# StarStrings: a community English ini for Star Citizen that breaks on every patch

> MrKraken's StarStrings rewrites the game's English localisation file with find and replace rules that add blueprint markers, contract ranks, and cleaner item names, but the whole thing is a patch-freshness problem: the README says to check for an update after every build, and the PTU build is explicitly discouraged.

**MrKraken/StarStrings** — MrKraken's string replacements QoL. Always check for update after an SC patch!!!

- Repository: https://github.com/MrKraken/StarStrings
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/@MrKraken
- Stars: 593 · Forks: 36
- Language: Unknown
- License: not declared
- Published: 2026-10-22 · Updated: 2026-10-22 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/mrkraken-starstrings

## The deliverable is an English ini file, not a localisation

StarStrings is described as MrKraken's string replacements, and the repository is a community translated .ini file for Star Citizen. The distinction in that last sentence matters more than it looks. It is not a translation of the game into another language, and it is not a set of configuration overrides that the game engine understands. It is the game's own English localisation file with find and replace rules applied to it, so that certain strings are rewritten to carry more information. The README is explicit that this is done by find and replace operations based on extracted game data, and that manually checking each contract personally would be an almighty task, so errors are reported through the Issues tab. The audience is therefore a player who reads contract text closely enough to want it improved, not a player who wants the game in another language. The repository layout is minimal, with a `src/` directory, a readme, and a `.github` folder.

## Contract text gets blueprint markers and rank detail

The largest body of work is in the contracts. Contracts that award blueprints have the potential pool added to the end of the description, and contracts that award BPs have `[BP]` in the title. The README goes into the messy cases, which is where the value and the fragility both live. A `[BP]*` variant is used for contracts with shared text where only a specific one awards, and that fact is stated in the description. For rank based contracts such as covalex hauling, the required rank name was added to the version of the contract that awards BPs, because the titles are shared across ranks. Contracts with component blueprints in their pool show the name and type, for example `SnowBlind (Cooler)`. Contracts that award scenario progress show how many points they give and whether they are split, and the reputation award amount was added to all contracts in both title and description, with asteroid RS values added to scanning contract objectives.

## The awkward cases the author could not fully solve

A section on known constraints and unfixable problems is more informative than the changelog. Because some contracts share strings, there is odd looking behaviour that the author tried to signal with a `*` in titles marked with BP plus caveat text in the description, and the caveat is that the process is kept to an automated find and conditional replace operation so the file does not have to be maintained by hand. Some contracts like Black Box recovery literally share the same assigned strings across mission givers, and the README calls that possibly a quirk of the mission generator and how it is pulled out, describing it as a much more involved fix than a string replacer change. Rayari's Need More Research Data is a generic description and title reused for many contracts, most of which do not award blueprints, so the title shows [BP] with a caveat that it is for Yormandi Eyes Only. If you are the kind of player who reads the fine print on a contract, these are the entries that will make you hesitate over a job.

## Item and mining names get shorter and more specific

The items section trades verbosity for information. Warning prefixes `[!]` are added for illegal substances. The component type, size, and grade are prefixed to the name, so `Tundra` becomes `Mil/1/D Tundra`, and missiles get a type notation prefix, so `Dominator II Missile` becomes `[EM] Dominator II Missile`. A separate change reduced the verbosity of Pyro MultiTool attachment names, since they scrolled badly in the customise screen, turning `TruHold Tractor Beam Attachment` into `Tractorbeam`. In mining, Hephaestanite Raw was shortened to Heph Raw, mining UI text was shortened to avoid crossover with values, and any `item_commodities_raw_` entry beginning with Raw now gets a suffixed (Raw) instead. Two smaller additions sit alongside. The mining guide journal entry was reformatted to group ores by rarity, with a note that the author does not verify that the source journal entry is accurate in any way, and some quality of life tips were added to the refuelling guide.

## Installation is a ZIP and one line in user.cfg

The installation steps are five and the fourth one is where people get it wrong. You download the latest release from the right hand side of the releases page, extract the ZIP, and then, if you already have a user.cfg file, you do not overwrite it. Instead you open your existing file and add `g_language = english` at the end. Then you copy the data folder and the user.cfg file into your game's LIVE folder root, and launch the game. The resulting layout is:

```
StarCitizen/
└── LIVE/
    ├── user.cfg
    └── data/
        └── Localization/
            └── english/
                └── global.ini
```

The path matters because the game reads localisation from the LIVE folder rather than from the PTU one, and the `g_language = english` line is what tells the game to use the English locale at all. The README also carries a separate release tag, latest-ptu, for the PTU build, published on 2026-10-06, and a note that the author does not recommend using custom strings on PTU since each new build will likely add new strings, which results in blank contracts and missing text, and that the author tries to update as soon as possible after a build but it is not always possible.

## Every patch invalidates the file, and the README says so twice

The most important operational fact about this project is in the title of the README and in the caution block under it. The file is for a specific build, `sc-alpha-4.10.2_live_12881860`, and the README says in a warning that you need to check for an update to this file every patch. That is not a maintenance footnote, it is the core cost of using the project. The strings in a game client are keys into a localisation table, and when the client is updated the table changes, so any find and replace rule written against the old table either stops matching or starts matching the wrong thing. The two releases in the list show the cadence, with a live build release tagged latest on 2026-10-09 and a PTU build tagged latest-ptu on 2026-10-06. The repository was last pushed on 2026-10-09. The practical habit is to treat the file as tied to a build number and to re-download it after every patch, which the README says explicitly.

## The legal position is stated in detail, which is unusual

The README spends a good deal of space on permissions, and the detail is worth reading. The project is described as not officially endorsed or approved by CIG, and as considered a 3rd party contribution to be used at your own discretion, with the project framed as an unofficial Star Citizen fan project not affiliated with the Cloud Imperium group of companies, and with all content not authored by its host or users remaining the property of their respective owners. The specific permission cited is that the ability to customise your localisation using the extracted global.ini file is intended and authorised by CIG to support community made translations until it is officially integrated, with the linked forum post dated 2023-10-11, and a note that because this adds information to an existing official language, CIG can ask the author to cease distributing it at any time. The README links both the RSI Terms of Service and the Translation and Fan Localization statement, and the licence for the repository itself is reported as unknown.

## Conclusion

StarStrings fits a Star Citizen player who wants contract and item names to carry more information and does not mind checking for a new release after every patch. It is the wrong tool for the PTU build, where the author says blank contracts and missing text are likely, and the wrong tool for anyone who wants a guaranteed match to the shipped game, since the file is a set of string replacements rather than a localisation. Before you install it, check the release tag against the build number the README names, and keep your existing user.cfg, because the instructions tell you to add a single line to it rather than overwrite the file.

## FAQ

### What does MrKraken's StarStrings actually change in Star Citizen?

It applies find and replace operations to the game's extracted English localisation file. Contracts that award blueprints get a `[BP]` marker in the title and the potential pool appended to the description, reputation award amounts and asteroid RS values are added, item names gain component type, size and grade prefixes, and mining and journal text is shortened.

### How do I install StarStrings?

Download the latest release, extract the ZIP, and if you already have a user.cfg, open it and add `g_language = english` at the end rather than overwriting it. Then copy the data folder and the user.cfg into your game's LIVE folder root and launch the game.

### Why should I not use StarStrings on the PTU build?

The README says the author does not recommend using custom strings on PTU, because each new build will likely add new strings, which will result in you seeing blank contracts and missing text. The author tries to update as soon as possible after a build but says it is not always possible.

### Why do I need to update StarStrings after every game patch?

The README warns you need to check for an update to this file every patch, and the file is written for a specific build such as sc-alpha-4.10.2_live_12881860. Because it works by find and replace on the extracted game data, a patch that changes the localisation table breaks the rules that were written against the previous one.

### Is StarStrings an official Star Citizen project?

No. The README states it is not officially endorsed or approved by CIG, is an unofficial fan project not affiliated with the Cloud Imperium group of companies, and is considered a third party contribution to use at your own discretion, while noting that CIG can ask the author to stop distributing it at any time.

## Sources

- [Issues](https://github.com/MrKraken/StarStrings/issues)
- [MrKraken/StarStrings on GitHub](https://github.com/MrKraken/StarStrings)
- [Project website](https://www.youtube.com/@MrKraken)
- [README](https://github.com/MrKraken/StarStrings/blob/master/README.md)
- [Releases](https://github.com/MrKraken/StarStrings/releases)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/mrkraken-starstrings