The "Kepler" build has now been promoted to default build for [i]Starcom: Unknown Space[/i]. Since the previous default build was "Icarus", this is a significant update, incorporating the changes from both Jupiter and Kepler. The biggest change is that the main storyline now has a proper ending, but there are lots of other updates of various magnitude, including a number of new side quests, factions, and more "off-path" regions. Since both Jupiter and Kepler were made available for opt-in testing and dozens of players have reached the end, I feel confident that Kepler is at least pretty solid: there have been some issues reported, but few serious bugs as of the latest build. Saves are not compatible between named builds, but if you were in the middle of a game, don't worry: you can always switch back to Icarus to finish your current game. [url=http://wx3.com/early-access-updates-and-save-games/]See here for instructions and select "Icarus Rollback"[/url]. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42185452/d80240ae74ba82454576e1ae4f0efe27adeb6f55.gif[/img] Here is a minimal-spoiler list of changes since Icarus: [list] [*] Ending to main story line [*] Prologue opening transition [*] 46 new planet anomalies [*] Anomaly "environment soundscapes" [*] New stories, side quests, factions, Easter Eggs [*] Improved guidance/fixes for missions where players commonly found themselves stuck [*] Numerous new character dialogues, crew prompts [*] New ship modules and technologies [*] New weapons, variants [*] Numerous balance changes [*] New enemy attacks, AI [*] NPCs now automatically aggro'd by attacks to their allies (unless also allied with aggressor) [*] Changes to fixed guns [*] New music tracks [*] New achievements [*] Mission "priority" indicator for main story critical missions [*] Newly unlocked techs highlighted [*] Ability to toggle mission goal tracking [*] Difficulty / skill roll modifiers now in 5% increments [*] Changed autosave timing [*] Fix for vsync not being saved [*] Engine turbo sound fades out [*] Improvements to game controller support [*] Fix for anomaly image change not reflected in log [*] Fix for projectiles, effects persisting after save game load [*] Various QoL improvements [*] Additional analytics [*] Performance optimizations [/list] [h3]Early Access Content Progress[/h3] As with previous named builds, for comparison purposes, here are some metrics to give a rough sense as to how much content has been added to the game since it first entered Early Access almost 16 months ago: [b]Betelgeuse (Dec 2022, first Early Access version):[/b] 75 anomalies 1264 mission logic elements 25,000 words [b]Draconis (Jan 2023):[/b] 91 anomalies 1516 mission logic elements 29,000 words [b]Europa (Mar 2023): [/b] 111 possible anomalies 1839 mission logic elements 36,000 words [b]Fornax (May 2023):[/b] 120 possible anomalies 1990 mission logic elements 40,000 words [b]Ganymede (June 2023):[/b] 145 anomalies 2390 mission logic elements 48,000 words [b]Icarus (October 2023):[/b] 179 anomalies 3340 mission logic elements 64,000 words [b]Jupiter (January 2024):[/b] 197 possible anomalies 4329 mission logic elements 82,182 words [b]Kepler (current Default):[/b] 225 possible anomalies 4848 mission logic elements 90,400 words [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42185452/1bd7775dc9d4af24f3aa5b9d7e2f91d1837983b1.png[/img] For comparison, [i]Starcom: Nexus[/i] had roughly ~195 anomalies and 65,000 words of text. It used a different mission system, so there's no clear comparison, but [i]Starcom: Unknown[/i] Space definitely has significantly more mission logic and text. There are still a number of features, fixes and content I'd like to add, but at this point I am starting to think about a 1.0 release, [i]possibly[/i] later this summer. Although as I have said since the start of Early Access, the key determinant is how players feel about the state of the game. Thanks for reading, and thanks for playing Starcom: Unknown Space!