Developer Notes #9

Greetings, Star Guardians.

This is PD Koo of .

First, thanks to the continued interest and support from all our Star Guardians, we are pleased to greet you ahead of our second update.

The previous update was prepared on a relatively smaller scale and shorter cycle, allowing us to respond more flexibly to your actual gameplay experience following launch.

However, we recognize that we were not able to provide sufficient stability and convenience during that process, and we take this matter very seriously. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.

That said, through the patches implemented so far, the overall crash rate has been steadily decreasing, and we believe it has now reached a more stable level. However, we recognize that there are still many areas that may affect your gameplay experience.

Since launch, we have continued to make improvements, focusing first on issues that could be addressed quickly. We are aware that there is still more to be done, and we will continue working to address these areas. We would greatly appreciate your patience.

With this update, we believe we are entering the beginning of full-scale updates for .

In this Developer Notes, we would like to share the key improvements that will be applied in the Version 1.2 update, along with a preview of what this update will bring.

◼ Key Improvements in the Version 1.2 Update

✦ Improvements to Gathering Convenience

With this update, we will be improving overall convenience for gathering and mining.

In particular, the ‘Continuous Tracking’ feature has been one of the most consistently requested improvements by many Star Guardians since launch, and our development team has also recognized the need for improvement.

However, as this feature required structural improvements rather than a simple adjustment, it took longer than expected to implement. We sincerely apologize for the delay.

After this update, continuous gathering will be enabled when tracking gathering or mining targets, and reward information based on World Level will be displayed in greater detail on the World Map.

In addition, item drop information for elite and boss monsters within dungeons will be enhanced, allowing for clearer visibility during gameplay.

We will continue working to address any inconvenience experienced by our Star Guardians.

✦ Addition of Engraved Equipment Information Preview

With this update, a feature will be added that allows players to preview basic information about engraved equipment in advance.

Since launch, we have received a significant amount of feedback that it has been inconvenient not being able to check equipment options in advance when crafting engraved equipment. In response, this update will allow players to preview the equipment’s passive skills and stats directly from the crafting screen.

We also apologize for the delay in implementing this feature, as we recognize it should have been addressed more quickly. Moving forward, we will do our best to provide a more intuitive experience when progressing equipment.

✦ Improvements to Main Quests in the Liones Region

The development team has closely analyzed player drop-off rates during the early tutorial stages and found that more Star Guardians than expected were experiencing difficulty progressing through the tutorial as intended.

In particular, we identified multiple cases where players struggled to perform key actions required for quest progression, such as defeating monsters in the Pernes swamps after exiting the cave or cutting down trees as part of the quest flow.

To address this, we will be enhancing guidance in key sections to ensure a smoother gameplay experience. In addition, monster difficulty in the Liones region will be adjusted to make it easier to progress through the early stages.

✦ Enhancing the Purpose of Repetitive Combat

We have observed that some Star Guardians are seeking additional Cube Keys and are engaging in repeated combat against Common Monsters to further their progression.

Our development team believes that this type of gameplay is driven not simply by the need to acquire resources, but by the desire to continue playing the game even after completing content that requires Cube Keys.

To better support this, we aim to provide clearer progression goals that more directly support player growth. With this update, we will be introducing a new reward structure for field and dungeon combat.

After the Version 1.2 update, defeating elite and boss monsters in the field will grant a chance to obtain material items used for Mastery and crafting. In dungeons, elite and boss monsters will also have a chance to drop materials required for crafting Remnants of the Rift.

These rewards can be obtained without consuming Cube Keys, and we hope this will provide clearer goals for Star Guardians who wish to continue playing beyond existing content.

In addition, we are preparing to address a wide range of issues in this update, including cases where gathering marks remain after using pets and instances where map pins are not properly saved for some accounts.

◼ Overview of the Version 1.2 Update

Before introducing the details of the Version 1.2 update, we would first like to share the update schedule.

We understand that many Star Guardians have already seen the teaser content for this update through our official social media channels. With that in mind, we are preparing to deliver a larger volume of content in Version 1.2 compared to previous updates.

More detailed information will be shared through a special update livestream scheduled for tomorrow. In this Developer Notes, we would like to provide a brief preview of the key updates.

1. New Region and Main Story Update

With the Version 1.2 update, a new region and main story content will be added. As you progress through the main story, the new region will be unlocked, where you can obtain new gathering materials and crafting resources.

We will continue to expand the main story on a regular basis, so that Star Guardians can continue their journey through the story of Britannia.

We hope you look forward to the expanding journey ahead in Britannia.

2. New Content: Timespace Junction

The ‘Timespace Junction’ content previously introduced in our Developer Notes will be added in this update.

Timespace Junction is being prepared as content that expands over time, with new sectors unlocking periodically. In Version 1.2, two sectors will be available initially.

As this content is intended as endgame content, it is designed to require strategic gameplay that makes use of various elemental combinations alongside continuous progression.

This content will continue to expand over time, and we are preparing it to provide a deeper and more engaging combat experience. 

3. New Boss Challenge and \[Abyss] Difficulty Expansion

With this update, a new Boss Challenge will be added, and the \[Abyss] difficulty will be expanded to existing dungeons.

In this new content, players will be able to obtain new armor and accessories, along with a more challenging combat experience. This will offer new progression goals and opportunities to explore a wider range of combat strategies.

In addition, new crafting recipes, equipment, and various improvements will also be introduced in Version 1.2. We will continue to deliver a more polished gameplay experience and appreciate your continued interest and support. 

4. Addition of Engraved Equipment Armor Crafting

We have observed that many Star Guardians are progressing to the stage of crafting engraved equipment after completing the main story.

During this process, players obtain equipment through repeated gameplay, and we have received significant feedback about the frustration of obtaining duplicate equipment or not being able to get the parts they want.

Based on this feedback, our development team recognized the need to reduce the burden caused by the ‘uncertainty of acquisition’ during repeated gameplay.

To address this, a new crafting feature will be added with this update, allowing players to directly craft armor materials required for engraved equipment.

Players will be able to use material items obtained through repeated gameplay in Dungeons and Boss Challenge content to craft armor materials that can be obtained from those activities.

For example, players will be able to use boss material items such as ‘Warden’s Bound Spirit’ and ‘Shakeera’s Curse’ to craft specific parts of armor sets like ‘Star Guardian’ and ‘Revived Nightmare’.

This provides a path for players to steadily acquire the equipment they want without relying solely on random drops.

In addition, future armor sets will also follow this system, allowing players to craft specific parts using materials obtained from each type of content.

◼ Future Update Direction

Before concluding this Developer Notes, we would like to address the questions many Star Guardians across all regions have about the plans and direction for upcoming updates. We have also seen your continued feedback shared through the survey and our official Discord.

Our development team also understands that, due to the stability issues experienced since launch, some Star Guardians may have concerns about future updates and the overall direction of the game.

We sincerely apologize for not being able to provide a sufficiently stable experience and earn your trust.

For Star Guardians who have been patiently waiting, we will share more details on our future update direction and plans in a follow-up Developer Notes on April 22 (Wed), following the special update livestream on April 21 (Tue).

Lastly, as we approach the Version 1.2 update, we would like to offer a small gift to all Star Guardians as a token of our appreciation.

- Brilliant Engraving Seal x1

* The reward will be distributed via your in-game mailbox, and will be available to claim until May 13 (Wed) 07:00 (UTC).

We have also prepared additional rewards for Star Guardians in tomorrow’s special update livestream and ‘Developer Notes #10’. We hope you look forward to them.

Thank you.

Sincerely, 

PD Koo