Evochron Legacy SE version 2.0418 demo... file

Version 2.0418 includes the following improvements:

- Jump gate, jump caster, and wormhole event horizon spheres now smoothly fade upon approach.
- Autopilot expanded to incorporate basic collision avoidance in addition to automated docking with stations, cities, and carriers.
- 'View Hangar Details' changed to 'View Station Details' and now also includes license and profit factor information.
- Station license system expanded to support a shared ownership approach for repeating payments to owning players.
- Create and Modify Pilot menu revised to accommodate new station license payment settings and improve layout.
- Added customizing options for landing gear effect to support hiding structures or rendering energy effects.
- HUD Configuration menu updated to a shader based system for immediate changes to RGB color settings.
- Added ability to retrieve list of local (in sector) inventory items at planet, station, and carrier.
- Detail mapping and shaders updated to provide improved smooth appearance for external cockpit glass.
- Local prices on quadrant map market display now reflect regional rather than global baselines.
- Autopilot also updated to fly level with terrain over planets and moons rather than ecliptic.
- LinkApp updated to highlight active Autopilot, Formation, and Match Speed modes in green.
- Added next, nearest, and gunsight object targeting controls and module faction to LinkApp.
- 'Other Controls' mode (right side) added to LinkApp to include additional control options.
- Added ability to adjust the X and Z angles of holographic cockpit displays (gauges.txt).
- Optimized resolution mode automatically activates if best setting is manually selected.
- Single device sequential 'All' axis mapping option removed to eliminate confusion.
- AI ships can now change approach hangars if player approaches first or is docked.
- Jump effect now casts light on player cockpit and ship structures.
- Added 'Medium' anti-aliasing mode.
- Minor improvements and fixes.

Notes:

Medium Anti-Aliasing Mode
A new 'Medium' setting has been added to the Options > Anti-Aliasing menu. This mode applies some of the parameters of the 'Low' and 'High' modes by providing the 2X rendering level of the 'Low' setting with the shader-based filter sampling of the 'High' mode. As a result, some players may find this mode offers better performance than the 'High' mode while still offering image quality that is fairly close. A lot will depend on the resolution the game is being run at, other settings, and the GPU/rendering capabilities of the system being used.

Sequential 'All' Axis Mapping Option Removed
Due to repeated inquiries and reported confusion over the years with the option to bind all axis inputs to a single device sequentially, the option has been removed in favor of the default standard individual axis mapping selection method. The instructions for the game have been updated to account for this change and expand on some of the new capabilities recently added. If a player still wants to map all axis controls to a single device sequentially by prompt, they can now press and hold the Alt key to have the option appear in the Axis Configuration menu.

Station License Residual Payment System
The station license option has been expanded to include an element of shared ownership for profit, so players can now earn credits from stations they build (which automatically apply licenses) as well as from those they choose to purchase licenses at. Licensed stations now provide residual payments to the owning player over time. For stations you have already built and/or have acquired a license from manually, payments will start after updating to this version of the game (by default, payments are calculated and applied roughly every 15 minutes of gameplay time as indicated by the flight timer). Going forward, stations you build will have an added bonus payment amount per cycle in addition to the license share. The payment framework applies to the gameplay mode you are in. So payments will only be received for stations in single player that you have built and/or have purchased licenses from in that mode. Likewise for multiplayer and the server you play on. Payments will also only apply for licensed stations of the same faction you are affiliated with. If a station is destroyed, then payments from that station will eventually stop (some may already be queued temporarily). In order to resume payments, the station will need to be rebuilt. If you cancel a license, payments for that station will also stop. You can view the total number of licenses currently being credited for residual payments in the News/Information console ('View Station Details' button). The baseline potential profitability of such payments will be based on the tech/econ rating of the region a station is in. So building and/or licensing stations in higher tech/econ rated regions will generally result in higher overall payments. There are also some random elements applied in calculations to simulate variable profitability. So you may be paid more or less each time, even if you still own the same number of licenses in the same locations. The potential profit baseline is divided into 10 levels. Level 1 is the lowest and provides the minimum payment baseline while 10 is the highest. These levels roughly correlate with the regional tech/econ ratings in 1/10 values (so 0-9 is around 1, 10-19 2, and so on). The factor shown is a rounded figure, so there can be decimal values in between that are considered in the calculations as well as variability. When payments are received, the amount will be displayed in the message log and also recorded in the flight log. The application and frequency of the payments can be adjusted with setting options in the Create/Modify profile menu and the amount will be pro-rated for any offset so the amount will remain consistent. This system has been added as part of the effort to implement some of the final planned features and options for the game. It has been left out in the past due to automated gameplay concerns, but has been included with some limitations designed around feedback and discussions over the years. The option to disable the system entirely is also available for players preferring to stick with the original mechanisms of station building and licensing.

View Local Inventories
A new option has been added to the Inventory > News/Information > System Information menu to view the local planet, station, and carrier inventories. The System Information mode needs to be available (via the network data link) in the inventory console in order to view such items remotely. Simply click on the 'View Local Inventories' button and the description, quantity (for commodities), and current price will be displayed in the message log (scroll up and down to view each inventory list in its entirety). The lists will also follow the selected Text or Price sorting format. If a current inventory list is not available, then 'None' will appear under its respective category heading. It should be noted that inventories can easily change by the time you arrive at one of the in-sector locations, but the option can still be used to gauge general pricing and potential availability of specific items within the sector you are in.

Enhanced Autopilot
The autopilot has been heavily revised in this update to incorporate automatic docking systems and collision avoidance. The autopilot will also still attempt to fly at the maximum IDS X9 speed your ship is capable of in open space, slowing only for docking maneuvers. Exceptions to this include planetary atmospheres and asteroid fields, where speed will be reduced for safe travel and more manageable maneuvering. As an optional partial control configuration, you can disengage the IDS to control all strafe and engine thrusters manually to adjust course and speed, leaving roll, pitch, and yaw up to the autopilot. If the nav point is set precisely at a station, city, or carrier, the autopilot will automatically disengage once you arrive at the destination and dock. If the nav point is set to a city and the autopilot is on, it will automatically keep the nav point locked to the city's docking location for you. While a new level of flight automation and safety is included, elements of manual control and risk are still part of the equation. To keep an intended element of player involvement, you can still overspeed the autopilot and collide with objects, so it's still important to maintain situational awareness to avoid such impacts. By design, the new system will not be 100% full-proof. It will merely help reduce potential collisions and lower the chance of damage if an impact does occur. So clear lines of sight to nav points, possible manual control adjustments at times, and careful route planning are still important and recommended.