Syndicate Beta Update 1.7d1e10

Everything mentioned here is in the Beta branch for now (free and open to everyone, won't break your saves), but I'm hoping to move it to main shortly to introduce the Syndicate to everyone!

Keep in mind that if you have a problem with a syndicate quest in a current game, you can fly your ship on top of the asteroid base and enter the code "reset syndicate".

I re-wrote the botanist's later interactions to make it play a little faster (took out a quest).
Menger-mouth enzyme is also handled differently.
You can actually use it to clear out rock-rooms.
NPCs can now wander around their rooms, but it might not work with ones already generated.
Starting the game with one of the alien-race ships (corsair, pugilist, observer, etc.) will change your starting reputations with other factions
Some starting ships have new quests.
The "race relations" tab now shows races/factions you haven't met yet as "(unknown)".
I introduced 3 new asteroid base rooms:
"Boutique" (uniform trader)
"Virtual University" (XP for $$)
"Planetographer" (gives survey quests)
There will be fewer planets and shipwrecks in the early sectors.
"Lose 'em in here" skill now works in radiation belts and ion storms, if you can go there safely.
I altered away team status effects:
Fire hurts you more than before, but goes out faster.
Poison does less damage but lasts much longer.
Energy damage decreases over time, and lasts about the same amount of time as it used to.
Damaging status effects now show their duration on the away team tab.
Ships can now hail you during combat, either telling you to surrender, or asking you to let them live!
I added hails for all races regarding the new syndicate faction.
Ships that are "about to blow up" (alien rescue missions) should now seem more dire...
I moved the new "cheat modes" onto the new game screen, as a button at the bottom.

There are also a lot of other small fixes, changes, and additions, but these are the ones I want to tell you about.

Enjoy!