Patch 517 is available for PC, Mac and Linux now on the beta branch. Don’t know how to access beta? Read this.
Interface
Patch 517 includes several changes to the general UI. The main menu area has been simplified with the Home option being the new default. A new ‘Ships’ option has been added under the Home menu where players can select there currently active ship and the new ‘Events’ option presents the player with a list of all active events in the galaxy.
Ship Editor
The Ship Editor has received a lot of attention with patch 517 and features a fully refreshed UI. Ship Transform and Rigging functions have been simplified and a new material and decor system implemented. Players can now save and load ship designs through the Fleet Engineering menu for this patch Manufacturing is still disabled however this will be enabled in an upcoming patch.
Patch 517 only includes a small number of ship parts, in the next few patches we will be completing the conversion of parts, assemblies and décor greatly expanding the list of available components players can build with as well as adding new materials, abilities and prefabricated ships.
At this stage, the ship editor is nearly feature complete with assemblies, decor and abilities being the last remaining functions to be implemented during the Sector K72 patch cycle. We will of course continue to debug and refine the Ship Editor along with the rest of the game throughout development and into full release.
Weapon Systems
Weapon systems have received a notable update and new weapons have been made available. Weapons are now selected by type and are finalized when the ship is built. Weapon damage is calculated based on the ships available stats while each weapon type has a unique firing pattern, projectile flight speed and damage distribution.
Weapons are no longer divided by size, category or role but are organized by ‘Primary’ and ‘Secondary’ weapon systems. Primary weapons have a higher rate of fire, typically lower damage per round and typically shorter effective range while Secondary weapons have a faster overheat rate and fewer total slots available per ship.
Note that weapons systems will automatically be disabled in certain areas such as at free trade ports.
Ship to Ship Combat
Patch 517 introduces a number of changes and refinements to ship combat including a host of new weapon systems, AI tactics and formations. For the next several patches combat focused Hot Spots will spawn more frequently to ensure the player always has a fight to get into. In upcoming patches fleet and command & control systems will be introduced starting with a focus on ship to ship combat.
Patch 517 event placeholders are a simplified preview of things to come. Watch the announcement section for news on the upcoming Ship Abilities feature, the introduction of drones and carriers and of course new event types.
Known Issues
The Profile view has several known maths errors and elements which are not yet fully functional such as the Sector and System records showing 5k more population than they should. These issues are noted and will be addressed in upcoming patches.
When a player uses the ‘View’ button on an asset or system in the Home > Profile > System Assets list and then quickly switches to the Galaxy map before the view animation is complete it can cause the UI to load improperly. This can be resolved in game by clicking back over to Home and then back into Galaxy map. This issue will be properly resolved in an upcoming patch.
Rena Borsch tasks cannot be completed, Rena’s mission controllers are still in the process of being updated for recent changes and should be completed over the next couple of patches. Saige Marie and 12CE881 contacts are undergoing similar conversions and will update along with the Rena Borsch fixes.
Older save files missing from the profile list, over the past several patches several changes to the games data model have implemented some older save files may not be able to convert and so won’t appear in your profile list. We do work to limit the occurrence of this but it will always be a risk while under Early Access. Invalidated save files are not destroyed and should not adversely impact the loading of your game they are simply no longer compatible with the current state of the game.
Enemy ships die very fast in the placeholder events; this is as designed due to it being a placeholder. Patch 517 is testing the event spawn, load and AI handling. For this patch, the player’s ship cannot be destroyed though your health can be lowered to 0. Enemy ships are soft and can be killed easily the enemy formation should reorganize with each ship loss to maintain its selected formation and behaviour.
Note that enemy kills will accrue 2 Early Access Leader points per-kill though we have not added this entry to the Early Access Message splash screen.