Lord of Rigel Early Access 3- Research Victories and Grand Menaces
Our first update for 2024 includes some long-awaited features and nears the end of our roadmap for LoR early access.
This patch includes some critical fixes:
In addition, two end game features you've been patiently waiting for have been added: Research Victories and Grand Menaces.
Research Victories
Once you've reached the end of a research field, you can choose hyper advanced technologies for upgrades or select the Path of Ascension technologies.
There is one technology for each field, which unlocks a special project that can be constructed on your homeworld to trigger civilization-wide ascension.
Grand Menaces
These are galaxy threatening foes that are end game threats. Defeating a grand menace reduces galactic tension and can help keep a galaxy from the edge of all out war.
Threats include a full invasion of the exiled forces chasing the Synth from their home galaxy, the mothership of the mysterious Von Neumann probes, the extra-dimensional "System Killer," and the Infection Mothership.
Image 1. The Infection Mothership- An extragalactic threat that uses biological agents to sterilize worlds.
Ship Refitting
Ship refitting has also been added. This will take existing designs and you can upgrade ship weapons and systems but not change the underlying hull type (ex. a frigate remains a frigate). Ship crews and experience are transferred.
Ships can be refitted as long as there is a Starbase, Battlestation, or Citadel.
Image 2. Ship refitting in the build menu
Research Menu Updates
Another requested change was adding a filter to the research menu to hide technologies not currently researchable. The tech filter button at the bottom of the screen can be toggled to show all possible technologies.
Image 3. Research menu tech filter.
Other changes this update include additional optimizations to end turn, tactical AI, and diplomacy.
What's Next?
With the core features we aimed to include with the rework of LoR in Unreal now available, we want to work in additional requested community features and bug fixes. So please keep reporting any encountered bugs, quality of life suggestions. Also please keep sending us your save files as they help with balancing and tuning!
This patch includes some critical fixes:
- Tutorial planets menu fix
- Blank autosave display data fix
- Autoturn fixes for some menu transitions
In addition, two end game features you've been patiently waiting for have been added: Research Victories and Grand Menaces.
Research Victories
Once you've reached the end of a research field, you can choose hyper advanced technologies for upgrades or select the Path of Ascension technologies.
There is one technology for each field, which unlocks a special project that can be constructed on your homeworld to trigger civilization-wide ascension.
Grand Menaces
These are galaxy threatening foes that are end game threats. Defeating a grand menace reduces galactic tension and can help keep a galaxy from the edge of all out war.
Threats include a full invasion of the exiled forces chasing the Synth from their home galaxy, the mothership of the mysterious Von Neumann probes, the extra-dimensional "System Killer," and the Infection Mothership.
Image 1. The Infection Mothership- An extragalactic threat that uses biological agents to sterilize worlds.
Ship Refitting
Ship refitting has also been added. This will take existing designs and you can upgrade ship weapons and systems but not change the underlying hull type (ex. a frigate remains a frigate). Ship crews and experience are transferred.
Ships can be refitted as long as there is a Starbase, Battlestation, or Citadel.
Image 2. Ship refitting in the build menu
Research Menu Updates
Another requested change was adding a filter to the research menu to hide technologies not currently researchable. The tech filter button at the bottom of the screen can be toggled to show all possible technologies.
Image 3. Research menu tech filter.
Other changes this update include additional optimizations to end turn, tactical AI, and diplomacy.
What's Next?
With the core features we aimed to include with the rework of LoR in Unreal now available, we want to work in additional requested community features and bug fixes. So please keep reporting any encountered bugs, quality of life suggestions. Also please keep sending us your save files as they help with balancing and tuning!