Old Light Dev Log: Borders, Messaging, and Smarter NPCs

Old Light is a free browser-based multiplayer space strategy game. You build an empire across a shared galaxy of hex star systems and fight rival players and AI empires in real time. No download, no install, it runs in any modern browser at oldlight.io. Here’s what landed in the last couple of weeks.

Empire borders across the galaxy

Every occupied star now projects territory outward into the surrounding hexes, and those borders are drawn across the whole galaxy map. You can see where your reach ends and a rival empire’s begins without probing first. When two empires overlap, the older claim holds the ground.

Player-to-player messaging

You can now send messages to other players in the galaxy. There’s an inbox, unread counts, and a compose flow that works on mobile as well as desktop. Use it for diplomacy, trade talk, or a warning shot before you attack.

Smarter NPC empires

The NPC AI got a full rewrite. NPCs now act at the level of a whole empire with a consistent identity instead of reacting one building at a time. Each one paces itself against the strongest human player it can see nearby rather than chasing the single biggest player on the map, and it stays local, so the galaxy no longer turns into every NPC piling onto one target.

Fleet size cap

Fleets now have a size cap. Late-game ship stacks can’t snowball into something no one can answer, which keeps combat about decisions rather than a pure numbers race.

Keyboard shortcuts

Added keybindings for the common map and UI actions, so you can move around and act without reaching for the mouse every time.

About Old Light

Old Light is a real-time multiplayer 4X-style space strategy game that runs free in the browser. Claim star systems on a hex galaxy map, grow your economy, project empire borders, and build fleets to outmaneuver human rivals and AI empires. Start playing at oldlight.io.

Play at oldlight.io