Alpha EXPERIMENTAL 8.0 - Release Candidate 3

Hi Galactic Survivalists!

Release is around the corner. If everything goes well, this will be the version that will be released tomorrow Tuesday June 12 to the public. Fingers crossed!

Bug Reports: Alpha 8 EXP Release Candidate 2/3
https://empyriononline.com/threads/bug-reports-alpha-8-0-release-candidate-2.38083/

Bug Reports: Solar System Generator
https://empyriononline.com/threads/bug-reports-solar-system-generator.37387/

Bug Reports: Controller and Keymapping https://empyriononline.com/threads/bug-reports-controller-and-keymapping.37450/

All feature discussion threads pinned: https://empyriononline.com/forums/experimental-features-discussion.35/

Thanks a lot for your help

Empyrion Dev Team

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CHANGELOG: Alpha 8.0.0 (Build 1706)

Gameplay:
- Zirax shotgun is approaching the player, the rest of Zirax will keep distance
- Further reduced CameraShake on weapons
- 3D Planet Map: Icon size and zoom range now depends on the planet size
- Added copper deposits on more planets (Desert, Snow, Moon, MoonDesert)
- Removed sentry guns from Planet Vessels
- Warp target position is now about 12000 units from center of sector to avoid being too close to big planets
- Medic Station HV: Status Effect is now visible in Block Info

Visuals:
- Reactivated 'dirt under POI' texture + updated underground texture for POIs on all playfields

- Stronger atmosphere fog on some playfields (Barren, Lava, Desert)

- Updated model of space station and asteroid field in 3d sector map

Optimizations:
- Tweaked terrain shader: less blending quality but better performance
- Async loading of asteroid fields to improve planet -> orbit performance
- Improved performance/memory usage on orbit-planet transition

Other Changes:
- Renamed version to "Alpha 8.0.0"
- Planet Update: Fixed some blending issues with textures
- Akua-Omicron: ensuring that moons are placed sufficiently far away from planet
- Console command 'sector <playfield>' will now position you at 0, 0, -12000 (old: 0, 0, -4000)
- Created updated version of commented gameoptions.yaml incl. default values in both default scenarios
- Updated info in Config.ecf on how to create an item for free in constructor

PDA Update:
- Adjusted some entries (text, typos, order)
- Added new preview pics for Explorer Journal to make NPCs, animals and creatures identifiable.
- Added Mission background info to Robinson Protocol
- Adjusted Intro text to give a hint about the Empyriopedia

PDA Update: Empyriopedia
- Added chapter '10 Tips for GETTING STARTED'
- Added Engineers Handbook (work in progress)

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: HV reacts to plants even though they have no collider
- Fixed: Problem that the wood log gets catapulted away when cutting down a tree
- Fixed: Wrong text was displayed for some Status Effects
- Fixed: Trading Outpost was shown as Asteroid Field in Akua-Omicron scenario
- Fixed: Holding a weapon with scope creates an endless stream of 'Game Events' as long as a menu window is open
- Fixed: Several Zirax problems (Dead body rotation, Dead zirax making idle animations, Zirax ignoring visible player)
- Fixed: Several Internal exceptions reported on support email
- Fixed: SSG: Fix exception when starting in steam build.
- Fixed: ReplaceID cannot select some Terrain IDs in certain situations
- Fixed: Double-entries in Dynamic Tooltips on some occasions
- Fixed: Distant Fog not showing in some cases
- Fixed: PDA: Briefing window is shown twice on chapter start
- Fixed: PDA: first task delay is ignored
- Fixed: PDA: CoQ for faction members not participating in a Faction mission that is completed by another faction member
- Fixed: PDA: Rewarded chapters of a Faction Mission not rewarded to not participating faction members