Space Haven Alpha 16 - Now In The Experimental Branch!

Greetings, Spacefarer!

Space Haven Alpha 16 is now available to play in the experimental branch. As a reminder, the update process is as follows:

1. A new Update is first available in the Experimental Branch.
2. Players, who do not mind playing a more unstable version, will first want to test the new update.
3. Once the experimental game build looks solid and stable enough we will push it out officially to all players!

NOTE! Joining experimental is completely optional, and you should only do it if you are willing to risk that some new bugs are introduced, which could affect your game play and potentially break your save.

Please do not join the experimental branch if you don't want to risk breaking your save or have the game break on you in midst of play! If you want to play a more stable version please wait for the official release of the update.

Here is how you join The Experimental Starfarer crew:

• Open Steam Library
• Right click Space Haven
• Select Properties
• Go to tab 'Betas' at the top.
• Select 'Experimental' in the drop-down.

To see what has been added, check the in-game patch notes.

Giving Feedback

Please give your feedback in the experimental branch forum. Link below:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/979110/discussions/5/

Let us know what you think of the new features and if something should be altered or tweaked in your mind. Perhaps something makes the game too hard or something is too annoying, let us know so we can get a feel for how the new features feel! =)

Space Haven Alpha 16 Experimental Branch Patch Notes

A Missions System

• A Missions System has been added to the game.
• NPC Factions can now ask the player to execute missions and offer rewards for successfully executed missions.
• Missions range from resource transportation, exploring derelicts, bounty hunting, transporting prisoners, giving medical assistance to finding special logs and fallen crew members of a faction. Generally, helping the factions in various ways.
• Accepting some missions offered by a Faction might displease another faction, depending on the faction relationships.
• The Missions user interface can be found when a NPC faction ship/station is selected. Once a mission has been accepted the mission description can also be found in the logs/statistics section of the User Interface.

Missions to Build Space Stations and Asteroid Bases for Factions

• Added the possibility to build space stations as well as bases on asteroids for NPC factions as a part of the missions system. (Not yet a separate station mode scenario. Instead, the possibility is given through missions on your journey)
• Asteroid bases are unique since they allow crew members to walk on the asteroid itself, and it is possible to build separate sections of a base over the asteroid. (Sections can also be built on a Space Station)
• Added help notifications regarding station and base building missions.

A New Way to Build Hull - The Builder Pod

• Added a new builder pod to the game, and removed the hull building function from the mining pod.
• The builder pod is now meant for building hull.
• Created the possibility for the builder pod to move above ships and stations and build from the top, to enable building bases on asteroids.
• The builder pod uses the same pod hangar as the mining pod. The player can choose if they want a mining pod or builder pod built at the pod hangar.

A New System for How System Points Are Acquired

• New Facility: Ship/Station core. These cores now give system points instead of the Hull Stabilizer.
• Maximum amount of cores is limited, based on the ship canvas size.
• Removed the build restriction from Hull Stabilizers. Hull Stabilizers can now be built freely anywhere, but they cost system points to build.
• Removed the free system points coming with a new hull section.
• Rebalanced the amount of system points facilities need.

A New Mining System

• A new Mining System: Mining has been changed to a system where resources can be found both on the surface of asteroids and deep within asteroids.
• Ore found on the surface can be mined the same way as before, using Mining Pods.
• Ore found deep within asteroids require an Ore Processor facility, which will supply Ore Drills for Mining Pods to use.
• New Facility: The Ore Processor. The Ore Processor comes with a set of Ore Drills, which the Mining Pods use to mine ore from deep within asteroids. The Ore Processor also processes the mined ore to usable resources.

Cargo Shuttles Help Provide Resources for Missions

• A Cargo Shuttle system has been added to the game. Cargo Shuttles are big cargo transports required for special transport missions.
• A ship can build one or more Cargo Ports, which will allow the ship to become specialized in cargo transport tasks.
• Added the possibility of NPC cargo transportation ships joining the player fleet and providing the necessary resources for building stations and bases as part of a mission.
• New Facility: The Cargo Port. (Meant to be built on ships)
• New Facility: The Asteroid Cargo Port. (Meant to be built on asteroid bases)

Power Networks And Hull Stability Networks

• Added the possibility to have many power networks as well as hull stability networks. This enables asteroid bases to have separately built hull sections, each working as their own units.
• When hull sections are separated (No hull link), hull stability is given to the hull section according to the amount of Hull Stabilizers in that section. When sections are unified with hull the hull stability points are added together. Essentially, each built hull section is treated as a ship of its own.
• Power networks are also separated in the same way, and unified by building hull paths between hull sections. Power networks can also be unified with another mechanism on asteroid bases, using conduits that transfer power from one built hull section to another.
• Implemented new view modes to allow viewing how hull stability networks and power networks are set up.

A New Power System

• Modified/Unified the Power System. Removed "Advanced power" as a concept and instead unified power under one term, keeping separate grids for facilities with low power needs and facilities for high power needs.
• Added more depth to the power system, with nodes now adding to the power capacity values in the areas they cover. Multiple power nodes can bolster each other and add to the power capacity in the area.
• The available power capacity of power nodes is now affected by their set range (area to cover), with a smaller range increasing the capacity output.
• Added a way to change the center point of the high capacity power grid given by a power node. This can be done by selecting the power node and changing its settings.
• Power nodes can become overloaded if the power drain surge becomes too high in the area they cover.
• Power capacity nodes can improve the capacity level of power nodes, when placed close enough to them.
• Added a Backup power node to the game, which can be built to increase the amount of backup power available, and used together with solar panels to store power as backup power. (Added to the research tree in the same module as the Solar Panel)
• Solar panels can now help contribute to all power needs of the ship/station.
• Improved the power view mode, listing separate ship/station power consumption categories. These will give the player a better view on what type of facilities are drawing more power at the moment.
• Created a new backup power system, whereby different categories of facilities will turn themselves off at certain thresholds when the ship/station falls into backup power. This system will help keep the ship/station alive longer while keeping critical systems running allowing for searching for more resources.
• Balancing: Modified the capacity/generation values of power nodes and generators.

Facility Wear And Tear

• Implemented a system where facilities can now degrade over time and be impacted from a bad environment, like high temperature, pressure changes from hull breaches and hazardous gases.
• Function may be slowed, or the facility stops working altogether until the environment issue is fixed.
• Facilities will now require some repairs periodically due to wear and tear from usage.
• The setting for both the environment impact and Wear and Tear can be edited and turned off in the game customization tool. (Same menu where difficulty is chosen)

Hyperdrives Can Be Rotated

• Made it possible to rotate hyperdrives in any direction. All active hyperdrives need to be rotated in the same direction to execute hyperspace jumps. (Ships cannot be rotated)
• To enable hyperdrive rotation the graphical look of the hyperspace jump sequence has been modified.

Starmap Improvements And A New Service

• Added a protection service for the Military Alliance. Guns for hire. Makes it possible to hire NPC ships to accompany you for a time period.
• Added a naming system to the starmap. Star systems and star system clusters now have names.
• Added auto-travel to the starmap, making it possible to give a command to travel a longer distance with fewer clicks.

Early Game Improvements

• The starting system in the game will be a safe system.
• Rebalanced start scenario resources and resources in the galaxy.
• Added new settings to the game customization tool, allowing the player to tweak the resources spawned in the galaxy in a new way. (Setting vs Default)
• Redesigned the Basic Platform start, the design of the platform is slightly different with a system core already placed.
• Redesigned the Abandoned Mining station start, adding a system core and other small changes. Improved the outlook of view modes, making the overlays easier to read.

General Improvements

• Added a way to sort crew members according to their skill level in the crew management menu (Priorities). To sort: Click on a priority topic (Like industry).
• Added a way to create global schedules in the crew management menu (Schedules). Crew members can be assigned to these global schedules, and the schedules show how many crew members and how many various skills categories are covered in a global schedule.
• Added information to the facility tooltips showing the required skill level needed to produce a resource.
• Increased the maximum of IF-rules for resource production.
• Fixed bugs.

Please give your feedback in the experimental branch forum. Link below:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/979110/discussions/5/

Join Space Haven Discord: http://discord.gg/spacehaven
Space Haven subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceHaven/

We will gather feedback for Alpha 16 in the experimental branch and tweak as needed. Once everything is looking solid enough we will publish the update to the main branch.

Thanks for reading and see you again in the next update!