Any Chance of an Official 64-Bit Update for Distant Worlds: Universe?

[Katarkus87]

Hello everyone,

First of all, I'd like to say that Distant Worlds: Universe remains one of my favourite 4X strategy games. Even after all these years, its depth, scale, and freedom are difficult to find elsewhere.

However, one of the biggest frustrations with the original game is its technical limitations, particularly when playing larger galaxies.

Even in the unmodded vanilla game, late-game campaigns can suffer from frequent crashes, while loading times can become extremely long. This is especially disappointing because the late game, with its massive empires, fleets, and ongoing conflicts, is arguably one of the most interesting parts of Distant Worlds.

With that in mind, I wanted to politely ask whether an official 64-bit version of Distant Worlds: Universe might be within the realm of possibility.

Another important aspect is the game's modding potential.

I'm currently working on a large total conversion mod called Empires of Mankind, which replaces the original alien civilizations with distinct human factions, featuring their own cultural identities, governments, technologies, and visual designs.

One of my goals is to modernize the game's appearance with higher-resolution race portraits, component icons, and other graphical assets. Unfortunately, the limitations of a 32-bit application make such improvements increasingly challenging, as larger textures and additional assets can put considerable pressure on the game's available memory.

An official 64-bit version could provide significantly more memory headroom, making larger graphical modifications and ambitious total conversion projects more practical. It could also encourage further community development and help keep the original game alive for years to come.

I fully understand that converting an older game to 64-bit is not necessarily a simple task, and that it would not automatically resolve every performance issue, loading-time bottleneck, or engine limitation. Nevertheless, removing the restrictions of a 32-bit address space could represent a meaningful improvement for both players and modders.

I'm not asking for any promises or a release date. I'm simply curious whether such a modernization has ever been considered by CodeForce or Slitherine, and whether it might be technically feasible.

There is clearly still a dedicated community that appreciates Distant Worlds: Universe, and I believe an official 64-bit update would be warmly welcomed by many longtime players and modders alike.

Thank you for your time, and for keeping this remarkable game available after so many years.

Best regards