behind on technology. Usually the strongest out of the gate, and can dominate early. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/2e65231070585d103b5933979b129b248a791a1e.jpg Ma'Alaketh Confederation: The most advanced in technology, with some of the most powerful ships in the game. But more difficult to master. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8774de7c4f2588e34bf47dd2e9c0a3e62c0df63a.jpg Perseus Hive: The most difficult race to start with, but best played with good allies. Arguably the strongest race if allowed to break the confines of its region in the long run.

Work in Progress: Free Peoples of Sol (Pirate)

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/d90bfe182ca9d8c3c7273238b62ef9c28968c22e.jpg Behind the scenes, the Pirate faction is being worked on, a rather unique race with special abilities, but limited in its ability to expand and conquer. It is the 5th and last faction for the Beta. Some examples below: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8f8cb15e388068e23a764bdc49bbf71517475c59.png Orchis Raider {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8bb1fcc3f980697fdcfd5d98d3ca28dcf8010c24.png Orchis Interceptor {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/64399d229200c18e8fc5aeda089e0a8a2333f7eb.png Agile Flyer Raider {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ff1c9a3a26f5543b44ee49035cd9ded788cdbf55.png Agile Flyer Interceptor {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/e05c4901de98fba9fce0b96bd126e027695ae4c5.png Mendi Raider {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/d0e2d24d91eb906528a1a405a1a62295922c588c.png Mendi Interceptor

Battle of the Titans - Victory to Sol

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/dae90a00a74879534824896181d8c7b5aeb8f605.jpg Congratulations to Sol Imperial worlds for successfully outplaying the three other races to win the server. This unique server had players being awarded the near-impossible halo ship for each race if they achieved 30k XP. For Sol, Jerbear, Beo, Hook, and Bayou were awarded the Sol Titan Dreadnought, and eventually dominated the server, taking out individual homeworlds. Ma'Alaketh actually had a stronger start, with Trygore, EIN, Salo, Stan, War Demon, Ainh, T, Aegrimm all achieving the Sa'Avaal beam platform. Genari had Vesuvius and AmishJoe acquire the Starkiller Command Dreadnought. And the Hive players Apophis and Cattlebruiser succeeded in getting the Queen. The next PvP server begins on Monday, November 29th.

Pirate Faction in Progress

Agile Flyer Raider {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/64399d229200c18e8fc5aeda089e0a8a2333f7eb.png Orchis Raider {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8f8cb15e388068e23a764bdc49bbf71517475c59.png Work is being done behind the scenes for the Pirate faction, and some testing will be done on the next server. It is possible that it will be playable for all on the succeeding server. First Honor Raider & Interceptor {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/d90bfe182ca9d8c3c7273238b62ef9c28968c22e.jpg

Battle of the Titans

This new server is unique in that if you achieve Captain Level 5, (30,000xp) you are automatically given a Class XII ship for your race, without any of the prerequisites. It will be interesting to see these monstrous dreadnoughts en masse fighting each other... If you've always wanted to try one, but their XP requirements were simply near impossible to achieve, here is your chance. But if its destroyed, it is permadeath for your ship! SOL IMPERIAL WORLDS: TITAN ASSAULT DREADNOUGHT {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/64c9ef2d4d000a8d208aa86939a6d4b94ba7b0ef.jpg The Sol Colossus was an incredible achievement for the Imperium: It gave the edge in the war of attrition against the Genari Star Empire. The Genari matriarchy was falling behind on advancements to engines and weapons, putting them in a disadvantage when it came to battleships and dreadnoughts. But it was the awakening of the Perseus Hive and its decimation of Genari bases that had Sol command concerned with a possible greater threat. Although most of the Hive focus was in Genari territory, they were also starting to encroach dangerously close on Capella. Upon studying some of their larger and more dangerous 'Entities', it was realized that swarms of these could easily overcome the Colossus itself. A new, more robust platform was developed, especially after McKellan Engineerings' breakthrough of mating six engines made a three-million ton warship possible. It came to be known as the Titan, a one-of a kind dreadnought mounting an array of twelve of the most powerful beams in three different arcs that could decimate a single Hive entity with one volley. With enough power and detection range as a defense station, it can target enemies from an extended range and land hits before they ever have a chance of getting close. Its sheer size also allowed for two advanced repair bays which can help the dreadnought repair more quickly, or do the same to other ships nearby. GENARI UNITED EMPIRE: STARKILLER COMMAND DREADNOUGHT {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/be17b29e6ef3d0549ae18647566ff1b78cb7870e.jpg Empress Talagh-Zeranghi found her Matriarchy in trouble: Advancements into Hive regions initially gained her clan a significant amount of riches from the resource-heavy regions in the Perseus cluster. However the Hive had begun to resist and overcome her fleet's attacks. Eventually, the tide had turned and these massive Hive Entities were growing evermore aggressive on taking back these Genari-controlled regions. Being on the forefront of the Hive incursion, her homeworlds of Bacheh and Barghi were seeing early attacks from these organics. The rest of the Matriarchs were too focused on the Sol Imperium and the Ma'Alaketh; so she was on her own to defend against what seemed to be an impossible foe. Her Star Fortress was dangerously close to the Hive border, and she considered the possibility of an evacuation if the Hive did push deeper into her territory. She commissioned a new dreadnought that could become a mobile command base, but also have the firepower and defensive strength to resist even the largest of these destructive Hive Entities. Thus the Starkiller was born; a massive station-sized dreadnought with enough firepower to rival even the Shahavi homeworld command base. Although it is a rather slow ship, it is heavily armored and built to accelerate the array of omnidirectional missile weapons, with a very low energy demand to fully arm its arsenal. It could decimate any Hive ship that would come within 6000km , no matter what its size. The rest of the Empire sees the Starkiller as the best chance of stopping the Hive from gaining any more foothold into Genari territory. MA'ALAKETH CONFEDERATION: SA'AVAL MOBILE BEAM PLATFORM {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/00392a75900078c427037f9b47aab5f3ce555f94.jpg The Sovereign battleships proved to be extremely powerful in warding off Sol and Genari attacks; the enemy could not out-power the Ma'Alaketh technology or succeed in taking any of the Ma'Alaketh regions within the Perimeter without incurring heavy casualties. But when it was time for the Ma'Alaketh Confederation to pacify the Genari and Sol homeworlds, it was proven to be quite difficult with the sheer number of station defenses surrounding these planets. The Confederation did not want any demoralizing casualties or losses of their capital ships -- it simply was not an option. So developing a mobile unit that could act as long range artillery, softening or destroying defensive stations without taking any harm was the logical next step. Using technology from the Dyson Sphere itself, a mobile beam platform was built around four smaller variants of the Dyson beam, packing enough of a punch that could destroy even the largest enemy base with reasonable reliability, and completely out of enemy station weapons range. It also has the most advanced dampening field ever built -- a large circular unit that takes up a significant portion of the superstructure, but acts as a partially effective field because of its sheer mass. The massive IHD-9 powerplants were doubled to deliver twice as much power as the Grand Sovereign, making this mobile platform surprisingly agile and maneuverable. However, to fully charge its four particle beams, it will need to remain near-stationary to provide the power needs of these massive weapons. PERSEUS HIVE: HIVE QUEEN {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/679f1c6365b6254fedc606b74ac9bc3b9f797b6f.jpg When the bulk of Matriarch Talagh-Zeranghi's forces assaulted the Hive homeworld 'Dark Core', their armada, consisting of a Nova, several heavy cruisers and other capital ships managed to overcome the defending organisms and destroy the Hive nest that existed there. The Matriarch declared this as the beginning of the end for the Perseus Hive and the Dark Core's defeat as the ultimate conquest for the Empire. She was premature in her announcement however: Things turned sour when this station-sized organism appeared from the dark side of the barren planet about an hour later. Undetected, it was within the planet's dead core itself; how it got out is uncertain. As it approached, it sent waves of energy against the Nova flagship, which was already significantly damaged. Before the flagship could escape during its dark matter transition phase, it got destroyed. It then systematically attacked each other heavy cruiser, forcing them to retreat one by one. All other remaining Hive organisms rallied around this superentity, and forced the rest of the Genari fleet to retreat. It has never been encountered again, but ever since its appearance, it has broken the Genari dream of overtaking Hive space. They've respectfully termed it the Hive 'Queen', definitely befitting its title. Unlike the Hive Nests which birth new Hive organisms, this Queen is mobile and acts like a Hive Entity. If it truly can travel between star systems, there may be nothing Sol or Genari could do to stop it.

Server Ended: Andromeda Server

Victory to Sol {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/a5dccddd5082c3874f5b19a7779f34cf6727cdfa.jpg Congratulations to Sol players Jerbear, Captain eXe, beo, Nahia, Amishjoe, Trygore, Taozen and others who were initially on the losing end, being dominated by powerful Hive players Tsef Knio and ToxoplasmosisEin, as well as Genari players Schlongmower, T, and Hook. But they ended up working as a powerful team to stop their opposition. Also notable mention: Void -- who held on as Ma'Alaketh holding back the Sol advance and being the last race to be taken down before Sol victory.

New Server: Andromeda

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/cf2ca79135e47634d2c0f064bb2de10b5d997a3c.jpg The Destiny Troop Ship navigating one of the many mined regions of Genari space Congratulations to the Sol Imperial Worlds for successfully defeating the opposing three races, first taking out the Hive, then pushing forward through the battle-hardened Genari United Empire, and finally to the 'impregnable' Ma'Alaketh Confederation Dyson Sphere. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/7254b77d1a768fc8ce7f3a830ec939d6693c3dd5.jpg Bravus, Thulsa Doom, Jerbear, Beo, Kingkong, and AlterEgo were the key players who helped Sol win the server. Zeranghi, Hook, and AmishJoe tried fighting back as Genari, and Bosh'tet, Zapp, Equaa held strong against the Sol fleets as Ma'alaketh. Though the Hive has dominated and won many servers, it was one of the first to buckle against Sol this time. All top ranked and most active players win 100 to 4000 credits that carries over for use on future servers, along with associated legacy medals. The new Andromeda server starts the game fresh with a few updates:

Genari Marine skill Update: Explosive Pods

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/b08b97b88c9de3426875115ae7277c6e83744ec6.jpg Now the Marine Commander of a ship can jury-rig the marine pods to explode on contact with an enemy ships' hull. It can be quite useful against the Hive, since marines are ineffective against them. Four Skill Levels: Explosive Pods I-IV: Pods are empty of marines, but have been loaded with explosives. Does 1-4 damage on contact with shield or hull.

Explosion Radius of Ships now Extended to 8 hexes (8000km).

When a ship explodes, it does splash damage to nearby ships, based on its original power levels. The range is now extended from four to eight hexes, but the damage itself is still at the same values. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ac1e25565d6975c8973d2054ef36f9bbb9b2a3ae.jpg

New PvP Server: Deimos I

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/67ba6dc9ac87775f47df96e6cc4e2fd95d81236a.jpg After several 1v1 competitions on previous servers, we return to a full four-race competition server. Play as Sol Imperial Worlds, Genari United Empire, Ma'Alaketh Confederation or Perseus Hive. The Pirate faction is currently being worked on, and will be available for play in future servers.

All four races have new Captain specific skills implemented:

SOL {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/b3eee40bf3a2a88f1b8783f8128d79e29850cd54.jpg Specialization: Helm Control allows for an extra movement point for all of the players' ships Specialization: Engineering allows for an extra repair point for all of the players' ships Tactical Advantage III-V: Adds 2 more initiative points for each level Ma'Alaketh {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/2e0015a5c96ac4e1bba458cced60cff41bc3f6d3.jpg Internal Repair Drone allows for an extra repair point for all of the players' ships Drone Control IV-V allows for an additional support ship for each level, up to five. Genari {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/42c3b40809b16b9af7f4233cd58defdaf9faf505.jpg Improved Weapons skill can add extra damage boost to player weapons. Support Specialization gives player a full support role by foregoing most combat roles. Player can have up to 5 support ships, and it unlocks the Genshai II Command Tender. Hive {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c6cfdf609226891d4d1d19d9f304191ba013f0aa.jpg Specialized carapace skill available, where they can add protective layers in three levels, with the highest level adding 30% more life points. Lifeforce Drain which allows improved healing when using proboscis. Vitality skills now add improved healing, increased momentum, and enhanced synapses. All races also get a captain skill that allows their allies to warp into the same part of the sector they are present in.

Server Ended: Genari vs Hive -- Hive Victory

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/aabef5a17ff417821aec7489238d8e2aa85a72d7.png Congrats to Iggypay, Praxus, Raebrej, Beo, and Bug as the top Hive players that won the server. On the Genari side, Grr, Bosh'tet, Bam8, Ein_Keko, T, and Hook were some of the stronger players that put up a good fight against the hive organisms, but were eventually overwhelmed.

Battle Hardened Warriors vs. Space Monsters: Genari vs. HIve

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/0783a23482de7821c2498f9c2d38af4710201bad.png In our final 1v1 PvP server before we return to 4-race combat, we get the warrior race of Genari and their close-combat firepower against organisms that can swarm their opponents and work in large numbers to overcome their weaknesses. Which race will win?

New Skills

HIVE {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c6cfdf609226891d4d1d19d9f304191ba013f0aa.jpg -Specialized carapace skill available, where they can add protective layers in three levels, with the highest level adding 30% more life points. -Lifeforce Drain which allows improved healing when using proboscis. -Vitality skills now add improved healing, increased momentum, and enhanced synapses. -Telepath ability allows for allies to enter close to player organism in combat. GENARI {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/42c3b40809b16b9af7f4233cd58defdaf9faf505.jpg -Improved Weapons skill can add extra damage boost to player weapons. -Force Leader allows for allies to enter close to player ship in combat. -Support Specialization gives player a full support role by foregoing most combat roles. Player can have up to 5 support ships, and it unlocks the Genshai II Command Tender. With all upcoming servers, all players automatically get a captain skill point to start. Also, all races now have a new captain level at 800,000 xp, which allows for an additional captain skill point.

Server Ended: Sol vs Ma'Al -- Sol Victory

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/3389b5cb34f2f63da06b7640f9cf950db2f2a688.jpg With a long hard-fought tug-of war between Sol Imperial Worlds and Ma'Alaketh Confederation, it started with Sol dominance, but the Ma'Alaketh eventually overtook and almost had Sol Capitulate. But the resilient Sol fought back, and what seemed an impossible outcome, they won by taking out the Do'Oran dyson sphere homeworld. Congratulations to Bravus, Thanos111, Jerbear, Beo, Hook as the hardened Sol players who held their ground, and SendCatNudes, Drengr, Bosh'tet, Ein_Neko, T, Haven, and Bam8 who kept the pressure on Sol and almost won the server.

TECH WARS New Server: Sol vs. Maal

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/bd89e6ac53db4ece598e2371a6da9be2a2c8cefe.jpg A new server has begun; with the two most technologically advanced races in the game, Sol Imperial Worlds and the Ma'Alaketh Confederation. The Sol Imperial worlds tends to have very well-rounded ships with a lot of variety in ship selection, as well as high initiative officers. The Ma'Alaketh however, have superior shield and long range weapon technology. The Hive and Genari sectors are Ai-controlled, and to win the server the Do'Oran Dyson Sphere in the Ma'Alaketh homeworld or the Command Base at Earth must be destroyed.

Orion III Server

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/687ff6b3b280ef817d536c803c1a4d83832d6125.jpg Sol vs. Genari server was won by Genari. Congratulations to Spartacus, Blingon, Lawn Dwarf, Cockatrice, and Hook for being the dominant players that took the Genari United Empire to victory. Also Thanos111, Jerbear, T, Bravus, Beo and Gman put up a good fight against the Genari assault, but eventually succumbed to the high-damage battle-hardened warships of the Empire.

Back to Orion

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/13507d97bad6bab01a9c316322f0796426ad0045.jpg As the Ma'Alaketh vs Hive server ended a few days ago, a new server has initiated today, in 'Classic' mode between Sol Imperial Worlds and Genari United Empire. The Hive and Ma'Alaketh races will be unplayable, and are AI controlled. Players can still enter their spaces for further combat/xp opportunities. New rankings levels are also attributed to Sol & Genari, with players able to achieve a new captain rank at 800,000 xp, giving them an additional captain point. The map has also been updated, with less vulnerable openings in the deeper regions of Hive and Ma'Alaketh space with additional defensive structures, along with a few 'bugged' sectors fixed. Keep in mind that this is the first time in this classic 2-way where the Class XI and XII warships are available to players. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ef0210d6ad981b20e5933563c68d05ad1dfa52c8.jpg

Ma'Al vs Hive Server Completed

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ebf8edcd8f56bb136d5701493c92510c8d2c3b09.jpg Being on opposite sides of the galaxy, the two very different races, one being highly technologically advanced, the other being organic spacefaring creatures -- were given the chance to develop and advance through AI-controlled Sol and Genari territories before making first contact somewhere in the middle of the galaxy map. Initially, the Ma'Alaketh had the advantage, taking out the vulnerable and unshielded Hive organisms from afar with their powerful particle beams. But over time, the Hive hordes kept consuming everything in their path, eventually outnumbering the Ma'Alaketh. Congratulations to Praxus, P Boi 1, Weecat, raebrej, XXX, T, ghaun, C06AKn KpOBN as the top power players of Hive. They all get the bug squisher legacy award and 1000-3000 credits. Also special mention to Crossfire, who managed to hold up against the Hive hordes, and even invoked Last Stand, briefly commandeering the Sa'Aval class XII mobile beam platform.

Upcoming Server: Orion III

On Friday, November 6th, the next competition server will launch, which will be Space Wars Classic -- as it will be an original war between Sol Imperial Worlds and Genari United Empire. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/0f9801b42cc92cdebb1c72f479c02cbfc49bfcb5.jpg

New Server: Ma'Alaketh Confederation vs. Perseus Hive

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8a5f3929f5863e5d57740882207963f06fdf0ea7.jpg A special two-race only server, which has the two new races competing against each other. Totally different styles of gameplay, the debate continues between which race is stronger? Ma'Alaketh Confederation With ships that have incredibly powerful and efficient defensive shields, accurate long-range particle beams, and stealth dampening field, each individual ship is capable of taking on multiple ships of other races. They also have very advanced support technology, and advanced officers to help make their ships even more efficient. Perseus Hive An organic race, without and shield/force field technology, they rely on their regenerative abilities to keep them surviving opposing races. Along with their ability to swarm an opponent with many organisms at once, they have unique plasma weapons that are devastating at close range. Add to it, their crew-consuming proboscis, that can disable enemy ships quickly. Sol and Genari are AI-controlled only on this server; and they are the 'buffer' between the two opposing races. This gives time for Hive and Ma'Alaketh to grow and prepare for first contact. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/5b73072b2399242ea6b24f5eb55762cfb15ae84f.jpg

Neptune Server Ends in 65 days

The previous server, Neptune, was won by the Ma'Alakaeth Confederation. Congratulations to Mr. Grey, K, Lich, V, Alby, GalaxyMarine, XXX, LorddragonK, Trygore, Beernchips, LD50 and others for their successful win of the server over Sol, Genari, and Hive. They win between 500-3000 credits. On the Sol side, Jerbear, Bravus, Sho'Nuff and Locke dominated early, but eventually succumbed to the Ma'Alaketh onslaught.

Neptune Server Now Open!

A new server is now available with all four races open to play. All the multi-faction battle issues that created bugs are now fixed, so there will be no 'bugged sectors' after a 3 or 4 way combat. Also, several new ships are available to players of each race: The Sol Krakatoa (Class XI Portable Defense Platform) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/88dfa1b27b3926a759c9698abc756e3d2f9a21c5.jpg It became clear that the Fuji and Etna defense platforms were somewhat vulnerable to longer range weaponry or direct assault; so many have been placed on defensive positions along the border when Sol secured some Genari territory in late 2190. But when the Empire started taking back territory, there wasn't enough time to replace and rebuild these stations without risking attack mid-construction. Admiral Grace Huang had a novel idea; to make a structure similar to the Etna with a capable dark matter drive that allowed it to be transported into the contested sector. The first variants were too weak however, and were destroyed easily. So a larger version was developed that mated a dark matter drive with a station power plant. It is now known as the Krakatoa, a well-armored station that has some slight capacity to move on its own. It mounts a dozen long range beams that have omnidirectional defensive capablities, and four light repair bays to either repair itself or its surrounding allies. Genari combat vessels found it to be very hard to destroy, and were initially surprised when the station actually moved out of range. Its weakness however, is that the sheer mass to move this mobile station leaves little power for its offensive weapon systems. Though they are relatively inexpensive to build compared to an Etna, they take a considerable time to produce unlike a warship. The Genari Intimidator (Class XI Assault Platform) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/9a3c48071603d8d455a27feb83e6e3308edbf03e.jpg Empress Devagh-Moshtigh will not admit that once she saw the mobile Krakatoa stations in action, she devised her own design for a mobile weapons platform. Even though the Intimidator was first seen in action in 2214, her Nova commander representative insists that it was an original design in process for two decades, now finally refined into a very intimidating 'warship'. Taking the Ghodrat weapons platform, it is a very heavily armored structure that can maneuver slowly and make its weapons bear in any direction. Using the technology from the Starkiller Assault Dreadnought, the quad FW-9 warhead systems have been improved to deliver the increased damage potential, leaving enough power for maneuvering. There was enough space left to mount a station-sized scanning system, so it can help detect enemies from a much greater range than most Genari warships. It also mounts Moshtigh's experimental marine pod system, that delivers 100 marines in a swarm of 10 pods. Theory had it that this mobile station could approach a vulnerable Sol or Ma'Alaketh station and potentially cripple the station with the singular marine assault wave. It has yet to be tested on a station however. The Ma'Alaketh Acolyte (Class V Auxilliary Destroyer, two variants) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c3a9d9f2b21d3922271718e7f908bcb1b741ea73.jpg This new destroyer was specifically designed to act in a dual role as a warship and a support ship: Though the support drones have their benefits in assisting in repairs, this could be fully crewed and simultaneously be effective in combat and defending itself. It mounts a pair of particle beams as its main offensive unit, similar to a White Light frigate, plus a trio of defense cannons to protect itself from marine pods. Structurally different from what would seem like a Star Light destroyer at a distance, it has a pair of light repair bays and advanced medical bays in place of heavy weaponry. It also has damage control teams that repair the ship more efficiently, regardless of its separate repair bays. The ship has been invaluable in the war against Sol and Genari, acting as a support mechanism able to defend itself. High Advisor So'Oraalon has also indicated the need of such a ship as their investigations of the Perseus Hive advance into Sol and Genari territory poses a possible threat in the future and well-being of the Ma'Ali people in case they are ever encountered this close to home. The Hive Ancient Megalith (Class VIII Hardened Megalith) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/cd52056d92bac70548fee3f714d567d063d17c58.jpg The Megalith is literally the dinosaur of the Perseus Hive -- its evolutionary tree is a dead end -- as big as it is, it does not have any of the advancements of a Hive Entity. It is resilient however: Even some Megaliths, however rare have overgrown from feeding and developed into an even larger, older, more battle-hardened form. Compared to the Megalith, these more 'Ancient' types are significantly larger, with more scarring and hardening. On the surface, they seem similar, but are much harder to kill, and their offensive appendages seem to have a bigger bite. They are still slow however, in fact slower than the Megalith, as it seems that even for the Perseus Hive, there is a limited lifespan to these creatures, and this one really showing its age. It is very dangerous up close, but too slow to catch up to more mobile opposition.

Antares Server: Ma'Alaketh Victory

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/3389b5cb34f2f63da06b7640f9cf950db2f2a688.jpg Congratulations the the Ma'Alaketh Confederation faction, which ended up winning the server. Initially, Sol Imperial Worlds had the lead, but the tide turned mid-server. Top ranked Ma'Alaketh players Domitor, Bosh'tet, Ein_Neko, Haven and Marka dominated the server, and eventually Domitor unlocked the very first Class XII ship in action, using it to help destroy Enemy homeworlds. Honorable mentions in Sol: Jerbear, Bravus, and Beo who tried to counter the Ma'Alaketh advance. As well as Genari players Baalrog and Hook that were the last warriors standing in the broken Genari Empire.

Each race now has a Class XII ship, which is incredibly powerful (approximately twice the strength of a class X ship). Though very hard to attain, it provides more endgame 'boss' content in some longer run server activity. They are listed for each race below:

Genari United Empire: Starkiller Command Dreadnought

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/0637cb5dab2c40e529d3a6a6ebf18f59f190e6dc.jpg Empress Talagh-Zeranghi found her Matriarchy in trouble: Advancements into Hive regions initially gained her clan a significant amount of riches from the resource-heavy regions in the Perseus cluster. However the Hive had begun to resist and overcome her fleet's attacks. Eventually, the tide had turned and these massive Hive Entities were growing evermore aggressive on taking back these Genari-controlled regions. Being on the forefront of the Hive incursion, her homeworlds of Bacheh and Barghi were seeing early attacks from these organics. The rest of the Matriarchs were too focused on the Sol Imperium and the Ma'Alaketh; so she was on her own to defend against what seemed to be an impossible foe. Her Star Fortress was dangerously close to the Hive border, and she considered the possibility of an evacuation if the Hive did push deeper into her territory. She commissioned a new dreadnought that could become a mobile command base, but also have the firepower and defensive strength to resist even the largest of these destructive Hive Entities. Thus the Starkiller was born; a massive station-sized dreadnought with enough firepower to rival even the Shahavi homeworld command base. Although it is a rather slow ship, it is heavily armored and built to accelerate the array of omnidirectional missile weapons, with a very low energy demand to fully arm its arsenal. It could decimate any Hive ship that would come within 6000km , no matter what its size. The rest of the Empire sees the Starkiller as the best chance of stopping the Hive from gaining any more foothold into Genari territory. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/92c857096b6a48a8601f3b8a2f651ebc3c73dec3.jpg

Sol Imperial Worlds: Titan Assault Dreadnought

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/221f19541d5f839e6516fdefd4199672d8c9b8a1.jpg The Sol Colossus was an incredible achievement for the Imperium: It gave the edge in the war of attrition against the Genari Star Empire. The Genari matriarchy was falling behind on advancements to engines and weapons, putting them in a disadvantage when it came to battleships and dreadnoughts. But it was the awakening of the Perseus Hive and its decimation of Genari bases that had Sol command concerned with a possible greater threat. Although most of the Hive focus was in Genari territory, they were also starting to encroach dangerously close on Capella. Upon studying some of their larger and more dangerous 'Entities', it was realized that swarms of these could easily overcome the Colossus itself. A new, more robust platform was developed, especially after McKellan Engineerings' breakthrough of mating six engines made a three-million ton warship possible. It came to be known as the Titan, a one-of a kind dreadnought mounting an array of twelve of the most powerful beams in three different arcs that could decimate a single Hive entity with one volley. With enough power and detection range as a defense station, it can target enemies from an extended range and land hits before they ever have a chance of getting close. Its sheer size also allowed for two advanced repair bays which can help the dreadnought repair more quickly, or do the same to other ships nearby. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/9d46bfd33b92390436be456a13462010ea10803c.jpg

Ma'Alaketh Confederation: Sa'Avaal Mobile Beam Platform

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/7a749f4a67a990792611faaf994843fff2ade83c.jpg The Sovereign battleships proved to be extremely powerful in warding off Sol and Genari attacks; the enemy could not out-power the Ma'Alaketh technology or succeed in taking any of the Ma'Alaketh regions within the Perimeter without incurring heavy casualties. But when it was time for the Ma'Alaketh Confederation to pacify the Genari and Sol homeworlds, it was proven to be quite difficult with the sheer number of station defenses surrounding these planets. The Confederation did not want any demoralizing casualties or losses of their capital ships -- it simply was not an option. So developing a mobile unit that could act as long range artillery, softening or destroying defensive stations without taking any harm was the logical next step. Using technology from the Dyson Sphere itself, a mobile beam platform was built around four smaller variants of the Dyson beam, packing enough of a punch that could destroy even the largest enemy base with reasonable reliability, and completely out of enemy station weapons range. It also has the most advanced dampening field ever built -- a large circular unit that takes up a significant portion of the superstructure, but acts as a partially effective field because of its sheer mass. The massive IHD-9 powerplants were doubled to deliver twice as much power as the Grand Sovereign, making this mobile platform surprisingly agile and maneuverable. However, to fully charge its four particle beams, it will need to remain near-stationary to provide the power needs of these massive weapons. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/5d2a46c795b1a64dc5ec3a48caf2d6f2279f6934.jpg

Perseus Hive: Hive Queen

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8206f8fe573e02ff65f1c0d9cacb52f3154605ea.jpg When the bulk of Matriarch Talagh-Zeranghi's forces assaulted the Hive homeworld 'Dark Core', their armada, consisting of a Nova, several heavy cruisers and other capital ships managed to overcome the defending organisms and destroy the Hive nest that existed there. The Matriarch declared this as the beginning of the end for the Perseus Hive and the Dark Core's defeat as the ultimate conquest for the Empire. She was premature in her announcement however: Things turned sour when this station-sized organism appeared from the dark side of the barren planet about an hour later. Undetected, it was within the planet's dead core itself; how it got out is uncertain. As it approached, it sent waves of energy against the Nova flagship, which was already significantly damaged. Before the flagship could escape during its dark matter transition phase, it got destroyed. It then systematically attacked each other heavy cruiser, forcing them to retreat one by one. All other remaining Hive organisms rallied around this superentity, and forced the rest of the Genari fleet to retreat. It has never been encountered again, but ever since its appearance, it has broken the Genari dream of overtaking Hive space. They've respectfully termed it the Hive 'Queen', definitely befitting its title. Unlike the Hive Nests which birth new Hive organisms, this Queen is mobile and acts like a Hive Entity. If it truly can travel between star systems, there may be nothing Sol or Genari could do to stop it. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c870765ea5dcaa0a55945bb4367262bea67c9f91.jpg

New Captain Skill: Last Stand

When a race is on the verge of defeat, a player who is high ranking enough can select a new skill, once they've unlocked the Class XII ship: Last Stand. It will trigger a last defense event where they are given a Class XII ship, to use to defend their homeworld, even possibly turning the tide to their side for a while.

Major Bug Fix: Broken Multifaction Sectors

A fix long-needed for sectors where multiple factions combat at once (the sector would potentially get bugged, and the server would not designate proper capture assignment) is now implemented on the server. It will make 4-race PvP a lot more viable. Other Fixes: -Improved graphical fixes for some operating systems (especially Mac OS) -Counterfire now remains active after being used (per many players' requests).

Hive Wins the Tarantula Server

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/5fff2b9736899041b4797184da4dfb09fd6fa858.jpg In 66 days, the Hive managed to take out all three opposing homeworlds of Earth, Saneth, and Do'Oran. Quite surprisingly, there were more Hive players than expected on the server, even more than the Hive PvE before it. Partly thanks to player MagicSpaceCow, he was a great teacher and mentor to new players coming in as Hive. Many of them like Swarm_ott, Haven, Plasmodius, Vostok, Ein_Neko joined veterans like Cow and Cimex to aggressively dominate the server. Admittedly, Hive was somewhat overpowered, and next server will bring in adjustments in line with other races. Genari was the first to break (Even though they were the first to launch a Battleship), but Sol held the Hive wave back for a long time before Earth collapsed. Because Ma'Alaketh was the furthest away from the Hive's Reach, they were the last to be taken down, and the server ended when Ma'Al's massive Dyson Sphere was destroyed.

Upcoming Antares Server starts on Thursday

Antares server will start after 4pm EST on Thursday, it will be a four faction PvP with the following adjustments: Hive {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/42f05dd1979bd7b8d56a67ac37a6db507378da14.jpg -All plasma launchers, and plasma waves now cost 1:1 power ratio, aka. cost more to arm than before (exception Class III and IV organisms). -Slight reduction in mind strength with high tier organisms (Class VII-X) -Slight reduction in regeneration with bloated organisms as well as some high tier. Sol & Genari -Sol/Gen Battleships and Dreadnoughts (Class IX, X) have been improved to increase the interest in achieving them and making them more resilient. This is so that the choice between two Heavy Cruisers and a higher tier is more lucrative. -Genari Station missiles have longer range and accuracy Ma'Alaketh -Shadow Ships class IV and higher are now less expensive. -Ma'alaketh Defense Stations now have two more particle beams. Itching to play Spacewars? Well the newbie server is open until Antares opens on Thursday.

Newbie Server Now Online

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/4ab0d6ae8f5dccc2c0fd895929b8c290c5fcdb83.jpg As the effects of Covid-19 keep people indoors, there has been an uptick in gaming across all platforms; and SpaceWars has seen a lot of new players join the game. Therefore, a new server has been activated, a small practice-map type of server with only Genari & Sol races to practice with. A good way for new players to fight against AI, and learn the basics before entering the Tarantula server.

Fierce Competition in the Tarantula Server

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/08bc7d35c769bd89d2c0d047de8cdbe4f7f86295.jpg This server is the very first PvP server that incorporates all four races; and the competition has been fierce. Nearly a month into the competition, we are seeing strength in all four sides, with cruiser-class ships slowly coming on line. Current Fleet Strength of each race (based on overall ship numbers/strength, regions captured, player rank): Hive: 238 Genari: 189 Sol: 177 Ma'Alaketh: 116 The best power players of each race: Sol: Jerbear, Beo (Rank 9, Rank 16) Genari: Spike, Holydiver (Rank 1, Rank 7) Hive: MagicSpaceCow, Cimex (Rank 2, Rank 4) Ma'Alaketh: Tri, Fikus (Rank 3, Rank 5)

Game Updates

-The Hive Player-based swarm has been fixed, so that players cannot exceed the faction limits, but can still have unlimited 'swarm' AI ships. -The White Light II now has 2 more PDC's -The Nova Battleship now has 42 more hull -The Yamato Battleship now has its two PB-6B beams upgraded to Nagara-type.

Hive PvE Server Ended, with the Hive winning (of course)

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/dd6d34bbdc5b98cbae09253d4a95475bb6ba1bd8.jpg Since the server was Hive-centric and for PvE, there was very little opposition for anyone who tried out the Hive race. Quick expansion and domination led the Hive to victory in a quick 40 days. Alas, there is no legacy reward in PvE (where the Hive had some boosts), so there are no medals given out to players on completion. However, there is the PvP server next...

The Tarantula Server has begun!

So this is our very first PvP server that incorporates all four races on an equal level: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/fd5396447c78335ed81d0a7ac432fc5d6531380c.png -The good old classic Sol Imperial Worlds, with well-rounded ships and skills, and always the best in initiative, and great for new players trying out the game. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/ec0d5c8f192a09a6c3611035cabd35b432299640.png -The battle-hardened Genari United Empire, with their powerful marines, and heavy-armored ships. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c5c72f850369901e139f112ae11e698b680501f2.png -The technologically advanced Ma'Alaketh Confederation, enjoying their extreme long range particle beams and efficient force field tech. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/6de87d951d210213654e67fbc8af0f5733e5283f.png -The organic Perseus Hive, using their swarm to their advantage, overwhelming the opposition, as well as having amazing regenerative properties.

MVP Player of the Month: T

Congratulations to T, who is the MVP player of the month, and gets to choose a unique custom ship for his use on this and all future servers. His decision: A Ma'Alaketh Ethereal type II, in red!

The Hive Continues its Advance

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/3ca98691653b262a2ae483e239b6e6880766a804.jpg A Behemoth in the Hive Nest Most players are enjoying the radically different Hive race that debut on this server; The Hive is especially strong when players work together and 'swarm' a sector. They now control 25% of the map, and they did have the smallest starting territory. There's already a Behemoth in action... Since this is Hive PvE, the Hive has some starting buffs that would not normally be on future servers.

The 'Move Bug' Eliminated

An annoying bug that plagued many players (especially those who had lagging internet connections) was the 'Move Bug'. It happens when a player would desynch (client) from the server, at the same time they were giving move commands coinciding with the transit phase. It would make their ship freeze in place, and the only thing they could do was to warp out. Fixed now.

MVP Player of the Month

Congrats to Jerbear, who won the MVP Player of the Month for February. He chose the unique ship of Leningrad with a special evasion skill, colored in a dark blue state. He will be the only player to have access to the ship. Jerbear has been playing since December 14th, 2018, and has participated in 8 servers so far. His favorite race is Sol Imperial Worlds.

Come Join and Play the Hive!

The Hive race debuts today, and players are recommended to join others in trying out the Hive, and taking over the galaxy together in team-based play. Though players still have the option of playing Sol, Genari, or Ma'Alaketh, this server is focused on the introduction of the Hive and a chance for all players to see how this race plays compared to the other three. The Hive is by far the most difficult race to start with, and the most unique; though lacking in shields, their 'ships' have a very high regeneration rate, and can heal their allies. They are also unique in their crew-feeding proboscis, which can disable an enemy ship outright. Although their lower tier ships are relatively weak, they can have up to 4 more AI ships, and 2 chrysalis support units, which can create a fleet of up to 7 ships. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/570767a4a15f33890cb2744836dabc86dd9820f7.jpg The Hive Organism Growth Chart {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/5d1da91764c9e8c292d7be17ec88280f50b26c0d.jpg A Hive Entity launching a high damage plasma 'missile' {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/c92a2a6f03c0d86e7cb1abdaa5f42bdc076c44cd.jpg Higher Tier Hive (Entities) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/2bd4807042d33ec7ad68c57897fef9e3260e27bc.jpg The Hive Queen - The most powerful 'ship' in the game.

One week remaining till the Hive race launches!

Simulation Mode Updated with all Four Races In the meantime, the Simulation mode opens access to all four races, in which one can play with friends in a free for all, or solo challenge in multiple configurations. If you wanted to get a taste of Hive ships and how they play, you can do so through the skirmish mode. Any combination of ships/combat you can think of is possible in skirmish now. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/46e0e4d85325bcf13d145a1504e88d49aa63d550.jpg What would happen if a Ma'Alaketh Archon heavy cruiser met a Greater Hive Entity in a Sol Sector defended by Sol battlestations?

Character/Race Selection Screen Updated

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/2c5dbc4187ab8dd9141b7a04c1cc156d3591a6f8.jpg With all four races being available for players to choose from in the upcoming server, the server selection screen has been remodeled and updated. You will not be able to choose Hive just yet, not until Friday the 17th.

Miscellaneous bug fixes/Additions

-Players can no longer do the 'scanner power drop cheat' where they can boost their power a little bit by dropping scanners under the base of 4 to juice up an extra few power points. -New Ma'Alaketh players now have a much larger selection of avatars to choose from, both in standard and premium mode. -Some additional behind the scenes work for Hive in preparation for its launch next week.

Happy New Years to all turn-based strategy fans! Its only a few weeks away from the upcoming debut of the Hive race to all players.

Starting this year, once a month, a player is selected as an MVP, and is given the option to make their own custom, 'unique' ship.

• -The MVP player will be chosen by activity, community-friendliness, and honorable nature to new players.
• -The player then selects a ship of any race/variant.
• -The player can change the ship skill of that ship.
• -The player chooses a unique color (can use the RGB table to be specific)
• -That ship will be available only to that player in all future servers (still requires XP to acquire, but no credits to unlock).

Congrats to our first MVP player AmishJoe, who has been playing SWIE since the Orion I server, and has been respected by all players since then.

He has chosen the Genari Predator Frigate, in a deep set green (RGB 0-102-0), with the damage boost ship ability. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/0d936cdcb4c2be643506bb0d4bd0e937009fa0ad.jpg Only he will have access to this ship anytime he plays as the Genari United Empire. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/5f3ef2627787264eae2b8c616b8e37cacfcb887b.png

There has been several behind the scenes updates since the Rigel I server began:

-All class IV Sol, Genari and Ma'Alaketh ships (frigates) have been given quicker cooldown times upon destruction, from 27 hours to 21 hours. This allows frigate players back into their ships faster and under 24 hours. -Hive Class V and VI ships now have a type III variant option available, adding more ships to the Hive nest. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/e967b5243075e1ba38c61e6c76d67fdb8937beea.jpg -The Ma'Alaketh and Hive shipyards now have unique background/atmospheric sound effects. -Ma'Alaketh System Specialist officer no longer has the initiative skill, it has been replaced with Dark Matter Astrophysics. This means that every Ma'Alaketh officer now has the option of learning DMA. -Officer icons in Hive and Ma'Alaketh ships now updated with new graphics. -New Ma'Alaketh avatars coming soon. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/b14e7aed29dc21a7294d81e13be8875d791a5944.jpg{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/31330306/8d44e79af10d5357b51a34314b1e52edc5a637da.jpg