Patch 1024 is live for PC, Mac and Linux!
Patch 1024 brings with it a host of new features as well as polish to existing mechanics. In this patch we are introducing Gar capital ships, powerful, ornate symbols of your empires might. We are starting with 3 Gar to choose from and plan to introduce more options as we round out Phase 3. Each Gar has a unique visual style, stats and bonuses and 5 unique abilities. Coupled with the new Gar capital ships is a revamped progression system, adjustments to economy balance, AI behaviour and more. Below you will find a list of the major changes and additions with this patch.

• Economy Report A new metrics display detailing your economy can be found in the trade view. This view shows a breakdown of credits, resources and influence generated by population, trade hubs, industry hubs, research hubs, fleets, star systems, stations, citadels and the effect any exchange settings you may have.
• Technologies The Progression Grid system has been replaced by a Technology Research system. Clicking the Research icon in the lower left of the screen or accessing it from menu you will be presented with the technologies available to be researched. You can research any available technology and if unavailable view the technologies required to unlock it. Technologies can be further upgraded via additional research. Each addition / upgrade pass on a technology may have multiple options for example when researching upgrades for Molten worlds you may choose to improve colony, trade, industry or research output.
• Gar Gar have been re-introduced to the game in a new incarnation. Gar are massive ornate ships that represent your organization as a whole, serving like a capital. Each Gar has a set of unique abilities which may be passive effects, active abilities or special start conditions. Passive effects and active abilities have associated technologies and can be upgraded in the new Technologies system. Gar are now tied to the main victory condition that is you must defeat an organizations Gar to completely destroy them and similarly if you lose your Gar you are defeated.
• Combat Improvements The combat sections of the game have been improved with new UI updates, normalized control schemes and new input functions such as the elevation control when issuing a move order.
• Exploration Awareness is now calculated for all elements on the strategy map. In general, you will always have good awareness of map elements that are near a populated station or system or near one of your fleet elements. This change now means that you must have awareness of a system before you can claim it such as by calming a nearby system or by sending a fleet. The intent is to add new features to the game that will require this mechanic more on that to come.
• General Balance Improvements With the new research system, and related changes we have re-worked most of the maths involved with the game. Organizations will in general start slower needing to research and develop before they begin major expansion. Ships will need to be researched and upgraded before you start on a military conquest push, etc. The outputs of worlds, growths of populations and stats of ships have all been adjusted accordingly. This is expected to take several iterations to balance but will offer more diverse paths to victory.
• Ship Unlock Organizations now start with a single ship technology and must research new designs and related upgrades in order to unlock additional ships. The strength of any given ship class is now dictated by the upgrade path you choose to invest in. The intent to is to expand on the roster of available ship technologies over the life of the game.
• Major Engine Update The underlying engine has been upgraded from Unity 2017 to Unity 2018 (latest stable version). This upgrade should further improve performance and help insure the tech side of the game is in a good position for future efforts e.g. gives the game a longer viable life.