Beta 0.870 now out! (The Giant Revision)

[x4000]

Release notes: http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Stars_Beyond_Reach_Beta_Release_Notes#Version_0.870

This one revises... oh goodness so much.  Existing savegames will upgrade into this new version, but I'd pretty much recommend against that as a lot of things will be in a strange state (not broken per se, but the choices you made in the prior version of the game will often have turned out to be pretty bad and/or invalid choices in the new version -- it just plays very differently and a lot of the buildings and techs were redefined in place).

I can't even begin to summarize it, but I will say that to me it feels almost like a whole new game while at the same time being the same game.  If that makes sense?  It's taken a huge leap toward what I want the game to be, and that's very exciting for me.

KNOWN ISSUE: A number of the social progress unlocks make little sense right now, and a number of them have literally no purpose (they aren't just missing a description of what they do when they have a blank description).  I just didn't have time to get to that yet, but I will shortly.


I will get to inviting the yellowshirts in roughly an hour or so, but I have a couple of family things I have to run and take care of first.  Thanks for your patience!

[Cinth]

What happened to six?

[windgen]

I haven't played this game for like a month.  Sounds like I'm in for an interesting experience...

[Elijah]

Wow, there's so much stuff   

[x4000]

What happened to six?

This was two giant revisions in one, really, so I skipped two versions on purpose.

I haven't played this game for like a month.  Sounds like I'm in for an interesting experience...

I'm actually really glad to have you gone and then back in that way, since it sounds like it wasn't grabbing you before.  Hopefully with a lot of distance and enough of a reset here, it will have a different effect this time.  We'll see!

Wow, there's so much stuff   

Yeah, for sure!  This was pretty well four solid days of really intense work, so I'm glad to have accomplished a good amount of stuff in it.

[Cinth]

What happened to six?

This was two giant revisions in one, really, so I skipped two versions on purpose.

Spaceballs reference FTW!  If there has been anyone one thing that I have learned in all my years as a consumer of video games is that version numbers are at the whim of the developer

[Cyborg]

Well, it took 309 turns for the AI to notice I am on the planet. Meanwhile, the other AI players are involved in war, and there appears to be this worm monster thing crawling around map. Finally, at turn number 309, saucers land beside my district. I have had time to amass over 500,000 gold.


It needs to be a lot quicker Chris. 309 turns. The AI, as it stands now, will not bother you unless you bother it, for quite a long time.

[x4000]

Well, it took 309 turns for the AI to notice I am on the planet. Meanwhile, the other AI players are involved in war, and there appears to be this worm monster thing crawling around map. Finally, at turn number 309, saucers land beside my district. I have had time to amass over 500,000 gold.


It needs to be a lot quicker Chris. 309 turns. The AI, as it stands now, will not bother you unless you bother it, for quite a long time.

Oh yes, for sure.  I 100% agree with you, and the AI is basically semi-present at best right now in terms of dealing with you.  The main reason for that initially was to test the citybuilding stuff more closely.  Then crime and disease have been such a problem that throwing the AI on top of that was not going to help.  Hopefully now that that stuff is getting sorted out, I can get to having the AI approach you with the proper aggression.  And independent rogues earlier in the game.

That's the next batch of stuff on my list, and hopefully the rest of the game is such that it goes smoothly so long as the AI isn't on your hide.  The goal of mine is for the citybuilding stuff to be interesting and engaging even without the AI bothering you, although it's not much of a strategy game, but more of a citybuilder that way.  If that feels reasonably good on its own, even if it doesn't have long-term staying power without the AI harassing you, then that is what will make me happiest.  Obviously the degree to which people prefer war/conflict over empire building is going to have a big impact on that, so the people who are less into empire building are going to be less interested with the war toned down.

Anyway, just a note to basically say "this is pretty much as expected and intended for the temporary time, but it's not remotely supposed to be indicative of later intentions."

[x4000]

What happened to six?

This was two giant revisions in one, really, so I skipped two versions on purpose.

Spaceballs reference FTW!  If there has been anyone one thing that I have learned in all my years as a consumer of video games is that version numbers are at the whim of the developer

I am feeling so bad that I am missing this reference.  I thought I had every line of that movie memorized.  Aaaugh, what am I missing?

[Cyborg]

What happened to six?

This was two giant revisions in one, really, so I skipped two versions on purpose.

Spaceballs reference FTW!  If there has been anyone one thing that I have learned in all my years as a consumer of video games is that version numbers are at the whim of the developer

I am feeling so bad that I am missing this reference.  I thought I had every line of that movie memorized.  Aaaugh, what am I missing?

The self-destruct sequence skipped a number in that movie.

[x4000]

Ah!!!!!  Of course, that's right.  Dang, that bit is the one part I find least memorable.  Except for she's gone from suck to blow.

[Cinth]

Damn it! Even in the future nothing works!

[x4000]

Damn it! Even in the future nothing works!

Careful, you idiot!  I said across her nose, not up it!

[Cinth]

Damn it! Even in the future nothing works!

Careful, you idiot!  I said across her nose, not up it!

Only one man dares give me the raspberry 

[x4000]

Damn it! Even in the future nothing works!

Careful, you idiot!  I said across her nose, not up it!

Only one man dares give me the raspberry 

Does anyone else here play XACTIKA?  It's been a family favorite for a bit more than a decade in my family.  Well, my mom has always hated Spaceballs and Mel Brooks in general.  I love it, my wife and dad and sister like it pretty well, and my sister's husband also loves it.

Well, whenever someone would play "one star," (which is really like a tetrahedron or something), I'd say "LONE STAR... at last we meet... for the first time... for the last time..."  After the first time in a given night, it just became "LONE STAR" when playing that, versus "three balls" or "two cones" or whatever.

The last few years I don't even say it.  Now my mom does.  Mwa ha ha!