New version .900 (Adviser, Attitude Dispatches, Science)

[x4000]

Release notes: http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=The_Last_Federation_Alpha_Release_Notes#Alpha_Version_.900

Restart steam to force a quicker update if you like.

All righty, I really like this one a lot!  This is where I consider it officially moving into FULL "phase 3."  We have absolutely everything in here tutorial-wise and helper-wise that I can think of in a generalized sense, and now it's getting down to special cases.  All the features are in there, some more specific quests notwithstanding.  Balance is overall really great in combat, and remains fine on the solar map when talking about races vs other races.  Your mechanisms for affecting the outcome of the solar map are becoming increasingly refined, and in a number of cases (cough) fixed to work properly.

We still have a long laundry list of stuff to clean up, including still a couple of interfaces (or... I guess it is "interface" now.  The relations bar graph one).  The adviser will get more things to tell you about, I'm sure.  Quests, quests, quests.  And then bugfixes and other small tweaks.  That's pretty much the path between here and 1.0 at this point, unless something else unexpectedly comes up.

Specifically new in this milestone version:

1. Lots of optimization to the solar map to make it run more smoothly.
2. All known exceptions/crashes are handled.
3. A new "Model T" version of the "Model X" flagship, just for fun.
4. The adviser screen, currently with three sections of stuff it tells you about.
5. A maaajorly visually improved Federation Progress screen.
6. Two new dispatch types that let you improve or erode attitudes between races.
7. Lots of bugfixes to techs.
8. Balance adjustment to techs in the form of adding engineers as a new type of goon that helps you just with the mark level upgrades.
9. Lots of smaller miscellany.

Enjoy!

[x4000]

New testers!  Here's the list:

PLivesey
Zalrus9
ElektroSMF
merlinus12
Shrikey
blulite
Thumpy
Foogsert
pallenda
Cyprene
Bios Element
Doink9731
MrSchism
d10sfan
pe4a
SocialSystem
RagerX
ocram
Volkira



This is now everybody that has signed up for the alpha (all 153 of you).  If you don't have a PM from me within a few minutes, then for whatever reason I didn't have you on my list properly.  In that case, please post to the signup thread again, or PM me, to let me know.  Thanks!

[keith.lamothe]

This is where I consider it officially moving into FULL "phase 3."

I think I missed the transitions into phases 1 and 2

[x4000]

This is where I consider it officially moving into FULL "phase 3."

I think I missed the transitions into phases 1 and 2

Me too.

[Professor Paul1290]

I ran observer mode for a while and noticed the seemingly invincible homeworlds issue again.

It's a bit confusing because other player's posts seem to imply that races can still die during normal play. I think it might be that they can't do it without player intervention.

They seem to have a VERY difficult, if not in some cases impossible, time doing it in observer mode where the player is not really there. Running observer mode for extended periods of time often results in no homeworlds being taken even when overwhelming force is present.

I added a note to the relevant ticket.

[x4000]

We'll have to look at tuning that, because that's new.  We did add throttling on there in the last week to make it go slower, because it was happening too fast before.  But last I tried it, it was doing fine on takeovers.  I haven't had time to try it in the last couple of versions, though.  Keith, probably is something for your list.

[Cyprene]

I'll have more comments later (I'm writing some right now in a notepad), but I wanted to drop you a short note to say that the combat is FUN!  I loved making the little ships go pew-pew and then explode.

[Misery]

Things are definitely going really well here so far.  Thoroughly enjoying both the combat and the solar map stuff.... this has become a very deep game.  Games like this are why I stick to indie gaming more than anything else.... creativity like this abound with indie devs, but it just never happens with the big guys.

Very, very good right now.  I shall lose much faith in the PC/indie gaming community if this game does not do well.   Well, more faith lost than usual anyway.  Kinda already in the negatives much of the time...

[PokerChen]

When *adjective* *animal*(s) games takes over media attention, you know humanity is doomed. We're just enjoying the view while the ship sinks.

G'luck with the final push.

[x4000]

Thank you so much, guys! 

I fully agree in terms of how this is turning out, so I'm really glad I'm not the only one, haha.  Anyone who wants to help out by giving reviews of your opinions on the steam store page is, ah, more than welcome to say whatever it is they feel.  Good and bad -- having some people on there for reference who have played the game will definitely be a big boon to us on launch.  We've got three so far, which is awesome, but more always helps.

[Chthon]

Thank you so much, guys! 

I fully agree in terms of how this is turning out, so I'm really glad I'm not the only one, haha.  Anyone who wants to help out by giving reviews of your opinions on the steam store page is, ah, more than welcome to say whatever it is they feel.  Good and bad -- having some people on there for reference who have played the game will definitely be a big boon to us on launch.  We've got three so far, which is awesome, but more always helps.

Much as this sounds like a good idea, you can actually get a bit of backlash for this if people notice the review came out before release.  Not everyone knows there was an almost open alpha, they may think these are planted reviews.  Even if they did know about the alpha, they might think the reviews are not respective of the finished product.

I'm just saying this because I've seen it happen where reviews got tons of down-votes on other games for just this reason.  In a prerelease review you might want to mention that it is from the final alpha stages.

[x4000]

Ah, that makes sense.  I'm not too familiar with the system.