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Build V8.2 has been released. This is a relatively large update in game terms, so I expect it will be full of bugs. There will be another iteration next week focused specifically at fixing the bugs and adding any small things that didn't quite make it into this build. Here's a list of changes: - Research Tree: This is the biggie. The game now contains a basic research tree, including one researchable and manufacturable infantry body armour type and the first tier of researchable infantry weapons (lasers). There was a few reasons for the delays here - we had to add the code that opened the appropriate Xenopedia page on research completion, we had an issue with the base stores and infantry armour, and we had to actually render the sprites too. All of these have now been corrected so the basic research tree is good to go. No images for the research tree yet, as we want it to be semi-final before we start commissioning art for projects that might not be in the final game. - Scout UFO: This is another of the big ones. Sick of attacking the Evil Alien Shed? Well, now there's an actual UFO for you to attack instead. It's not finished yet for two reasons; firstly it's not been painted over by the tile artist so these are just the underlying 3D tiles and secondly because the doors and interior objects haven't yet been modelled up, so they don't work. We're working on them already so they'll come in the next update, I hope. There’s some weird behavior with the tiles too, again we’ll try and sort this for the upcoming build. - New Terrain Maps: These didn’t make it, I’m afraid. Hopefully in the next build. - Sub-Map Editor: The Sub-Map Editor is now a standalone file rather than having to be launched through the ground combat part of the game. You can find it in the game install directory and is called "GCSubmapEditor.exe". - Sound: I've added all the weapon SFX and alien / xenonaut injury and death screams to the game. We've actually had them lying around for the best part of 6 months but it was only when someone pointed out the missing sounds that I referenced the files up correctly. We'll be adding a little more code soon to support reload sounds for each weapon and specific footstep types for different alien races, as we have SFX made for these too. - Sprites: We've been continuing with the weapon / armour renders. Most of these have been to support the new researchable armour type and laser weaponry, but the shotgun animations should be in there now. Also, we're rendering the unarmed and stun baton sprites now, so they should be ready for V8.3. - GC Difficulty Settings: The difficulty setting set on the main menu will now carry over to the Ground Combat. It affects the alien unit stats and their weapon damage. The Save / Load for the Ground Combat is turning out to be a huge undertaking, so that's not finished yet. Apparently Save / Load is a massive feature that's one of the most difficult things to implement in any game, so that's the reason behind the delay on that front. As a result of the sanitation you will find the game will eventually just crash – this is when the invasion spawns UFOs that I’ve removed from the game. You should get a good couple of months of play though, more if you play well and slow down the invasion. There’s also an issue with terror sites spawning WAAY too often once they get unlocked, and we’ll fix that in the next build – probably we’ll put a limit in where once a terror site is generated another one can be generated for a week. We also need to add an icon for terror sites. For the next build V8.3 (due next week), we’ll be including the following: Any urgent bugfixes relating to V8.2. Terror site fixes mentioned above. More maps? Build V8.4 will be feature-locked – basically any future V8 builds will just be bugfixes for the feature and content set in V8.3. The features will be: Painted UFO tiles and UFO interior tiles. More maps. All animations for the three armour sets. The final soldier uniform art on the difficulty setting screen