Alpha 0.4 RELEASED!

Steam post image I'm very excited about this update for the game because it's basically nothing but polish on the player-facing side. The game looks better, plays better, feels better, and I have about 190 tracked changes (I call them tickets) in this build. At the bottom are the obvious ones compared to Alpha 0.3, but here's my favorites:

• I have ~550 ship designs built-in, and they've gone from placeholder blobs and triangles to architected designs with faction aesthetics, and the current batch actually looks damned cool, especially when they're bleeding atmosphere, on fire, and drifting after a core breach.

• The self destruct/scuttle mechanic is badass and the nerdiest thing I've ever built. If you disarm an enemy they usually try to run. If you take their engines out, they'll usually try to scuttle their ship, and the countdown/destruct process is chef's kiss. It even has some SFX paying homage to Wrath of Khaaaaaaaaan!

• Combat performance has been improved by a lot. I'm not saying you'll never drop frames, but I can run a 20-ship free for all with the largest ships in the game and it's still playable, and that should mean a modest PC in a typical run won't ever see a stutter.

• The new shield effects are gorgeous. I've learned so much about shaders! The Steam shield type is my favorite.

Shields are modules. Enemy ships were regenerated. Guns fire slower and hit harder. Captains have chronicles and authored dialogue. Shields - Shields require a generator module. No generator, no shield. - Five faction generators with distinct behaviors: Bio (fast thin re-arm), Industrial (delayed climb), Ancient (overcharge bank), Necro (absorb refund), Steam (Hyper Pressure Screen + Overload). - Faction-specific shield visuals (tint, stress pattern, impact response). - Emergency Shields and Overpressure share a cooldown lock. HUD readiness accounts for shared locks. Combat Balance - Main weapons: 4× fire interval, 4× damage (DPS unchanged). PD and fighter guns unchanged. - Torpedoes and missiles always launch (refuse-to-launch caps removed). - PD burndown resolves inbound ordnance; PD no longer opens on nearest hull at fight start. Enemy Fleet - Full enemy pool regenerated across all factions, including named captains. - Hull depth, panels, creases, and faction silhouettes rebuilt. Living Galaxy - Captain chronicles linked from hail cards. - Grudge origins, war escalation, leader reckoning, node memory. - Authored dialogue for hails, climate, threat briefs, and combat chatter (placeholders removed). - Attack trespassing captains in your own territory. Steam post imageSteam post image Combat Feel - Projectile silhouettes, sizing, faction colors, and zoom AA pass. - Disarmed enemies can self-destruct (countdown → module chain → core). - Camera holds on kill. Core-death VFX scaled to ship size. - Breach Seal faster / heals more. Beams stop at asteroids. Asteroid fields more common. - Damaged hull receives light correctly (wounds char, not black out). Map & Research - Shared node/sector intel layout: ownership, forces, economy. - Manage Sector stays available with parked neutrals; stable verb order. - Research unlock order adjusted so synergies are usable on unlock. Builder & QoL - Paste preview at cursor. Placement refusals show reason. - Tooltips clear on drag start. Craft-Inv toggle. Scroll survives view swaps. - Depth shapes and cuts survive theme/paint changes. Multi-material hulls no longer render white. - MMB camera drag in galaxy, Sol, and tactical. Galaxy lanes trim to node rims. - Combat hails centered. Dialogue token leaks fixed. Scan sweep sized to ship, not zoom.