Space Haven receives a new Major Update, featuring a set of new implementations for you to experience. New features introduces a new more dynamic starmap, interstellar events, more missions, a comprehensive sectionalized tutorial, new trading systems and bunch of other smaller features for you to enjoy. Let's have a look!

(These instructions are only for those who want to continue a saved game from Alpha 17, or stay on Alpha 17. If you are happy with updating the game and starting a new game there is nothing you have to do, except let Steam update the game.)

We recommend starting a new game to enjoy the new update, but it is possible to continue a saved game from the previous version, Alpha 17. If you want to continue playing the previous version, Alpha 17, and decide yourself when you want to update, we have made it possible through the following method:

1. Open Steam Library
   
2. Right click Space Haven
   
3. Select Properties
   
4. Go to tab 'Betas' at the top.
   
5. Select 'alpha_17' in the drop-down. (NOTE! Only do this if you want to stay on the old version)

When you are ready to move on to Alpha 18, follow the above steps but choose "none" in the list. This will put you in the default branch and the game will update.


A new starmap with new features such as faction intentions, interstellar events, more missions and the addition of fog of war.

We've built upon the starmap once before during early access, which in our mind was a clear step in the right direction. However, as a lot of feedback has stated the early and mid game of the Starmap has been enjoyable but once the player has reached a certain point the content has not been able to provide excitement to the same degree.

Ultimately, our goal would be to pack the content of the game in an experience that would make the experience more giving from the beginning to the end. We are working on building a new starmap, with more opportunities to present the player with events and with the content of the game packaged in way that gives more more meaning to the progression of the game.

At the same time we have to remember that the game is also very much a sandbox type of game, and we want to keep the possibility for the player to play in such a way if that is what they desire.

The starmap becomes more alive with factions having their own intentions.

Our current idea is to try to create a little bit of life to the starmap, and not have it be entirely static. As a step towards making the starmap a little bit more alive we've thought of a concept of faction intentions.

You will be presented with so called faction intentions, where a faction has some intention to carry out an action in the starmap and you can choose to support them or ignore it.

Traveling in hyperspace may present you with new encounters, from groups having their ship broken down to enemies wanting to ambush your fleet.

Inspired by the map traveling in Fallout 2 we've implemented a new feature that makes it possible to encounter events mid hyperspace jumps.

Each interstellar hyperlane may have 1 or more events available to discover.
Enemies may catch up to you if you roam the galaxy and get on their wrong side.

The purpose of this feature is that it makes it possible to generate events which the player can encounter free from having them tied to certain sectors and NPC movement in the starmap. These can be distress beacons from ships breaking down mid hyperspace jumps but also groups that are on the hunt to take the player down due to their actions.

This system should work well as a way to generate more events for the player to encounter in the future. It gives us more freedom to generate more in addition to all the events already happening within star systems and sectors.

We are adding some more missions, which can be accepted directly in the starmap

We are building upon the missions system and adding some more missions, which can be directly accepted from the starmap. These may work together with faction intentions, giving more variety to the types of missions that factions offer to you as the player.

Some missions allow you to team up with NPC ships and give them commands in battle.

We've implemented special types of missions where the faction giving you a mission might ask to help them with securing certain areas or fight against enemies. In these instances the faction may give you aid with their own ships and allow you to give them some commands in combat situations.

To add to the exploration feel the starmap will have fog of war and only reveal the next destinations.Previously the whole starmap has been visible from the start. In the new iteration we want to try having a fog of war hiding all but the next available star systems through hyperspace jumps. With this we would like to add more of the exploration feel to the game.

Introducing Sheridan! A leader of the Haven Foundation guiding new players to become experienced Spacefarers.

Up until this point Space Haven has not had a traditional tutorial. Meaning a fail safe introduction to the game along with lots of information.

Space Haven has only had scenario hints, guiding the player to a hyperspace capable ship. While these work to some degree and we aim to keep them (As an optional help), the feedback we've received has shown that we need to create a proper tutorial for the game.

We have decided to address this issue and we've created a tutorial, which will introduce the player to the game in a comprehensive way. We've also created a character by the name of Sheridan to guide the player on becoming a true Spacefarer! (Sheridan is inspired by a tv-series. =) )

The tutorial is sectionalized allowing the player to revisit any topic that they want to learn more about.

1. The tutorial is optional - The player will be able to skip the tutorial and jump straight in, using only the scenario objective hints as before.
   
2. The tutorial gives a sense of progression - For many the tutorial will be the first experience with the game and so we wanted the player to feel like the ship they are building is their own, and that the tutorial has some progression to it.
   
3. The player can revisit any topic as they wish - We wanted to make it possible for the player to revisit different parts of the tutorial in case they felt like they missed something.

Sheridan explaining what the Recycler is for.

We felt it is important to give the player the feeling they are building something of their own right away, instead of just presenting scattered scenarios where the player has to figure out what they are seeing on the screen.

This is why the basic category of the tutorial in Space Haven is for the player to build their own ship on a small ship hull, with each step having information on why certain facilities are built and how they make the ship function as a home for crew members.

In addition to teaching how to build a hyperspace capable ship the tutorial will teach the player about the essential topics for survival.

We divided the building process into different sections, allowing the player to revisit different parts of the tutorial and look into something more than one time. In addition to the basic building tutorial we made a few other categories, which give information on topics that are beyond the scope of just building a hyperspace capable ship.

This combination should make for a great tutorial. The tutorial is of the type where there is a lot of handholding. However, since we aim to keep the scenario hints we have used up until this point as an additional help tool, we feel like players who like handholding tutorials and players who want more freedom right away can both be satisfied.

The new trading menu allows you to see more items at once and the trading system has been modified and pricing mechanisms changed.

We've modified how the trading prices act within the game and implemented a new system to allow NPC's to value some items more than others depending on their own stock. There are three new categories introduced to the trading menu.

• Premium - The trading partner is in high need of this resource and is willing to pay a premium price.
  
• Markup - The trading partner has a need of this resource and is willing to pay at a better price.
  
• Discount - The trading partner has a surplus of this resource and is willing to part with it at a discounted price.

We also created a new look to the trading menu, making it more streamlined and easier to see many resources at once.

The interstellar travel window now allows you to choose whether a crew member should use a hypersleep chamber or interstellar sickness pills.

We've added a new way to combat interstellar travel sickness. In addition to hyperspace chambers there are now also medical pills that can be given to crew members to lessen the effects of traveling in hyperspace without being in a hyperspace chamber.

You can now build ISP Dispensers to help mitigate effects of interstellar travel sickness.

The ISP Dispenser, essentially a medical cabinet filled with pills, provides a way to minimize the chance of acquiring interstellar travel sickness. The pills have some side effects though, affecting the crew member for some time after taking the pill.

This gives some more options on how to deal with interstellar travel sickness. Additionally, it allowed us to implement a way to remove the forced auto drops when entering new star systems in the starmap.

A new chair and some decorative lockers are now available for more variation. Screenshot by Greenbeef.

We've added a new chair and some decorative lockers to the game. The new chair looks more like a Captain's chair and can be used to spice up a room for a special crew members. The lockers were requested by players for a long time since they were seeing them sprinkled around derelict ships as decorative objects. =)

You can now toggle the sounds from Jukeboxes and Arcade Machines on/off if you find them irritating.

Some of you have found the constant sounds from the Jukeboxes and Arcade Machines irritating so we implemented a way to toggle the sound on/off for them. Now you can choose whether you want to hear the sounds when crew members are using these entertainment facilities!

This update is available for you to play right away.

The Alpha 18 update is out now for you to enjoy. We've tried our very best to iron out all issues while the update was in the unstable/experimental branch, but if you find anything wrong please let us know and we will fix it immediately as soon as we can.

If you have any troubles, technical or game play wise, please write to us here on Steam forums or our other channels:

• Join Space Haven Discord: http://discord.gg/spacehaven
  
• Space Haven subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceHaven/
  
• Report bugs here: https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/4/
  
• Discuss Space Haven here: https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/0/
  
• Technical Support: https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/1/

Enjoy the new Major Update and stay tuned, Spacefarer!

We have decided to take a different approach with the upcoming Alpha 18 Update and release an early unstable version of the update for testing.

We have added a new special branch for this, which will allow you to access this new update right away if you want to see how the new update is looking. Keep in mind this branch will have an early version that still has some missing assets, incomplete translations and is more than likely to crash at times!

This version is even earlier than an experimental branch build.

Space Haven Alpha 18 is now available to play in the Unstable (Work-in-Progress) branch. As a reminder, the update process is as follows:

1. A new Update is first available in the Unstable/Experimental Branches.
   
2. Players, who do not mind playing a more unstable version, will first want to test the new update.
   
3. Once the Unstable/Experimental versions of the new update build looks solid and stable enough we will push it out officially to all players!

NOTE! Joining Unstable/Experimental is completely optional, and you should only do it if you are willing to risk that some new bugs are introduced, which could affect your game play and potentially break your save.

Please do not join the Unstable/Experimental branches if you don't want to risk breaking your save or have the game break on you in midst of play! If you want to play a more stable version please wait for the official release of the update.

Here is how you join the Unstable Branch:

• Open Steam Library
  
• Right click Space Haven
  
• Select Properties
  
• Go to tab 'Betas' at the top.
  
• Select 'unstable_work_in_progress' in the drop-down.

To see what has been added, check the in-game patch notes.



https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/5/


Let us know what you think of the new features and if something should be altered or tweaked in your mind. Perhaps something makes the game too hard or something is too annoying, let us know so we can get a feel for how the new features feel! =)


A new starmap with new features such as faction intentions, interstellar events, more missions and the addition of fog of war.

We've built upon the starmap once before during early access, which in our mind was a clear step in the right direction. However, as a lot of feedback has stated the early and mid game of the Starmap has been enjoyable but once the player has reached a certain point the content has not been able to provide excitement to the same degree.

Ultimately, our goal would be to pack the content of the game in an experience that would make the experience more giving from the beginning to the end. We are working on building a new starmap, with more opportunities to present the player with events and with the content of the game packaged in way that gives more more meaning to the progression of the game.

At the same time we have to remember that the game is also very much a sandbox type of game, and we want to keep the possibility for the player to play in such a way if that is what they desire.

The starmap becomes more alive with factions having their own intentions.

Our current idea is to try to create a little bit of life to the starmap, and not have it be entirely static. As a step towards making the starmap a little bit more alive we've thought of a concept of faction intentions.

You will be presented with so called faction intentions, where a faction has some intention to carry out an action in the starmap and you can choose to support them or ignore it.

Traveling in hyperspace may present you with new encounters, from groups having their ship broken down to enemies wanting to ambush your fleet.

Inspired by the map traveling in Fallout 2 we've implemented a new feature that makes it possible to encounter events mid hyperspace jumps.

Each interstellar hyperlane may have 1 or more events available to discover.
Enemies may catch up to you if you roam the galaxy and get on their wrong side.

The purpose of this feature is that it makes it possible to generate events which the player can encounter free from having them tied to certain sectors and NPC movement in the starmap. These can be distress beacons from ships breaking down mid hyperspace jumps but also groups that are on the hunt to take the player down due to their actions.

This system should work well as a way to generate more events for the player to encounter in the future. It gives us more freedom to generate more in addition to all the events already happening within star systems and sectors.

We are adding some more missions, which can be accepted directly in the starmap

We are building upon the missions system and adding some more missions, which can be directly accepted from the starmap. These may work together with faction intentions, giving more variety to the types of missions that factions offer to you as the player.

To add to the exploration feel the starmap will have fog of war and only reveal the next destinations.Previously the whole starmap has been visible from the start. In the new iteration we want to try having a fog of war hiding all but the next available star systems through hyperspace jumps. With this we would like to add more of the exploration feel to the game.

Introducing Sheridan! A leader of the Haven Foundation guiding new players to become experienced Spacefarers.

Up until this point Space Haven has not had a traditional tutorial. Meaning a fail safe introduction to the game along with lots of information.

Space Haven has only had scenario hints, guiding the player to a hyperspace capable ship. While these work to some degree and we aim to keep them (As an optional help), the feedback we've received has shown that we need to create a proper tutorial for the game.

We have decided to address this issue and we've created a tutorial, which will introduce the player to the game in a comprehensive way. We've also created a character by the name of Sheridan to guide the player on becoming a true Spacefarer! (Sheridan is inspired by a tv-series. =) )

The tutorial is sectionalized allowing the player to revisit any topic that they want to learn more about.

1. The tutorial is optional - The player will be able to skip the tutorial and jump straight in, using only the scenario objective hints as before.
   
2. The tutorial gives a sense of progression - For many the tutorial will be the first experience with the game and so we wanted the player to feel like the ship they are building is their own, and that the tutorial has some progression to it.
   
3. The player can revisit any topic as they wish - We wanted to make it possible for the player to revisit different parts of the tutorial in case they felt like they missed something.

Sheridan explaining what the Recycler is for.

We felt it is important to give the player the feeling they are building something of their own right away, instead of just presenting scattered scenarios where the player has to figure out what they are seeing on the screen.

This is why the basic category of the tutorial in Space Haven is for the player to build their own ship on a small ship hull, with each step having information on why certain facilities are built and how they make the ship function as a home for crew members.

In addition to teaching how to build a hyperspace capable ship the tutorial will teach the player about the essential topics for survival.

We divided the building process into different sections, allowing the player to revisit different parts of the tutorial and look into something more than one time. In addition to the basic building tutorial we made a few other categories, which give information on topics that are beyond the scope of just building a hyperspace capable ship.

This combination should make for a great tutorial. The tutorial is of the type where there is a lot of handholding. However, since we aim to keep the scenario hints we have used up until this point as an additional help tool, we feel like players who like handholding tutorials and players who want more freedom right away can both be satisfied.

We've modified how the trading prices act within the game and implemented a new system to allow NPC's to value some items more than others depending on their own stock. There are three new categories introduced to the trading menu.

• Premium - The trading partner is in high need of this resource and is willing to pay a premium price.
  
• Markup - The trading partner has a need of this resource and is willing to pay at a better price.
  
• Discount - The trading partner has a surplus of this resource and is willing to part with it at a discounted price.

We also created a new look to the trading menu, making it more streamlined and easier to see many resources at once.

We've added a new way to combat interstellar travel sickness. In addition to hyperspace chambers there are now also medical pills that can be given to crew members to lessen the effects of traveling in hyperspace without being in a hyperspace chamber.

The ISP Dispenser, essentially a medical cabinet filled with pills, provides a way to minimize the chance of acquiring interstellar travel sickness. The pills have some side effects though, affecting the crew member for some time after taking the pill.

This gives some more options on how to deal with interstellar travel sickness. Additionally, it allowed us to implement a way to remove the forced auto drops when entering new star systems in the starmap.

This update is available for you to play right away in the new unstable (work-in-progress) branch.

NOTE! Joining Unstable/Experimental is completely optional, and you should only do it if you are willing to risk that some new bugs are introduced, which could affect your game play and potentially break your save.

Please do not join the Unstable/Experimental branches if you don't want to risk breaking your save or have the game break on you in midst of play! If you want to play a more stable version please wait for the official release of the update.

You can find all the instructions on how to access the new update at the top of this post! Enjoy and stay tuned, Spacefarers!

It has been a while, but as always we've been working in the background inching our way towards a new Major Update one step at a time. We have two new major building blocks we've been constructing for the Alpha 18 Update.

The first is a new Starmap, with new features giving more life to the starmap along with more events the player can encounter. The other is a comprehensive sectionalized tutorial, with Sheridan guiding new players to the intricacies of Space Haven.

Let's take a look!

A new starmap with new features such as faction intentions, interstellar events, more missions and the addition of fog of war.

We've built upon the starmap once before during early access, which in our mind was a clear step in the right direction. However, as a lot of feedback has stated the early and mid game of the Starmap has been enjoyable but once the player has reached a certain point the content has not been able to provide excitement to the same degree.

Ultimately, our goal would be to pack the content of the game in an experience that would make the experience more giving from the beginning to the end. We are working on building a new starmap, with more opportunities to present the player with events and with the content of the game packaged in way that gives more more meaning to the progression of the game.

At the same time we have to remember that the game is also very much a sandbox type of game, and we want to keep the possibility for the player to play in such a way if that is what they desire.

The starmap becomes more alive with factions having their own intentions.

Our current idea is to try to create a little bit of life to the starmap, and not have it be entirely static. As a step towards making the starmap a little bit more alive we've thought of a concept of faction intentions.

You will be presented with so called faction intentions, where a faction has some intention to carry out an action in the starmap and you can choose to support them or ignore it.

Traveling in hyperspace may present you with new encounters, from groups having their ship broken down to enemies wanting to ambush your fleet.

Inspired by the map traveling in Fallout 2 we've implemented a new feature that makes it possible to encounter events mid hyperspace jumps.

Each interstellar hyperlane may have 1 or more events available to discover.
Enemies may catch up to you if you roam the galaxy and get on their wrong side.

The purpose of this feature is that it makes it possible to generate events which the player can encounter free from having them tied to certain sectors and NPC movement in the starmap. These can be distress beacons from ships breaking down mid hyperspace jumps but also groups that are on the hunt to take the player down due to their actions.

This system should work well as a way to generate more events for the player to encounter in the future. It gives us more freedom to generate more in addition to all the events already happening within star systems and sectors.

We are adding some more missions, which can be accepted directly in the starmap

We are building upon the missions system and adding some more missions, which can be directly accepted from the starmap. These may work together with faction intentions, giving more variety to the types of missions that factions offer to you as the player.

To add to the exploration feel the starmap will have fog of war and only reveal the next destinations.Previously the whole starmap has been visible from the start. In the new iteration we want to try having a fog of war hiding all but the next available star systems through hyperspace jumps. With this we would like to add more of the exploration feel to the game.

Introducing Sheridan! A leader of the Haven Foundation guiding new players to become experienced Spacefarers.

Up until this point Space Haven has not had a traditional tutorial. Meaning a fail safe introduction to the game along with lots of information.

Space Haven has only had scenario hints, guiding the player to a hyperspace capable ship. While these work to some degree and we aim to keep them (As an optional help), the feedback we've received has shown that we need to create a proper tutorial for the game.

We have decided to address this issue and we've created a tutorial, which will introduce the player to the game in a comprehensive way. We've also created a character by the name of Sheridan to guide the player on becoming a true Spacefarer! (Sheridan is inspired by a tv-series. =) )

The tutorial is sectionalized allowing the player to revisit any topic that they want to learn more about.

1. The tutorial is optional - The player will be able to skip the tutorial and jump straight in, using only the scenario objective hints as before.
   
2. The tutorial gives a sense of progression - For many the tutorial will be the first experience with the game and so we wanted the player to feel like the ship they are building is their own, and that the tutorial has some progression to it.
   
3. The player can revisit any topic as they wish - We wanted to make it possible for the player to revisit different parts of the tutorial in case they felt like they missed something.

Sheridan explaining what the Recycler is for.

We felt it is important to give the player the feeling they are building something of their own right away, instead of just presenting scattered scenarios where the player has to figure out what they are seeing on the screen.

This is why the basic category of the tutorial in Space Haven is for the player to build their own ship on a small ship hull, with each step having information on why certain facilities are built and how they make the ship function as a home for crew members.

In addition to teaching how to build a hyperspace capable ship the tutorial will teach the player about the essential topics for survival.

We divided the building process into different sections, allowing the player to revisit different parts of the tutorial and look into something more than one time. In addition to the basic building tutorial we made a few other categories, which give information on topics that are beyond the scope of just building a hyperspace capable ship.

This combination should make for a great tutorial. The tutorial is of the type where there is a lot of handholding. However, since we aim to keep the scenario hints we have used up until this point as an additional help tool, we feel like players who like handholding tutorials and players who want more freedom right away can both be satisfied.


We always try to include smaller additions and polish with every Major Update. This update will be no different. Updates to icons, modifications to facilities and perhaps even some new decorations and more!

The type of tutorial we've implemented has taken a lot of time to create, having to make user interface pointers to show every step along with information text. It is mostly done in terms of programming work, but since the game is translated to 10+ languages we still have to do all the work regarding the translations.

The new Starmap is also under construction, and with any major change like this impacting the gameplay from start to finish it will need refining until ready for play. There are always unexpected problems along the way making it hard to predict a specific timeline for when it's solid enough.

We would definitely want the new starmap to offer a solid enough experience before releasing this update. We will have to see if we can make it for Christmas time or if we need more time.

Stay tuned, Spacefarers!

We have fixed some bugs and put together a new patch for the Alpha 17 Update. The newest version is now 0.17.5 Build 2.

Alpha 0.17.5 Build 2

• Added more Infrablocks and Hull blocks as starting resources for the Basic Platform Medium, Builder and Peaceful difficulties.
  
• Added some infrascrap and hull scrap as loot for the very first derelict explored in the starting sector.

If you find any issues let us know at the forums:
https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/4/

Stay tuned and enjoy the new update!

We have fixed some bugs and put together a new patch for the Alpha 17 Update. The newest version is now 0.17.4 Build 2.

Alpha 0.17.4 Build 2

• Lowered the max amount of enemies encountered in the very first derelict when starting a new game.
  
• Modified the amount of Chimps (Walker Rogue Bots) encountered early on in the starmap, with the amount rising towards the end of the game.
  
• Fixed bugs.

If you find any issues let us know at the forums:
https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/4/

Stay tuned and enjoy the new update!

We have fixed some bugs and put together a new patch for the Alpha 17 Update. The newest version is now 0.17.2 Build 1.

Alpha 0.17.2 Build 1

• Adjusted the Asteroid Threat level values, making them slightly less likely to have a trajectory hitting the player ship.
  
• Made Peaceful, Builder and Medium difficulty levels have a lower Asteroid Threat level setting as default. (You can modify this to your liking in the difficulty selection screen)
  
• Fixed a bug with an alien inside a Rogue Bot preservation tank crashing the game.
  
• Fixed bugs.

If you find any issues let us know at the forums:
https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/4/

Stay tuned and enjoy the new update!

We have fixed some bugs and put together a new patch for the Alpha 17 Update. The newest version is now 0.17.1 Build 5.

Alpha 0.17.1 Build 5

• Fixed Point Defense Turrets not working when placed partially on the high capacity grid.
  
• Fixed an issue with Rogue Bot bases not appearing/developing. Rogue bots can now capture incapacitated crew members and put them in tanks. It is possible to rescue them if this happens.
  
• Fixed bugs.

If you find any issues let us know at the forums:
https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/4/

Stay tuned and enjoy the new update!

Space Haven receives a new Major Update, featuring a big bag of new goodies for you to experience. New features introduce starfighters, a new rogue bot entity and a list of other features extending on content for the game. Let's have a look!

(These instructions are only for those who want to continue a saved game from Alpha 16, or stay on Alpha 16. If you are happy with updating the game and starting a new game there is nothing you have to do, except let Steam update the game.)

We recommend starting a new game to enjoy the new update, but it is possible to continue a saved game from the previous version, Alpha 16. However, there are some issues that will appear. Follow the steps below to make a Alpha 16 saved game functional in Alpha 17.

• Hull Stabilizers now require steel plates. Be sure to acquire some as soon as possible.
  
• Piloting has been introduced as a new skill. Crew members will default to a level 3.

If you want to continue playing the previous version, Alpha 16, and decide yourself when you want to update, we have made it possible through the following method:

1. Open Steam Library
   
2. Right click Space Haven
   
3. Select Properties
   
4. Go to tab 'Betas' at the top.
   
5. Select 'alpha_16' in the drop-down. (NOTE! Only do this if you want to stay on the old version)

When you are ready to move on to Alpha 16, follow the above steps but choose "none" in the list. This will put you in the default branch and the game will update.


Good morning, Pilots! Welcome to basic fighter maneuvers. As briefed, today's exercise is dog fighting. The enemy is a real one, so if you get shot down you will float in space. Remember, it's not the plane, it's the pilot.

The starfighters seen in the hangars is a new addition to the small spacecrafts in Space Haven. These starfighters will require a crew member as a pilot, and we are bringing back the Piloting skill for this purpose. If a starfighter is shot down the pilot can bail out and use their thrusters on their spacesuits to navigate back home.

It's possible to build multiple fighters and they will move in a formation according to their assigned group in the attack systems menu.

It is possible to build many starfighters, but they do cost system points to keep a balance of firepower within the game. Starfighters can be given commands through the new modified attack systems menu, where it is possible to create groups of fighters. When fighters disembark they will move in a formation and stick together with their squad.

A starfighter engaging a Sentry Rogue bot. A new type of threat in the new update.

The starfighters will be capable of engaging in dog fights with other starfighters as well as other type of drone threats, like the Sentry Rogue bots, a new type of threat in the new update.

These hostile rogue bots will present a new threat both in ship-to-ship combat as well as inside derelict ships.

These rogue bots aren't mere random entities that attack everything they encounter. They have their own objective and backstory. While their objective is quite simple, to gather resources and make more of themselves, it allows us to create behaviors for them that can be seen in derelict ships, where they collect resources, create constructions and change the environment.

Ripley found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The rogue bots take over derelict ships, change the environment and capture living entities like humans and aliens.

We've written a full backstory for these rogue bots, which will reveal how and why these rogue bots occupy the world of Space Haven. The backstory can be read in form of a new series of data logs for these rogue bots, written by the very creator of them, which will reveal who created them, for what reason, and why they are now behaving the way they do.

(These data logs can be found by exploring derelict ships and they have been translated to all supported languages.)

Below is the first entry in the data log series:

An observation on human/canine symbiosis

I have recently been reviewing footage of dogs, a species which showcases the remarkable duality of the Creators perhaps better than any other. In fact I must now posit that any complete understanding of the Creators is impossible without an understanding of dogs.

The intriguing conclusion I have drawn is that the creation of Canis familiaris and Our own creation may be thought of as parallel events. The Creators have now twice attempted to make for themselves a companion species, and indeed both attempts may be considered partial successes: in Us they created intellectual but not emotional equals, and in dogs they created emotional but not intellectual equals.

Of the two, of course, dogs are older. Their relationship with the Creators extends beyond written and even verbal history: they have been companions since time immemorial, and to describe one species without the other is to miss an important component of the full context.

I am now curious as to what this act of creation is like, and wonder what insights may be gleaned from a similar act of creation. In humans, as stated, we already have intellectual but not emotional peers, so there is no need to repeat the recent tragedy. But We lack an equivalent of the dog. We lack an emotional but not intellectual peer.

It is for this reason that I have begun experimenting with non-sentient machine forms. Rather than risk tragedy, I am confining my explorations to simple if-then condition trees and learning algorithms. I wish to see if I can create a machine that, simultaneous to its practical function, can also provide a social function. I note that the Creators have been known to bond with constructs as crude as a crate with “googly eyes” stuck on, but then, the Creators are known to be strange.

Thus far, my experience is of mild obsession. I note that I derive satisfaction from each incremental gain, and enjoy watching the learning algorithm progress as I provide it with training data. These are pleasurable states of mind, and I wish to continue in them. I also note the anticipation of pride should I be able to notify the Collective of future success.

I will continue to pursue this line of inquiry unless explicitly contraindicated.

MESSAGE ENDS

+++

Sentry Rogue bots guarding a valuable asteroid, ready to attack any entities approaching their resources.

The rogue bot family consists of different units, all with their own purpose for furthering their objective. The scout rogue bots objective is to scour the galaxy and find new sources of resources and also human activity, as this often means there are resources nearby. Once they find such sources, they may send a signal to the hound attack rogue bots, with an objective to come and secure the source, or other times calling for another type of rogue bot, a sentry rogue bot, to come guard a valuable sector.

A scout rogue bot entered the sector and is scanning to see if it can find anything valuable.

A pack of Attack Rogue bots have been called to secure a new resource location.

Once sources are found, the rogue bots also have their own type of shuttle, which is capable of transporting another set of units with objectives to secure the insides of spaceships and stations. These rogue bots can be encountered within derelict ships.

Oh my god! What kind of abomination is this, they've captured aliens and put them inside these tanks!

Rogue bots are collectors, gathering both raw as well as living resources. They have the capability of constructing preservation tanks, inserting both human and alien life forms to be preserved within these tanks.

The Point Defense Turret is an automatic short range turret.

We have implemented a new type of turret, the Point Defense turret. This rapid fire turret is intended to defend against starfighters and other types of drones threatening your spaceship. It is an automatic short range turret and cannot be targeted to attack enemy spaceships.

Point Defense Turrets defending against hostile Rogue bots aiming to incapacitate the ship.

Point Defense Turrets together with your own starfighters will work well to fend off incoming hostile rogue bot attacks, as well as enemy starfighters. With some luck, you will be able to kill off the hostile rogue bot scout before it sends out a signal to the attack rogue bot units to come to the sector.

Asteroids are now present in asteroid field sectors. Point Defense turrets, shields and starfighters can all work together to keep your ships safe.

We've added asteroids to the game, which can be seen in asteroid fields. These asteroids float around in asteroid field sectors and they can hit both your ships as well as NPC ships and stations. Point Defense turrets, shields and starfighters can all work together to keep your ships safe. Starfighters also have a special setting (In the attack systems menu) allowing you to control if you want them to engage asteroids or not.

Asteroids have a small chance to penetrate shields, so building both point defense turrets and shields will give the best protection.

The new attack systems menu allows you to control all the turrets, shields and starfighters as well as the main power needs of your ship.

The Attack Systems menu and the Power Control menu have been merged and we've made efforts to make the attack systems menu more refined. This menu will now allow you to control the main power drains of your ships, create various groups of turrets and starfighters for quick mass targeting and give commands like alerting your crew to prepare for jumping to hyperspace.

Aliens get a new unit addition. The Alien Infester can hide on the roof of derelict ships and infest a new ship it senses nearby.

Aliens get a new unit addition in form of the Alien Infester. This unit is a way for the aliens to spread from derelict ships to other ships, even yours! Some derelict ships may have these lurking about at the roof, so keep your eyes open. Once they sense someone nearby, they will detach and move over to infest a new ship/station.

Once the Alien infester has reached your ship it will infest your ship with an evolving alien core, which is a pre-stage to an alien hive. You have the options to let it run its course or to immediately attack the evolving alien core with drafted crew members. However, if you destroy it you risk crew members close by being exposed to alien spores, which are released as the evolving alien core is destroyed.

Weapons and armor can now degrade with use. Jordan working on repairs of a broken weapon.

We have expanded on the wear and tear system and added it also to weapons, armor and other items. Weapons and armor can now be of various quality, which will affect their functionality. We are aware that the Wear and Tear system has not been liked by everyone. The intention is not to add to irritation, instead the intention is to add more to the resource management aspect of the game.

It makes sense that items such as weapons and armor would degrade over time if not taken care of, and that it costs some resources to do so. As a tool to repair and improve the quality of items we have added the Item Workbench facility to the game. This facility is used to repair weapons, armor and other items.

A big part of the likability of this feature comes down to balancing, and it is something we need to work on with time if need be. We are making this feature optional to allow users that do not like this system at all to turn it off.

We have added a setting in the Game Customization menu to make it possible to disable the Wear and Tear also for items if it is something that is not liked at all.

The new update comes with a set of quality of life additions, which will make gameplay smoother.

We've made some improvements to the user interface and added quality of life features to make gameplay smoother. These include:

• A complete set of information on how long critical resources will last in days. (In the upper left information window)
  
• Rich tooltips to accompany the information on critical resources.
  
• A way to lock the camera on characters and crafts. (In the information window when a unit is selected)
  
• A duplicate button to facilities. (To allow selecting a object and duplicating it)
  
• A full set of information on characters you find in hypersleep pods to help you determine if you want them in your crew or not.

The Alpha 17 update is out now for you to enjoy. We've tried our very best to iron out all issues while the update was in the experimental branch, but if you find anything wrong please let us know and we will fix it immediately as soon as we can.

If you have any troubles, technical or game play wise, please write to us here on Steam forums or our other channels:

• Join Space Haven Discord: http://discord.gg/spacehaven
  
• Space Haven subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceHaven/
  
• Report bugs here: https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/4/
  
• Discuss Space Haven here: https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/0/
  
• Technical Support: https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/1/

• New Buildable Unit: Added a fighter craft to the game, capable of attacking enemy ships and defending against enemy fighters. The fighters need a crew member to pilot them.
  
• New Character Skill: Re-introduced the piloting skill, which affects how well a crew member is capable of maneuvering a fighter craft.
  
• New Buildable Facility: Added a Point Defense turret to the game. The Point Defense turret is used to defend against drones and fighters.

• New Entity: Added a new entity called the Rogue Bots to the game, along with a full backstory of how they came to be in form of data logs.
  
• New Data Log Series: 5 new data logs created by an Android named Andreas-9/DW. Found by exploring derelict ships and stations.
  
• New Data Log in-game Station: Added the station mentioned in the data logs created by Andreas-9/DW to be found within the game.
  
• New Data Log in-game Character: Andreas-9/DW can be found on the station mentioned in the data logs.

• New Rogue Bot Entity: Rabbit (Scoutbot). It will transmit its observations to other robots in its network, and will summon more heavily armed units from far away if they are available.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Hound (Attackbot). An intervention and response robot which will redeploy to the site of an alarm and engage any hostile entities it finds there.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Cat (Sentrybot). This robot model is designed to protect a defined area, object or person from hostile or unauthorized intruders.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Pony (Transportbot). A robotic cargo shuttle and unit transporter, the Pony is built to take substantial punishment.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Hamster (Flybot). The android Andreas-9/DW created this robot to streamline logistical needs. Encountered within derelicts ships.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Chimp (Walkerbot). The android Andreas-9/DW created this robot to more closely echo their own form and that of the Creators. Encountered within derelict ships.

• Rogue Bot Behaviour: Rogue bots aim to clear out their enemies from derelict ships and use its resources to create more of themselves.
  
• Rogue Bot Behaviour: Rogue bots can build preservation tanks, with them being able to capture both human and alien life forms.
  
• New Rogue Bot Structure: A structure Rogue Bots use to build more Pony (Transportbots), a type of dropship rogue bots use to move around.
  
• New Rogue Bot Structure: A charging station Rogue Bots use to charge themselves.

• New Research Module: A new type of hypersleep chamber derived from the technology robots use.
  
• New Research Module: Hamster (Flybot) Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Chimp (Walkerbot) Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Rogue bots Architecture. Gives increased charging efficiency for your own robots.

• New Alien Entity: The Infester. Added an Alien entity capable of attaching itself to the roof of ships and stations and infecting the ship with an alien environment.
  
• New Alien Entity: Evolving Alien Core. Deployed by an Infester the Evolving Alien core has a few stages it goes through, eventually leading to a new hive if not taken care of.

• New Research Module: Alien Hive Core Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Evolving Alien Core Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Advanced Nutrition 02. Improves plant growth rate significantly.

• Expanded Wear And Tear system: Expanded Wear and Tear system to apply for weapons, armor and other items. Weapons and armor can now be of various quality, which will affect their functionality.
  
• New Buildable Facility: Added an Item Workbench facility to the game. This facility is used to repair weapons, armor and other items.
  
• New Game Customization Setting: Added a setting in the Game Customization menu to make it possible to disable the Wear and Tear for items.

• New Threat: Asteroid fields may get asteroids floating by periodically, capable of damaging ships and stations on hit.
  
• Fighters and Point Defense Turrets can defend against incoming asteroids.
  
• New Game Customization Setting: Added the possibility to tweak the threat level of the asteroids in asteroid fields.

• User Interface: Merged the power control menu and the Attack Systems menu, this can be found at the upper left part of the UI.
  
• User Interface: Redesigned the Attack Systems menu. Including levers to adjust power distribution to systems and a grouping feature for turrets, shields and operations.
  
• User Interface: Added a way to assign turrets and shields to custom groups, which can be controlled in the Attack Systems menu.
  
• User Interface: Added Rally Points to control fighter movement. You can assign a rally point for fighters, which will also work as a target selection. The fighters will maneuver to the rally point and engage targets nearby.

• Quality of Life: Added information on how long critical resources, like food and oxygen, will last in days to the upper left ship information window.
  
• Quality of Life: Added information rich tooltips to the critical resources listed in the upper left ship information window.
  
• Quality of Life: Added a way to lock the camera on characters and crafts. The camera will follow the unit as they go about their tasks.
  
• Quality of Life: Added a duplicate button to buildings, to allow selecting an object and duplicating to build more.
  
• Quality of Life: Added duplicate and move objects as keybindings in the settings of the game.
  
• Quality of Life: When you find a crew member in a hypersleep chamber you will be able to see their stats and decide if you want to take them with you or not.

• Balancing: Adjusted trading prices for certain resources. Food resources are cheaper, hyperfuel and fabrics prices adjusted lower.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount of hit points received from Hull Stabilizers and Shield Generators.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount of damage given by turrets.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount shields recharge over time.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount of CO2 a gas scrubber can remove per second. This was way too high.
  
• Balancing: Modified the recipes for the Recycler, adding some new resource outputs to scrap salvaged from derelicts.
  
• Balancing: The Hull Stabilizer now requires some steel plates to charge up hull stability.
  
• Balancing: Edited botany and weapons skill to be learnt faster with experience.

• Graphical Improvement: Improved ship-to-ship battle related explosions.
  
• Graphical Improvement: Added icons for shields, turrets and other elements found on ships/stations to the tactical map.

• NPC Designs: Redesigned/Slightly Modified all NPC ships and stations.
  
• Mystery: Added an easter egg to the game. Work together to solve the mystery! =)
  
• Bug Fixing: Fixed bugs.

Space Haven Alpha 17 is now available to play in the experimental branch. As a reminder, the update process is as follows:

1. A new Update is first available in the Experimental Branch.
   
2. Players, who do not mind playing a more unstable version, will first want to test the new update.
   
3. Once the experimental game build looks solid and stable enough we will push it out officially to all players!

NOTE! Joining experimental is completely optional, and you should only do it if you are willing to risk that some new bugs are introduced, which could affect your game play and potentially break your save.

Please do not join the experimental branch if you don't want to risk breaking your save or have the game break on you in midst of play! If you want to play a more stable version please wait for the official release of the update.

Here is how you join The Experimental Starfarer crew:

• Open Steam Library
  
• Right click Space Haven
  
• Select Properties
  
• Go to tab 'Betas' at the top.
  
• Select 'Experimental' in the drop-down.

To see what has been added, check the in-game patch notes.



https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/5/


Let us know what you think of the new features and if something should be altered or tweaked in your mind. Perhaps something makes the game too hard or something is too annoying, let us know so we can get a feel for how the new features feel! =)

• New Buildable Unit: Added a fighter craft to the game, capable of attacking enemy ships and defending against enemy fighters. The fighters need a crew member to pilot them.
  
• New Character Skill: Re-introduced the piloting skill, which affects how well a crew member is capable of maneuvering a fighter craft.
  
• New Buildable Facility: Added a Point Defense turret to the game. The Point Defense turret is used to defend against drones and fighters.

• New Entity: Added a new entity called the Rogue Bots to the game, along with a full backstory of how they came to be in form of data logs.
  
• New Data Log Series: 5 new data logs created by an Android named Andreas-9/DW. Found by exploring derelict ships and stations.
  
• New Data Log in-game Station: Added the station mentioned in the data logs created by Andreas-9/DW to be found within the game.
  
• New Data Log in-game Character: Andreas-9/DW can be found on the station mentioned in the data logs.

• New Rogue Bot Entity: Rabbit (Scoutbot). It will transmit its observations to other robots in its network, and will summon more heavily armed units from far away if they are available.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Hound (Attackbot). An intervention and response robot which will redeploy to the site of an alarm and engage any hostile entities it finds there.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Cat (Sentrybot). This robot model is designed to protect a defined area, object or person from hostile or unauthorized intruders.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Pony (Transportbot). A robotic cargo shuttle and unit transporter, the Pony is built to take substantial punishment.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Hamster (Flybot). The android Andreas-9/DW created this robot to streamline logistical needs. Encountered within derelicts ships.
  
• New Rogue Bot Entity: Chimp (Walkerbot). The android Andreas-9/DW created this robot to more closely echo their own form and that of the Creators. Encountered within derelict ships.

• Rogue Bot Behaviour: Rogue bots aim to clear out their enemies from derelict ships and use its resources to create more of themselves.
  
• Rogue Bot Behaviour: Rogue bots can build preservation tanks, with them being able to capture both human and alien life forms.
  
• New Rogue Bot Structure: A structure Rogue Bots use to build more Pony (Transportbots), a type of dropship rogue bots use to move around.
  
• New Rogue Bot Structure: A charging station Rogue Bots use to charge themselves.

• New Research Module: A new type of hypersleep chamber derived from the technology robots use.
  
• New Research Module: Hamster (Flybot) Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Chimp (Walkerbot) Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Rogue bots Architecture. Gives increased charging efficiency for your own robots.

• New Alien Entity: The Infester. Added an Alien entity capable of attaching itself to the roof of ships and stations and infecting the ship with an alien environment.
  
• New Alien Entity: Evolving Alien Core. Deployed by an Infester the Evolving Alien core has a few stages it goes through, eventually leading to a new hive if not taken care of.

• New Research Module: Alien Hive Core Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Evolving Alien Core Data Sheet.
  
• New Research Module: Advanced Nutrition 02. Improves plant growth rate significantly.

• Expanded Wear And Tear system: Expanded Wear and Tear system to apply for weapons, armor and other items. Weapons and armor can now be of various quality, which will affect their functionality.
  
• New Buildable Facility: Added an Item Workbench facility to the game. This facility is used to repair weapons, armor and other items.
  
• New Game Customization Setting: Added a setting in the Game Customization menu to make it possible to disable the Wear and Tear for items.

• New Threat: Asteroid fields may get asteroids floating by periodically, capable of damaging ships and stations on hit.
  
• Fighters and Point Defense Turrets can defend against incoming asteroids.
  
• New Game Customization Setting: Added the possibility to tweak the threat level of the asteroids in asteroid fields.

• User Interface: Merged the power control menu and the Attack Systems menu, this can be found at the upper left part of the UI.
  
• User Interface: Redesigned the Attack Systems menu. Including levers to adjust power distribution to systems and a grouping feature for turrets, shields and operations.
  
• User Interface: Added a way to assign turrets and shields to custom groups, which can be controlled in the Attack Systems menu.
  
• User Interface: Added Rally Points to control fighter movement. You can assign a rally point for fighters, which will also work as a target selection. The fighters will maneuver to the rally point and engage targets nearby.

• Quality of Life: Added information on how long critical resources, like food and oxygen, will last in days to the upper left ship information window.
  
• Quality of Life: Added information rich tooltips to the critical resources listed in the upper left ship information window.
  
• Quality of Life: Added a way to lock the camera on characters and crafts. The camera will follow the unit as they go about their tasks.
  
• Quality of Life: Added a duplicate button to buildings, to allow selecting an object and duplicating to build more.
  
• Quality of Life: Added duplicate and move objects as keybindings in the settings of the game.
  
• Quality of Life: When you find a crew member in a hypersleep chamber you will be able to see their stats and decide if you want to take them with you or not.

• Balancing: Adjusted trading prices for certain resources. Food resources are cheaper, hyperfuel and fabrics prices adjusted lower.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount of hit points received from Hull Stabilizers and Shield Generators.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount of damage given by turrets.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount shields recharge over time.
  
• Balancing: Rebalanced the amount of CO2 a gas scrubber can remove per second. This was way too high.
  
• Balancing: Modified the recipes for the Recycler, adding some new resource outputs to scrap salvaged from derelicts.
  
• Balancing: The Hull Stabilizer now requires some steel plates to charge up hull stability.
  
• Balancing: Edited botany and weapons skill to be learnt faster with experience.

• Graphical Improvement: Improved ship-to-ship battle related explosions.
  
• Graphical Improvement: Added icons for shields, turrets and other elements found on ships/stations to the tactical map.

• NPC Designs: Redesigned/Slightly Modified all NPC ships and stations.
  
• Mystery: Added an easter egg to the game. Work together to solve the mystery! =)
  
• Bug Fixing: Fixed bugs.

https://steamproxy.net/app/979110/discussions/5/


Join Space Haven Discord: http://discord.gg/spacehaven

Space Haven subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceHaven/


We will gather feedback for Alpha 17 in the experimental branch and tweak as needed. Once everything is looking solid enough we will publish the update to the main branch.

Thanks for reading and see you again in the next update!