- Should we translate Astro Protocol with an LLM? - 22 September 2026
I am running an experiment, and I would like the community's help with it and the community's verdict on it. The question is this: can an AI translation, corrected by the players who speak the language, be good enough to put in the game? There is now a test build on Steam where you can try it, and a new section on the website where you can tell me what is wrong with it. Depending on what comes back, this either becomes part of Astro Protocol or it does not. Why this is an experiment and not a featureAstro Protocol was built in English and translating it was never part of the plan. It started as a side project, and a professionally made localization would cost more than the game has earned. So this is something that only exists because a new way of doing it appeared. What is in the test buildEvery line of the game: menus, tooltips, faction and ship names, the anomaly stories in seven lan…
- Update 1.2.17 - 22 September 2026
Features Show release dates in the changelog Prefill the bug report form with build and platform details Fixes Fix duplicate tech name Fix non-square tech/upgrade/faction icons overflowing
- Developer Stream - 11 September 2026
I will streaming in 18.30 UTC. Just playing some Astro Protocol and hanging out. Come join if you have any questions or just want to see me lose to the AI. 😄 Watch on Twtich: -Zeikko
- Update 1.2.16 - 4 September 2026
Fixes Fixed an issue that caused the AI to waste resources
- Update 1.2.15 - 27 August 2026
Features Rebalance the Allies victory condition targets Center the camera on a faction's home planet on click Show an attacks-spent indicator on units that can still move Show changelog and changes since last played in main menu Fixes Fix stranded traded convoy relation change
- Update 1.2.14 - 24 August 2026
Features Add mixed custom & basic faction line-up to weekly challenge Improve AI speed Sort minor factions menu by known/defeated status Fix issues with network boost movement range calculation Rebalance Corsair to 1 energy upkeep, 6 energy build cost Fixes Fix an issue with the anomaly not going away in the center hex
- Update 1.2.13 - 18 August 2026
Features Improve AI trading and gifting
- Update 1.2.12 - 10 August 2026
Features Add generate custom faction random faction mode Improvements Improve performance Improve AI station building and ship movement Fixes Fix sorting custom factions by creation time Fix crash on AI turn
- Astro Protocol art posters at Ropecon this Friday - 23 July 2026
Sami Rouhiainen, the artist behind Astro Protocol's anomaly illustrations, is at Ropecon in Helsinki, Finland on Friday 24 July Messukeskus, Hall 6, Area E217. Friday only, so catch him while he's there.He's selling art posters, including the derelict ships, alien ruins and stellar phenomena you run into while exploring in Astro Protocol, alongside his other sci-fi and fantasy work.Sami's portfolio: artstation.com/samirai Event info: ropecon.fi
- Update 1.2.8 - 14 July 2026
Features Add option to override basic faction primary color for accessibility Fixes Fix an issue which prevented player choosing a faction assigned to an opponent Fix issue which caused xenophile to reveal all minor factions
- Custom Faction Contest Results - 13 July 2026
The votes are in. Here are your winners:🥇 The Fleetmasters by Vinco 🥈 Lumenovis Enclave by Anoc tied with The Recyclers by ShadowTiger, Helios Dominion by fauxsoleil and Takarajin by AILYes, that's a four-way tie for second place. And yes, one of the fourth-place finishers is AIL from our dev team. AIL didn't want the key since they already have the game (and the source code) so we have sent out 4 keys in addition to the 3 keys for the voter raffle.What gets added to the game?The vote has nothing to do with which factions get implemented. The dev team will select the factions that fit the game best, and we'll contact those creators directly to work with them on the implementation. This starts after the summer holidays and will take months, not weeks, so don't expect them in the next update.DramaTying Steam keys to vote counts was a mistake on my part. Some people gamed the vote with s…
- Update 1.2.5 - 13 July 2026
Features Make the save & load menu faster Make ships find a new path if their path is blocked in end of turn movement Fixes Fix an issue that caused some antivirus software to block the game
- Custom Faction Contest - 5 July 2026
Custom factions are here, and now we want to see what you build with it. Submit your own custom faction, and we'll pick up to 3 community designs to implement directly into Astro Protocol.Design your faction and submit it here: https://factions.nullvectorstudios.com/Prizes:The 3 most-voted submissions win game keys3 random voters also win game keysUp to 3 winning designs get implemented into the game with custom art and mechanicsThis is your chance to leave a permanent mark on Astro Protocol; if your faction gets picked, it's in the game for good.Can't wait to see what you come up with.
- Update 1.2.4 - 5 July 2026
Features Improve trait tooltips Add AI-support for Void Construction trait Fixes Create new file dialog to fix saving and loading on linux
- Update 1.2.3 - 3 July 2026
Surprise! Did you think we'd ship custom factions with only 6 portraits and 12 emblems? We did. But not anymore, portraits are doubled to 12, emblems doubled to 24. We also added more custom faction traits, bringing the total to 107. Changelog below: Features Improve custom faction menu Improve custom faction AI Move remove trait button so it isn't covered by tooltips Add more emblems for custom factions (12 → 24) Add 6 custom faction portraits (6 → 12) Add neutral cursor Improve and rebalance custom faction traits Add more custom faction traits (total: 107) Allow choosing opponent faction randomization with random opponent count Fixes Fix jammed breach corridor anomaly reward Fix issue which caused AI not to overbuild prediction cycle processors
- Custom Factions - Free Content Update - 2 July 2026
Custom factions are here! Build your own faction from the ground up!You are no longer limited to the six premade factions. You can now customize the name, color, emblem, portrait, home planet and traits of your own faction. Most options are purely visual, but the home planet and traits can completely change how you play the game.There are 97 traits available to choose from, with up to 4 per faction and 2 trait points to spend, allowing huge number of possible faction builds. Some traits cost more than others, and negative traits like Astroprocessing Blindness hand you extra trait points in exchange for a drawback.Powerful traits like Precursors replace your explorers with the mighty Ancient ship. Reinforced Hulls make your ships convert all their shield hull points instead. Traits like Technological Geniuses decrease the cost of all techs by 2 gas, opening the door to a much heavier res…
- Custom Faction Portraits - 26 June 2026
Hello world! This is not Zeikko speaking! This is Pymous, and Zeikko forced me to write this article! Shame on him! 😆So hello, I am Pymous, a freelance artist. If you play Dominions or Shadow Empire, maybe you know me as a modder and map maker for my favorite 4X games.So why am I here? The upcoming Custom Factions update landing July 2 lets you build your own alien race when you start a game. Which, as it turns out, needs a lot of new alien faces.Zeikko and I have been in contact for a few months now (he even visited me in France! Thankfully before the current dramatic heat wave...), and a few days ago he shared a screenshot preview of his work on the Astro Protocol Custom Factions update. My first reaction was: damn, that's so cool, it's going to add so much replayability. And I immediately said, "I'm so tempted to paint some portraits for the new races!"Zeikko's response was instant:…
- Update 1.1.17 - 24 June 2026
Features Improve AI scouting, station building and ship target prioritization Prevent AI from clumping around planets
- Custom Factions - Major Update July 2 - 23 June 2026
After working day and night on Astro Protocol for over a year before the release and then the 1.1 update, I hit a wall. Classic post-release burnout. Rather than grind through it and ship something half-hearted, I stepped away and spent two months doing subcontracting work. This change of pace was exactly what I needed. Now I'm back, and 1.2 is the result.Custom FactionsThis is the feature I most wanted to build, and the one I think adds the most to the game.Until now you played the factions we designed. From 1.2 onward, you can design your own. Choose a portrait, logo, colors, ship graphics, home planet, and traits. There are tens of traits to choose from including already existing faction traits and research upgrades as well as completely new ones that change the game. You can also allow AI opponents to create and use custom factions against you for extra challenge and replayability.N…
- AI Improvements - 11 May 2026
Features Improve AI decision speed Improve AI tactical ship positioning Improve AI decision making between defending and attacking Improve AI ship damage calculation Improve AI station replacement logic Improve AI scouting
