CONQUEST - TERRAN FRONTIER WARS: RETURN TO TERRA (Human Faction DLC Campaign) - Update 01/09/2025

[fruitgnome]

I play now Endless Space 2 and because of the Amazon Prime Definitive Edition does not support mods and edited the Core XML files and all changes beside technoligies changes take affect also in savegames. So it is possible for XML files as I read it also works for savegames if you mod the game and not edit the core XML files.

Now it makes so much more fun because of my edits.

You made an update of your mod and to use it all have to start a new game.

[ChrisGb]

I play now Endless Space 2 and because of the Amazon Prime Definitive Edition does not support mods and edited the Core XML files and all changes beside technoligies changes take affect also in savegames. So it is possible for XML files as I read it also works for savegames if you mod the game and not edit the core XML files.

Now it makes so much more fun because of my edits.

You made an update of your mod and to use it all have to start a new game.

You seem to have fundamental misconceptions about how game engines work and what modding is about and when new games are required and when not.
Even for games with dynamic data there is basic rules for this.

Every change to core gameplay elements, introduction of new mechanics, new factions, world generation etc require a new game (not matter which game) and for that matter Endles Space 2 has various big mods that require to start a new game:
Endless Moons, ESG (Enhanced Strategic Game) overhaul, or mods that add new ship types or major faction changes...none of these have effect on a savegame.

The fundamental advantage of static data is that no matter what you can play very old savegames despite plenty patches in between.
The downside is that for even small edits to have effect you need start a new game. It is what it is...

Personally, I consider any gameplay mod that not require a new game not worth my time as there is nothing new in it.

[ChrisGb]

MAJOR UPDATE DECEMBER 2025

1.3.3.8.v1 – 30.12.2025 - Explorers Update - release

 System Names – New custom system name base exclusive for Return to Terra Mod with 3000+ sci-fi system names. (These are not from TV series, anime or games - however doubles are possible)

 Exploration Re-Balance & colonization pacing – due to high manual interference from player during initial exploration (scout system and send explorer to potential colony world first - Continental, Grasslands, Forest, Marshy Swamp then skip to next system) he finds habitable worlds way faster than AI races and thus distort the expansion phase in favor of player.
The same holds true for the Exploration Ship spam players perform while AI empires build 16-20 during the most important early colonization & expansion phase.

In order to bring Player and AI closer to each other in terms of exploration chances a few changes have been introduced to attempt to level the playing field to some extent and also slow down the overall pace of the initial exploration in the Galaxy.
• New human race trait – Meticulously thorough: Survey and Exploration take humans 30% longer.
• Terran Exploration Ships – Cost double the credits now, so building these becomes a budgetary consideration thru maintenance cost.
• Terran Exploration Ships – for higher cost gets slightly improved overall ship capabilities for small and medium exploration ships.
o +1 Sensor slot for Resource Scanner
o +15 to Maximum Size
• Survey and Exploration – takes generally more time for all races before individual bonus or malus applies
o Basic Survey Module – ScannerExplorationSurveyTime 120 to 160 +40
o Advanced Survey Module Lv 1 – ScannerExplorationSurveyTime 110 to 140 +30
o Advanced Survey Module Lv 2 – ScannerExplorationSurveyTime 100 to 120 +20
o Advanced Survey Module Lv 3 – ScannerExplorationSurveyTime 90 to 100 +10
o Resource Scanner – Size 15 to 5 – Less space to leave Terran Exploration Ships with +10 size
o Resource Scanner Lv 1 – ScannerExplorationTime 45 to 60 +15
o Resource Scanner Lv 2 – ScannerExplorationTime 40 to 50 +10
o Resource Scanner Lv 2 – ScannerExplorationTime 35 to 40 +5

• Recon Cruiser – new bonuses: The perfect long range spy and recon ship
o Exploration Time Reduction +60%
o Survey Time Reduction +60%
o Scanner Range +25%
o Scan Evasion +20%
o Scan Focusing +20%

 Shakturi – Reproduction Rate 1.04 > 1.08 = +0.04 making them reproduce twice as fast as most other races and thus the plague they are meant to be.

 Torrent Drive v1 – increased range to 194M to fit better overall proportional distribution

 Ghost Fleet Event: Extended Lore Friendly Ghost Fleet Event with 3 choices > Integrate > War > Keep Independent Subsequent reveal of another Terran Refugee Colony - mid game challenge with reward.

 Stabilized Ion Weapons – All Ion Weapon Stats revised, Late Ion Weapons increased size & increased Shield Damage.
Ion Cannon L moved up on tier and need individual research; New Ion Weapons Repeatable Techs (EM & Ion Cannon L) increase all stats including Ion Damage, Range and Damage Falloff.
Ion Pulse Blaster PD & Fighter Ion Damage increased considerably, can damage all components now including engines,
Size and Energy per Shot increased.
Teekan Ion Bomb L - Ion Dmg increased to keep proportion to Ion Cannon L and EM Lance

 5 New Research and components levels added:
o Supreme Ion Weapons (Heavy Ion Cannon L)
o Improved Ion Cannons - Repeatable
o Extreme Ion Point Defense & Supreme Ion Point Defense
o Improved Ion Point Defense – Repeatable

 IonDamageDefense on Shields – Lowered values for Ion Damage Defense for all shields.
Different shields give diff Ion Defense from low to highest: Deucalios, Talsassos, Meridian, Megatron Z4, Bubble Shields, Shadow (Shakturi), Citadel
o All repeatable shield techs updated to include improved Ion Damage Defense

 Economic Rebalance – Terran republic too strong on economy and NPC empires cannot succeed espionage missions
o Reworked some Gov & Race bonuses
o Heavy ships drawbacks more nuanced: reduced turn rate & angle, + construction time penalty, +ship energy usage, all heavy ships need (~ 60-65% of steel) Hexodorium to build, Heavy Cruisers more costly
o Race Biases
- Terrans are viewed a lot more critically and suspiciously by all non-insect races
- Boskara, Gizurean & Dhayut less hated by non-insect races to give them some space to breathe.

 Shakturi – Now with their own planet defenses that get deployed as prefabs with accelerated construction time depending on wherever they colonize their native planets or conquer a new colony
o Planetary Shadow Shields – better than tech tree and Zenox planet shields
o Planetary Inferno Torpedo Battery – high power torpedo defense
o Planetary Shadow Blaster – high power blaster defense
o Shakturi Stronghold – better than Bastion MK-II + additional bonus to ground troop defense

 Space Ports – All Space Ports resized for accommodating large ships not coming out of smaller docking bays.
o All +25% Display Size
o Terran Space Ports - price increased
o Orbital Defense Platforms – same size so there is an optical difference as no Space Port equipment needed.

 New late early/early mid -game challenge for Terrans –
o Terran Remnants Encounter System/Colony – descendants from Terran 12th fleet and refugees with a dark secret.
Remnants only control 1 system, they not conduct research and they not build new ships nor explore or colonize other systems but they are armed to the teeth and not fond of their Terran brothers.

 Early Continental Planet in Nearby Star-System close to starting colony – can be toggled on Victory Condition Screen

 NPC Empires military ship building ratios revised for less ships not in fleet, less Troop Transports, more Cruisers, more Capital Ships and Carriers

 Game Start Balance – At game start all AI races (except Gizurean) have a race specific colony world (min. +30 habitability) within 30M to 90M distance. Can be toggled in Victory Conditions Screen

 Shakturi campaign revised – Shakturi campaign revised: Taken away all references and navigational coordinates for the Gravitic Rifts and Shakturi Beacon for more dynamic evolution of the endgame crisis. Now player has to find them by his own means and sometimes the Shakturi will arrive and player not know where they are located which gives them time to gear up.

 Long Range Scanners – Another long-standing exploit to use Exploration Ships or Destroyers defeating the purpose
of Monitoring Stations while the NPC player cannot do the same.
The only ships that can mount Long Range Scanner now are Recon Cruiser, Command Cruiser and Capital Ships.

Additionally, all NPC races have their Destroyers sensor slots reduced so they cannot mount LRS anymore. This should help the AI to field Destroyers with higher combat value as hopefully the additional 70 space will make a difference in shielding and weapons loadout.

 Mortalen – New Mortalen exclusive Gov: Feudal Warlordism and race/gov bonus and habitability values reworked to attempt Mortalen become a faction to be reckoned with. Until today Mortalen almost always fail as AI empire.

 Empire Policies – Reworked all NPC empire policies – should field Ion Weapons as early as Frigates or Destroyers (depending on Race) and Fighters mostly only starting from Light Cruiser.
Hope this increases further the combat value of AI Destroyers.