The fourth Sanctuary: Shattered Sun Developer Q&A delivers the most comprehensive update yet. Producer Mike (nine2) and community manager Al cover mod support, post-launch content plans, and the true scale of game-ending T5 units. Mike also explains his two-month absence from previous sessions.
This episode contains more concrete information about Sanctuary’s future than any previous developer communication. You can watch the full Q&A below, or read on for the TL:DW version:
Warfront: Persistent Faction Combat
Sanctuary’s post-launch Warfront mode represents a significant departure from traditional RTS multiplayer. Players join factions and fight for control of Dyson Sphere sectors in a persistent, season-based campaign that resembles Galactic War but operates on a much larger scale.
Faction members earn research points through sector victories. These points unlock global technology buffs that apply to every player on that faction. When one faction achieves total victory, the season ends and resets completely. The research tree changes between seasons, and future iterations might add or remove specific units entirely.
Mike describes this as the primary method for maintaining long-term engagement. The mode will probably arrive as post-launch DLC rather than launch content, but the underlying systems are being designed now to support this level of meta-game complexity.
Modding Infrastructure Confirmed
Sanctuary ships with integrated mod support from day one. The built-in mod manager allows content creators to upload modifications directly through the game interface. Players can enable or disable mods as needed, and multiplayer matches automatically download required modifications for all participants.
Steam Workshop integration was rejected in favor of the FAF distribution model, which Mike explicitly endorses based on its proven track record in the Supreme Commander community. This approach gives developers better file control and prevents the synchronization problems that plague Workshop-based RTS mods.
UI and camera modifications remain planned features, but neither will be available at launch. Camera behavior currently exists in hardcoded engine systems rather than accessible Lua scripts. UI customization ranks low on the development priority list, though the team acknowledges strong community demand from Supreme Commander veterans.
T5 Units Reach Proper Scale
Original T5 unit designs were significantly reduced in size due to technical limitations that have since been resolved. Current T5 prototypes are six times wider than their predecessors and consume substantial map territory when deployed.
These units function as economic victory conditions rather than standard military assets. They require enormous resource investment, deliver devastating firepower, and are designed to force decisive match conclusions. The collision system ensures that direct T5 combat results in mutual destruction, preventing stalemates between opposing game-enders.
Visual reveals will appear on Patreon before public release, but no timeline has been established for broader community previews.
DLC and Content Expansion
Official DLC development is confirmed for post-launch content delivery. Planned additions include new factions, expanded campaign content, and major game modes like Warfront. The developers position DLC as high-production-value content that complements rather than replaces community modifications.
Map content ties directly to Kickstarter stretch goal achievement. Each unlocked biome generates five multiplayer maps, potentially delivering 25 launch maps if all stretch goals are met. This represents a substantial map pool compared to most RTS launches.
Interface and Quality of Life Updates
The economy bar receives a complete overhaul designed to eliminate resource stall confusion. The new interface will clearly indicate where resources are being consumed, addressing a persistent complaint about economic transparency in complex RTS games.
UI redesign work is underway before the Kickstarter campaign launches. Supreme Commander veteran feedback is directly influencing these interface changes, suggesting the developers are targeting experienced RTS players rather than attempting to simplify systems for broader market appeal.
Walls and defensive barriers remain under consideration. The team is exploring these features as methods for adding visual variety and reinforcing faction identity rather than as core defensive mechanics.
Watch Dev Q&A Episode 4
This episode contains more substantive information about Sanctuary’s development direction than previous Q&A sessions combined. The discussion covers modding implementation, late-game unit design, and post-launch content strategy in considerable detail.
Submit questions for future episodes through the link provided in the video description.
