Hi everyone. We were hoping to release the B7 Pre-Release today, but it's still a bit too buggy. The rest of the week will be the Christmas holidays, and work will have to wait until after Boxing Day. But, what we can do is talk a bit about what is coming in BETA 7 and what's been done so far.
As a prelude to revamping missions, we first decided to tackle Distress Calls. These are one of the most obvious things in game, especially while at warp, and yet to date one of the weakest pieces of game content. We are hoping to change that. BETA 7 sees a number of changes to Distress Calls. Building off some work done in B6, Distress Calls will now not be immediately hostile. You may find a ship in genuine distress for any number of reasons. It could be missing its engines, reactors or more. It may ask for some assistance in the form of items, or it may ask for a tow to a near starbase or several other ways that you can render aid. Upon successfully helping the vessel, you will typically receive some faction and possibly some currency for your trouble. Like before, you will still have the chance of finding a wreck, but now the wreck may be littered with debris. There is now the chance of finding a ship's log, a small text log possibly giving some insight into how the ship or station ultimately met its fate. Of course in keeping with the Space Impossible spirit, you can always be a giant jerk and just blast and loot the vessel, the choice is yours. That's all for now, we're still aiming for a Pre-Release before or on Dec 31st, nearly reaching our stated goal. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.