A new beta of Airships dev 9 is now out, with an array of minor features, adjustments and bugfixes. This is based both on beta feedback and on feedback received at gamescom. The next beta will have more major features (new monsters). Let me know what you think, and whenever you find any problems with the beta! As always, you can opt into the beta by right-clicking on Airships: Conquer the Skies in your Steam library, going to the "Betas" tab, and selecting "Beta" from the drop-down.

Features

• Air sailors in buildings have been replaced by soldiers. Quarters and berths have been replaced by barracks and bunks. Soldiers are tougher than air sailors, which should make buildings harder to defeat by boarding. (This last part may still need work.) (Also, do let me know if the substitution causes any problems, like crew not switching types, or being left in a weird state.)
• Right/middle click and drag to move view.
• WASD to move view. This also means that some shortcuts that were previously on those keys are now elsewhere. In particular, Save is now V and Start is now T.
• Added tutorial about commanding multiple ships.
• Spider legs (both biological and mechanical) now have an extra joint and move a bit better.
• Harpoon charge for coats of arms.
• Cut tether command button.
• New launch config to force system cursor.

Changes

• Reduced the income bonus from scales to 15%, but also actually implemented it. (Yeah. Turns out scales did not actually give you any bonus. Oops.)
• Improved lighting system to vary ambient colour and saturation depending on time of day.
• Modules at the bottom of a building are a bit stronger now.
• Cities being pacified with a fleet present can no longer revolt.
• Monster nests don't pop up again as quickly anymore.
• Can now save incomplete missions, just not play them.
• Can now move ship to other side in combat setup where appropriate.
• Improved positioning and landship tutorials.
• Ships no longer bother braking if the predicted impact is harmless, which means giving movement commands to ships in tight spots should be less frustrating now.
• Circular range limit available for weapons.
• Saw weapon now has better range calculation and a much wider arc.

Bugfixes

• Improved job assignment logic for crew, which should prevent crew members from getting stuck in a loop switching between two different jobs, doing neither.
• Can now save ships with non-ASCII characters in their names.
• Fixed strategic screen ship tooltip display.
• Fixed weird tentacle movement when attacking ship hull.
• Landships no longer completely lose their footing when turning around.
• No longer showing unavailable modules like monster body parts in the ship filter dialog.
• The resolution choices in the setting screen no longer incorrectly claim that their shortcut is ENTER.