Update #135: 1.8 Complete?

[h2]After 6 months of big changes and 6 weeks of beta tests, version 1.8 may be complete.[/h2]
How will we know? Let's check in with Starmap 1.8, created long ago to guide this part of the journey.

[h2]Looks like a big ✔ next to all the major points.[/h2]

Here are some of the final touches coming to all players as of today:

• NPC ship captains exist :O
• You can get trade missions from a Sigorn captain (if you're friendly with them).
  
• Pirates can offer missions where you smuggle illegal goods into Limoquee space.
  
• Alien corpses found on planets will sometimes have stories explaining what happened to them.
  
• The Eaters will now judge you based on how many other factions you're friendly with.
  
• New feature: "Mark for Transport". Tired of making multiple trips to the shuttle when you find lots of big loot? Just mark it for transport and those days are over!
  
• Once unlocked in any game, rare plants will spawn in all games, but not much in lower sectors.
  
• "Fake ID" and "Credentials" now require you to pay a bribe to get into stations where you otherwise would not be welcome. Higher levels reduce the effect.
  
• Docking at faction embassies can reduce your reputation with their enemies. (For example, docking at a pirate base can reduce your rep with the Sigorn, Bankers, and Limoquee.) This happens once per sector.
  
• Pirates and Eaters will actively go after big stacks of commodities left on the map.
  
• Cyber-skills picked up are now automatically equipped to any officer who can use them.
  
• Nebulas are now continuous clouds with nice round edges.
  
• I changed how away team hit points are calculated so small away teams aren't so useless ;)
• I introduced "pay it forward" daily codes.
  

There are, of course, the usual host of fixes and quality-of-life changes. Enjoy!


What's next?


1.9 will be the final push to (let me check my math...) 2.0 , which means



That's probably still a year away...


1.9 is going to start *big*. The long awaited, much requested, feared-and-lamented-by-me


The plan is to emphasize the play area and keep the UI as sleek and out-of-the-way as possible. Here are some mock-ups we've done:

Space, with the map zoomed out:

The new installation screen:

Zoomed in on the away team:


[h3]For those who are perfectly happy with everything the way it is...
Right now, the plan is to offer a "classic mode"... check it out:[/h3]




And for everyone who uses the UI DLC, don't worry! We'll make lots of special UI skins for the new UI too.

Other plans for 1.9 include:

• A mega-quest about the Narcratu invasion
  
• Learning more about the Engravers
  
• Finding a way to fight the nano-pocalypse
  
• More rooms and quests from asteroid bases
  
• Crafting system overhaul
  
• Introduction of "commerce planets"
  
• Much much more...
  

[h3]If you enjoy Approaching Infinity and all the work I've done over the last 3 years, please leave a positive Steam review... Thanks, it really helps![/h3]