Cleverer Boarders
I'm experimentally also posting devlogs on itch.io. Let me know if you like to read them from this source rather than say from Steam or my website. The next version of Airships will focus on improveme...
View ArticleVersion 9.2.1
After a record number of beta iterations, Airships v9.2 is out! It introduces small flying units and troops: Air Hussars, small one-person airships launched from a Hussar Bay. They're strong against l...
View ArticleVersion 9.2.3
Fixed incorrect memory warnings. Can discard ships in-flight if needed to e.g get rid of landships that block the fleet from moving. F2 now properly hides multiplayer chat. Prevented "AI uses player s...
View ArticleVersion 9.2.4
Rewrote network code to be faster and more reliable. The new network system connects to a separate server, and the old one will be shut down in a while. Reintroduced the multiplayer overlay. You can n...
View ArticleVersion 9.3
Large blast type weapons now do splash damage. Their damage has been correspondingly reduced, as they now do damage to many tiles and not just one. The damage and splash area can be set separately, bu...
View ArticleVersion 9.4
Om nom nom delish Folder support for ship designs and save games. Build queues for ships and buildings. You no longer get the cost of your ship refunded when it's finished building! Fixed crash when l...
View ArticleVersion 9.5
Today marks the release of Airships dev 9.5. It adds a bunch of new monsters to the game, which is why I picked Halloween has the release date, of course. To celebrate the release, I've also created a...
View ArticleRelease!
After five years of development, Airships: Conquer the Skies is out! It started as a quick prototype inspired by FTL and Cortex Command, and was rapidly met with a lot of interest. So I... kind of kep...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.1
Double clicking to load and save in file screens works correctly now. Pirates that have captured a landship they can't use no longer get stuck in an endless cycle of re-attacking. Strategic AI values...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.1.1 BUGFIX
And this is the bugfix release for the bugfix release! The game should now no longer constantly crash in the editor. My apologies about this...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.2 brings key configuration
You can now finally change the keyboard configuration!...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.2.1 Bugfix
Tactical AI improvements, especially against buildings. More details in a write-up to come. Weapons can no longer lead shots beyond their firing arcs. Balanced keels vs bows. Crew chatter messages for...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.3
Version 1.0.3 brings a whole bunch of fixes and balance changes. You can now view your empire's current bonuses in the Empire window. Weapon accuracy of buildings doubled. AI should no longer constant...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.6.2 - Lamps and Smaller Saves
Save files are now about seven times smaller, which should also help with out of memory crashes when auto-saving large maps. Functionality for re-downloading mods and ships you published to Steam is f...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.6.3 - Bugfixes
The colors in paint and roundels for arms that don't obey the rule of tincture are now better-chosen. Fixed an issue caused by mods with modules that take zero time to walk through. Please don't break...
View Article1.0.6.4 - Pipes
We're in one of those periods of drought where I'm working on major new changes - co-op multiplayer and diplomacy - where there isn't anything new to show you. So I took a quick break from the coding...
View Article1.0.6.5 - Improvements
Ship resource quantities are now displayed as bars rather than numbers, which should make them easier to read. The numbers are still available in tooltips. You can now explicitly tell a ship to move f...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.8 - Paints, Prettiness, UX
Version 1.0.8 is out, focusing on usability and prettiness. You can now select modules and decals in the editor. Selected items can be moved, duplicated, deleted, and recoloured. Nicer mod management:...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.8.1 - Bugfix
This version fixes a crash that occurred when deleting files...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.9.3 - Demonstertruckification
A few more decorative items: ornate name plates, concave curved blocks, more domes, ornate decking, and crenellations. Introduced minimal upgrade time for monster nests, so you won't be surprised by p...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.9.4 - Networking, Planes, Input
Improved networking code that can deal with your connection failing and automatically reconnects. Planes now lead their shots and are much better at intercepting each other and hitting smaller fast-mo...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Version 1.0.10 - Tech Tree, Decals, etc.
You can now switch to a compressed overview of the tech tree. (Finally. Let me know if you have suggestions for improvement of this new view.) The tech tree colours have been adjusted to make it clear...
View ArticleClik here to view.
macOS Catalina Compatibility
The game should now run on the newest version of macOS. The newest update to macOS, Catalina, introduces a number of new requirements for applications. It's taken a little while, but I've now released...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Shellwalker
A few days ago, I challenged Stuff+ to fight a new monster I created: The Shellwalker, a biomechanical monstrosity with a nearly impenetrable bone shield. I set him the challenge to defeat it using a...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.13.2 important bugfixes
This version fixes two crash bugs: Fixed crash when loading a combat with an active beam. Fixed crash when the game was trying to display a monster nest notice dialog. Upgrading recommended. :)...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.13.5 - More network improvements
I've released a new update to the game and the servers. The game should now experience fewer lag spikes and no longer get stuck in reconnect loops...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Version 1.0.14: Stats and Bugfixes
This version brings both a large list of bug fixes and some nice new stuff. Post-combat stats. All-new achievement icons. Two new achievements: "We Have Reserves" for sacrificing 100 crew for a victor...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Version 1.0.14.3 - New Landscape Graphics
Landscape graphics have been updated and reorganised by Yellowminer. Changed light direction of daytime scenes to make more sense. The ship editor in multiplayer games now knows which modules you have...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.14.5
Crew with no ability to board can no longer end up on enemy ships by being told to abandon ship and then move into the enemy ship. This was confusing, because they'd just stand inside the hatch lookin...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.14.6
Added an easier difficulty level. Remember: Play the game at the difficulty level you enjoy it at. Boarders with grappling hooks are now better at grappling with Suspendium tank endcaps, rams, and sim...
View ArticleMac version works again
As a quick notice, there's now a new version for Mac that should work again on the most recent versions of MacOS. To run it, right-click on Airships.command and choose "Open"...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Version 1.0.17 - Variants, Mods, etc.
Hi, new people! Welcome! I hope you're enjoying the game, and if you have any questions or suggestions, do post in the forums. One thing that's come up a bunch of time is mods for the game. Currently,...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.17.1 - Reverting Save/Sync
In 1.0.17, I attempted to fix the long pauses for sync and autosave by making these run at the same time as game rendering. Unfortunately, this is causing the game to freeze on some user's machines, s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Version 1.0.18 More Stuff!
This version adds a lot of new modules and content! New Modules: Command Centre: Massive bridge with an additional +30% command points generated for all ships in the fleet. Observation Dome: Upgrade t...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.18.1
This update has one major change: Ships no longer get all their crew and resources back after a fight. If you conquer a city, you have to wait until its takeover period is complete to get your crew an...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.18.2
In this release, I've focused on fixing up the rules of combat and what happens after combats, and the AI of boarders and planes. Also, there is now a "Send Feedback" button in the replay system that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Version 1.0.18.3
I've completely reworked the conquest mode victory and defeat screens. There are now pretty new artworks courtesy of Karina, and a set of graphs and replays. There is now a calendar. Research, constru...
View Article1.0.18.3.1 Hotfix AKA Let's Do The Time Warp Again
Fixes! Fixed crash in conquest main map when sending fleets. +5 damage bonus to grenades from advanced explosives now actually works. Days are twice as long now...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1.0.19 - Better Boarders, More AI Ships
Features Improved user interface for selecting ship names: You can now set a prefix for your ships to have, and you can automatically choose distinct names or numbers when building multiple ships. The...
View Article1.0.20 - Sails, Heraldry, Armours, Aerodynamics
Additions A whole lot of new sails courtesy of Orang. The old sails still work but can't be placed anymore. The new sails have fewer restrictions, and various advantages and disadvantages. I also upda...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.20.2 - Bugfixes and Balance
Features and Fixes Added an "anchor" toggle that lets you exclude ships in a fleet from being selected by default. Ships no longer fire on harmless targets, wasting ammo. Ships no longer think that un...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Version 1.0.20.2 - Bug and Performance Fixes
Fixed performance problems with grenadiers and other boarders. Saw blades and other ammoless weapons once again will fire at harmless targets if they have nothing better to do. Temporarily disabled mu...
View ArticleVersion 1.0.21 - Better Multiplayer
After a bunch of beta testing, it's time to release the new networking code for everyone. There are still rare desyncs, but the game is able to recover from them, and I hope to hunt down the last few...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hallowe'en Update
Tis the spooky season, and as is by now traditional, here's a new monster for you to fight: the clockwork cube. Cubes, in fact, as there's three of them, armed with a tentacle, a saw, and an energy be...
View ArticleMod Crossloading!
Airships (v 1.0.22) now supports mod cross-loading, which means that you can enter any modded multiplayer game and it will automatically transfer over and activate any mods you need. It also takes car...
View ArticleBugfix & Perforkmance Update
Fixed combat performance problems caused by trying to play too many sound effects. Fixed weapon beams not being drawn at certain angles. Fixed crash at the end of LAN multiplayer combat. Fixed crash o...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Diplomacy Update Releases in August
I've written a lot about the upcoming diplomacy update for Airships, but have so far refused to commit to a release date. Estimating how long software takes to write is hard, and I didn't want to prod...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Co-op and Conquest Update
Hey look, the co-op and conquest update is out! This huge update for Airships has been four years in the making, and it's the completion of an eight-year development project. Headline features are: Co...
View ArticleVersion 1.1.2.1 Bugfixes
New Chinese translation created by players. You can now view the game setup settings during a conquest game, and use cheats to modify them. You can even do things like turn off the diplomacy system ha...
View Article
