
Somebody out there is still transmitting, and answering costs more than fuel.
Four systems have nobody left to answer a mayday: Kestrel Drift, Meridian, Vantage Row and Hollow Verge. Answer one and you strip the wreck (metal, cargo, and standing) while the survivor joins your crew for good. Cutting it open gets heard fast: a Dominion lance is on you almost at once.
Boarding waves now send different raiders instead of just tougher ones: Torches start fires, Heavies shrug off gunfire, Breachers cut their own way in, and Officers buff the room and break when they die. The action bar's new contextual slot seals a bulkhead or runs a room-specific system, and the lull between waves is a real choice between three boons. Crew who survive enough boardings become Veterans or Hardened.Your demo save carries straight over to the full game.