Infinite Space Insights: Lone Wolf Frigate

Infinite Space Insights: Lone Wolf Frigate

Happy New Year to my fellow Infinite Space Explorers! My first Infinite Space trilogy-related post of 2026 will be about my first Sea of Stars playthrough attempt of the New Year. Here's how it went.

Above, from top: My first Sea of Stars playthrough of 2026 - a practice run for my next maximum difficulty attempt (as evidenced with the NPC strength and nebular area having been set to their minimum values - the highest settings for both are necessary for high score runs) - began like any other: after wiping out a Tan Ru fleet around that faction's home system and salvaging some of the high-end equipment stored there, I went on to deliver a Crystal Fish to the Tchorak, thus forging an alliance with them, before zapping two Garthan fleets with the advanced weaponry and technology I'd acquired.

In the early stages of this playthrough, I was lucky enough to trade for, purchase, or salvage enough high-end weaponry and starship technology to improve the overall combat effectiveness of my ship. However, a pivotal moment came when I decided to overwrite an entire cluster's worth of star systems using a Limited Vacuum Collapser I had acquired. On this particular playthrough, there were only four recruitable allies (one each of a Zorg and Muktian fighter, as well as one each of a Garthan and Terran capital ship - I'd convinced the former two to tag along, but chose to annihilate the respective systems in which the latter two were found after realizing I didn't need any help from either of those units), and two of them were in systems that were within the blast radius (as was the Garthan home system, which I'd successfully visited before I activated the LVC).

Above, from top: Shortly after finding the Brood Towers (which lured three Ravian fleets to Glory, the Terran home system - I would later annihilate every single one of them to complete the quest), I decided to overwrite six star systems on the far end of the map using a Limited Vacuum Collapser - and escaped to the Urluquai home system, where I tore apart the hostile fleet stationed there (and bought some highly coveted equipment after the battle for good measure). Two of the recruitable allies (out of four instead of the usual five) were found in the blast radius, and were rendered permanently unattainable due to the LVC detonating before I hired them (although I deliberately chose not to add them to my fleet due to the fact that, given the chosen game settings, I could take on the might of the Ravians with just my starting capital ship and nothing else).

Without the possibility of deploying additional capital ships in combat, the Terran capital ship I had started out with had effectively become a lone wolf, since its destruction would result in an immediate defeat - fighters are not counted as capital ships for gameplay purposes. However, I'd traded in that ship for a larger Terran frigate, which had an additional large turret and offered an extra equipment slot to boot. Even though it was slower and less maneuverable than the Terran corvette I was previously using, and also had less cargo space (8 items instead of 12), I decided that the extra firepower and defense was worth it when facing the Ravian fleets.

Above, from top: I swapped my trusty Terran corvette for a larger, more heavily armed and armored (though slower and less maneuverable) Terran frigate, fitted it with dual Multi-Missile Launchers (which I purchased from the Muktians home system, where I established an alliance with them by visiting it with a Muktian fighter in tow), and used it to eliminate all remaining Ravian forces. I later visited the Zorg home system with a Zorg fighter as part of my fleet to form yet another alliance, and used that system as a trading post, before mopping up other hostile forces using my frigate to complete the playthrough.

By the end of the game, I only had one capital ship (a Terran frigate armed with two Multi-Missile Launchers and a Tachyon Ray Gun, as well as a Sardion Optimizer, Plasma Coil Cloaker and Meson Lattice Shield for improved accuracy, stealth, and protection) and two fighters (a Zorg fighter and a Muktian fighter, both of which were armed with a Proton Blaster and carried one each of a Mnemonic Sequencer and Electron Matrix Shield - the most advanced equipment other than weapons and thrusters that can be fitted to regular fighters), but even with so few vessels in total, the sheer amount of firepower, technology, and defensive equipment was enough for me to take on any hostile fleet without any fear of defeat, especially since there was no chance of encountering a Yellow Kawangi dreadnought on this playthrough.

Above, from top: This game ended with only three ships in my fleet - a Terran frigate, a Muktian fighter, and a Zorg fighter - but I didn't deploy the latter two in combat at all (not that I needed to do so, given that my Terran capital ship had been sufficiently upgraded to win any battle with the right strategy and tactics), so the Terran frigate was effectively a lone wolf. However, the lack of capital ship support (or rather, the possibility of it) severely reduced my final score to a sub-20k value. Even on the highest possible difficulty, I would've struggled to attain the coveted promotion to Glory system president with this force composition unless I was really good (and/or lucky).

In short, my first Sea of Stars playthrough of 2026 was... weird, to say the least, given that I deliberately missed out on both chances to add any capital ships to my fleet (although the LVC detonation also wiped the Garthans' home system off the map), but by the end of the game, it didn't matter very much due to my sole capital ship being heavily upgraded to face whatever new threats it encountered. However, this was a very rare set of circumstances, so here's hoping that the other playthroughs in 2026 will generally be more normal, with all six fleet slots (two fighters and four capital ships) being filled most of the time, and staying that way by the end of the game.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 242: Reflecting on 2025 and Looking Ahead for 2026

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 242: Reflecting on 2025 and Looking Ahead in 2026

Happy New Year to my fellow Automationeers! 2025 turned out to be quite a challenging year for me - after several years of playing on the previous Ellisbury build, the Al-Rilma build went from an open alpha to an open beta, and eventually I was sufficiently convinced of its improvements to finally migrate to it. As time went on, it became the new stable release, and has since received three further patches. However, the changes introduced in this build were so comprehensive, that I decided to rework some of my Ellisbury-era builds to account for this - and others could follow, either out of necessity (due to the deprecation of their original body sets), or just for the fun of it. 

In addition, I created some new fully detailed builds completely from scratch using some of the new body sets introduced in the Al-Rilma era (such as the '86 Rosso and the '09 Jackal - other body sets, such as the '87 Bossa Nova, '88 Copy Cat, '93 Loser, '99 Slantnose, and '07 Temptress, among others could be next in line). Moreover, I discovered, and applied, a few new design techniques, such as creating custom panel seams (along with covering up the default seams), and placing and coloring custom light fixture covers - I'll explore these (and other car exterior design procedures) further in the future. In short, I'd delivered on some of my Automationeer's New Year's resolutions last year (including winning a Discourse challenge hosted on any UE4-based game build solely on merit for the first time ever) - and this year will be no different.

The first of my 2026 New Year's Automationeer resolutions is to conclude the challenge I am currently hosting, which you can find here. As of now, I have received a decent amount of entries (including several high-quality ones) and am writing down draft verdicts for all the valid ones as we speak -  a handy pre-emptive measure considering that the deadline is now just a few days away. Anything that isn't compatible with the rules by the deadline, however, will be ignored - although thankfully I haven't been left with too many unresolved rule violations. Also, I began work on, and later finished, a car that I felt could fill a gap between the KMA KX12 and its entry-level sibling, the KX4.

Thus, the 1992 KMA KX8A (whose "A" suffix refers to its aluminum chassis and bodywork, replacing the alloy-clad steel space frame of its predecessor) - which sat neatly between the two - was born. With its all-alloy 3-liter 32-valve flat-crank V8 delivering 325 naturally aspirated horsepower to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox and helical limited-slip differential, it can reach 60 mph from a standstill in less than 4.5 seconds, on to a top speed of over 180 mph thanks to close gearing, a 1.2-ton curb weight (aided by its small footprint), and race-bred aerodynamics. Combined with track-focused yet supple suspension tuning, low-profile high-performance tires wrapped around 18-inch forged alloy wheels, and powerful ABS-assisted 4-wheel vented disc brakes, it was one of the most formidable performance cars of its time, offering most of its big brother's abilities at a lower, more accessible price point. However, it still came with a high-quality premium interior and CD/cassette stereo, so it wasn't totally bereft of creature comforts.

Above, from top: As the smaller sibling of the KMA KX12, and the larger senior counterpart to the KX4, the 1992 KX8 fulfills its mission of being the mid-range offering in the KX series of mid-engined performance cars more than adequately.

Theoretically, the other KX-series cars, being built on the now-deprecated predecessor to the Bossa Nova body sets, could also be remade on variants of the '86 Rosso on which the KX8A was based. That car used the 2.4m wheelbase variant in notchback configuration, so as a follow-on, the KX4 and KX12 could also utilize the Rosso (most likely with the 2.3m and 2.55m wheelbase variants, respectively, to better align with prior lore) - a body set which, since its introduction, may actually be more in keeping with their overall shape in the Ellisbury era.

In short, I am satisfied with having fulfilled my previous set of Automation New Year's resolutions from last year, and have also defined a new set for this year - the fact that I am about to accomplish one of them in a few days' time is icing on the cake.

Infinite Space Insights: Time for Fireworks!

Infinite Space Insights: Time for Fireworks!

As part of my last Sea of Stars-related post of 2025, here's a photo album showing off some highlights of my most recent session:

Above, from top: In my last Sea of Stars session of 2025, I set the NPC fleet strength and nebular area to their maximum values in order to maximize my score. I started out by forging an alliance with the tiny Calatians and tearing the Ravian fleet to shreds.

I'd chosen the High setting for both Enemy Strength and Nebular Mass, to make it as challenging for myself as possible, and indeed it was very difficult early on, but less so in the later stages.

Above, from top: Taking on the might of the Urluquai, Tan Ru and Tchorak fleets was the most difficult part of this attempt - I almost lost my Terran capital ship (which was the only such vessel in my fleet) to a pair of Tan Ru Decimators carrying the same Particle Vortex cannon as my own ship - but it survived, and I went on to thrash the Urluquai fleet, ensuring that I could buy a Sardion Optimizer and a Plasma Coil Cloaker for unmatched effectiveness.

Following these initial struggles, things got somewhat easier from there, although I still had to be alert to avoid defeat in future engagements.

Above, from top: Late in the playthrough, I rescued the Calatian castaways, recruited a Zorg helmsman, visited the Zorg home system, and destroyed Primordius - the last of which after I'd converted a Timeless Bauble into a Nova Cannon, which made combat much easier.

There was little left for me to do but mop up any and all remaining hostile fleets, in addition to upgrading every single ship in my fleet as much as possible - without having to trade them in for larger ones. I even captured the sword-shaped capital ship Damocles (whose Anti-Graviton Shunt would've otherwise been necessary to reach the wormhole around which Primordius orbited - I'd found another example of that item to fit to one of my other capital ships before then) and, by the end of the game, had fully upgraded that vessel as well.

Above, from top: The end of this game was, quite frankly, anticlimactic - I'd upgraded all four of my capital ships (including the Damocles) so thoroughly that I didn't need to deploy any fighters. Although not shown on this post, I'd maxed out my earnings still further by selling off every lifeform that I'd found at Gamma Station for three times their normal price.

By the end of the game, my fleet composition was extremely formidable - and it wasn't just my Terran corvette (armed with a Nova Cannon) that played a part; the Zorg corvette Kuti (which inherited the Particle Vortex Cannon I'd acquired earlier on after I created said Nova Cannon from a Timeless bauble) participated in the capture of Damocles, a much larger vessel that, like the Calatian destroyer Thunderbucket, could've been deployed in combat, but in the end, weren't actually needed, considering that my other capital ships could destroy an entire fleet on their own.

Above, from top: With a fleet like this, you have four different capital ships capable of taking on an entire hostile fleet on their own - and usually winning (or always, in the case of the Terran corvette and Prince Arcturus' Damocles), even against overwhelming odds. Although the Damocles cannot be used in a custom scenario, its loadout can be replicated using any capital ship with at least two large turrets.

In short, this playthrough attempt ended up being an undisputed success, even though it appeared doomed to failure at first. I was literally seconds away from having the entirety of my fleet annihilated, but after that, I'd learned a key lesson and adapted my tactics and strategy to make later battles less difficult. Making savvy trades later on also helped, especially when delivering lifeforms to Gamma Station for maximum profit. Here's to a Happy New Year 2026 for all you Infinite Space commanders!

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 241: The Gift of Hosting

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 241: The Gift of Hosting

Happy holidays! My Automationeering Christmas gift this year is not a new Automation build or a revision of an existing one, but the privilege of hosting a Discourse challenge for the first time in months after my surprise top-5 finish in the previous round. You can find the new challenge here.

So how did I prepare for it? By creating test mules reflecting the intended rule set of the upcoming challenge, as usual. I created almost a dozen of them - it was inevitable that they showed some diversity in engineering (mainly in engine configuration) - in an attempt to prove the concept's viability. Eventually, I went ahead with a challenge themed around convertible supercars from 2007. You'll find out more about that in a future post in this series, but in the meantime, you'll have to sit tight and wait for the results that will be shown there. And so I'll wrap up this post with a simple phrase: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

MechDB Misadventures, Part 19: Tweaking the Royal Locust

MechDB Misadventures, Part 19: Tweaking the Royal Locust

Although the Locust has a reputation for being one of the flimsiest BattleMechs in BattleTech (even by light 'Mech standards) due to its low armor capacity (4 tons), its speed and low cost makes it a highly effective scout 'Mech. One variant, the LCT-1Vb, takes the basic LCT-1V and removes its ammunition dependency issues by swapping out the arm-mounted machine guns with one each of a Small and Medium Pulse Laser in each arm. To accommodate the extra mass, it uses an extralight engine, endo steel structure, ferro-fibrous armor, and double heat sinks. However, this variant is absent from MechWarrior Online due to the LCT-1E and especially LCT-3M rendering it redundant.

Above: The stock configuration for the Locust LCT-1Vb, though not officially present in the game, can be matched on the LCT-3M as shown above.

Given that the LCT-3M has the same hardpoint arrangement as the LCT-1Vb, replicating the latter's loadout on the former is quite easy. Start with a 160-rated XL engine, then install Endo Steel structure and Ferro-Fibrous Armor (both of which occupy 14 critical slots each). Now place a Medium Laser in the center torso energy hardpoint, followed by a Small Pulse Laser and a Medium Pulse Laser in each arm. Finally, add four Double Heat Sinks to bring the loadout's total tonnage as close to the 20-ton limit as possible. The result is essentially an LCT-3M with the LCT-1Vb's setup - but what if I told you that it can be customized further?

For starters, the LCT-3M shares its engine cap of 190 with other Locust variants. Installing an XL engine with that particular rating will increase its maximum running speed to 153.9 km/h - something that very few 'Mechs can exceed, and even then, only if they are compatible with MASC (Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry) and have been fitted with it. This engine adds two tons of mass to the overall loadout, so we'll need to save some weight elsewhere on the 'Mech to compensate. Doing so involves installing either a Small Pulse/X-Pulse Laser or a Medium Laser (the latter of which may be of the Extended Range variety) in all five of its energy hardpoints, as shown below.

Above, from top: A comparison of two alternate loadouts for the Locust LCT-1Vb, both of which are based on the LCT-3M variant. Replacing the entire loadout (especially the bulky Medium Pulse Lasers) with a quintet of either regular Medium Lasers or Small Pulse Lasers frees up 2 tons for use in a higher-rated engine (in this case, a 190-rated XL item) and improves its heat management.

Arming the LCT-1Vb (or in MWO, the LCT-3M) with five standard Medium Lasers allows it to serve as a very fast, if lightly armored, harasser that can match the stock loadout for raw firepower, but, crucially, does so with a lower heat load, at the expense of damage per second. Fitting five Small Pulse Lasers instead yields more sustained DPS (while also matching the stock setup's overall value) and even more heat efficiency, but reduces its effective range. Finally, swapping those weapons for Small X-Pulse Lasers  reduces the sustained DPS somewhat, but yields a higher overall DPS ceiling.

In short, trading DPS or alpha strike firepower (and range, with the 5x SPL loadout) for extra speed on the Locust LCT-1Vb and LCT-3M is a viable option. With the chassis' low armor capacity (4 tons when using ferro-fibrous armor), they need all the speed they can get, and both of my loadouts prove it by leaning further into one of two specialties (at the minor expense of the other) that the original loadout had to compromise on out of necessity.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 240: Decal Patching over Light Fixtures

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 240: Decal Patching over Light Fixtures

Given that many light fixtures have only one slot for their lens (i.e., the glass/perspex cover over a bulb), many Automationeers have learned to take matters into their own hands and create their own custom lens sections - usually red for taillights and brake lights, clear for reversing lights, and amber for indicators (although there are exceptions, depending on era and market). I'll illustrate this with a recent example.

Above, from top: Due to this particular light fixture having only one cover glass slot (a liability when using it as a taillight housing), I had to set that slot's material to transparent (to avoid overlapping with any patch fixtures I want to place there), then apply three regular patch fixtures over it for the desired result: a clear one over the reversing light bulb, an amber one over the indicator bulb, and a large rectangular red one over the taillight and brake light bulbs, effectively making it look like a segmented fixture with separate glass slots for the brake/taillights, reversing lights, and indicators.

The result was that the fixture now more closely resembled a typical taillight cluster, with separate areas for the brake/taillights, reversing lights, and indicators, which are colored accordingly. It takes more patch fixtures (and hence more time and effort) to apply this technique when creating more complex shapes forwithin a light cluster, but in any case, doing so results in a more realistically colored taillight lens than would otherwise be possible. In short, these design methods are indispensable if the stock glass slot arrangement on a light fixture isn't to your liking, and you want to replace it with your own custom setup.