With 0.6.5 (and hot-patches) released , it's time to have a look at what's planned for the next major update. As usual with those articles, it's subject to change during the development, but it will still give you a fairly accurate idea.
Resource Production Centers
The first and foremost feature we're going to tackle is the ability for factions (you included) to control resource production centers on the world map. Before your ask, no, this update will not allow you to directly control your settlers while doing so. It might come later. Production centers will be put on the map, the same way we already do with expeditions. However, they will generally be guarded and in a state of disrepair.
The process to take over one will roughly work like expeditions with a few exceptions. Firstly, you send a few survivors to clear up the location from hostiles. If they succeed, the location is now yours, if they do not, you'll have to try again with a stronger group. Assuming the location is secured, you'll then have to send a crew down there to repair and maintain it. The number of people you need to send and the repair costs will vary from a location to another. People you've sent to maintain the building will live there until you decide to abandon the place.
Once everything is in place, you'll receive resources daily.
On top of the maintenance crew, you'll be allowed to send guards and buy additional defenses with money in order to bolster the defense rating which will determine how well the place is going to fare against enemy attacks. Again, while on paper it might be possible to let the player deal with those attacks manually, we're not there yet.
Active Factions
Of course, you won't be the only faction to do this. AI controlled factions will also slowly take over production centers. At some point, clashes are bound to happen over the control of specific high value locations. They might try to bribe you or take them by force depending on the situation and the faction itself, all of which will have an impact on your relation with each faction. Bandits might try to wreck the place if you don't pay a tribute.
It also means that your reputation with other factions will have more of an impact as it will unlock the ability to settle peace treaties with them.
New Resources & Tech
Of course, if resource productions centers were only giving out the old resources which are generally plentiful, it wouldn't be that interesting. This is why I'll be adding a few new mid-late game resources (namely steel, robotic parts, and a few others) which will be needed to build new late game content. The general idea, at least when it comes to weaponry and defenses is to have 3 distinct tiers, each for a specific activity / stage of the game.
The pipe-weapon stage, which is great for early game and can generally be built and maintained using readily available and plentiful resources from the map. The tech tree for those has been improved in 0.6.5 and I might add specific low tier turrets in this update.
Pre-war weaponry, basically modern weapons and armors you cannot build yourself but which you can repair / recover through trading and exploration. They are relatively rare (at least the best ones) but they are great at pacifying bandits and monsters. Here again this has already been implemented. However, with the addition of resource production centers, I might expand on that a bit. Also, turrets might start to require bullets for them to function properly.
Finally, we'll be introducing high-tier weaponry, with the the associated tech tree and resources which you can only access fully with the control of specific factories: experimental weapons, and drones/robots.
Robot Building Facility
With the proper (late game) tech and resources you'll be able to build this new "crafting station". It will allow you to build and customize your own robots both for defense and work purpose. The station's menu will ask you to select a body, a head and arms, each coming with different stats, weapons, and job abilities at different costs and tech requirements. Assuming all requirements are met, the construction begins and a few hours/days later a new robot will be ready to serve your colony.
For all intent and purpose, robots will act and count as settlers. They obviously wont need to drink or eat, but they'll occasionally need to recharge on specific "pads" which consume electricity. Their weaponry and jobs will be set in stones, you won't be able to alter those after construction.
Other Improvements
Of course, this article only focuses on the major new features. I'll continue to add content, improve the user interface, add sound effects and fix bugs. I will also be merging the combat UI into the standard UI so infestation clearing becomes less of a hassle in the early game (or even dealing with small attacks).
A Few Words
I don't have an exact ETA for this release, but if everything works out okay, it should be delivered just before December (probably with nightly builds made available earlier for those willing to test the new features as they come). Meanwhile, I'd also like to fix a few problems that have been reported to me in the recent days, as such you'll likely get another small patch for 0.6.5.
More articles will also follow when I can show the robot building facility in action :)