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