Thx Songbird

I am going to put this on my USB drive, now I have something I can play at work that is small and doesn't look that suspicious on my screen. I will add this site to my links page on the next update.

Lots of detail and like the whole economy features and the banks are a nice touch.

Took a quick screenshot for reference.

[attachment=58:ViaGalactica.jpg]

BTW, make sure that you sign-up for e-mail alerts for Via Galactica ❗

This game is in continual active development and updates come along every 2-3 months 😀

That was one of the first things I did.

I emailed the developers asking permission to host there game as a free download and since they didn't have a forum I offered space to them here as well for free. It's all about the space gamers here... one big happy family.

I am the author of Via Galactica, so it was a pleasant surprise to be contacted about the game and to read that people like it. I cannot claim it is the height of sophisticated 3D gaming, but I do at least want to make a bid for it being the smallest (at 1.6MB)...

Always interested to hear suggestions for improvements and of course bug reports. Usually I issue an update when there's a really bad bug or when I've come to a natural break in terms of a new feature. Right now I'm working on a few new tasks/missions and trying to sort out the slightly illogical treatment of fuel efficiency and engine power - this may sound obscure, but it's the details that count!

Hey OrangeTree

Welcome to SSC and thanks for the hard work on putting Via Galactica together. Like it personally because I can play it at work and it's very portable at 1.6MB like you said. Everyone give it a try and give some feedback so we can make it flawless.... wonder if that is ever possible in software development 🙂

But do feel free to post any updates for Via Galactica here. Were all about getting the word out for all of these great projects. I will also change your title to, so people know you are a developer of the game.

Since by trade I'm a QA Engineer I will give you some feedback on some issues I see...

- No tooltips on the mouse-over of all the icons on the nav bar.

- When you go to Options->High Scores you list the player names as Player 1 and not the name I inserted.

- No idea how many resources you have in the warehouse. I know it shows a drop down of how many holds available on my ship. But should still have sometype of value for each resource stored.

- Also on the warehouse the capacity doesn't go down from 700 when you put things in/out of it.

- If you put money in a bank in several systems you don't have a window stating which planets you have your money on. I know you can consolidate for a fee, maybe they should all be linked?

- Maybe a sentence description on items in the equipment store you can purchase. For instance you have a 'Basic Hyperspace Device' I have no clue what improvement that is over my Ion Drive?

- Got a task 'Return the lost Golden Orb', but it doesn't state where to return it too?

Any plans on letting people mod the game a little. Adding equipment and quests?

Update:

OrangeTree gave SSC permission to host a download of Via Galactica so look for it here: downloads.php?cat=18&sort_by=0&order=ASC&start=15

Hey DarkOne

Thanks for this feedback. Good stuff. You spotted a small bug in the warehouse dialog box which I've now fixed and I have added a note which tells the user how many warehouse spaces are used overall (but it will take me a bit longer to add something which disaggregates usage by cargo type).

You can identify which banks have got funds at them by setting up a Rule to colour code them (or some other sort of formatting) to make them easily identifiable in the system chart. Go to Chart Settings, then click Add, then select the "bank balance at a system" condition - so, for example, you can construct a Rule that says "if the bank balance at a system is greater than zero, then colour the system marker". This will show you all systems where you have a positive balance (ie those where you have savings rather than loans - use "less than zero" for loans, or "not equal to zero" to show banks with either loans or savings). To apply new rule automatically to all new games, click Defaults back in the main Chart Settings dialog box and then click Save.

I quite like the idea of linked bank accounts and will consider it further. But it is an important principle of the way Via Galactica is played that you have to pay for everything - "there's no such thing as a free lunch"! So I'd want there to be a fee associated with this sort of special service.

On equipment descriptions - yes, I get asked to add this by lots of people. In fact, there is a full description of what almost all the bits of equipment do in the Help File under "Equipment Types". Here is the description for the Basic Hyperspace Device (BHD): "Basic Hyperspace Device - Deploying this device transports you to a random point in the galaxy. Use in case of serious danger to you and your ship. Note however that where you end up may be just as dangerous than the place you left. Single use equipment." So the BHD is not an engine in the same way as an Ion Drive is. The BHD is a single use device which transports you once and once only.

The Golden Orb problem sounds like a bug, because you should always be told where to return it to. I have tried to recreate this bug without success, so if you still have the game in which it occurred, please email it to me (orangetreesoftware@yahoo.co.uk) and I will have a look.

Mod(ification) is someone I won't get around to any time soon, I'm afraid, but in theory it is possible. In the meantime I'd be happy to try and add pieces of equipment etc that others have dreamt up (though I reserve the right to decide the prices!) - I do receive suggestions from time to time and if they're consistent with the spirit of the game and don't distort the gameplay then I can add them in.

OrangeTree Software has just come out with there latest release of Via Galactica. I couldn't find the release motes anywhere but it went from v1.5.6 to 1.6.1. Have fun everyone and I have updated the download of it here on SSC.

Via Galactica v1.6.1

Release notes / changes are in the help file:-)

Thanks Songbird.

Here is the SRN...

What's new in version 1.6.1? (Released 12 December 2009)

· This version makes a number of minor amendments to version 1.5.6. Game files saved in versions 1.5.1 to 1.5.6 can be used by this new version.

· Entirely replaced Ship's Log and News with new integrated Messages window feature. Added M as key stroke Hot Key for message box and new "message" tool bar icon replacing Ship's Log icon. This change means that Ship's Log entries from games saved with previous versions are not recoverable (though the game will otherwise load correctly), and that certain options relating to the Ship's Log which were previously available within Game Settings are no longer available.

· Change appearance of selected system cursor to 'X' crosshairs, with an overlaid circle to represent the Tracked System, in addition to the existing directional arrow pointing to the tracked system.

· Added 'Open Most Recent Game' option to File Menu to enable quick re-opening of a previously saved game.

· Added certain new Tasks, and changed nature of the task requesters so that they are usually now representatives of the four alliances (see System Information). The alliance formerly known as the Union is now called the Syndicate, in order to avoid a minor indefinite article error.

· Deleted obsolete rule condition "system is owned" and replaced it with new rule condition "system offers training".

· Certain equipment changes to improve game play: changed size of 50ML fuel tank to 40 cargo spaces; Engineer's Toolbox space reduced from 5 cargo bays to 2;renamed Ion Drive as Basic Ion Drive and renamed Super Ion Drive as Advanced Ion Drive.

· Made changes to the way the auto sell (see Game Settings) override is handled so that when the ship's destination changes using the Advanced Hyperspace Device, the sale is still made.

· The "Consolidate Now" tickbox (see Consolidation) is now disabled and cleared when there's nothing to consolidate, given the options selected

· Added warning confirmation when buying to Warehouses if ship already full, to ensure player is aware that goods are being placed in the local warehouse (with thanks to Forrest Lavelock for this suggestion); and fixed bug whereby Warehouse dialog box showed wrong capacity figure.

· Added warning to player in Save routine to seek confirmation from the user when a file saved by an older version of the program is about to be overwritten.

· Fixed bug which meant that the program didn't credit player with passenger fares.

· Fixed bug whereby newly created systems were numbered incorrectly as "II II" rather than "III".

· Fixed bug in rules handling relating to numerical values in rules which caused a fatal error. Systems hidden by a rule are now not shown in the Galactic Guide version of the System Chart.

Via Galactica has been updated to v1.6.2

What's new in version 1.6.2? (Released 14 August 2010)

· This version makes a number of minor amendments to version 1.6.1. Game files saved in versions 1.5.1 to 1.6.1 can be used by this new version, but game files saved by version 1.6.2 cannot be used by older versions of the program.

· All Consolidation is now impossible at poor record systems irrespective of whether this would repay loans at that location.

· Replaced Anarchy type of Government with None (including in older loaded games) - since these amount to the same thing.

· Changed name of "Vouchers" category in Equipment & Objects dialog box - it is now known as "Secure Money". Vouchers are now known as Fixed Value Bonds. The currency symbol (see Program Settings) can now be two characters.

· Added Single Use Cloaking Device as a new object (see Ship Accessories).

· Changed style of Use Equipment dialog when called in-flight to more closely match the 'normal' style of the Equipment dialog box. Dumping of equipment mid-flight is now achieved as if selling equipment; thus two lists now appear.

· Fixed a problem with the AATS whereby the round trip profit calculation does not make use of the extra cash generated at the end of the outward journey; thus meaning that round trip profits were underestimated. Other minor improvements to AATS including clearer reporting of recommendations.

· Fixed a problem with the routine that calculated the player's Net Worth - net worth cannot now be less than zero.

· Added cargo price crashes and booms - reported as a Message upon arrival.

· Made minor adjustment to operation of the Ship's Cloaking Device (see Ship Accessories) - player is now cloaked if their engineer skill is at least as good (not greater) than opponent.

· Changed equipment and object descriptions to place supplementary information after rather than before the main noun, so that for example "Basic Laser" is now "Laser (Basic)"; this helps similar items to be listed together in an alphabetical list.

· Simplified Tracking dialog box - it now uses buttons to enable the user to track the selected system (or stop tracking the currently tracked system).

· Transportation Licences renamed as Cargo Licences (see Other Objects).

· Changed Encounter routines so that player cannot surrender at all to pirates when carrying neither cash nor cargo

· Capped opponent ship skills so that they can now never be more than the 50% higher than the maximum skill levels available to the player - this prevents unbeatable opponents in longer games (with thanks to Bob Jones for inspiring this idea)

· Made changes to the 'use' routine within Encounters to clarify the use of equipment using message box.

· Fixed rare but fatal error caused by poor set up of variables when welcome panel is not shown upon loading the program.

· Fixed problem whereby the Tracking cursor was not drawn when the selected system is cloaked or otherwise not visible (even if the tracked system is not cloaked)

· Fixed bug whereby titles of some dialog boxes were wrong because the calling routine didn't supply them.

· Fixed bug introduced in 1.6.1 which prevented the self-replicating widget from creating more than 1 copy of itself.

· Fixed bug in update reminder window (which occasionally appears before the game is loaded) which didn't work because it seeks to use data before it has been loaded.

· Fixed bug to ensure that System Information about the current system and the Range Web are always visible even if the current location is cloaked.

· Fixed bug whereby a Recommend button appears in the Plunder dialog box (see How an Encounter Ends) even when an Auto Trader is not held.

· Improvements made to installer and uninstaller programs.

Via Galactica has been updated to v1.6.3 and can be downloaded from here: Via Galactica v1.6.3 or from the authors website.

What's new in version 1.6.3? (Released 22 January 2011)

· This version makes a number of mainly minor amendments to version 1.6.2. Game files saved in versions 1.5.1 to 1.6.2 can be used by this new version, but game files saved by version 1.6.3 cannot be used by older versions of the program.

· Added context-sensitive Help button to most dialogs - clicking on this calls up the Help File with the most appropriate page shown; also added an associated Program Settings option to either show or hide these buttons.

· Major reworking of the Rules function, which has been moved from the Chart Settings dialog box. Rules are now handled independently by a separate dialog box and default rules can be saved and loaded separately from Chart Settings. Added new "system is the insuring bank" rule condition. Multiple formats and warnings per rule are now possible. Added 'approximately 10%', 'approximately 25%' (for numbers) and 'the same length text as' (for strings) operators.

· Amended routine which draws the Range Web to achieve at least 15% and up to 40% speed improvement, and implemented a number of other speed improvements.

· Added "Don't show this message again" functionality to certain warning alerts - these can be reset using Restore Factory Settings. Added new warning alert relating to the purchase of illegal cargo.

· Added extra option to Chart Settings to enable a right click on the System Chart to take the user to the Tracking dialog box.

· Passengers now have a cash budget from which their fares are drawn.

· reworked Flag dialog box and removed 'Clear All Flags' option from Chart Menu, moving this facility to the dialog box itself.

· When opening a web page the program now always call the default browser, whatever it is, rather than Internet Explorer.

· Minor changes to the Colour Picker.

· Fixed error whereby a cosmic discontinuity can divert you to the same planet as you've just left.

· Fixed error whereby the Syndicate was described under its old name (Union) in the Rules dialog box.

· Fixed error whereby new systems could be created with no government but with police, causing a fatal error - artificial systems can now only be created by systems with governments. Older games loaded into version 1.6.3 will not feature this bug as it is automatically corrected in the loaded game file (with thanks to Bob Jones for identifying this bug)

· fixed bug occurring only in version 1.6.2: certain dialogs/actions were described in an alert box as not being available at uninhabited systems even though they should be

· Fixed bug whereby a serious error was generated when toggling between new/all messages in the Messages box if there are in fact no messages; and fixed a bug which meant that only the displayed messages were deleted by a "delete all messages" command, rather than all messages. Added a count of the number of messages of a given type to the "delete messages" dialog box.

· Fixed error whereby the Plunder Cargo dialog box is shown during an encounter even if there's nothing to plunder in the surrendering ship's hold.

· Fixed problem introduced in version 1.6.1 whereby cash values are sometimes wrongly displayed (plus or minus $1,000) owing to a formatting error.

· Fixed problem whereby cargo licences in games saved by version 1.6.1 failed to operate in version 1.6.2 - such games will now work correctly (with thanks to Dima for reporting this.)

Hiya, just thought I would report for anyone who's interested that I've posted a new version of Via Galactica on my website...

http://viagalactica.atspace.com

Sad thing is, I've noticed some bugs in it already!!! Next version coming up, ho hum...

For anyone who is interested in another debate on the merits of Via Galactica, see below for a current discussion (February 2011):

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=76314.0

Via Galactica has been updated recently to v1.6.4 (avail in the download area) and besides the list of fixes and additions listed below it looks like Orange Tree Software has added some extras to the game that you can see here and with a small donation get unlocked: http://viagalactica.atspace.com/extras.html

Hiya, I've just uploaded a new version (1.6.6) of Via Galactica to my website - check it out...

http://viagalactica.atspace.com/

In case you're wondering what happened to 1.6.5 - it was issued, but I didn't advertise it as the number of changes it made were too small to be worth drawing to users' attention!

Enjoy.