V2.0
V 2.0 Update
Overview
v2.0 adds new Starbase Administrators, improves diplomacy, updates the Ship Builder UI, and more.
New Features
Starbase Administrators
The new addition of Starbase Administrators will take some of the pressure off of feeling like you need to mass-produce Starbases. You'll start with a number of Administrators based on the size of the map, and each Starbase will consume one. Researching certain government-related techs will allow you to hire more Administrators. This new resource gives some advantages to smaller empires who can now choose to use Starbases to improve morale and productivity in their home systems.
Diplomacy Updates
Diplomacy has received some major work in v2.0. The AI now takes several things into account when determining trades, including how much they like (or don't like) you and what their relations are like with your enemies. AI players who don't like you will charge more in diplomacy trades and will evaluate proposals using a redlining system. You'll also get detailed information on why a specific trade was accepted or rejected, which will allow you to strategically adjust for future offers.
Ship Builder UI Updates
The new UI now makes it easier for you to find your favorite creations. By default, the auto-generated military ships will have their categories folded for easier UI navigation. Every ship you create will be added to your "favorites" list. Also, the currency, morale, population, and turn information will appear in the shipyard window now.
Full Changelog
Administrators
Starbases now require one "Administrator" to build
Number of starting Administrators depends on galaxy size
Research certain Government Technologies to increase the number of Administrators
Current number of available Administrators can be seen on the resource bar or the starbase list tab.
Diplomacy
General pass on conversation weights such that the AI will talk more and offer more interesting trades.
AI players who dislike you will charge you more in diplomacy
Changed diplomacy attitude label from "allied" to "loves (they're not allied)
Changed diplomacy attitude from label "war" to "hates" (they're not at war)
AI should be better at focusing on a given weapon or defense tech rather than trying to research multiple paths.
AIs will heavily weight their relations with other players based on who is at war with whom and why
AIs will tend to come to the aid of their friends even if the enemy is more powerful
AI now has the capability of explaining in detail why they rejected (or accepted) a trade offer (though will require translation of new strings)
AI will use a redlining system of evaluating proposals such that each sub-AI routine will add marks to the proposal with potential veto power.
AI now has the capability of explaining in detail why they rejected (or accepted) a trade offer.
By default, the auto-generated military ships will have their categories folded for easier UI navigation.
Balance
Home planet production points base increased from 1 to 10
Significantly reduced starbase spacing radius to 2 tiles, allowing you cluster them closer together.
AI is substantially better at evaluating what ship to build, when and where
Early game improvements made less expensive
Late game improvement benefits reduced slightly
Research improvements have been rebalanced.
UI Improvements / Bug Fixes
By default, the auto-generated military ships will have their categories folded for easier UI navigation.
When a player designs a ship, it will, by default, be added to the favorites
Added the currency, morale, population, and turns information to the planet and shipyard window
Changed Terran and "space monster" fighters size from small to tiny, matching the sizes for other factions. This change prevents a crash in the ROT campaign
Map Editor: Fixed a problem that prevented the Mini-map Preview from working.
Replaced Diplomatic Specialization 3 to be "Efficient Administration" on all trees. (Base Game and Campaigns.)
Fixed bad Matter Disruption Cost multiplier that was making Matter Disruption 2.6 times more expensive than it should have been.
Changed the width of the asteroid tooltip window and "nearest owned planet" value so that the value can no longer overlap
Negative Strategic resources are no longer shown in the trade options when they were negative
Updated map lighting settings to decreased ambient light and increased key light to make the ships look less flat.
Mercenaries: Ships that you can't afford are greyed out.
Fixed issue where Ancient Kinetic Augmenter had weapon FX even though it is a support module.
Removed military ring Starbase range boost now that we have implemented Administrators.
Fixed a problem that was causing rebellions in peaceful corners of the galaxy.