With Early Access now less than a month away, this is likely the last new content update as I aim to get a solid release candidate ready in the next two weeks.

Release Notes:

Changes

• Station news items
  
• Preloader text while application loads
  
• Misc. changes to Nimion/Kyrnan story
  
• New region, story, gameplay elements
  
• Region placement changes
  
• Skill changes:
  
  • Diplomacy removed and folded into Xenoculture
    
  • Skill checks show more info
    
  • Skill checks can be either "expert" or "team" based
    
  • Skill Techs: technologies that provide bonuses depending on team skills
    
  • Changes to crew injury info
    
  • Changes to crew starting skills, progression
    
  • Changes to Crew UI
    
  
  
• Additional conversation topics for Cdre. Yu, Dr. Rama and Goryr
  
• New techs
  
• Drop rate adjustments
  
• Additional progression analytics
  
• F8 feedback notifies on success/failure via HUD (if in game)
  
• Seperate fire control for secondary weapons
  
• Game credits panel in Main Menu
  

Fixes:

• Exceptions during mission evaluation should now be lane-isolated
  
• Diplomat mission could soft-lock progress
  
• Environmental texture seam visible
  
• Changed spawn-over-distance particles (missiles, hull burn) to improve performance
  
• Cache content ids to reduce string-related garbage collection
  
• Numerous minor fixes reported from last playtest