Sun models have been reworked some to make them more interesting.
Planets have been reworked to show a texture of their type.
Alloy's have been renamed to metals.
New blueprints have been added to the game:
Starbase Blueprint: Once built, a starbase may be carried by freighters and deployed in orbit around a planet. Starbases offer player docking services, repair services, and are a new passive source of data. Starbases may consume gas at 500 an hour to conduct research that returns 100 data an hour.
They may also conduct manufacturing to create advanced materials that will be used to create new advanced ships with other abilities.
They can spend 500 gas an hour to turn 2 metals into 1 alloy.
They can spend 500 gas an hour to turn 3 crystals into 1 crystalline structure.
They can spend 500 gas an hour to turn 10 gas into 1 gaseous liquid.
They can spend 500 gas an hour to turn 100 data into 1 Advanced Data Point.
Only one may be run at a time.
When deployed, starbases will be "vulnerable" for 1 hour and can be totally destroyed by attackers. When deployed, the deploying player will be asked to set a defensive timezone (defaulting to now). When attacked, starbases will become immune to damage when they hit 0 shield and will not be able to take damage until the defensive time has passed twice.
On the second pass the starbase becomes vulnerable for four hours where an attacking force will be able to destroy it, and everything inside.
Gas must now be mined from gas planets
Data must now be researched at starbases.
Crystals must now be mined at ice fields.
Metals remain at belts.
Ask me for help getting the game setup in your living room.