[h1]NEW ‘STORY MODE’ ALLOWS EASIER GALACTIC EXPLORATION. ALL THE WONDERS, LESS OF THE FRUSTRATION. PLUS: NEW IMPROVEMENTS FOR ALL ASTRONAUTS.[/h1] [img]https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-0/p526x395/18768330_1033303533466488_8760397642682909620_o.png?oh=fdece26df6de386df7b11a1b6518bef0&oe=59AEA3A5[/img] Following the disappearance of the Daedalus-7 on May 30th, IASA scientists have been working around the clock to make The Long Journey Home as comfortable for our missing crew as possible. Reviewers and civilian observers of the ship’s troubled launch have identified a number of issues that we are pleased to announce have now been resolved with the addition of Project “Story Mode”. Needless to say, the existing modes remain as before, offering the same advanced challenge, aside from a few Quality of Life improvements designed to make for a smoother, more enjoyable mission. Story Mode is aimed primarily at new astronauts and those without the time to fully embrace the chaos and challenge of the universe, who prefer exploration over survival, or who would prefer an easier introduction to space travel before facing the challenge of Adventure (formerly Explorer) Mode, and Rogue Mode, where failure means death, intended for the most experienced astronauts. We still believe that these are the ideal way to explore the universe, and encourage astronauts to step up to the challenge as soon as they feel comfortable. However, this is your decision. Key Story Mode changes include a far friendlier galaxy, where resources are more valuable and effective, and some of the tougher challenges early pioneers have experienced are toned down. More planets feature Earth-like conditions, with less extreme conditions on both high and low gravity worlds. The more dangerous galactic weather hazards have also been toned down. The Lander is now far tougher, with greatly reduced fuel consumption. Additional hull-plating also gives it better protection against impact and environmental damage, while our new patented coolant drill system cuts down dramatically on damage caused while drilling and scooping resources. Both ship and Lander have also been upgraded to reduce ongoing wear and tear damage. Achieving orbit is now easier too, with our new navigation system offering a larger orbit radius to lock into. In addition to being more abundant, resources are also now worth more on the market and more effective for repairing and refuelling the ship. Any aliens out there will also likely be more generous with their offers. With these changes, the Daedalus-7 crew will now be freer to explore and savour the galaxy during their Long Journey Home, instead of having to focus constantly on survival. This is of course only if the Daedalus crew chooses to use these changes. If so, they will certainly still face a challenge as they cross the galaxy, but one that is easier to get into. Adventure Mode remains our standard recommended level, encouraging survival through learning and repeated missions, with Rogue Mode on hand for the ultimate survival challenge. The choice is up to you. IASA’s Quality of Life team has, however, not been sitting idly by, with additional tweaks and features that all Daedalus crews can enjoy. In particular, devices now require additional confirmation in the form of a timed selection before being destroyed. The engineer responsible for making them easy to destroy has been sacked. We’ve also added a new laser targeting module to the Daedalus-7 weapon systems to improve combat efficiency. Finally, ship systems now support native full-screen mode in addition to the previous Borderless Windowed default, for greater system control. The rest of the team continues working on improvements, while painstakingly reading every report submitted by civilian liaisons on our forums and official Discord comms channel [url]https://discord.me/the_long_journey_home[/url] as well as livestreams and official reviews. Let us know your problems, large and small, so that we can continue making the flight of the Daedalus-7 the greatest space adventure in history. Needless to say, this release also fixes many small issues too. Should these changes fix your issues with previous missions, please do consider giving us a ‘Thumbs Up’ review on Steam. Experimental missions like these, not to mention the IASA team, desperately need your support. The more Thumbs Up we get, the greater the mission’s visibility. The more civilian buy-in we get, the more we’ll be able to keep working on helping our people get Home. Please visit us on Facebook [url]https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-long-journey-home/iasa-responds-to-mission-criticism-with-new-story-mode/1033286360134872/[/url] Thank you for your support Chiaki Nakano Daedalus-7 Mission Co-Ordinator