As teased before CitizenCon 2024, Star Citizen will receive more star systems beyond Pyro. Hopefully, CIG showcased the next two star systems joining the verse after Pyro, which are Nyx and then Castra.
Nyx
Nyx is a system in between Pyro and Stanton, crime-wise. It is not being controlled and protected by UEE like Stanton, but it is also not as unsafe and lawless as Pyro. The Nyx system is borderline with a Vanduul system, and players will see Vanduul raids happening in Nyx more often, making it a dangerous location.
The asteroid of Delamar is the primary point of interest in Nyx, which is home to Levski station. Previously, Levski was added to Stanton for testing purposes, and while it retains some of its designs from those days back in 3.10, a lot of updates have been applied to this beloved station.
Levski will be a key location in Nyx for traders and cargo haulers. Since it is located inside an asteroid, there are multiple entry points for ships. The station also introduces Zero-G freight elevators, best-suited for Misc Hull series’ ships to load and unload cargo.
The Nyx system is known for its infamous sprawling black dust spread all over the system that could negatively affect the ships.
Not much else was revealed about the other points of interest or planets in Nyx, but CIG then moved on to explain the new gameplay system in Landing Zones or major cities called The Depths.
This new gameplay system begins with Area 18, as the developer will add a bunch of access points to the city that take players to the lower level of Area 18 called Municipal Works. This is an open-world sandbox area for all players to hang out at, but it comes with The Depths.
The Depths refer to levels located even deeper than Municipal Works, and they are instanced, which means each player or each group of players will get their own unique experience in The Depths.
Each level of The Depths comes with multiple objectives that can include combat, discovery, or puzzle-solving. Once the player manages to beat the gameplay loops offered in the first level of The Depths enough times, they will be granted access to the next deeper level, which comes with more challenging quests and tasks.
Up to three levels will be accessible for players in The Depths to progress through, and after completing each level, they will have the opportunity to go back to the surface.
This Landing Zone gameplay experience is similar to the Contested Zones which are supposed to be delivered with Pyro in Alpha 4.0.
Castra
After playing a little bit of cat and mouse game, CIG also introduced Castra as the fourth system to join the evolving universe of Star Citizen.
Castra is also on the borderline with alien systems, but it is more beautiful than Nyx and less risky when it comes to landscapes or exploration opportunities. CIG showcased some concept art from Castra 1 and Castra 2 planets. The former is a dead planet that is only considered a testing zone for new UEE weapons, while the latter is a lawful planet and home to the city of Sherman.
Sherman is a city known as an Island in the Sky! Similar to most Stanton cities, Sherman is also a business district that comes with multiple opportunities for traders and beautiful architecture. It comes with a massive business and shopping center similar to the Stanton Landing Zones.
