Live Music Coding update

Build 40 is here!

[h3]Playing sounds from the code[/h3]

As some of you might know, the game uses a custom modular music player. It plays music directly from XM files.

Apart from saving a significant amount of disc space (e.g. 200kb vs 4-5mb per track), it also has synthesizer potential. This update elaborates on that potential by introducing a way to use that modular music player from your in-game programs!

You might be wondering what you could do with that. Well, there are several ways to use it:

As a debug tool to signal a rare branch execution
As a notification system for a hybrid/manual vessel (e.g. "danger" or "low fuel" sound)
As a time-based notification (e.g. "30 seconds have passed")
As a feedback system that can improve the clarity of what's happening (e.g. an error sound when firing while out-of-ammo)
And of course you can compose your music with it

You can treat it as an extra sandbox tool for an already extensive system. In combination with a new diode customization system you can really show your creativity to the community. The Bad Apple cover in NebuLeet is getting dangerously close!

There are 2 new subsystems that are sound-related:

A simple "play sound" that is useful for debugging
A more complex Synth-based command bundle

Both reside in separate command bundles you can unlock (new puzzles are included!)

Here is a video that uses the simple "play sound" commands:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTDBWaLzqK0

I will show you something more impressive after we introduce our next new feature.

[h3]Customizable diodes[/h3]

Previously, the diodes only had a functional role - they are a mean to implement a team communication and droneoperator message exchange. Well, you can now use it as an extra vessel visual customization element.

First off, you equip them as an ordinary equipment part:

And then you can set their color like you would before:

Notice that instead of a simple circular diode at the center of your vessel you get your custom diodes to shine.

Given the variety of shapes and sizes, and the fact that they don't weight anything, you can make something like decals with it. But better yet, you can even animate those to make your vessel look spectacular.

[h3]Sound + Diodes[/h3]

You can combine two new features into a cool music livecoding setup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WZCGBD-b2Q

[h3]Documenting the code[/h3]

The new "comment" pseudo-command can be used to document the code. It also can act as a logical block separator.

[h3]Other changes[/h3]

Added some new pilot portrait details
Visitor-type (player-made) AUX hiring cost is increased
Added 1 AUX deployment slow to the Cult base assault mission
Lightweight affinity trait is now more useful
Added a new Dronebane artifact
Increased max resource rewards scaling in some quests
Fixed a crash related to a planet liberation followed by an AUX reroll for Fenero faction
Added some missing translation keys