Stellar Monarch 2 version 0.42

Version 0.42 released

This version focuses on technologies, added a lot of new ones. Also added more technologies related to late game colonization since it was tricky with the existing technologies. In addition it has a mix of various smaller fixes, improvements and rebalances.

– [feature] New technologies (requires starting a new game to have access to those). Assured at least one 1-12 technology in each field of science regardless of technologies generation mode.
– [feature] Fortress worlds have x5 ground garrison and much faster ground forces reinforcements. Also provide additional missiles and fighters to imperial squadrons fighting over the planet (details in the Fortress tooltip).

– [misc] All staring megalopolises (Old empire setting) are now Megacity/Terran/Steppe/Jungle planets only.
– [misc] Megalopolises can be created on Hospitability 10 or higher (so at least one green maker is present) planets only (taking into account all factors, not just the planet type).
– [misc] AI now skips the first turn (no conquest on the game start anymore) since it was confusing to some players.
– [misc] Tonnage of AI squadrons redone, it’s a big change internally which is required for future features but not much very noticeable for now. You could notice only a mild spike in the alien squadrons effectiveness and that the tonnage numbers are different.

– [balance] Rescaled defensive priority range from 1-9 to 1-21 (allows orders having more impact).
– [balance] Defensive priorities rebalanced (now the defence is 3 jumps deep also a lot of numbers adjusted).

– [interface] Alien planets have now hidden labor and infr. points.
– [interface] Disallowed access to Administrate/Fief tabs on lost planets.
– [interface] Improved tooltips for starmap homeworlds (specified alien capital/overmind and also displayed the owner crest).
– [interface] Outpost/Colonization properly display a note it’s impossible on heavy radiated planets.

– [fix] Nukes heavy radiation bug. Illegally taking control over heavy radiated planets (outposts, colonization, combat, etc).
– [fix] Incorrect “Capital of the empire” tooltip on enemy homeworld planets.
– [fix] Hostile aliens now destroy player starbases if the planet is owned by them for any reason (for aliens who do not declare wars and to handle lost worlds).

Compatibility note: NO CHANGE, this version works with v0.40+ savefiles (note that each time a savefile compatibility is broken a new Beta branch with the old version is created so you can always finish your game in progress).