This is an unstable release, containing big changes that may introduce new bugs. Major new changes include the following: Breaking changes:

• The accompany objective on mission npcs no longer implicitly sets the save objective. Plugin missions that had "accompany" but not "save" should be changed to include "save" if the intention of the mission is that the npcs live.
• This is a change that was made in v0.9.16, reverted in v0.9.16.1, and has been reintroduced.

Content and features:

• Two new alien factions, the Gegno and Bunrodea.
• A plethora of new conditions and new ways to use them, including the introduction of "global conditions" that can be set and accessed across save files.
• Improvements to how ship AI behaves, more intelligently making use of the range of their weapons. More AI improvements will come in the future.
• An overhaul to how cargo and outfit scanners function, causing scanning to take overall longer to complete.
• The jobs board can now be sorted on various metrics, including how much the job pays or whether it has a deadline.
• Improved mouse control while in flight, including the ability to select secondary weapons by clicking on their ammo icons, and a toggle for controlling flagship aiming and firing with the mouse.
• Reverted the heat damage change from v0.9.15, and reduced the buffs provided to afterburners from that same update.
• Added a deadline to bounty jobs so that they cannot be stacked infinitely and finished passively. In exchange, bounty ships now don't spawn as far away, and bounty job payments are increased.

Bug fixes:

• Reloading your save file while you have escorts in a different system that are carrying mission cargo will no longer teleport the mission cargo to the player's location.
• Reloading your save file while in the middle of a conversation will no longer repeat execute the mission actions that run alongside the conversation.
• Captured ships will no longer require the save file to be reloaded in order for them to make use of their weapons.

For a complete list of changes, as well as further detail about the summarized changes, see the changelog. Special thanks to those who contributed to this release: @1010todd, @a-random-lemurian, @alextd, @Amazinite, @Anarchist2, @Aneutronic, @Arachi-Lover, @aradapilot, @Azure3141, @beccabunny, @bene-dictator, @CAPTAIN1947, @czartrak, @Daeridanii1, @daggs1, @dashkal16, @Deltaspace0, @EjoThims, @Ember369, @Ferociousfeind, @FoxSylv, @Hatrask, @Hecter94, @heirecka, @hmglasgow, @Hurleveur, @kaol, @Kepler-69c, @Koranir, @MasterOfGrey, @McloughlinGuy, @MCOfficer, @mike-f1, @mOctave, @nathan-b, @NomadicVolcano, @opusforlife2, @petervdmeer, @Pointedstick, @Quantumshark, @quyykk, @ravenshining, @real-dam, @RisingLeaf, @roadrunner56, @rovermicrover, @samrocketman, @Saugia, @sevu, @SolraBizna, @tehhowch, @Terin, @thewierdnut, @ThrawnCA, @tibetiroka, @TomGoodIdea, @UnorderedSigh, @wallphoenix, @warp-core, @williaji, @wjp, @Zitchas, and @zlonghofer. Friendly reminder that all odd numbered releases, including this one, are considered "unstable" updates, and in order to play such updates on Steam you need to opt into the beta branch. To do that, go to your Steam library, right click Endless Sky, go to Properties, go to Betas, and select the beta in the drop down box. (You don't need any sort of beta code, just select beta in the drop down box and close the menu.)

[ 2023-02-19 23:04:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is - for a change - not a game update, but one from behind the scenes. Steam Auto Cloud is now enabled for all players. This means that any save Endless Sky writes is now synced into Steam Cloud once the game closes. Should you play on more than one device, you should now see saves from both machines appear on both of them (after you started ES on each at least once). Plug-Ins cannot be synced due to their size, so make sure to install them when transferring saves! Special thanks to @quyykk and @Fzzr for making this one possible.

[ 2022-11-04 23:46:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is a hotfix release for the stable 0.9.16 release, reverting a change made that could cause NPC ships to disappear in certain circumstances.

[ 2022-10-18 20:46:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is a stable release, focusing on bug fixes and polishing the recent v0.9.15 release. New changes include the following: Breaking changes:

• The accompany objective on mission npcs no longer implicitly sets the save objective. Plugin missions that had "accompany" but not "save" should be changed to include "save" if the intention of the mission is that the npcs live.

Bug fixes:

• Added a firing sound to the Ka'het Annihilator Turret, as it was missing one.
• The jump range of systems affected by the Ssil Vida activation are now reset when Ssil Vida is deactivated in order to avoid a bug in pathfinding. This change will be reverted in the future once the pathfinding is improved.
• Fixed an error where attempting to launch with a fighter as your flagship under certain circumstances could cause you to launch with no ship at all.
• Fixed a longstanding bug where npcs could get stuck thinking they need fuel after traveling through a wormhole.
• Fixed a bug where fighters would sometimes fail to reparent to a carrier that had space for them when recalled.

Other changes:

• Clicking on a planet card on the left side of the map now selects that planet as a destination on your travel plan.

If you would like to share your thoughts on the changes since 0.9.14, we have a feedback box here. A complete list of changes can be found in the changelog. Special thanks to those who contributed changes to this release: @1010todd, @a-random-lemurian, @Amazinite, @Anarchist2, @Arachi-Lover, @GefullteTaubenbrust2, @Hecter94, @Hurleveur, @LepRyot, @McloughlinGuy, @mOctave, @petervdmeer, @quyykk, @RisingLeaf, @roadrunner56, @samrocketman, @Saugia, @thomasballinger, @tibetiroka, @warp-core, @williaji, and @yjhn.

[ 2022-10-16 22:42:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is an unstable release, containing big changes that may introduce new bugs. Major new changes include the following:

• 60+ new outfits
• 80+ new missions in human space and beyond
• 40 new stations and planets in existing systems
• Improvement of many graphics, including stars, ships, effects, and outfits
• The addition of parallax to background stars and haze
• Sweeping balance changes to various ships and outfits
• Overheating a ship only disables energy generation, letting the ship still use battery power to operate
• Changes to the UI, including the addition of new ship and outfit categories and an overhaul of the map screen
• Changes to existing missions, including an overhaul of the first third of the Free Worlds campaign.

Several features have been added to the game engine, for use by plugins and other content creators. These include:

• 20 new swizzle options
• The ability to customize ship and outfit categories in the data files
• Four new damage-over-time types
• Conversations can trigger mission actions depending on the player's choices, including payment, gifting items, and triggering events
• Missions can trigger actions every time the date increments
• Plugins can selectively disable vanilla content
• Events can remove objects from a system without needing to redefine the entire system
• Removal of the 32 hardpoint limit

This summary only scratches the surface of what was added during 0.9.15's year-and-a-third-long development cycle. For a complete list of changes, as well as further detail about what was summarised, see the changelog. This release also marks the highest number of contributors to a single release, bypassing 0.9.9's record of 69. Special thanks to the 107 people who contributed to this release: @10010101001, @1010todd, @AlbertNewton, @alex116, @alextd, @Amacita, @Amazinite, @Anarchist2, @Arachi-Lover, @a-random-lemurian, @arkhne, @Arrow2thekn33, @Azure3141, @beccabunny, @benflodge, @BlazingDiesel, @Brick63, @CAPTAIN1947, @ChamEV, @Corraban2, @DarcyManoel, @DeBlister, @DJF113, @dorbarker, @DownsB, @Dragenhart, @dragonmaus, @Dschiltt, @EjoThims, @EricFromCanada, @ESCelestia, @eternal-sorrow, @fakepass, @Ferociousfeind, @flaviojs, @Galaucus, @GefullteTaubenbrust2, @Hadron1776, @Hecter94, @Hurleveur, @infinitewarp, @Jamibaraki, @janisozaur, @jerith, jeverett#3344, @jostephd, @kaol, @Karirawri, @kestrel1110, @leklachu, @LepRyot, @LukeMarlin, @Mach565, @MageKing17, @MagicMuscleMan, @MasterOfGrey, @McloughlinGuy, @MCOfficer, @mOctave, @Mr-L-oof, @nathan-b, @NomadicVolcano, @NRK4, @oo13, @pakyinw, @PeacefulPotato, @petervdmeer, @peteryager, @pilover100, @Pointedstick, @quyykk, @Rakete1111, @ravenshining, @RestingImmortal, @roadrunner56, @Rocketeer456, @salqadri, @samoja12, @samrocketman, @saraswativ23, @Saugia, @Scrinarii1337, @shitwolfymakes, @sigus, @skilaa, @SpearDane, @stechio, @SubstandardZeal, @tehhowch, @Terin, @TheMarksman-ES, @thewierdnut, @thomasballinger, @RisingLeaf, @tibetiroka, @TotalCaesar659, @unjown, @vitalchip, @W1zrad, @warp-core, @waterhouse, @Wedge009, @williaji, X-27#8884, @yjhn, and @Zitchas. Friendly reminder that all odd numbered releases, including this one, are considered "unstable" updates, and in order to play such updates on Steam you need to opt into the beta branch. To do that, go to your Steam library, right click Endless Sky, go to Properties, go to Betas, and select the beta in the drop down box. (You don't need any sort of beta code, just select beta in the drop down box and close the menu.)

[ 2022-10-03 23:29:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Great news, everyone. As Zitchas announced back in March on Discord, MZ has added a few community members as developers to the game on Steam, allowing us to push our own releases without needing to reach out to MZ and have him find time to update the game for us. With all these new bells and whistles at our fingertips, we've needed time to get a handle of it and understand how everything works, but the time has finally come! Thanks to @M*C*O and @quyykk, along with help from @Fzzr and @blop to ensure that the macOS version is working, Endless Sky version 0.9.14 is finally live on Steam! With this milestone crossed, new versions of the game should come much more quickly in the future. Or, well, more like we'll be returning to what our release schedule used to be like back before v0.9.9: a new major update every 3 or 4 months after each minor update, with minor updates arriving up to a month after major ones. Reminder that the v0.9.14 release is from July of last year, and is a minor release, meaning that there won't be many new things to play with. But for those of you who have (somehow) been playing on v0.9.12 this entire time, the new update will immediately be hitting the main branch on Steam, providing you with both the v0.9.13 content that's been in the beta branch as well as the fixes and minor content additions from v0.9.14. The next update, v0.9.15, has been in the works ever since v0.9.14 was released last year, so this one will be pretty big (and we'll likely be spending a number of hours on a write-up similar to the one we did for v0.9.13 talking about what the update brings). We intend to spend the next month or two polishing the update and getting in any last minute changes before sending it out the door, so for those of you who don't play on continuous, expect a MASSIVE update in the near future. This is a stable release, focusing on bug fixes and polishing the v0.9.13 release. New changes include the following:

• Numerous typo fixes
• Fixes to how several missions are offered to the player
• Better suggestions of possibly incomplete conditions in some missions' "visit" dialogues
• Differentiation between two Remnant engines' reversing capabilities
• Certain Navy shipyards now stock the Dropship
• Ships that have no specified "drag" attribute default to 100, rather than causing crashes
• Weaponry that alters the ship's status conditions (e.g. ionization) now respects the required minimum value of 0
• The "interrupt fast-forward" preference defaults to off

Some minor improvements were added to help support plugin authors and content creators:

• Quarg planets now have regional attributes to enable better targeting via missions
• Missions that fail to be instantiated print more informative messages in the error file
• Large numbers of missing image frames no longer pollute the error file

Specifics of the changes, in addition to descriptions of those not summarized here, can be found in the changelog. Special thanks to those who contributed changes to this release: @10010101001, @alextd, @Amazinite, @Anarchist2, @AraCaputDraco, @Arachi-Lover, @ashdnazg, @Corraban2, @dazuma, @DeBlister, @EjoThims, @Ferociousfeind, @Floppa-Priest, @InfiniteDonuts, @infinitewarp, @jarekchr, @jerith, @jostephd, @Jugosloven1612, @McloughlinGuy, @MCOfficer, @Ornok, @petervdmeer, @ravenshining, @tehhowch, @Terin, and @Zitchas.

[ 2022-07-26 19:29:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Unstable release 0.9.13 is now available for anyone who has opted into the "beta" channel. Major new changes include the following:

• 70+ new missions in human and alien space
• Outfits can now be stored on planets, without needing to install them on a parked ship
• An overhaul of almost all human outfit images
• Players can now choose their starting scenario
• Spaceport news messages no longer include portraits by default
• Better handling for missing content definitions (e.g. from plugin removal)

In addition to the major changes above, there are lots of smaller changes, content additions, and (of course) countless bug and typo fixes. A complete list of changes can be found in the GitHub changelog. Thanks to all of our contributors for their time and effort in making Endless Sky a community-driven project! A special thanks to those who contributed changes for this release: @Amazinite, @Anarchist2, @Arachi-Lover, @arkhne, @beccabunny, @bobrobbow, @Brick63, @ChamEV, @Darcman99, @Eloraam, @fcfort, @finite-galaxy, @FixItYondu, @flaviojs, @FranchuFranchu, @Fzzr, @Galaucus, @Gods-Righthand, @infinitewarp, @janisozaur, @jmathes, @jostephd, @Karirawri, @Kryes-Omega, @LocalGod79, @MasterOfGrey, @MCOfficer, @michel-slm, @Naminson, @NomadicVolcano, @oo13, @Ornok, @pega3, @petervdmeer, @Plip-Plop, @Pointedstick, @prophile, @Rakete1111, @ravenshining, @Red-57, @Ririshi, @roadrunner56, @Sandwichs-del, @ScruffyKitty, @SubstandardZeal, Swiren#8879, @tatami4, @tehhowch, @temtemy, @Terin, @thebigh2014, @TheronEpic, @thomasballinger, @ThrosturX, @Thunderforge, @tux2603, @Vitalchip, @W1zrad, @WarlordMike, @waterhouse, @wjbotham, @wrzlprnft, @yobbo2020, and @Zitchas.

[ 2021-04-17 19:08:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is a stable release, focused on bug fixes and minor improvements. It's currently live only for people who have opted into the "beta" channel; if no bugs turn up it will be pushed out to all players in a week or two. New changes include the following:

• Bug fixes, including a bug that caused the game to crash on startup due to unsupported VSync settings.
• Buying & selling items at maximum depreciation now accounts for the 7-day grace period.
• Missions will no longer complete if a required passenger isnt landed with you.
• Several new star images have been added, as well as additional jobs for players with many bunks.
• Tweaks to the balance of solar panels and some Coalition outfits, and to the fleets found in Hai space.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to those who contributed changes for this release: @Amazinite, @Anarchist2, @Arachi-Lover, @beccabunny, @corecontingency, @Janaszar, @MasterOfGrey, @MCOfficer, @Naminson, @NomadicVolcano, @oo13, @petervdmeer, @Proont, @ravenshining, @tehhowch, @TheMarksman-ES, @waterhouse, and @Zitchas.

[ 2020-05-01 21:12:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Version 0.9.11 is now live for anyone who has opted in to the "beta" channel. This is an unstable release, containing big changes that may introduce new bugs. Major new changes include the following:

• A new region, the Graveyard, can be found near the Ember Waste.
• New Remnant ships, outfits, and missions.
• A rebalancing of human medium warships and transports.
• A new Wanderer transport.

Several features have been added to the game engine, for use by plugins and other content creators. These include:

• The ability to modify the systems wherein a government scans ships for contraband, and the displayed government name.
• Enabling secondary weapons to consume more than one unit of ammunition per shot.
• Support for interpolation and character replacement in hails.
• Support for algebraic condition expressions of arbitrary length.
• Support for disabling specific spaceport news items.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. This release is the work of many contributors, some familiar, and some new. Special thanks to those who contributed changes for this release: @AdamKauffman, @AlbertNewton, @alextd, @Amazinite, @Anarchist2, @Arachi-Lover, @beccabunny, @Fzzr, @Bladewood, @bojidar-bg, @Brick63, @Darcman99, @Disiuze, @Gods-Righthand, @Hyugat, @LocalGod79, @MCOfficer, @MageKing17, @Naminson, @Pointedstick, @NomadicVolcano, @oo13, @PaulBlay, @perey, @petervdmeer, @pkubaj, @Tadrix, @tehhowch, @Thunderforge, @Waffleship, @wjp, @Zbok, and @Zitchas.

[ 2020-02-24 17:23:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Stable release 0.9.10 is now available for anyone who has opted into the "beta" branch. This release focuses on bug fixes and polishing. If no major bugs are discovered in the next few weeks, it will go live for all players. Major changes include:

• Fixed a bug where cargo was loaded onto ships with 0 cargo space.
• Fixed a crash when mission NPCs have no system defined.
• Avoiding a situation where the player could get stuck in Remnant space.
• Depreciation now happens slower and includes a "grace period."
• Improved the AI logic for when escorts stop to refuel.

There are many changes as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to @tehhowch and @Amazinite for taking the lead on managing this release, and to everyone who contributed changes: @AlexBasset, @beccabunny, @ChamEV, @comnom, @Darcman99, @jostephd, @Kryes-Omega, @LocalGod79, @Luckz, @MageKing17, @MCOfficer, @Naminson, @oo13, @petervdmeer, @realityforge, @RestingImmortal, @rugk, @sdennie, @SolraBizna, @starcollide5, @warp-core, @ZBok, and @Zitchas.

[ 2019-09-28 20:05:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

0.9.9 is now live for anyone who has opted into the beta branch. This is an unstable release incorporating a year and a half of changes, including:

• Significant graphics and physics engine optimizations.
• Cloaked ships can now be hit by projectiles.
• Turrets turn slower, allowing fast ships to dodge them more easily.
• Ramscoop and solar power effectiveness now varies from star to star.
• New Remnant ships, outfits, and missions.
• Purchasing a Bactrian now requires completing a mission string.
• Added an "asteroid scanner" that lets you target minable asteroids.
• Experimental "news" feature in the spaceport.
• All ship sprites re-rendered with a more dramatic lighting angle.
• The shipyard now shows an angled view of each ship instead of top-down.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to @tehhowch, @Amazinite, and @Pointedstick for managing this release, and to a very long list of contributors: @10010101001, @abenkovskii, @AlexBassett, @Alkallid, @Amazinite, @AMDmi3, @AskePit, @Aurelite, @beccabunny, @Bladewood, @Brick63, @comnom, @CyberShadow, @czartrak, @Darcman99, @dplepage, @DrBlight, @dzhu, @elgeonmb, @Elyssaen, @EndrosG, @Ferociousfiend, @flaviojs, @Fzzr, @gunqqer, @Hacklin, @Hadron1776, @Isaacssv552, @jafdy, @Janaszar, @jjhankins, @jostephd, @Jugosloven1612, @Kryes-Omega, @Lineth, @LordInsane, @luiges90, @mattsoulanille, @MCOfficer, @MessyMix, @mootootwo, @Nescio0, @nobodywasishere, @oo13, @OverYrPaygrade, @ph2000bis, @Pointedstick, @pscamman, @Rakete1111, @redshalken, @Rob59er, @seanfahey, @sivael, @solardawning, @Tadrix, @tehhowch, @temtemy, @themightygrunt, @TheUnfetteredOne, @thomasballinger, @tmbutterworth, @toilethinges, @Turtleroku, @UnciaPrima, @Vilhelm16, @warp-core, @whismerhill, @Zitchas, and @zwparchman.

[ 2019-05-27 15:40:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

0.9.8 is now live for anyone who has opted into the "beta" branch. It will become the default for all users after a few days of testing. This is a stable release, fixing bugs and making other small improvements to the recent 0.9.7 unstable release. Changes include:

• Fixed crashes when reordering or disowning ships in your fleet.
• Fixed a bug when events add stellar objects (like the Wanderer wormhole).
• Added shop thumnail images for all the Remnant outfits.
• Tweaked the balance of the Remnant ships and outfits.
• Demanding tribute now always turns reputation with that government negative.
• Fixed "derelict" NPCs not repairing on planets after you board them.
• In full screen mode the cursor is now hidden after 10 seconds inactivity.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the people who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @Bladewood, @Hadron1776, @MessyMix, @tehhowch, and @warp-core.

[ 2017-08-14 23:10:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

0.9.8 is now live for all users. This is a stable release, fixing bugs and making other small improvements to the recent 0.9.7 unstable release. Changes include:

• Fixed crashes when reordering or disowning ships in your fleet.
• Fixed a bug when events add stellar objects (like the Wanderer wormhole).
• Added shop thumbnail images for all the Remnant outfits.
• Tweaked the balance of the Remnant ships and outfits.
• Demanding tribute now always turns reputation with that government negative.
• Fixed "derelict" NPCs not repairing on planets after you board them.
• In full screen mode the cursor is now hidden after 10 seconds inactivity.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the people who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @Bladewood, @Hadron1776, @MessyMix, @tehhowch, and @warp-core.

[ 2017-08-14 23:10:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

0.9.7 is now live for anyone who has opted into the "beta" branch. This is an unstable release, with many new features and likely some new bugs as well. Major changes include:

• A new area, the Ember Waste, populated by a new faction and new space-dwelling creatures.
• A "logbook" with brief, automatic summaries of important missions you've completed.
• The "Outfits Expansion" reduces your ship's cooling if you install too many.
• Turrets have limited turn rates and can each choose and track targets independently.
• The game now moves at triple speed when caps lock is on (e.g. to speed up travel).
• Pirate "raids" now depend on how well defended your fleet is, not how many freighters you have.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the many people who made bug fixes, pointed out typos, added new content, or otherwise contributed to this release: @alkallid, @Amazinite, @awfulworldkid, @BlackVegetable, @Bladewood, @comnom, @davidarcher, @Disiuze, @dufferzafar, @Elyssaen, @EndrosG, @Hadron1776, @IridiumOre, @jafdy, @jostephd, @kaylara, @KiLEdEnNis, @Kryes-Omega, @MessyMix, @ph2000bis, @PhaedrusES, @Pointedstick, @Proont, @Rhendox, @SolraBizna, @spfldsatellite, @strollcata, @Tadrix, @tboby, @tehhowch, @toilethinges, @TurkeyMcMac, @warp-core, @Wrzlprnft, and @YellowApple.

[ 2017-07-21 01:43:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

0.9.7 is now live for anyone who has opted into the "beta" branch. This is an unstable release, with many new features and likely some new bugs as well. Major changes include:

• A new area, the Ember Waste, populated by a new faction and new space-dwelling creatures.
• A "logbook" with brief, automatic summaries of important missions you've completed.
• The "Outfits Expansion" reduces your ship's cooling if you install too many.
• Turrets have limited turn rates and can each choose and track targets independently.
• The game now moves at triple speed when caps lock is on (e.g. to speed up travel).
• Pirate "raids" now depend on how well defended your fleet is, not how many freighters you have.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the many people who made bug fixes, pointed out typos, added new content, or otherwise contributed to this release: @alkallid, @Amazinite, @awfulworldkid, @BlackVegetable, @Bladewood, @comnom, @davidarcher, @Disiuze, @dufferzafar, @Elyssaen, @EndrosG, @Hadron1776, @IridiumOre, @jafdy, @jostephd, @kaylara, @KiLEdEnNis, @Kryes-Omega, @MessyMix, @ph2000bis, @PhaedrusES, @Pointedstick, @Proont, @Rhendox, @SolraBizna, @spfldsatellite, @strollcata, @Tadrix, @tboby, @tehhowch, @toilethinges, @TurkeyMcMac, @warp-core, @Wrzlprnft, and @YellowApple.

[ 2017-07-21 01:43:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

0.9.6 is now live for all players. This is a stable release, focused on fixing bugs and improving usability in small, safe ways. That includes:

• Fixed a depreciation bug causing random prices for outfits on some systems.
• Eliminated "death benefits." Depreciation is now the main way that plundering is balanced.
• Depreciation happens about 3 times slower than it did in 0.9.5.
• Coalition jobs now "repeat" instead of only being offered once.
• Fixed a bug where "surveillance" ships scan the player's ship over and over.
• Added images for all the Coalition and Heliarch outfits.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the people who contributed to this release: @Alkallid, @Amazinite, @Bladewood, @harro.eu, @jafdy, @KiLEdEnNis, @MessyMix, @mootootwo, @Pointedstick, @SolraBizna, @striker, @toilethinges, and @warp-core.

[ 2017-02-22 01:52:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is a stable release, focused on fixing bugs and improving usability in small, safe ways. That includes:

• Fixed a depreciation bug causing random prices for outfits on some systems.
• Eliminated "death benefits." Depreciation is now the main way that plundering is balanced.
• Depreciation happens about 3 times slower than it did in 0.9.5.
• Coalition jobs now "repeat" instead of only being offered once.
• Fixed a bug where "surveillance" ships scan the player's ship over and over.
• Added images for all the Coalition and Heliarch outfits.

This release is live in the "beta" branch now, and will go live for everyone this weekend if no bugs are found. There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the people who contributed to this release: @Alkallid, @Amazinite, @Bladewood, @harro.eu, @jafdy, @KiLEdEnNis, @MessyMix, @mootootwo, @Pointedstick, @SolraBizna, @striker, @toilethinges, and @warp-core.

[ 2017-02-22 01:52:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

The unstable 0.9.5 release is now available for anyone who has opted in to the "beta" branch. This release adds a lot of new content and features, and may contain bugs. Major changes include:

• Ship and outfit values now depreciate over time, which makes it harder to become absurdly wealthy.
• The main view's zoom can now be adjusted between 25% and 200%, independent of the UI zoom.
• Commands can now be given to groups of escorts instead of to your whole fleet.
• New Wanderer missions, doubling the length of their story line and introducing a new ship.
• New alien faction, the Coalition, with 16 new ships and about 70 systems and planets.
• Scanning now takes time, to make dodging scans more interesting and less impossible.
• Systems and planets can now specify MP3s to play as music or ambient audio.

The goal of depreciation is to lengthen the mid-game: the period of time when you are no longer flying the wimpiest possible ship, but are not yet so powerful that no battle is a challenge or a threat. Ships and outfits lose value each day until they're a year old, at which point they are worth 25% of their original value. Captured ships and plundered outfits always start out fully depreciated. The new "tactical commands" work like an RTS game: you can select groups of escorts by clicking and dragging or by shift+clicking, and assign number keys to groups with Ctrl+#. All the previous escort commands now only apply to the selected group, and you can also issue attack or move commands by right-clicking. The view can be zoomed in or out using the mouse wheel in order to see the "big picture" of what your fleet is doing. There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the large group of people who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @Barthalion, @Bladewood, @CH-de, @comnom, @DingusShingleton, @doches, @Elyssaen, @gecko-locator, @Isaacssv552, @jafdy, @KiLEdEnNis, @kozbot, @LocalGod79, @MillerNerd, @PointedStick, @retrue, @TJesionowski, @warp-core, and @Wrzlprnft.

[ 2017-01-18 02:53:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

The unstable 0.9.5 release is now available for anyone who has opted in to the "beta" branch. This release adds a lot of new content and features, and may contain bugs. Major changes include:

• Ship and outfit values now depreciate over time, which makes it harder to become absurdly wealthy.
• The main view's zoom can now be adjusted between 25% and 200%, independent of the UI zoom.
• Commands can now be given to groups of escorts instead of to your whole fleet.
• New Wanderer missions, doubling the length of their story line and introducing a new ship.
• New alien faction, the Coalition, with 16 new ships and about 70 systems and planets.
• Scanning now takes time, to make dodging scans more interesting and less impossible.
• Systems and planets can now specify MP3s to play as music or ambient audio.

The goal of depreciation is to lengthen the mid-game: the period of time when you are no longer flying the wimpiest possible ship, but are not yet so powerful that no battle is a challenge or a threat. Ships and outfits lose value each day until they're a year old, at which point they are worth 25% of their original value. Captured ships and plundered outfits always start out fully depreciated. The new "tactical commands" work like an RTS game: you can select groups of escorts by clicking and dragging or by shift+clicking, and assign number keys to groups with Ctrl+#. All the previous escort commands now only apply to the selected group, and you can also issue attack or move commands by right-clicking. The view can be zoomed in or out using the mouse wheel in order to see the "big picture" of what your fleet is doing. There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to the large group of people who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @Barthalion, @Bladewood, @CH-de, @comnom, @DingusShingleton, @doches, @Elyssaen, @gecko-locator, @Isaacssv552, @jafdy, @KiLEdEnNis, @kozbot, @LocalGod79, @MillerNerd, @PointedStick, @retrue, @TJesionowski, @warp-core, and @Wrzlprnft.

[ 2017-01-18 02:53:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

I've uploaded a small patch to fix window resizing issues, particularly for users with high-DPI displays (e.g. Retina on Mac OS). If you have had trouble maximizing the window, or if the window's contents shrink to half size if you resize it on a high-DPI display, try opting in to the "beta" branch and let me know if the patch fixes it.

[ 2016-10-26 02:01:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

I've uploaded a small patch to fix window resizing issues, particularly for users with high-DPI displays (e.g. Retina on Mac OS). If you have had trouble maximizing the window, or if the window's contents shrink to half size if you resize it on a high-DPI display, try opting in to the "beta" branch and let me know if the patch fixes it.

[ 2016-10-26 02:01:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is an stable release, focused on fixing bugs and making small usability improvements. It is available now in the "beta" branch, and will be set as the default for all players in a few weeks as long as no major bugs show up. Changes include:

• Vara Ke'sok no longer starts out as an Unfettered planet.
• Fixed a hang that occurred when maximizing the window.
• Systems created by game events are now properly connected to the map.
• The info panel can now handle ships with many more outfits or weapons.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @oo13, @Pointedstick, and @Waladil.

[ 2016-10-05 01:40:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is an stable release, focused on fixing bugs and making small usability improvements. It is now the default build for all players. Changes include:

• Vara Ke'sok no longer starts out as an Unfettered planet.
• Fixed a hang that occurred when maximizing the window.
• Systems created by game events are now properly connected to the map.
• The info panel can now handle ships with many more outfits or weapons.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @oo13, @Pointedstick, and @Waladil.

[ 2016-10-05 01:40:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is an "unstable" release, which introduces new content and features that may contain new bugs. To upgrade to this release, you must opt into the "beta" branch. Changes include:

• Minable asteroids (twelve different elements you can mine).
• New Wanderer ships and missions.
• New Hai carrier ships, fighters, and weapons.
• Many small UI and game engine improvements.

Bug fixes include:

• UI bugs when multiple buttons were pressed simultaneously.
• Invisible ships are no longer targetable with the mouse.
• Fighters that return to their mothership no longer count as destroyed.
• Intro tutorial is now shown even if you visit the bank before buying a ship.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @davidwhitman, @jafdy, @KiLEdEnNis, @kitsunemochi, @lheckemann, @LocalGod79, @Mailaender, @MarcelineVQ, @mdsmestad, @MessyMix, @Pointedstick, @Sinsling, @toilethinges, and @Wrzlprnft.

[ 2016-09-14 01:12:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is an "unstable" release, which introduces new content and features that may contain new bugs. To upgrade to this release, you must opt into the "beta" branch. Changes include:

• Minable asteroids (twelve different elements you can mine).
• New Wanderer ships and missions.
• New Hai carrier ships, fighters, and weapons.
• Many small UI and game engine improvements.

Bug fixes include:

• UI bugs when multiple buttons were pressed simultaneously.
• Invisible ships are no longer targetable with the mouse.
• Fighters that return to their mothership no longer count as destroyed.
• Intro tutorial is now shown even if you visit the bank before buying a ship.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this release: @Amazinite, @davidwhitman, @jafdy, @KiLEdEnNis, @kitsunemochi, @lheckemann, @LocalGod79, @Mailaender, @MarcelineVQ, @mdsmestad, @MessyMix, @Pointedstick, @Sinsling, @toilethinges, and @Wrzlprnft.

[ 2016-09-14 01:12:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is a "stable" release, focusing on bug fixes, polish, and usability rather than on bigger changes to the game engine and content. After a week of testing in the "beta" branch, 0.9.2 will be pushed out to all players. Changes include:

• Tooltips for all ship and outfit attributes.
• Confirmation dialog if taking off will force you to sell something.
• Subtle blue background haze to make the star field less boring.
• You can now recharge shields while on an uninhabited planet.
• Rebalanced the new Hai outfits.
• Gave all missiles mass so you can't store infinite numbers in cargo.
• Three "previous" saved games are now automatically stored as backups.

Bug fixes include:

• Fixed the crash when holding the jump key while jumping.
• If excess outfit cargo is sold when you take off, you are now properly paid.
• Fixed the escort icon merging code that was broken on some OSes.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this release: @Alkallid, @egony, @lheckemann, @LocalGod79, and @MarcelineVQ.

[ 2016-06-24 18:52:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is a "stable" release, focusing on bug fixes, polish, and usability rather than on bigger changes to the game engine and content. After folks in the "beta" branch have had a week or two to test it, this release will be pushed out to all players. Changes include:

• Tooltips for all ship and outfit attributes.
• Confirmation dialog if taking off will force you to sell something.
• Subtle blue background haze to make the star field less boring.
• You can now recharge shields while on an uninhabited planet.
• Rebalanced the new Hai outfits.
• Gave all missiles mass so you can't store infinite numbers in cargo.
• Three "previous" saved games are now automatically stored as backups.

Bug fixes include:

• Fixed the crash when holding the jump key while jumping.
• If excess outfit cargo is sold when you take off, you are now properly paid.
• Fixed the escort icon merging code that was broken on some OSes.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this release: @Alkallid, @egony, @lheckemann, @LocalGod79, and @MarcelineVQ.

[ 2016-06-24 18:51:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is a stable release, focusing on bug fixes, polish, and usability rather than on bigger changes to the game engine and content. This release is now live for everyone, not just those who opted into the beta. Changes include:

• Tooltips for all ship and outfit attributes.
• Confirmation dialog if taking off will force you to sell something.
• Subtle blue background haze to make the star field less boring.
• You can now recharge shields while on an uninhabited planet.
• Rebalanced the new Hai outfits.
• Gave all missiles mass so you can't store infinite numbers in cargo.
• Three "previous" saved games are now automatically stored as backups.

Bug fixes include:

• Fixed the crash when holding the jump key while jumping.
• If excess outfit cargo is sold when you take off, you are now properly paid.
• Fixed the escort icon merging code that was broken on some OSes.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this release: @Alkallid, @egony, @lheckemann, @LocalGod79, and @MarcelineVQ.

[ 2016-06-24 18:49:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Version 0.9.1 is now available in the "beta" branch. This is an unstable release with lots of new features, some of which may not be completely polished or bug-free. Major changes include:

• New Wanderer missions giving access to new ships and technology.
• The Hai now have their own unique set of outfits. (@Wrzlprnft, @LocalGod79, @Amazinite)
• New human side missions giving back story about alien species.
• New missile tracking modes based on target size or temperature.
• Missile jammers that work against certain missiles.
• Better AI for escorts matching your speed and heading.
• Added a pop-up mini-map when you are jumping.
• Ships now have big "final explosion" sounds.
• The shipyard now shows full stats for the player's ship.

Bug fixes include:

• Capturing an NPC now counts as evading and destroying it.
• The "southern carriers" appear more gradually and in fewer numbers.
• Weapons with zero shield damage no longer cause crashes.

There are many other changes, too; for more details, see the changelog. Special thanks to the folks who contributed new content, bug fixes, etc. to this release: @Alkallid, @Amazinite, @kilobyte, @LocalGod79, @pootthedestroyer, @toilethinges, and @Wrzlprnft. Note: because the 0.9 series adds lots of new graphics, some old computers with only 256 MB of video RAM may experience intermittent slow-downs. If so, you can install the "low dpi plugin" to conserve VRAM by eliminating some of the largest images.

[ 2016-05-27 02:12:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Version 0.9.0 is now available for anyone who has opted into the "beta" branch. This release includes lots of new content and some changes to the game engine. The biggest change is the addition of Korath territory (13 new ships, 32 new outfits, 8 new weapons, 40 new star systems, and a few other surprises). Other changes include:

• New human carriers and special "marauder" ships.
• Dynamic economy (influenced by the player once they have a large fleet).
• New weapon capabilities (slowing, shield disrupting, piercing, burst firing).
• Lots of small bug and typo fixes and usability improvements.

There are many other changes, too; for more details, see the changelog. Special thanks to the folks who contributed new content, bug fixes, etc. to this release: @allixu211, @anarcat, @db47h, @DingusShingleton, @ItsNickBarry, @jafdy, @jmhorjus, @lehgogh, @LocalGod79, @macfreek, @plague006, @reizbar, @sfiera, @thenerdfreak, @thomasballinger, @toilethinges, @tstanke, and @Wrzlprnft.

[ 2016-04-29 18:12:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

A new stable release (0.8.11) is now live for all players. The release includes a few new features, including:

• New mission thread to get access to most Wanderer ships.
• Plundering ammo now reloads your missile launchers.
• Systems are now colored "dominated" only if every planet in them is dominated.

This release also fixes several bugs, including:

• Shift-clicking an unreachable system in the map no longer hangs the game.
• Reordering ships to change your flagship now works properly again.
• The main menu no longer hangs if you "enter ship" just as it finishes loading.

There are many smaller changes, as well. For more details, see the changelog.

[ 2016-01-27 23:51:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

After a week of "beta" testing, release 0.8.10 is now the default for all users. Among other things, this release includes:

• A new alien race (the Wanderers) with 4 ships, 18 outfits, and 17 planets.
• New jobs and missions, including some for the Hai and the Wanderers.
• Ships are less likely to go out of the way to interfere with your plundering.
• Data parsing errors are now reported in "errors.txt" in the preferences folder.
• Thruster noise from other ships is now audible.
• The map now shows which planets you have visited.

There are also several bug fixes in this release, including:

• Clicking on the map now works properly at all zoom levels.
• Optimized the outfitter display code to not stress the CPU.
• Net worth above 2 billion is now handled correctly in the saved game file.
• Raiding parties of human pirates no longer appear in alien territory.

There are many other changes, as well. For a complete list, see the changelog. Thanks to everyone who contributed bug reports, feature ideas, and content to this release!

[ 2016-01-06 02:48:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 0.8.9 of Endless Sky is now available. After a week in "beta" it is now the default version on Steam. This update includes many small bug fixes, plus some new features, including:

• All sound effects have been redone, with better volume balance.
• You can jettison cargo in the info panel, to make room for plunder.
• The map view can be zoomed in and out.
• "Keys" are shown explaining the colors used in all the map panels.
• Many new ship names, hail messages, and commodity names have been added.

See the changelog for a much more detailed list of changes. There will probably be one more "stable" bug fix release after this, and then I'll switch gears to making larger changes to the code to begin making progress on my goals for the eventual 1.0.0 release. Special thanks to everyone who reported bugs and to the GitHub users who contributed changes to this new release: guillochon, Pointedstick, Wrzlprnft, anonybosch, dplepage, and ItsNickBarry.

[ 2015-12-15 23:01:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

This release adds several new features, including AI support for reverse thrusters, a "Buy All" button in the trading panel, and two new ships (the Headhunter heavy interceptor, and the pirate Modified Argosy). It also fixes several bugs, including:

• Various bugs when the first ship in your ships list is not usable as a flagship (absent, parked, disabled, or a fighter).
• Possible crash if missions fail while taking off due to lack of cargo space.
• Frame rate regulation on Windows should also be improved.

As always, this release will start out as an opt-in beta; in the Steam client you can go to Endless Sky -> Properties -> Betas and select "beta" from the drop-down menu to test it. Please report the results of your testing here, and thank you to all of you who have submitted bug reports!

[ 2015-11-24 23:08:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Due to a show-stopper bug which caused fighter bays to stop working in Tuesday's testing release (0.8.5), I've made a new release, 0.8.7. As before, if you want to try the new release you will need to select the "beta" branch in Endless Sky -> Properties -> Betas. I'll make this release live for everyone once I'm sure it's free from new bugs. This release also fixes a few other crashes and includes a bunch of new cargo and passenger jobs for larger ships. If you tested out 0.8.5 and had any ships in your fleet that had fighter bays, they may have lost them. You can get them back by editing your saved game and copying in the "fighter" or "drone" lines from the appropriate ship model in the ships.txt game data. (Hopefully this does not affect too many of you.)

[ 2015-11-12 14:07:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

I've published a new release, fixing many of the bugs that have been reported since last week. Just in case this release breaks anything, to start out with I'm making it an opt-in "beta." To switch to the new release, right click Endless Sky in your library and click on Properties. Then, select "beta" from the drop-down menu in the "Betas" tab. Bug fixes include:

• The game should now run properly for users with non-ASCII characters in their user names.
• The popping and crackling noises when firing thrusters have been be fixed.
• The "New Pilot" dialog has an "ok" button now, and the return key toggles between entering first and last names if one is empty.
• The "Escape" key now behaves the way people expect it to - closing dialogs instead of always toggling the main menu.
• When pirates steal outfits from your ship, the effect is applied immediately instead of not showing up until you reload the game.

Many other bug fixes and usability improvements are also included. If you try out the new release, please comment here and let me know if it is working for you or not. Once I've heard from enough people, if everything sounds good, I'll make this the default release. The saved game format is the same between the previous release and this one, so you can freely switch back and forth between the two without losing any of your game progress. Thanks for all your feedback and bug reports that helped with this new release!

[ 2015-11-11 03:27:03 CET ] [ Original post ]