Version 1.0388 includes the following improvements:
- Jump caster deployable option added (see notes).
- More customizing options added for menu graphics (customizing page updated).
- Tractor beam type mounted on ship now transfers to terrain walker so players can select which materials to mine with the walker as well.
- Space station module build point allowed to be one position step closer for production and storage modules connecting to smaller module types.
- Planet terrain impact damage now possible at higher cruise speeds (no longer requires engaging jump drive to overpower shield resistance).
- Moon impact damage now possible using consistent conditional parameters as planet collisions with the new impact damage system.
- Asteroid and asteroid cave impact damage behavior aligned with new collision impact damage system for planets and moons.
- AI system updated to allow hostile ships to travel closer to planet terrain while in pursuit of player or other ships.
- 25% pay bonus now applies to combat contracts accepted planet side (with waypoint(s) in atmosphere).
- Rare issue that could cause capital ships to appear at wide vertical angles after respawning fixed.
- Specular level on cockpits raised slightly to better align with other shiny metallic surfaces.
- Minimum water retrieval elevation reduced for closer proximity requirement to water source.
- By player request, shield module stacking recharge rate set to 70% per additional module.
- Vertical displacement that could occur when jumping near station command modules fixed.
- Increased AI travel paths near/around stations in multiplayer.
- A few minor fixes.
Notes:
Sometimes a fairly difficult and potentially controversial feature/option gets considered and eventually implemented. The new 'jump caster' deployable is one such option added to this update. I have been considering such an option for years (since Renegades in 2007) and a recent surge of requests and feedback have pushed it from concept to reality. So far in testing, it has been providing what requesting players have asked for while also addressing the concerns of others.
Here are some details. Feedback over the last near decade has kept this option from being implemented until now. Fears of reducing the scope/size of the game's universe and providing persistent short cuts have been two of the biggest concerns. Once building jump gates to anywhere is available, it's inevitable that they will eventually be sprinkled throughout the game's universe. This makes getting anywhere very easy, too easy by many accounts. The unique and hard to find locations suddenly have a marker and a quick route to get to them, likely through the efforts of someone else the player never met or worked with (never shared gameplay with). So if placing static permanent jump gates were implemented, it would have meant that player A could skip huge portions of the game's exploration process just by using a gate player B built long before. Combined, the potential scope reduction, long term risk/challenge reduction, spoilers, no effort persistent shortcutting, desire for discovery exclusivity, and more have all resulted in keeping the idea from being implemented in the past. But I do listen and try to work out solutions to such things if there is enough interest and constructive feedback indicating it's worth re-re-re-evaluating.
After careful consideration, I've decided to make the move in the direction of providing a way to travel very long distances without requiring a traditional static jump gate, including travel to remote uncharted systems. But it's been implemented in a way that does not provide a permanent short cut (generally the most strongly voiced concern). This way, a player can establish a jump point to where they want to go if they know the destination. That is, if they travel to an uncharted region of space and find a system there, they can store the location in their map log and then later return to it using the new device without having to spend hours making short range jumps to get there. Since the device is temporary, it also doesn't leave behind a shortcut for others to exploit. This allows players a way to still keep their discoveries fairly exclusive while making them much more accessible and available to utilize for trade, storage, and construction. And if they want another player to join them at the distant location in multiplayer, they can meet up in a particular sector and then build a route that both of them can use (they can share the new 'jump caster' just like they can share other deployables). So from both a solo and cooperative standpoint, it made the most sense to provide a new deployable way for setting up a temporary jump route to try and meet as many of the requested objectives and concerns as reasonably possible.
In short, the 'jump caster' is a new deployable device that lets you construct a temporary jump gate. When preparing to deploy it, you can enter the destination coordinates for where you want the caster to take you (done in the navigation console prior to building the jump caster, which also allows for easy map log entry retrieval). The jump caster links to your ship's navigation console to retrieve the selected destination coordinates and will target that destination when you build it. Building the jump caster requires 50 units of metal ore to build and can travel up to 1000 sectors away. The ore requirement is low enough to allow players to be able to build multiple devices in sequence should a destination require more than one caster to reach. Once deployed, the player can fly through the caster to travel to the selected destination as though travelling through a traditional jump gate. Once the device is used (or not linked to a player in multiplayer, as with other deployables), it self-scuttles. There is a modest level of resource investment required to use them, but the trade off is very quick access to wherever you might want to go in the quadrant.
The new collision system provides a more realistic impact response when running into planets, moons, asteroids, and caves (shield-to-shield and shield-to-hull collisions remain unchanged). It is now possible to ram nose first into a planet or moon and destroy your ship (without the previous requirement of overpowering your shield resistance using the jump drive). Damage is also variable, causing more severe hull damage the faster you go. Speeds around 1000 or less are generally safe, above will generally encounter damage. The new system also takes the angle of impact into account, so skimming terrain with fairly level pitch generally won't cause damage, but nose diving into it can.