We expect to have the BETA out this month.  Which means that we are starting to do more than just tighten up the graphics.

However, we are, you know, tightening up the graphics this month too.

Here's a changelog from this weekend to give you a sneak preview of this week's new build:

• Fixed bug where you could have more policy slots in theory than you could place resulting in a broken game. Sorry!
• New Faction: Spacing Guild
• New Faction: Conversion core (Yor)
• New Faction: Production Core (Yor)
• New Faction: Empathy Society (Mimot)
• New Faction: The Science Team! (Humans of course)
• New Faction: Media Alliance (Terran Alliance)
• New Faction: Banking Clan (Corporate Sector)
• New Faction: The Freemarket Society (Corporate Sector)
• New Faction: Thrive Group
• New Faction: Ecologism
• New Faction: Slaver's Guild
• New Faction: Superiority League
• New Faction: Technological Singularity
• New Faction: The Mining Guild
• New Faction: Warrior Caste
• Governments removed
• Call Election removed
• Existing Factions updated so that they tend to have one good benefit with a small negative effect.
• Cutter's Guild faction no works.
• Yor civilization now more evil than ever
• Default civilizations updated to use the new factions

• XP needed to go up a level increased. (probably not enough)

• Big balance pass on other factions
• Faction Leaders give a diminishing return (i.e. adding 20 leaders to say Warforged will have a diminishing benefit)
• Lots of new flavor text based on race. Special focus on the Festron this time.
• Changed references of "empire" to "civilization" when found.
• New Policy: Xeno Harvesting (don't ask).
• Removed "Gun rights" policy.
• Balance pass on policy benefits.
• Planetary Stimulus policy now requires Colonial Bureaucracy tech.
• Defensive Measures policy now requires Defensive Studies tech.
• Heart of the Empire policy cannot be used by Relelentless trait civs and can only be used by carbon based life forms.
• Factions screen (for leader management) reworked to fix cut off text and make more pleasing.
• Civilization manager (policy screen) eliminates the ideological bars and governments for easier viewing.
• General reworking of Civ Manager (policy screen) for easier viewing and have more space.

• Made sure techs don't provide more than 7 policy unlocks.

• Criminal chance for Yor is now 0. Because they're the Yor!
• Balance pass on all planets to make their production more in line with the more gentle approval penalty.
• Added missing descriptions to several stat types.
• Added a tiny bit of pollution to various manufacturing improvements.
• UI updated to say N of M players instead of max players.
• Removed reference to elections and governments from policy screen.