Hey everyone,
I've been rebuilding Astroloot's multiplayer from the ground up, and it is finally ready for a public beta.
Multiplayer v2 expands co-op from two players to parties up to four. It also makes playing together more flexible: form a party, see what everyone is doing, and jump into a friend's mission even after the fighting has started.
This is a beta, so multiplayer is still a work in progress. If you enjoy co-op and don't mind encountering a few rough edges, you can already give it try with your friends. 
Build a party of up to four
Invite Steam friends from inside Astroloot and stay connected as a party while everyone moves between the main menu, ship selection, base, missions, or death.
The party panel shows each player's current location, defenses, and status. You do no longer have to move in lockstep: prepare your build at base, run a mission, or regroup with friends when you are ready.
Drop into missions already in progress
See a friend fighting in a Sector? Join them directly from the party panel. Astroloot synchronizes the running mission, catches you up to the action, and spawns you near your teammate.
New arrivals receive a short Grace Period, so you have a moment before being damaged by enemies. You can also leave and rejoin a running mission, making it much easier for a group to split up and regroup.
Revive dead party members
A destroyed ship now leaves behind a tombstone while at least one teammate is still alive. Survive long enough to collect it and bring your friend back into the fight.
Enemies adapt to party size
Enemy durability scales live with the number of players currently in the mission. When someone joins, the enemies become tougher; when someone leaves, they become weaker.
Share Loot with your Party
You can still drop loot on the ground to share useful finds with your friends, like today. The first one picking up the shared item will have it.
How to join public beta
Find Astroloot in your Steam Library.
Right-click it and choose Properties.
Open the Game Versions & Betas tab.
Under Selected Game Version, select mpv2.
Let Steam download the beta, then launch Astroloot. The title screen should show Multiplayer v2 Beta.
Everyone you want to play with must use the same beta branch. Once in the game, select a pilot, open the menu, choose Online Multiplayer, and invite a Steam friend. Local network multiplayer is also available from the same menu.
To return to the regular version, repeat the steps above and select Default Public Version under Game Versions & Betas.
What I need help testing
This is an experimental build, and connection problems, synchronization failures, balance issues, or other bugs may still happen. The most useful tests are:
Parties of three or four players
Joining a mission that is already in progress
Leaving and rejoining during a mission
Reviving fallen teammates
Long sessions with several different missions and party changes
If something goes wrong, please use Report a Bug in the in-game menu. Your current save will be attached automatically and will help me track down the problem. You can also share feedback in the Steam Discussions or join us on Discord.
Thank you and see you out there!
Andy
