• Improved Graphics
  
  
  
  • For menus, star map, and battle backgrounds. Some planet textures revised, and a new human model created. Method of creating random star map graphics has been improved to make more impressive looking maps.
  
  
• Finder Panel
  
  
  
  • The finder panel gives you a brief summary of your assets or knowledge in 8 categories. Selecting a category shows the total number of each item type in that category, and allows you to click on each item, to display the list of fleets, colonies or systems that contain it. For instance, if you select ships, it will show how many of each type of ship you posses and clicking that type will list all the fleets that contain that ship type in the fleet list panel in the bottom left.
    
  • Finder categories are ships, ground units, defenses, buildings, items in production, uninhabited systems in range, unexplored systems in range, and buildings at foreign colonies.
  
  
• Building Browser
  
  
  
  • A button on the colony tab now brings up a panel showing all the buildings that could be potentially built at a colony, and the level of industrial building needed to build them.
  
  
• Hi Visibility Mode for Battles
  
  
  
  • When you zoom out in battle, all units are rendered in bright colors and increased size to make them easier to see. This can be turned off for screenshots or for aesthetic purists.
  
  
• Long Range Missile
  
  
  
  • A defense unit has been added to protect planets against missile cruisers.
  
  
• Custom Battle Feature
  
  
  
  • One off space battles can be fought from the opening menu. Full selection of forces and tech is allowed, together with a point system to promote balanced games. Setups can be saved. Computer can choose forces for one or both sides.
  
  
• New Scenarios
  
  
  
  • Two new scenarios have been added. In one you have to destroy a vastly larger but technologically inferior empire, while the other is set on the galactic rim, where finding the wormholes to escape your local star cluster is important.
  
  
  
• Change List
  
  
  
  • Balance Changes
    
  • Missile cruiser attack power has been reduced by 30%.
    
  • Battle damage rate reduced by 45 %
    
  • Battle movement rates reduced by 30%
    
  • Battle Turn rates reduced
    
  • Fighter behavior and effectiveness improved
    
  • Splash damage from exploding ships
    
  • Missile splash damage accounts for target size
    
  • Reduced disorder for Humans
    
  
  
• Minor Improvements
  
  
  
  • Ctrl U to highlight dust
    
  • Sort colonies by name and public order added
    
  • ETA shown on fleet tooltip
    
  • Faster Tool Tips
    
  • Button to show tech details in diplomacy
    
  • Changed diplomacy text to be clearer.
    
  • Changed scissor sound
    
  • Can use right click on colony and system lists to move selected fleet there.
    
  • Improved behavior when multiple groups attack space stations or defenses
    
  • Can attack a single space station
    
  • Improved ship jostling
    
  • Improved behavior in circulating formations
    
  • Better selection. Select when you click in space near something
    
  • Collision avoidance. Fly over, under static formations
    
  • Single key F8 to return to normal view mode
    
  • Key to show weapon ranges
    
  • Improved tool tips for battle
    
  • Key to hide UI and have battles take up the full screen.
    
  • Left button to remove current research item
    
  • Moved all research bonuses/[penalties from race to faction
    
  • Klurgu trader xenophobia reduced
    
  • Improved attacking of space stations and defense clusters
    
  • Line Abreast formations centers correctly
    
  • Increased weapon range
    
  • Less distraction by non preferred targets
    
  • Move speeds reduced by 30%
    
  • Weapon kill rate reduced by 45%
    
  • Battle time limit extended
    
  • Battle AI improved
    
  • Map designer map sizes adjusted
    
  • Assimilation tech renamed to Xeno Pacification.
    
  
  
• Bug Fixes
  
  
  
  • Fixed modding bugs showing building pics and loading screens
    
  • Battle doesn't end when spore or asterod attack still possible
    
  • Fixed bug with research penalties not being applied if there was a general bonus
    
  • Faithful now get psychic research bonus and no penalty
    
  • Missile cruisers target ordered targets
    
  • Asteroids can’t get stuck on shields
    
  • Fixed bug which makes Unn Splinter turn up every game.
    
  • Fixed bug with sunbeams in auto resolve
    
  
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: RViener
I tried the new beta patch and 12 empires are too many to play on 300x300 map at the the densest star level. I had to reduce the number of empires to 8. What gives?