This dlc adds a new game section separate from the usual sandbox playthroughs. It runs you through a new set of missions that are apparently playthroughs of events from the previous X games in the series. The characters and setting of this new dlc are also a mystery but eventually ties through to your sandbox playthrough upon completion. The missions are depicted as simulations that can be replayed without limit, with your performance graded according to certain factors like number of enemies killed and clear time. Your grade can be uploaded to an online leaderboard. Some of these scenarios are very challenging, although you can progress the story even with poor performance. If I'm not wrong, you only need 1 star out of the possible 5 for each stage of a set to unlock the last stage of that set, which, upon completion, unlocks the next set. Look out for little story events happening around the map after clearing each mission too. You can reset the whole timelines scenario to try again if you feel you missed something. It can get a little janky, with some npc convos getting skipped.
As you progress, story events take place that unveil the circumstances of the characters in this scenario. New sectors and ships also get unlocked in sandbox mode as well. Do not expect a lot from them as they seem to be nostalgia ships from previous games and eras, with correspondingly lower performance but with some gimmicks like the H with a unique turret with a slight AOE effect or the Sapporo destroyer with no main batteries but a unique missile turret. As of version 7.00 their balance appears to have not been finalized. Well, new toys are always welcome.
I do hope this is just a taste of things to come, with more stories and secrets to be added on further down the road.
