Beta updates:

• Fixed rendering of some flipped decals.
  
• Adjusted air and ground friction, ram damage.
  
• New brigand ship designs by user Meowskyi.
  
• Updated AI design sets by users StuChris and Orang.

OK, I think we're basically there! Going to merge this into the main version of the game tomorrow unless something comes up.

Next beta! These change lists are becoming shorter, which means we're homing in on being able to merge the beta into the main game.

• Improved leg and track physics.
  
• New AI ship design set by user Orang.
  
• Fixed module search duplicates.
  
• In the editor, can now right-click on modules when in select mode to pick them up.

Do urgently let me know if you still find any strange behaviour with ship/landship movement!

• Ballista: Reload 3s -> 2.5 s
  
• Light sponson: Inaccuracy 0.0018 -> 0.0016, Fire Arc 40 deg -> 45 deg
  
• Sponson: Inaccuracy 0.002 -> 0.0016
  
• Fixed some torpedo bomber aim logic.
  
• Air resistance and leg springiness are now calculated differently. Hopefully in a better way. Let me know about weirdnesses.
  
• Unarmed ships no longer try to go for clever positions just neatly outside the enemy's fire arcs but super-close to the enemy.
  
• Your final city can no longer be lost to revolt.
  
• Fixed weird graphics glitch in simple graphics mode where Stone Guardian shots were causing the entire sprite sheet to be drawn.
  
• Ships that are at exactly ground level during combat no longer cause autosave crashes to happen later.

As always, you can access the current beta by right-clicking on the game in your Steam library, choosing "Properties", going into the "Betas" tab and choosing "Beta -" from the drop-down.

New beta! We're getting there!

• Charges that give tech now only give one tech.
  
• Charges that give tech are now listed with the other charges that give bonuses rather than randomly stuck at the bottom of the list.
  
• Fixed issue with combat zoomed out way too much in multiplayer combat setup.
  
• First new ship set for AI based on steel and sponsons.
  
• Modules picked up with right-click are now flippable.
  
• Improved torpedo bomber targeting no longer gets confused by oddly-shaped ships.
  
• Armour buffed significantly, Torpedo Bomber made more expensive, Ballista more accurate and more damaging, Gatling more ammo-hungry.
  
• Landships are now 3x faster in combat and 1/4x as fast on the conquest map, bringing them in line with what their reported speed.

• Torpedo Bomber Cost $200 -> $300
  
• Ballista Aim 0.003 -> 0.002, Damage 22 -> 30, Shot Speed 0.5 -> 0.7, Cost $15 -> $20
  
• Gatling Gun Clip 50 -> 35, Clip Reload Time 4 seconds -> 2.5 seconds, shootTroopsRange 36m -> 57m
  
• Wooden Armour HP 40 -> 50, Weight 3 -> 2
  
• Heavy Wooden Armour Weight 18 -> 15
  
• Steel Armour Cost 8 -> 6, HP 45 -> 50, Weight 16 -> 10
  
• Heavy Steel Armour Cost 14 -> 10, Weight 30 -> 20
  
• Brick Wall Cost 1 -> 0, HP 30 -> 40
  
• Massive Stone Wall Cost 8 -> 6, HP 120 -> 100, blastDmgAbsorb 4 -> 6

This will probably be the last beta update before merging the beta into the main game. I still need to update the AI ship designs to use the new modules, which will take a few days.

• Modules and decals with flipped versions are now directly integrated into the editor list instead of being listed separately.
  
• Tech connectors are a bit prettier
  
• Bonuses from tech choices no longer apply in single combats.
  
• Stained glass windows display properly again
  
• Minor stat adjustments, giving turrets a wider fire arc and reducing the ammo consumption of light sponsons and aerial charges.

The second version of the beta is now available, with changes based on player feedback and new techs for the new modules.

Short version: Sponsons are improved. They're now specifically weak in HP and firing angle but good in DPS. Turrets are less heavy. Bombs are very inaccurate to start with but benefit from an upgrading tech.

And again, do give feedback. :)

Long version of all the changes:

+20% lift overall

Aerial Charges
HP 80 -> 60
shotSpeed 0.06 -> 0.1
maxUpRange 700
Inaccuracy 0.012 -> 0.08

Ballista
Inaccuracy 0.004 -> 0.003

Bomb Bay
Inaccuracy 0.065 -> 0.7 base and 0.35 with aerodynamics tech

Deck Gun
HP 50 -> 40
Inaccuracy 0.0028 -> 0.002

Dorsal Turret
HP 200 -> 240

Musket
Reload 1500 -> 1000
Inaccuracy 0.004 -> 0.006
penDmg 9 -> 8

Sponson
Now requires sponson tech.
HP 150 -> 110
Weight 140 -> 90
Cost 100 -> 80
Reload 3000 -> 2700
Inaccuracy 0.002 -> 0.0018

Suspendium cannon
Inaccuracy 0.0001 -> 0.0004
penDmg 75 -> 90

Torpedo Bomber Hangar
Now requires torpedo planes tech.

Added bottom versions of medium turrets.
Added light sponson. A bit wider firing arc, pretty good DPS for the price.
Added techs for sponsons, torpedo planes, aerodynamics.
Note that the AI ship designs don't use any of these techs yet!

• Fixed a network desync caused by renaming buildings.
  
• Fixed an ancient bug that would sometimes strand crew members to float in mid-air and produce corrupt save files.
  
• Fixed some other crashes caused by mods.
  
• In conquest, fleets that lose no longer instantly re-attack.
  
• All translations are now up to date.
  
• Crew transfer command works again.

I've put up a beta that adds a number of new modules and re-balances others. You can try it out by right-clicking on the game in your Steam library, choosing "Properties", then going into the "Betas" tab and picking "Beta" from the drop-down. Let me know what you think of the new modules and changes - do they make the game more interesting? Are they well-balanced?

• Ballista
  
• Front Turret and Back Turret
  
• Sponson
  
• Aerial Charge
  
• Torpedo Bomber

• Planes have more damage and HP
  
• Aerial dragoons are faster
  
• Gatling guns require more crew and are less accurate
  
• Heavy turrets are better
  
• Bombs are less accurate
  
• Lift curve has changed - harder to make high service ceilings, easier to make very low ones

The sponson and torpedo bomber modules will get their own techs. None of the stats on the new modules are final.

Oh, and one last thing - there's now a "no command cooldown" option, available in single-player and multiplayer, combat and conquest. For all your high APM micro needs.

• Reworked tutorial to more clearly indicate things and run more smoothly in general.
  
• Surrendering when you are intercepted now wipes out your entire fleet.
  
• Button to select all/no ships in strategic mode.
  
• Fixed AI being completely disinterested in firing on boarding-only ships.
  
• Wood armour HP slightly increased.
  
• Crew now carry resources in their hands again, rather than making them float near them with their minds.
  
• Updated German translation. (Updated translations into other languages coming soon.)
  
• Some minor other GUI fixes.

A beta with new modules is coming soon.

• Prev/Next buttons in tutorial are now in a consistent location.
  
• Button to reset file screen filter.
  
• Ship naming dialog size and button overlap fixes.
  
• Escape now backs out of help, fleet selection, and city selection.
  
• Zooming out in combat when maximum zoom out has been achieved no longer scrolls the view.
  
• Zoom speed settings.
  
• Removed clear button from tutorials where it can break the tutorial.

More exciting updates to come.

If you want to play something completely different by me, check out Occult Defence Agency Budgeting Simulator - it's a free little browser game where you try to deal with budget cuts while keeping the UK safe from vampire covens, werewolves, cults, and ravenous pixie clans.