Stars Reach Update 8.7 Adds Paint Tools, Carpentry, and More Customization
The early access MMO Stars Reach is preparing update 8.7, titled 'Crafted in Color,' which introduces expanded fabricator options with paint tools and finish previews. Players can craft finishes like metal, stone, wood, plastic, and rubber, and the update adds the carpentry profession, 100 new building pieces, more dyes, and improvements to missions and UI. A homestead shield and better performance monitor are also included.
The fabricator window expansion places greater emphasis on visual customization, letting players cycle through five distinct finish types—metal, stone, wood, plastic, and rubber—before committing to a final look. This preview functionality reduces guesswork during construction, a quality-of-life improvement that aligns with the update's color-focused theme.
Carpentry arrives as a dedicated profession, bringing multiple wood varieties and 100 additional generic building pieces to the construction catalog. The patch also touches mission flow, party interface clarity, and system performance monitoring, while introducing a homestead shield for base protection. These changes arrive as part of the ongoing early access cycle, with the update currently in preparation.
This update could deepen player investment in Stars Reach by expanding creative expression through customization tools, potentially strengthening community engagement and retention. Players who value personalization may find longer-term motivation to build and explore, while the homestead shield could appeal to those seeking security in shared spaces. However, the broader societal impact remains limited, affecting primarily the game's existing player base rather than the wider public, and its significance depends on how well these features integrate with the larger sandbox experience.