Hello all,

Today’s update comes along with a few fixes and some balance changes based on feedback we’ve worked on over the weekend.

10/16/23 | v1.96 Changelog

Tutorial / Mission Updates 

• Extreme planets, Blackholes, Nebula, Relics, and Ascension Gates will now spawn. 

• Prestige victory enabled for " The Opportunity," " Alliance Ascendant," " Everything is for sale," and " Radioactive." 

• Tutorial:  

  • Executive Order button is now disabled by the Scenario Triggers and reenabled by a Scenario trigger. 

  • Various Executive Orders aren't no longer blocked. 

  • Free starting ships other than the probe are spawned.  

  • The Opportunity: Text update explains HOW you scan a planet. 

• Soul of Machine: Map size reduced from Huge to Medium 

• Korath mission is disabled as it needs more work. 

Text/Localization 

• Minor tweaks to opening tutorial to emphasize controls of the game. 

• All languages are updated. 

10/13/23 | v1.96 Hot Patch

Tutorial 

• Updated missing text in non-English languages. 

• Granted "Warfare" and "Colonization" techs at the start of the game. 

• Re-enabled the ability to build Colony ships at the game start. 

10/09/23 | v1.96 Changelog

Art 

• Grid slightly more transparent. 

Core 

• Crash bug fixed where an invalid tile (but not NULL) would be evaluated. 

Galaxy 

• More sectors are now spawned on the biggest map size by removing the largest sector size from spawning and hogging up all the room. 

Gameplay 

Culture Traits 

• Divine Empath buff is nerfed from +1 per social skill multiplier to 0.1 per social. 

Misc 

• AI won't declare war on civilizations on the other side of the universe just because it's "mad." 

• Prestige victory balance pass. 

Planetary Improvements 

• "Mother Hive" now provides 3 base population spaces upon being built. However, the cost increased from 32 to 50. 

• Festron per level population boost from" Mother Hive" reduced from 2 to 1. 

• "Beacon of Babylon" cost increased from 500 to 800, and Influence per turn bonus decreased from 300% to 100%. 

Ships 

• Base moves for ships increased from 2 to 3. 

• "Flexible Bulkheads" tech base cost was reduced from 250 to 200. 

• "Flexible Bulkheads" tech is more attractive to the AI. 

• AI will generate more types of ships for players to choose from. 

• AI is better at designing ships for players and themselves. 

• AI takes cost and mass into account when deciding on good ship designs. 

Text / Localization Language 

• "Others" in the sector label changed to "Not too close." 

• Updates to French localization. 

• Minor fixes for German localization. 

• Major Russian localization update. Lots of fixes and lots of extra spaces removed. 

• Major Spanish update. Big thanks to Charlemagne for catching some issues and their help.  

UI 

• Zoom out with the X key made slightly slower.