u/Zeikk0

Astro Protocol is a turn-based 4X space strategy game, and its newest free update lets you design your own factions from the ground up, not just cosmetically, but mechanically.

You pick from a pool of 107 traits (up to 4 traits, 2 trait points to spend), and the traits actually reshape your strategy. A couple examples:

• Precursors replaces your explorers with powerful Ancient ships, front-loading your early game with powerful scout class ships
• Technological Geniuses cuts all tech costs, pushing you toward a research-heavy playstyle
• Negative traits like Astroprocessing Blindness hand you extra trait points in exchange for a real drawback, so min-maxing a faction is its own puzzle

On top of hand-built factions, you can let the AI generate its own from scratch, or build a faction yourself and have the AI play it, useful if you want to test whether a faction design is actually balanced before committing to a campaign with it.

You also get to set the name, colors, emblem, portrait, and home planet, if you want full creative control over your faction's identity.

There's also a contest running right now**:** submit your own faction design, and up to 3 community submissions get implemented into the game with unique art and mechanics. The 3 most-voted entries and 3 random voters win game keys. You can build your designs in the free demo to get a chance to win a Steam key.

Submit here: https://factions.nullvectorstudios.com/

You can now build custom factions in Astro Protocol. Pick a name, colors, emblem, portrait, home planet and choose from a pool of 107 traits to shape how the faction plays.

Each faction gets up to 4 traits and 2 trait points to spend. Traits cost different amounts, and negative traits like Astroprocessing Blindness give you extra points in exchange for a real drawback. A few examples of what traits can do:

• Precursors replaces your explorers with mighty Ancient ships
• Technological Geniuses cuts the cost of all techs by 2 gas, opening the door to a much heavier research focus

You can save and reuse multiple custom factions, have the AI design its own from scratch, or hand the AI a faction you built yourself and let it play.

Faction contest: we're picking up to 3 community-designed factions to implement into the game with unique art and mechanics. The 3 most-voted submissions plus 3 random voters win game keys. You can build your faction in the free demo and submit it to get chance to win a Steam key.

Submit your faction here: https://factions.nullvectorstudios.com/