Star Control: Orgins Fleet Battles Beta 3 has been released, first set of content packs free for all players

Today, Stardock has released Beta 3 for the promising Fleet Battles mode of their new game, Star Control: Origins. This update includes new weapons, ships, power-ups, maps, and more.

Accessible to anyone that pre-ordered Star Control: Origins, Fleet Battles takes the combat-mode from the main game into its own mode for players to duke-it-out in one-on-one battles in the vacuum of space. These fleets can be controlled by two human players, a human player vs an AI player, or as of Beta 3, an AI player vs an AI player.

Fleet Battles is a mode within the main game that allows players to assemble different ships in a fleet and engage in battle with fleets controlled by either the computer, humans via the Internet, or even friends sitting at the same PC. Players are also able to use the integrated ship crafting system in Fleet Battles to create vessels of their own and share them online via Steam Workshop.

Beta 3 sees several new additions to Fleet Battles, including two new ships: the Arilou Observer and the Kzanti Intimidator. Each ship comes with its own loadout of new weapons, like a cloaking device that provides temporarily invisibility, an octomator that fires in eight directions at once, a repulsor that damages enemy ships and propels them away, or proximity mines, which blow up when an enemy ventures too close.

Fleet Battles Beta 3 will contain:

• New Ships
  • Kzanti Intimidator: Nimble ship equipped with deadly proximity mines and a Repulsor that can knock back enemy ships to a safer distance.
  • Arilou Observer: Familiar-looking green-skinned aliens equipped with cloaking technology.
• New Weapons
  • Cloak: Makes your ship invisible for a short amount of time.
  • Octomator: Short range blaster that fires in eight directions all at once.
  • Repulsor: Knocks back and damages nearby enemy ships; great for weak ships that want to keep their distance.
  • Salvage: An ability that automatically picks up nearby wreckage instead of having to fly over it.
  • Proximity Mines: Stationary traps that can be placed and automatically detonate if an enemy ship enters range.
• Scavenging / Power-Ups: Battlefields now contain power-ups players can pick up to receive various bonuses for the remainder of the fight.
  • Yellow: Acceleration
  • Green: Crew (Health)
  • Red: Energy Regeneration
  • Blue: Speed
• New maps
  • Callum’s Deep: A mysterious dark star with negative mass serves as a focal point for this map.
  • Maelstrom: Large map littered with a lot of planets and massive asteroids.
  • Athara: A distant star system filled with exotic worlds.
  • Performance Improvements
  • Camera system update
• Improved multiplayer performance
  • Updated fonts and UI polish
  • AI vs. AI mode
  • Press”TAB” to highlight ship

As Star Control: Origins has a heavy emphasis on an ever-expanding universe, the first set of content packs has also been released today for free. These packs feature new races called the Arlious, the Chenjesu, and the Mowlings, along with concept art, lore, and new music. These content packs are available for free for anyone that pre-purchased Star Control: Origins.

Star Control: Origins will be released on PC on September 20th, 2018. During E3, I had a chance to play Star Control: Origins including the Fleet Battles mode. Check out that hands-on preview here. I also had the opportunity to chat with (and absolutely destroy in Fleet Battles) Patrick Shaw, direct of production at Stardock. Check out that interview here. For more information on the Beta 3 update for Fleet Battles, check out Stardock’s new and improved blog.

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