3/3/16: Another hotfix up, please re-download using the links below. Fixes an infinite credit exploit and several minor bugs.
3/1/16: Hotfix is now up, please re-download using the links below. Includes several bugfixes, including one for starting bonus officer going MIA.
Starsector version 0.7.2a is now out! This is technically a second polish release for the 0.7a version, but it’s heavier on features and content than one might expect. Of particular note:
Reworked phase cloak mechanics (speeds up ship-time while phased, has cooldown)
Several new ships, ship systems, and weapons
Improved faction hostility mechanics
Improved smuggling/cargo scan mechanics
Reworked starting options
Numerous other tweaks and improvements
The full patch notes are here. You can download the new version here:
As usual, after a major release there’s some time to polish up some things that there just hasn’t been time for up to that point. In fact, a lot of the upcoming 0.7.2a is turning out to be about “paying off” technical and design debt – things that are “good enough for now”, but do have to be addressed at some point.
One such is phase cloaking. There’s a post from a while back on how the current mechanics came to be if you’re interested in the details, but let’s summarize:
Way, way back, the original idea for phase ships was something submarine-like, being able to hide on the battlefield and deliver surprise attacks. That sounds like fun but didn’t turn out to be practical, so phase cloaking changed to become a way to avoid damage instead – shift to another dimension, let enemy fire pass through/over your ship, uncloak, and fire back. That essential concept remains unchanged in this new iteration; the changes are looking to address some specific issues with the implementation.
