Development Update: 19 March 2018

I bid you a formal welcome, Captain. Today's patch contains a number of updates and tweaks to the base game, adds a new strategic territory overlay, and new functionality for the Orthin capacitors. As always, your feedback and suggestions are important to us, so keep them coming!

Orthin Busbars and Shield Capacitors

As part of their mania for high energy physics, the deep-water dwelling Orthin have developed a unique high pressure metallurgy that allows for ultra high capacity energy transmission subsystems, enabling their vessels to mount unusually powerful beam weaponry. The elegant and elaborate cooling mechanism used by these high-pressure superconducting busbars takes up a significant amount of the ship's hull infrastructure, but also allows for the possibility of useful components being attached to this subsystem. Each Orthin military hull of cruiser size and larger now has a single special “Busbar” hardpoint. The busbar can accept four different components, the latter two of which are new:

• Blast Doors (Titanium Construction): increases armor

• Shield Regenerator (Deflector Screens): increases shield regeneration rate

• Shield Capacitor (Shield Capacitors): stores a portion of damage absorbed by shields for later offensive or defensive use

• Power Converter (Zero-Point Energy): provides additional power

Shield Capacitors The Shield Capacitor is the primary target for the busbar slot, and it provides additional tactical actions. Whenever a ship equipped with a Shield Capacitor takes shield damage, a portion of the energy is stored in the capacitor. This energy can be released at any time and used either to boost shields or overcharge weapons. The "SHIELD BOOST" and "OVERCHARGE" buttons in the tactical UI show the current charge of the capacitor. Clicking on either action will spend the current stored energy on the appropriate function. Once the capacitor is fully charged, no additional energy can be stored until the capacitor is discharged.

• SHIELD BOOST: applies the stored energy to reinforce shields. Damaged shields are restored up to the reinforcement amount. Reinforcement over the normal maximum shield strength lasts until the next turn.

• AddedOVERCHARGEdiverts stored energy to the main weapons. Only affects direct fire weapons in the retractable forward hull slots and any siege hardpoints; does not affect missiles, fighters or point-defense weapons. The available energy is divided amongst the eligible weapon mounts.

Improved Outpost Transports

Outpost Transports can now be used to deploy a custom station equipped with any available station module (including a Space Habitat or Construction Module). Editing the Outpost Transport in the Ship Designer will now edit the payload station rather than the transport itself. For example, to create a deploy-able space habitat:

• From the Ship Designer, select "New Design"

• From the New Design list, select "Outpost Transport"

• Add the appropriate components for your custom station

• Type in a descriptive name (such as "Habitat") and save the design

Done! The "Habitat Transport" will now be available in your build menu, in addition to the existing Outpost Transport (or any other custom versions you design). Note: be sure to embark colonists aboard a Space Habitat station before leaving! Already built Outpost Transports in older saves may not work, so you may need to scrap them and build new ones.

Patch Notes for 19 March 2018 (ver. 22090)

Gameplay Changes and Additions

• Orthin 'Capacitor' hardpoints have been renamed as 'Busbar' hardpoints. The Orthin Dreadnaught now has only 1 Capacitor slot. (Old designs may need to be edited.)

• Orthin ships equiped with Shield Capacitors now have access