[Alpha 2] Release Notes

Hello Everyone,

we are currently testing our Alpha 2 (with some of you guys...)
If it is stable we will update it on Steam probably tomorrow.

• Moved the save directory from ‘Documents\Endless Space\Users[SteamAlias]\Save\’ to ‘Documents\Endless Space\Save\’.
• Added a new Fleet action: guard. The fleets with guard status will block fleet movements of all opponents in cold war or war.
• Added a drag and drop function for the items of the construction queue.
• Fixed an issue where AI fleets can initiate a fight during the “End turn” phase.
• Fixed an issue where the battle actions “Beam Surge” and “Illusion” are not properly unlocked by the corresponding Adventurer hero abilities.
• Fixed an issue preventing the apparition of heroes in the academy after 5 games without restarting the client.
• Fixed an error preventing the victory conditions to be deactivated in the settings of a new game.
• Added a warning message if you don’t have a research in queue when you click on end turn.
• Added a warning message if your bank account become negative at the next turn. After validating the end turn, if next turn's Dust should still become negative, elements will be scrapped automatically (before next turn's dust calculation). The order used to scrap elements is :

• if player's tax rate is lower than 50%, force it to 50%.
• the oldest player's system (if that rule is not possible : the one with the less dust)
  >>> scrap buildings 1 by 1 except those giving immediate dust (system improvement dust 1 to 6), starting each time with the building having the highest upkeep.
• the oldest player's ship (if that rule is not possible : the one having the less MP)
• Repeat (2) system by system and (3) ship by ship until there is no more ship and all targeted buildings have been scrapped from all systems
• force player tax rate to 75%.
• Expel heroes, starting with the one having less XP, until there is no hero left
• Scrap all remaining buildings system by system (highest system improvement upkeep first)
• force player tax rate to 100%.

• Added the ‘Lock End Turn’ option in the game options panel. When this option is selected, you will not be able to end your turn until all critical warnings have been dismissed or resolved.
• Modified the population growth formula.
• Modified the hero upkeep formula.
• Increased the upkeep value of the system improvements.
• Modified the negative anomalies effects in order to increase the interest of “Anomaly Reduction”.
• Modified the values of weapon mods. All accuracies have been changed.
• Modified the values of defense mods. Weapon X against Defense X has still a chance to deal damage.
• Fixed the values for the following kinetic modules: Hissho, 7 and 9.
• Decreased the effects of the trade route bonuses.
• Modified the effects of the tax rate.
• Added 2 battle cards at game start.
• Exchanges can no longer be made in cold war or war.
• Now diplomacy victory can be achieved with all galaxy sizes and all number of factions, though the more cravers there will be, the harder it will become (it can also become impossible with more than 40% cravers)
• Improved the AI which no longer tries to build system improvements that will never be of use depending on star system contents.
• Added a colored symbol to most of the icons of the tech tree. Color indications are the following: industry (orange), food (light green), exploration/colonization (dark green), dust (yellow), military/command (red), hero/academy/experience (light blue), science (dark blue), approval (pink), diplomacy/influence (light grey), strategic resources (purple), FIDS (rainbow). Shape determines an empire unlock (star), a system building (triangle) or a ship module (square).
• Added a confirmation message after a modification of resolution.
• Fixed an issue preventing to change the resolution if the new height or width is the same as the previous selection.
• Fixed an issue where AI fleets can overcome the command points limitation.
• Added the locust points value in the system view.
• Extended the size of the filename for the save files to 80 characters.
• Added a Vsync option in the Game Options Panel.
• Modified the end game screen.
• The “+1 max pop on explored moon” bonus effect of ‘Psychological Insulation’ should work properly now.
• Fixed an error occurring when an empire is eliminated and causing a crash.
• Fixed an issue where the player can’t pass a turn (without an error message).
• Modified the galaxy generation, including the following points:

• Improved the 3D viewport in the Military and Ship Design screens: you can rotate the 3D ship with holding the left click.
• Fixed an error where the user can retrofit ships for which he does not have the required strategic resources.
• Fixed an issue where the pirate ship explosion is too small.
• Added scroll bars in the random event panel.
• Improved the skyboxes in the Galaxy and System screens.
• Lava planets are rotated around a vertical axis.
• Added background elements in the Battle view (asteroids, wrecks).
• Added a zoom level slider in the Galaxy View (available in the game option panel).
• Fixed an issue where the slider values in the audio options display the wrong information.
• Added a slider for the GUI SFX in the audio options.
• Modified the trade panel to display more than 6 trade routes.
• Improved the faction selection in the new game screen.
• Fixed an error where hovering over the command point number displays the wrong tool tip.
• Fixed an error where disband a fleet or scrap a ship can be performed in the military view while the fleet is on a cosmic string.
• Fixed an issue where the slider for Ambience, Master and Music volume disappears if the user presses left-click on it.
• Fixed a display issue where Xeno-Pharmaceuticals, Artifact Analysis and Animalia exploitation unlocks are exiting the designated area.
• Fixed a display issue where all artifacts resources are exiting the designated area when the user is in planet view.
• Fixed an error where some module texts do not fit the designated space box in the ship design view.
• Fixed an error where the trade panel in the system view has no scroll bar.
• Fixed an error occurring after expelling all heroes from the academy.
• Fixed an error preventing the loading of some game saves.
• Fixed a text issue where the title of the battle cards panel in the galaxy view is wrong.
• Fixed some display errors in the diplomatic negotiations view.
• Fixed an improper tooltip when trying to assign a hero to a fleet engaged into a fight.
• Fixed a resolution issue on the moon/temple large icons.
• Fixed a text issue in the battle card successful tooltip if the AI hasn’t used a battle card.
• Fixed a text issue in the title tooltip of the advanced galaxy settings panel.
• Fixed text issues in the description of some heroes.
• Fixed text issue in the tooltip of a lava planet colonization without having the required technology.
• Fixed an issue on the left arrow used to change deal values in the diplomatic negotiations view.
• Fixed a text issue in the attack fleet action tooltip.
• Fixed text issues in the tutorials.
• Fixed an error where the 7th tip is missing in the military view tutorial.
• Fixed text issue in the opponent played battle action tooltip.
• Edit: Fixed an issue where tonnage related empire improvements are not functional.
• Edit: Fixed an issue where the food surplus is not converted into industry with 'Adaptive Industrial Systems'.

Known issues:

• Pathfinding (when you want to pass through a wormhole with the warp drive technology).
• Ghost fleets.
• Invisible missiles.
• Upon reaching level 11, ships lose all their XP.
• Edit: Game difficulty (AI does not benefit from upkeep bonuses).

If you have one of the following issues:

• Mousewheel not working
• Game Won't Start – Crash To Desktop
• Steam Attempts to Install Every Time
• Fleet Movement – Stuck
• End Turn - Stuck

Please refer to http://forums.amplitude-studios.com/showthread.php?740-Workarounds-to-Known-Issues for a list of workarounds (thanks to Strand for the compilation).