Update notes for 16th March 2024

Hi everyone,

I'm really excited to share this release of Liberation! In my career as a software engineer I've always believed that "people don't have accessibility issues, software has accessibility issues".

Why care about accessibility? Well, it's the right thing to do. As the good folk at the Game Accessibility Guidelines write, developers should "avoid unnecessarily excluding players, and ensure that games are just as fun for as wide a range of people as possible". A game built to include people is simply a better game.

I guess I've always had a bit of a theoretical view of it. Like an architect doing ramps without needing them themselves. However, for Liberation I've had one real life design aim: To get my Dad to play it.

My Dad is 80 years old now and his mobility is not so good. We played the original Elite together when I was a kid and one of the reasons I wanted to make Liberation was because he is terrible at Elite Dangerous.

There is no "correct" way to play Liberation. If people want super hardcore twitchiness, turn the difficulty up to "Dangerous" and go for it. But with this release, Liberation can basically be played as a turn-based game if that is more your speed.

Turn on "story mode". This makes enemy ships do no damage and gives the player a super weapon
Turn on "pause game to target". This will pause the game and show a list of ships to target
Use the super weapon at any time to blast all enemies
Use the autopilot to fly to any target

Fun for as wide a range of people as possible.

There are lots of other goodies this release too:

Completely reworked the mission system to provide feedback to players
Mouse support for aiming
New civilian ships
Gamepad improvements, including layers can force a gamepad template (eg xbox, sony)
Buffed some enemies but massively nerfed the Red Squadron skeleton fleet
Lots of quality of life improvements. LOTS.

Anyway, I'm pleased to say this release is Dad-tested.

Regards,
Luke

[h3]Additions[/h3]

add mouse control for aiming (pitch and yaw)
show icon next to best jumpgate when in mission
add new civilian ship: The Tanker - carries raw commodities around GalFed
add new civilian ship: cargo tug - pulls one cargo container between cargo ships and ports
add non-player docking ports to bliss farms
add some tankers to Algeus
add some tankers to Tycho
schedule tanker traffic at Algeus extractor and farms
allow systems to schedule civilian ship arrivals at their jumpgates
add some missing source files
show mission icons in mission message
show icon on mission destination body
show mission target icon on relevant items in store
show mission target icon on mission objectives
notify player is missing embark and disembark opportunity
add lights to docking ports that activate when nearby
add paused target list slide out
add setting for paused targeting list
add target list setting to gameplay menu
add target slide out that can target system bodies
add ability to turn off gamepad layout autodetect
improve gamepad support (with layout autodetect off, game will use selected icons (eg xbox or sony) no matter the detected gamepad)
add option for "more description" that says "ship is behind you" on body pointer
display key bindings for actions such as Target and Accept Mission
display instruction on opening prologue
rework limpet mines so they travel around a circular path
add SFX to death race lasers
add new image for keyboard controls in manual
add option to send keyboard controls PDF to default printer

[h3]Changes[/h3]

rework Khaldir system to make it tighter
move Penrhyn gate on Khaldir closer to action
allow cargo ships to take a full load (tee hee)
improved explosions on fighters and heavy fighters
let missiles destroy missiles
allow targeting of missiles
fix to mouse and autopilot
flash acquiring target message
update first message to say "Incoming communication"
break out mission control into own subsystem
rework mission objective handling
visually disable weapon buttons when docked
refresh market on game game
move mission data to mission objectives
add icon tip to comms accept button
play port music only when in dock screen not when in external view
update The Guard at Khaldir to be two-shot by missile attack but has buffed shields and armour
massively armoured Comms Relay
move Jumpgate Judge and Megaplanet 1 carrier closer to main theatre of action
beef up limpet mine explosion
move bombing fleet and jumpgates and limpet mines closer together on Kaneel
make skeleton fleet (Red Squadron) fire less often
give Red Squadron three missiles
remove two Red Squadron fighters
reduce Apostilico guard from infinite missiles to 5
reduce damage from missiles in Apostilico
deactivate docking computer on arrival at non-dock location
make death race starting line is targetable (you can autopilot to it)
make The Medusa rotate slightly
move cargo icon slightly to right on HUD
unfade non hostile body pointers so we can more easily find jumpgates when acquiring target during hostiles
show call sign If a ship is broadcasting a message
make Escape from Thantis mission warn if Quatermatter left behind and won't progress
buff The Colossus (made him more tanky)
rename Nyria Spacestation to Nyria Station. Don't not leave anyone at Nyria Spacestation in an old savegame (0.00001% chance someone has done this)
spread landers apart on Kaneel
buff nurses on Boucher
buff EMP device

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

fix save game button
improve mousein menus and dock screen
fix mouse capture menu button to show loaded setting
fix xbox gamepad on windows
fix dock screen icon
restore focus when exit menu on dock screen
fix docking port
fix when joypad changes
fix gamepad save game button
prevent player controller ship from docking at npc-only docking port
make missiles no longer broadcast comms if shot at
make docking comp ignore missiles
make editor and mouse work nicer together
add vicinity shape for small space stations
stop weapon and boost buttons working when docked
terminate docking computer when player arrives at locked jumpgate
fix wandering input button on comms
stop clicking story mode losing focus
make when the guard is destroyed at Penrhyn they now stop taunting you
make comms relay now not broadcast civilian emergency message
improved solid shape for small space stations (ok I added it)
hide empty info panel on galaxy map
fix so Etain Jumpgate will no longer get locked during Escape from Thantis mission
fix closing comms while in market now won't lose button focus
make when docked a ship will no longer take damage
make when docked turrets will no longer target a ship
make when player is docked, NPCs will no longer launch missiles
make when game is over, stop NPCs from launching missiles
improve weapon system gamepad navigation d-pad
stop triggering jumpgate mission signals if coming from a load file
make Thantis cruisers invulnerable