Communicating with aliens in Approaching Infinity has always been more of an abstracted thing than a direct conversation.
But that's about to change!
Hailing frequencies are now open in the beta branch.
Last week I hinted about a new feature that could serve many purposes. Well, this is it!
Press [H] (re-bindable) when you are near an alien to get a message from that ship. There are lots of possible outcomes:
- They might just say hello, or hint at what they think of you.
- They could ignore you (especially if you're fighting them).
- They might offer to resupply you if you're running low.
- They can let you know about undiscovered planets in the area.
- They might say how they feel about other races in the sector.
- They can even offer to surrender, or allow you to surrender...
Many of these interactions will improve relations with that race. They can also provide important insights into the psychology of these aliens, as well as let you know who their friends and enemies are.
You might discover that the Space Pirates and the Gruff don't get along. (Or you might already know that, if you've seen their ships fighting). Then you might understand why, if you're friends with both races, your relations start to decline with both, until you pick a side.
I made this video last week, when the "Hailing" feature was just getting started, but I didn't announce it. The function has progressed a lot since then, but it might still be worth watching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXjzEOCkqrc
If you haven't already, you can opt into (or out of) the beta branch at any time from within steam, under settings>betas. It's called "betafromnowon", and it won't break your saves.
There is still a lot of untapped potential for the "Hailing" feature, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Please check it out!
If you need further incentive, check out this new type of sector that's available: every race you've met so far will have a space station present in the new "Diplomacy Sector":
