Captains,

A patrol involves more than finding the enemy. There are ships in need of assistance, a crew to look after, and decisions that follow you back to port.

Version 1.3, The Active Duty Update, expands the dynamic campaign with new encounters, new responsibilities aboard your ship, and two enemy vessel classes with distinct roles. Here’s a look at what’s coming.

Non-aligned space stations now dot the quadrant, providing locations for new events and orders during your patrols.

There are also more opportunities to assist others in space. Stations, freighters, and friendly warships may request engineering or medical aid, or ask you to ferry critical supplies or personnel to another destination in an emergency.

Two new enemy vessel classes bring different challenges to your patrols:

• Sentry-class spy vessels will attempt to detect your ship, evading rather than standing their ground to fight.

• Mare-class corvette tenders support enemy vessels near the front lines until you take them out.

Enemy intelligence is also becoming a factor. When operating near or behind enemy lines, the enemy will now track your ship and direct vessels to intercept you.

Your crew will have more to contend with between and during engagements, too. New crew features include promotions, medical emergencies, and more advanced training.

Changes to General Quarters help avoid casualties and improve crew responsiveness, while enhanced medical reporting provides more detail on crew members recovering from battle injuries or accidents.

Officer experience is now more granular, with clearer feedback when a particular officer’s skill made the difference and saved the day.

Losing an officer to injury or taking a prize can leave a position to fill. With field commissions, crew members can step up to replace missing officers during a patrol.

At the end of the patrol, you decide whether to make a field commission permanent or return that crew member to their previous posting.

Both the in-game manual and the PDF manual have been updated for Version 1.3.

From responding to a call for help to deciding who deserves a permanent commission, The Active Duty Update brings more of a captain’s responsibilities into your patrols.