Get those gears a-turnin’ spacers… This just in:
The Starmourn admin team has issued a Leap Year RP Bounty! Submit your RP Request by February 29th for priority review on your admin-assisted RP event.
Overheard on the in-game news alerts!
To anyone out there who’s been thinking up a new improvement to their faction, an exploratory mission to find a new flora or fauna, a conversation about a unique brand of ship decal, or whatever else is tickling the mind these days, it’s time to pull the plug and dive on in!
Start your RP Request in game with the REQUEST syntax, fill out the details, review it twice, and SUBMIT by the end of February for priority review by the admin team. We want to learn more about what motivates you, the players, and give you support making those dreams a reality.
Sincerely,
The Starmourn Admin Team
Argus, Marra, Neritus, Elan, Senzei, Kauka, Figment, and Ferenzi
Now that good ol’ twenty-twenty-three has come to a close, let’s take a look at what’s on the docket for the new year, 2024. Keep in mind that this is a brief and vague outline of project goals, so it’s neither a guarantee that these things will be completed nor a complete list of ALL things we’re contemplating.
All that to say, we’ve got a list of over 20 projects on the docket and the team is very excited to get a-rollin’ on them!
Newbie Revamp
Re-imagining the newbie experience is going to be a main priority for the team this year. This massive project includes reworking the initial tutorial for new players, plus creating a new zone which will focus on further skill development and serve as a go-to location for returning players who need a refresher on the basics.
To those of you involved in this discussion on Discord, thank you for your feedback! Please trust that we will continue to reach out for ideas and additional feedback as we work through this process.
Critter Revisions
Marra’s been working hard on a significant overhaul of the critter system, including new types of tanks, many new tank features, new categories of tank critters, and a full rewrite of the treat mechanics available to all promo pets.
Continued Efforts on Project Homeworlds
Our initial updates to Kovalar are mostly complete and the Belaul have received some much needed love as part of that player race release this past month, but quite a bit of work remains for the rest of the player race homeworlds. We’ve got a lot of the base work done and look forward to continuing efforts on this MASSIVE project.
New Zones to Explore
Several new zones are visible on the horizon, shielded from view by that strangely opaque fog on the starmap. Some clues include – A new space station, historical sites, lore hooks into some nefarious actors in the sector, and deep-water explorations.
Hacking Improvements
We’re looking to implement a broad array of changes to hacking, including new ICE, multi-level hacking grids, better benefits for hacking, options to bust apart terminals, etc and so forth. Hacking is such a unique and quintessentially Starmourn feature, and we want to make sure it’s really given all the love it deserves.
Archaeology Expansions
In addition to some QOL changes specific to archaeology to ensure discoveries can be made in a more reasonably timely manner, we have begun planning additional digsite locations for release this coming year. Get those lemonade stands and fundraiser gala plans ready, arch-thusiasts!
New Systems Inbound
What could this mean? New tradeskills? New abilities? MORE?! We’re not going to share too much about these just now, but stay tuned (and stock up on lessons)!
Plus a bit more –
In addition to all the items above, the team is putting a re-invigorated focus on bug squishing, running player events, quality of life improvements, and a few final adjustments as we settle in to our place in Legacy Mode.
It’s going to be an incredibly busy year on our end, but we’re all so excited to keep rolling and continue making Starmourn an AWESOME place to play.
Cheers to you, and Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, everybody! To celebrate the kick-off to what will surely be another STELLAR year in the Starmourn Sector, everyone who signs in this month will get a free 5th Year Commemorative Badge and a giftcatcher!
With so much love and heart emojis and all that sweet, sweet jazz –
The Starmourn Admin Team: Neritus, Argus, Marra, Elan, Senzei, Kauka, Figment, and Ferenzi
It’s hard to believe 2023 is already coming to a close, spacers… Golly.
Join me for a walk down memory lane, will you? Let’s see what we accomplished this year before we release the roadmap for what to expect next year.
(Spoiler alert: It’s gonna be great)
JANUARY
Zarrach hacking the comms and earning all of Crake’s adoration (and resources).
SCC 2.0
Officialized the Starmourn Cultural Conflict channel on Discord, where we present new projects concepts to culture-minded players and get their feedback on upcoming changes
Hack The World
Released the first ever Hack Dungeon quest line with a new fave NPC Crake. Along the way, we also added hacking QOL improvements such as experience for ICE kills and hack command queueing
Getting Wild Out There
Added two new wilderness areas to give equal access to all factions.
Craftpedia Release
The new Craftpedia system allows crafters to learn more about materials in-game for custom crafted goods. This would become especially useful as the Trend System brings in new materials to explore and use.
Now THIS Is Pod Racing!
Argus made pod racing for a promo item and will never do better than that. Over 3,000 lines of prog in that promo item
Player Event: Song Military Reunion
Ran a mini event in the Deja Brew with a reunion of Song military squads that players can engage with and RP off in the future via RP requests!
FEBRUARY
A pink nebula serves as the next waypoint in the race, prime for competition within the Song Dominion’s fleet.
New Team Members
Figment, Elan, and Kauka join the team to provide some much needed bug crushin’ love and code expertise
Bury the Ghost Dancer!
Once just a meme, Krellstones now exist properly in game with special boards, pieces, and rules that seem to be pulled from the void itself. Starmourn’s answer to True American, Krellstones brings all the chaos you crave for a dice-based game within a text-based game. Get in today to collect all the sets!
Space Racing
Players can now drop checkpoints in space to create and run their own race courses without admin intervention. Checkpoints naturally decay, so hit the track while you can!
Getting Trendy
Released Trends, the new design system by which players can contribute to the game and earn major marks
Incursions Updated
Ishvana Fleet incursions were dramatically improved and they hit much harder now (xoxo git gud, friends)
Player Event: Flower Heist
Ran another mini flower discovery event for Syzygy as part of their player plot journey to continue discovering all the flora the sector’s concealing.
MARCH
The latest trend has dropped and Shulamit’s wondering how to turn it into something reprehensible. Just another day.
Learn Me Somethin’, Professor
Created and released 18 new design tutors (1 for each tradeskill for each faction) with custom locations and backstories for each. Opened design quests to all players for the first time, via these tutors.
Trending Expansions
Added over 100 new materials, ingredients and colors into the Trending system.
Ship Furnishing
Introduced ship furnishing shops on Iota with interactive furniture items, themed goods, and pet-like droids in the pursuit of meaningful, engaging materials being made available in the world.
APRIL
That doesn’t look like any fish in Picram’s tanks… Perhaps it’s something new from the past?
Bug Stompin’
Elan crushed like 300 bugs in a weekend – Just one example of all the effort being put in by the team
Archaeology Unearthed
Released the Archaeology system with SEVEN unique areas and 10+ flora and/or fauna relics to discover with unique components to recover for each (and more to come!) The sheer volume of creative writing and lore expansion completed by the admin team and Worldbuilders was… incredible. Keeping digging – there’s more than gold to discover out there!
Museums Open
With Archaeology, released the concept of MUSEUMS through which each faction can complete free/open RP endeavors to study and recover artifacts and specimens through Archeology research
MAY
Cosmpiercers are a little riskier these days, but oh how sweet the rewards ~
Cosmpiercer System Overhaul
The Ishvana threat looms more aggressively than ever before, now taking an active part in Cosmpiercer engagements with AI space combat, ground combat, and even hacking bodies
Cache & Ta-Deth Crystal Overhaul
New ways to obtain crystal charges with options for noncoms to participate in crystal recovery. Also created the RICH cache system and timed releases to aid in coordination between the factions.
Player Event: Save the Piercers!
Ran a major RP event whereby the captains of the sector fought to defend the known Cosmpiercers from a massive assault which resulted in many piercers being destroyed. Thanks to some powerful teamwork and assistance from the mercenary boards, one was thankfully saved.
The Kali Warship is still available to explore for those spacers who are crafty enough to find and board it!
RPWHO Expansion
The RPWHO system now allows players to auto-flag themselves with a CONFIG option. RP has never been more accessible.
JUNE
Glittering shores awakening in a pink sunrise, the soft mists only slightly smelling of trash from Dregend next door.
Beachapalooza
We hosted a month long event with 6 new quests and several new NPCs to interact with on the Glittering Shores of Litharge. Poor Grilrek, probably still getting bullied today.
Project Homeworlds
Began implementing physical changes to Janilyn as part of Project Homeworlds, lovingly referred to in-house as Project HomeYaBetterWerk!, including a Customs House, interactive elements including the first Quest Board, racial shops, over 15 local produce items and meals, and a refresh of the map.
This was our practice round for an intended implementation on ALL racial homeworlds to flesh out available lore and give players a strong base to build their own RP upon. Between deep-dives in racial lore review sessions, many meetings for map review and flow, creative writing, and a dozen or more custom progs, this project took Marra and Argus about 65+ hours to complete. Whew!
Palate Expansion
Added quite a few additional design type options to the CUISINE tradeskill including fudge, tofu, and biscuits!
JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER
Is this lights out for Starmourn? NO WAY.
Legacy Mode
Starmourn gets placed into Legacy Mode, and the team takes a little bit of time to recalibrate and determine how we move forward.
Thank you to everyone who reached out and let us know you still wanted to stick it out with Starmourn. Y’all keep us motivated and we are so grateful to all of you. <3
September – Argus and Marra officially join Neritus as Producers, now called Starmakers, and begin learning all of that stuff. What a ride!
OCTOBER
Candy Dan approaches Rapa’rak hall as the gates re-open for the Rapadruk season.
Rapadruk Sweets
A new tradition for the Starmourn sector established in 2022, Rapa’rak hall reopened this year to terrify and delight tourists looking to learn more about the Rapadruk holiday while Candy Dan and his cohorts spread the sweet-tooth spirit.
Scare the Storytellers 2023
We received a bunch of awesome (read: Terrifying) entries for Scare the Storytellers this year and are proud to remind y’all of our top two stories: Arrick the Everdying, submitted by Poet, and The Lys, submitted by Picram.
Player Event: Scatterhome Museum Heist
In collaboration with Morgan, Marra created a sensual art “enthusiast” (j’accuse!) who visited a grand showcase of the Scatterhome Museum exhibits and, probably totally unrelated, served as a key suspect in the theft of a beloved NPCs heirloom jewelry!
MORE. LORE. THNX.
Argus and Marra begin a new branch in the lore deep-dive necessary for PHYBW, the development of two new player races, and a complete rewrite for race, class, and faction blurbs.
NOVEMBER
Tomes and stacks of lore archives, highlighted and noted to the max between paw prints.
New Website, Who Dis?
Argus completes a full overhaul of the Starmourn.com website with additional review from the volunteer team and several key Worldbuilders. Check out the new discord widget (visible on mobile), updated nav bar, updated FAQ, and Things-To-Do page in addition to general updates to all other pages.
There’s still more to do, but our content is now #UpToDate with Starmourn’s current progress for the first time since the BETA announcement in 2018.
A Fresh Start
As an admin team, we agreed to cull 2,000 old bugs in the system from players that were inactive/unreachable and reports dealing with old systems, etc. Only about 70 were re-opened and the remaining items are both more accessible and more actionable now. Whew!
Team Additions
Senzei and Ferenzei rejoin the team as Coders!
DECEMBER
A Human child on Reynolds spaceport ready to beam you in the face with a fresh snowball.
Winterflame 2023
Ironbeard struck out on his trusty route for Winterflame, bombarding the Sector with gifts aplenty. With his arrival, the Winterflame festival grounds re-awoke in the Tosmar hunting grounds, once again plagued by the mischievous void imps and a mysterious fog.
Faction Winterflame Flavors
We brought in additional Winterflame flavor to each of the faction stations with custom military member reunion messages for the Dominion, a bustling snowball fight amongst the youths for Scatterhome, and a towering conifer for the Ascendancy.
Paperweight Updates
Deep in Razor’s Rift, the Paperweight Tundra got a facelift with a new 100+ room hunting ground called The Strand and a full overhaul of the Belaul’s great belfir Tree, Mymaeir. Along with this, we created a first-of-its-kind NPC generator now applied to the Belaul and Bushraki in New Dikamazi which generates a randomized collection of NPCs with 9+ personalities and custom descriptions and responses.
Player Event: Rainbow Party
Sutherin Ironbound hosted a Rainbow Party to celebrate the spirit of Winterflame and put those giant rainbow gifts from Rohna to good use.
Song Dominion Gets an Admiral’s Lounge
As part of an RP Request from the Song Dominion, we worked in concert with several Dominion leaders to create the new Admiral’s Lounge on the Danica Transit Station, now open to the WEST of the Deja Brew. As part of the release, Kauka created a new Legendary Bushraki incursion type with the players enjoyed so much that we decided to bring it into the incursion rotation!
New Player Races: Belaul and Bushraki
This post is pretty recent, so go check out the blog post below this one for more info. Both races are live NOW on the website – Make your character today!
We’re Out Of BETA!
After 5 years of hard work and dedication, Starmourn has officially been greenlit to leave BETA and take its place as a standalone game. While there’s a lot more work we want to do, and even more fun things we want to add, we’re excited to cross this checkpoint in our development journey!
End Of Year Player Commendations
As part of an annual tradition, we are collecting player nominations for New Years Rewards to acknowledge players who: Have the best roleplay, are notable titans of industry, bash the hardest and for the longest, and other categories including write-ins. Regardless of how long you’ve been playing, we’d love to see your responses.
For more information and the form to submit your votes, check out NEWS READ ANNOUNCEMENTS 479. Learn more about rewards and how to participate in the post.
Submissions should be sent to Argus in-game or on discord by January 3rd, 2024!
The past few months have been pretty busy on our end, and we’re so excited to keep rolling out new content for our community to enjoy. Stay tuned for our 2024 road map in the new year!
Your Starmourn Admin Team
Argus, Marra, Neritus, Elan, Senzei, Figment, and Kauka
We’ve been hinting as hard as we dared, but now it’s finally time for the big reveal! This year we’re unveiling two new player races: Belaul and Bushraki!
Both of these races have been highly anticipated, but of course Bushraki are the fan favorite that you have been asking for since LAUNCH! We are so excited for everyone to dive in and learn more about these awesome new additions to the Starmourn player sector.
A hardy race of avian humanoids native to the frozen planet of Paperweight, the Belaul have only recently taken to the stars for the first time, having lived for many millennia in peace and seclusion. While their technologies differ from those of the interstellar community, the Belaul are far from primitive, living in comfort and safety thanks to their technological achievements, such as advanced optics, solar power, and wireless energy transmission.
Though flightless, they have an impressive pair of wide-spanning wings which extend from their shoulder blades, and their bodies are covered with feathers ranging from a stark white to a tawny brown shade. Their three sharp talons on both feet and hands serve as dangerous complements to their curved beaks. Despite a relatively small stature, the Belaul have little fear for the predators of their ecosystems, resting comfortably on their perch at the top of the food chain.
As recently as 212 A.E following the crash of the Li’Gon, the beginning of a terrible Ice Age has overtaken the temperate grasslands and boreal forests of their home. As the climate continued to shift, the Belaul gathered around the greatest belfir trees, creating a network of tribal communities called Nests beneath the boughs of the frost-resistant forests. When lost in the frost for too long, some Belaul become deranged and violent, succumbing to a well-feared disease called ‘tundra madness’ which can only be cured by a potent combination of locally sourced herbs.
Communities within each of the Nests are led by two leaders called Wings who are chosen for strength and wisdom respectively. Intrinsically connected to the natural world, Belaul hold a great reverence for the Sh’than’alu, a pantheon of gods embodied by the animals of the tundra, which represent crucial lessons that every Belaul must understand. Each tribe thrives in isolation, neither contributing significantly to interstellar economies nor relying on them. Their native language is made up of both tonal chirps and gestures, with celebrations and cautionary tales chirped through song around a bonfire.
A troubled people with a violent past, the Bushraki have been shaped by generations of enslavement, experimentation and warfare. Remarkably similar in physiology to Humans, the Bushraki bear little resemblance to other humanoids as they undergo drastic body modification even before birth.
Fueled by rage and bloodlust after generations of torturous experimentation by the Sa’hak-ren Hierarchy until 366 B.E., the genetically modified Bushraki shock troops turned on their oppressors and escaped into the sector, dealing drugs and punishment in equal parts as they pursued righteous retribution. Their brutality caught the attention of the Ishvana, which granted the beings Mindsim technology and promised aid in their quest for revenge, but this alliance was never meant to last. 200 years later, the Bushraki betrayed the Ishvana in the Second Ishvana War, making an enemy of the most brutal force in the sector and resulting in the destruction of their homeworld, Dikamazi.
Despite the steps that Bushraki society has taken towards rehabilitation, they are still kept at arms length by many communities across the sector who are unable to look past the struggles and outbursts of the modern Bushraki, or past their history of cruelty and genocide as unwilling soldiers of their former overlords. They have been slowly reforming their culture with major population centers located in Haven City and New Dikamazi and a focus on improving their status in the sector.
Bushraki have been genetweaked to support drastic body modification that would otherwise prove lethal. Today, Bushraki express their identities in the style and function of their implants, and take enormous pride in the abilities it affords them, whether that’s doing shots of engine-oil or staring into the sun.
You may remember Paperweight, introduced in early 2022 as the winning entry from our Player driven area contest. It’s a frigid tundra off Razor’s Rift filled with all kinds of fun wildlife, a slew of new mechanics including weather effects and mobs that follow time cycles, an introduction to the Twice-Departed Jin colony, and a new race – The Belaul!
Read the original post here: https://www.starmourn.com/2022/03/23/welcome-to-paperweight/
As part of our revamp of the Paperweight area, we’ve resolved a number of bugs, added 100+ new rooms to explore, and fleshed out the Belaul cultural area with new NPCs, shops, interactive elements, and more!
Welcome to The Strand
Off the northern tip of Paperweight, a frozen expanse stretches out towards the horizon, dotted with icy peaks, a collection of pinniluna which have escaped the caves, and blubbering hocavi.
A towering mammal of coarse grey skin and immense rolls of blubber, the hocavi propels itself over slick ice or through arctic waters on four huge, clawed flippers with a grace that is incongruous with its bulky frame. Thick, bone-plated shoulders and a thick wedge-shaped skull give it the appearance of a very fat spearhead, perfect for cracking through sheets of solid ice.
More to come for this area in terms of quests and something pretty major we’re planning for next year, but for now – Happy hunting!
The Belaul Get An Upgrade
An avian race at home in their towering Belfir tree in the tundra, the Belaul are the newest sentient NPC race introduced to the Starmourn sector.
Welcome to Yr’sh’eya, the Belaul community nestled into the hollow of Mymaeir, the great Belfir tree towering over the tundra. Within its walls, a bustling community is thriving with the unique production of lightcatchers and lenses crafted from stoat scales. Using this tech, they are able to warm the inner hollow of the tree, crafting grandiose walkways and secluded roosts.
Overhead, the two Wings oversee the daily operations of the Belaul – One chosen for their leading Wisdom, the other for guiding Strength. In the rootbed, Ku’yaur, a revered bonfire is maintained eternally in honor of those who have fallen in the tundra. Every year the Belaul gather around its warmth, feeding the flames to great heights and celebrating with dance, coo-ing songs, feasts, gifts, and heartfelt stories from the year that’s passed.
The NPC denizens in Yr’sh’eya have much more variety than in many of the other locations and serve as a test run for building greater variety across the sector. We look forward to expanding on this functionality in the future.
Keep it frosty, spacers!
Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash
It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Starmourn: Winterflame!
A Tukkav holiday at its core, Winterflame is the celebration where spacers of every race and creed set aside their differences to come together in warmth and friendship, to exchange gifts, and to build a chosen family that is as important as blood.
What to expect this Winterflame
Ironbeard is once again making his way around the sector, dropping presents for all! Follow the shadow of his ship for the chance to catch one every day he’s around.
Rohna has taken up her station on Omni Central, ready to welcome all who greet her to the festivities. Additionally, this year she has a special, rainbow-wrapped present for everyone who logs in and wishes her a warm holiday!
The mist has returned this year to the fairgrounds, but never fear! Montos Dath is here to lead you through if the rascally void imps and tendrils of mist are putting you out of the holiday spirit. Otherwise, dive in and make your way towards the sounds of merriment!
Within the fairgrounds, there’s much to do! The Winterflame Arena is open once more for snowball fights, as well as many quests for you to explore. Take time to talk to the various merchants on the grounds for your chance to participate and earn grand rewards for your service.
Giftcatchers and more!
In addition to Rohna’s special gift, we’ve stocked a shop in the Winterflame Grounds with giftcatchers- the artifact prize everyone loves and which was previously only obtainable as a monetary purchase from the website. Now that we are a Legacy title, these will be available for Winterflame and can be purchased with either marks or credits earned in game going forward. Hang a giftcatcher for your favorite spacer and watch their face alight with joy!
Another fun ware is stocked here, which should clue you in to the big release planned for later this month. It’s many weeks of work in the making, and we sure hope you’ll love it!
A note from the admin team,
We are so grateful to everyone who has stuck with us and for all of the new faces who’ve joined the Starmourn community during this transition. Many things are in the works behind the scenes, and we are absolutely bubbling over with excitement at the opportunity to share it with you.
Stay tuned spacers! There’s much to celebrate as the year comes to a close.
– The Starmourn Volunteers: Neritus, Argus, Marra, Elan, Senzei, Kauka, Figment, and Ferenzi.
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