Ship destruction system improvement

Wanderers! Together with you, we have been actively exploring and developing the world of Star Wrath for three months. It is now time to discuss the plans for the 0.6.0 update, which will bring significant changes to the gameplay and the experience of each battle.

The reasoning behind the changes

When developing Star Wrath, our main idea was to move away from the formula of endless straightforward space battles and create a space adventure that offers more depth, immersion, and freedom of choice. One of the most important components of extraction games is the adrenaline rush when you risk losing everything and the euphoria you feel when you manage to successfully return with a cargo hold full of loot. We strive to create this experience in Star Wrath.

After analyzing the situation in the game, we realized that the current mechanic of losing just a few modules doesn’t provide that very sense of joy from a successful return from a difficult mission. Your ship doesn’t “remember” the fight; it doesn’t bear battle marks or become a true veteran. This contradicts the very idea of a space adventure.

It’s important to us that the players see the consequences of their decisions not only in the interface but also directly on their ship. Therefore, damage will be reflected in the ship’s appearance in the hangar, highlighting the history of its previous battles.

How the new system will work

The gameplay cycle will work as follows:

• You head into battle in a ship you assembled;
• During combat, the ship sustains damage or loses parts (blocks), and returns to the hangar in that condition: you’ll see the actual damage sustained in battle, and blocks will be visibly missing instead of just signified as such by icons;
• In the hangar, you will then make a decision: to repair the current ship or take another one to the next battle;
• If you decide to continue using the first ship, you will have to perform repairs (which will be cheaper than building a new ship) and restore or replace lost parts (destroyed parts will require rebuilding (resources + credits));
• If you decide to use another ship, you will have to assemble a new ship in another ship slot.

By creating a new ship from a blueprint, you begin its own survival story. Under your command, the ship effectively becomes a character; it sustains damage, goes on dangerous battles, gets repaired, evolves, and gradually becomes something more than just a collection of blocks.

Other changes in the update

1. Одновременно с вводом новой системы разрушаемости мы переработаем экономику. 

Our goal is to ensure that repairs don’t become a chore.

• Repairs will be paid for using credits, which can be earned by selling any resources or modules;
• In most cases, repairing a ship will be significantly cheaper than building a new one;
• All changes to schematics and the destruction system have been designed so that your total earnings and expenses per game session will remain unchanged after the patch compared to the current system.

Once we release the new destruction system, we will closely monitor the statistics and make prompt changes to the cost of production and repairs in the following updates.

2. We have completely redesigned the system for block schematic research.

How it used to be: Block schematics were obtained from various sources: quests, levels, etc. It was unclear where to find a specific schematic for a block in order to assemble the entire ship.

How it will be: Now all block schematics are researched using resources directly in the Collection window. Once you’ve researched a schematic, you’ll be able to craft that part directly on the ship.

3. Clear visualization of ship upgrade progress.

No more long lists. You click on a ship, see the list of the schematics it has, and its overall upgrade level.

3. Progress wipe.

Considering all the planned changes, it is necessary to perform a progress wipe in the game. The old data storage system cannot be adapted to support full destructibility of the ships. We have completely reworked the storage system, and transferring data from the old format to the new one is impossible without causing major bugs and imbalances. The wipe will also allow everyone to start on an equal footing in the new economy.

• What will be preserved: Purchased gold packs and early access bundles (will be added to players’ accounts once again).
• What will be reset: Everything else: credits, resources, ships, schematics.

Our plans for the future

Ship role specialization

One of our goals is to make it practical to keep multiple ships in your hangar. To achieve this, we plan to strengthen the role-based aspects of the ships.

We envision that part of the gameplay process will consist of a chain of objectives: traveling to the Moon in a spacious ship to gather resources for repairing a fighter, which can then be used to hunt for a rare resource needed for assembly of a new warp ship.

We also want to diversify shipbuilding and are considering introducing components that allow players to hide or protect their most valuable parts.

Increasing game difficulty

The rules of the game will change. We will make the distinction between difficulty levels more clear. 

Some high-level loot will not be available in the starting zones. We will adjust the threat level of enemies to match starting ships while preserving some sense of risk and adrenaline in every battle. This will allow new players to learn the basics of the game in a more comfortable environment and avoid competing with high-level players for loot and activities.

Participating in a difficult raid will require a top-tier ship; skilled pilots will risk their time and ship for very rare resources.

This will increase the chances of truly exciting battles, add intensity to high-level gameplay, and protect new players from an unbalanced environment.

Rescue pods (fall 2026)

We plan to bring back the “last chance” mechanic: rescue pods that allow you to save the pilot and part of the cargo if the ship is completely destroyed.

Visual storytelling (marks of past battles add character to ships)

We want the ships that helped you overcome the most difficult challenges to stand out and be worth their weight in gold.

• Test of mettle: Complete 10 raids using the same ship, and it will gain a higher status.
• Battle camouflage: You’ll unlock exclusive visual effects, such as scorch marks, dents, and traces of emergency repairs or welding. You’ll be able to customize the ship’s appearance so that it literally tells the story of its battles.
• Logbook: It will track the pilot’s personal history and detailed statistics on their ships.

Upon encountering such a ship in a raid, any player will immediately realize they are up against a battle-hardened predator piloted by an experienced captain, whose skill and achievements command respect.

We’re making the game together with you!

The upcoming update affects important aspects of gameplay, and we understand that it may raise questions, so we’d like to hear your thoughts on the planned changes.

We invite you to join an open discussion about the upcoming update. Share your ideas and thoughts, and we’ll do our best to answer all your questions. Your feedback will help us make Star Wrath better.

Head to the forum and join the discussion!