Today is a bit of an odd day. If you’ve been following along in the discord server then you’ll know that I’ve been releasing updated versions of Frontiers Reach onto the experimental branch. Today that branch got an update, and today I would like to invite you to join me and the rest of the community in testing the experimental branch in preparation for the official release on January 1st. As you probably know, the Jan 1 update is intended to be a face lift for the game. But as you can see in the trailer below, this isn’t just about planets. The trailer below contains updated artwork for the Siren exterior and interior. It is also part of an internal effort to update the storefront with new content. [previewyoutube=rH6j_dVbb4k;full][/previewyoutube] If you would like to join in on the testing for the Jan 1 release, those of you who already own the game can do so by selecting the experimental branch in the beta section of the steam interface and entering the password below TestBranchDoode -------------------------------------------------- But today I have more than just Frontiers Reach 1 content to release and talk about. In continuing from my previous post, I have more to cover in regards to Frontiers Reach 2. FR1 covers the end of Golden Age of Exploration by exploring the Frontier War and the beginning of the Age of Tarnish, a dark age of chaos and lawlessness for pretty much all of humanity. With yet more waves of colonists leaving the core worlds to seek new lives on new worlds on the frontier. The Age of Tarnish begins with the end of the Frontier War, and ends with the conclusion of the Human-Vir Interstellar War. It is through the conflict with the Vir, that humanity begins to find unity again. But keep in mind this is no apocalyptic end times story. This is just the beginning of humanities story among the stars. In Frontiers Reach 2 we will be getting a more intimate look at things planet side. As covered in my previous post, there will be new vehicles to interact with. But what I did not cover was the locations on planet and in space that you’ll get to visit. As in FR1, in FR2, you’ll start out on the moon Frontiers Reach. This time you’ll start in a new sector. One dotted with the catacomb structures left built by the Vir. It is in these catacombs that your adventure will start. But you will not stay there. On the ice bound world of Jotunn, you will find the Mercenary King. A self made royal whose legacy among the stars is one of fortune and blood. While rumors say he comes from a royal house long dead, no one truly knows where he came from. Only that when he arrived on Jotunn he and his band of mercenaries quickly set about making a name for themselves setting up their own fortress. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/4b594ab91265ee7f802db1256eb7d905f8ff44af.png[/img] [i]Early concept for the Mercenary Kings fortress on a mountain on Jotunn.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/7b6788299703468443aa7a223e7ac30143dadfe9.png[/img] [i]The Mercenary King seated upon his throne[/i] ----------- On Quixote’s Dream you will find an alien race known as the Thulians. Once their world was an aquatic paradise with a diverse biosphere. Their people were organized into distinct houses, each with a responsibility to uphold the balance of their natural world. But then division was sown by some unknown force and a 100 year war ravaged their planet. A war that only came to an end after a large meteor struck the planet permanently altering its ecology, magnetic field, and the way of life of all of its inhabitants. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/279f583327993d94238ebd0eb215ad25e919f884.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/69c1b0a598532c33e9b9fbc47bce2d4707de2075.png[/img] [i]Early concepts of the desert world of Quixote's Dream.[/i] Now the planet is ruled by the relic war machines that wander the wastes, and the Thulians are left to scavenge what they can from the sands of the Great Wastes of He’istha. She whose wrath is absolute. These relic war machines are what is left of the great war that tore the planet apart and they no longer recognize the Thulians as friend. And the Thulians now believe them to be angry gods who will only cease their ravaging when every last one of the Thulians has atoned. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/2cb20c323ffefacdc8ac032e5dcf7edd64f829e5.jpg[/img][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/82fd87d4b68e2070f54e5ea32362df74a22d69cf.jpg[/img] [i]Early sketches of the Thulian peoples.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/dcefc67259540baf5319cfbcfafef0326d8bce2d.jpg[/img] [i]Early sketches of the Thulian mounts which they ride into the desert.[/i] ----------- In the Mar de Sangre Nebula, you’ll find a clan of pirates who have been hiding and preying upon passersby. This clan of ne’er do wells, is known as the Devils Best, and they are in the midst of a dispute of leadership. If you can win them over, they will become powerful allies in the fight against the Vir. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/cc91b34639430b9cee1e7ff92f093dd3b461ed0b.png[/img] [i]Screenshot from FR1 of the Mar de Sangre nebula with a pirate in ancient salvaged gear from the golden age of exploration.[/i] ----------- In orbit around the planet Doluu, there is an all female group of Mercenaries known as the Daughters of Minerva. They are currently in dispute with another mercenary group called Executive Opportunities. The DoM specialize in starfighter combat, and EO specializes in ground warfare. EO was hired to put down a farmers rebellion on Doluu and contracted DoM for air support. But EO has not paid DoM. Getting both to join your cause will be a challenge. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39072433/dca2eb1f5fd49cd73247212b14cd8f0ee38013d6.png[/img] [i]Private Military Corporations are the defacto means of military defense and offense in the frontier worlds. Especially during the Age of Tarnish when the Sol Confederacy and Frontier Republic no longer exist.[/i] ----------- That’s it for now pilots. Until next time, happy hooning and I look forward to seeing you on the experimental branch and the Discord server!