We have just released the first major content update for Astro Protocol.
This update completely reworks minor faction diplomacy, transforming them from passive bonuses into persistent political actors that remember your actions and react throughout the match.
They are no longer just bonuses sitting on the edge of the map. In Version 1.1, they behave more like independent powers that respond to what happens during the game.
Relations are now stateful and persistent, meaning these factions remember how you have treated them over time.
Your diplomatic standing can improve or deteriorate based on sustained behavior, including actions such as:
Trading with them
Gifting them resources
Attacking them
Fighting their enemies
Choosing anomaly rewards that affect relations
Diplomacy is no longer about triggering a threshold. Instead, it becomes a long-term strategic relationship that develops throughout the match.
Five Diplomatic States
Relations now progress through five distinct diplomatic states:
Enemy
Hostile
Neutral
Allied
Vassal
Moving between these states requires consistent choices across multiple turns. Alliances are no longer something you secure instantly by meeting a single requirement. If you want lasting support, you need to invest in that relationship.
Each state also has clear gameplay consequences. Allied factions provide their faction-specific benefits, while stronger diplomatic control can lead to vassalization. Poor relations, on the other hand, may push a faction into hostility or outright enmity.
New Diplomacy Actions
Version 1.1 introduces a dedicated diplomacy flow with new ways to interact directly with these factions.
You can now:
Trade resources with certain factions
Gift resources to improve relations
Build minor faction ship types through diplomacy or conquest
Purchase technologies from them
Gain or lose relations through anomaly rewards
For example, maintaining good relations with the Phantoms may allow you to recruit their ships, while angering them could turn their fleets against you.
The diplomacy interface has also been updated to better display relation scores, diplomatic thresholds, faction specialties, and alliance benefits.
Four New Minor Factions
Four new factions join the galaxy in this update, each with a distinct identity and set of incentives:
Miners specialize in metal trade
Radiants specialize in energy trade
Traders deal in all resource types
Mercenaries offer ships for hire costing energy instead of metal
Existing Minor Factions Reworked
The diplomacy overhaul also includes a full pass on the existing factions.
All eight existing minor factions have been reworked with updated mechanics, revised relation logic, and redesigned ship rosters that better reflect their strategic identities.
They should now feel distinct not only in what they reward, but also in how you interact with them and the fleets they bring into the match.
Major factions can now gain access to these ships through both diplomacy and conquest, making control over these relationships strategically important throughout the game.
More Interaction Through Anomalies
This update also expands the role of anomalies in diplomacy.
Anomaly rewards can now influence relations with specific minor factions, creating a stronger link between exploration and the political landscape of a match.
Diplomacy as a Strategic System
The Diplomacy Update significantly changes how expansion, conflict, and long-term planning work in Astro Protocol.
These factions are no longer side content. They are now part of the strategic landscape of every match, with memory, competing loyalties, and meaningful consequences for how you deal with them.
If you want a reliable ally, you must build that relationship. If you want access to powerful ships, technologies, or faction-specific advantages, you’ll need to make deliberate choices and maintain them over time.
Diplomacy in Astro Protocol is no longer just a bonus.
It’s a strategic battleground of its own.