We all know that strategy games should have the longest life cycles in the gaming industry since they are about... strategy, you know, and not visuals or other eye-catchy stuff. One of the games planning to prove that this statement is correct is Sword of the Stars, the 4x space strategy game developed by Kerberos Productions. Yet another update will be released for the add-on Born of Blood, taking the game to a nifty 1.5.2 version. You're still with me, right?

This new update allows gamers to play custom maps created by others and access example custom maps in the Maps folder, adds new encounters and additional visual feedback to polygon targeting an enemy in combat (i.e. during mass missile launches). AI enhancements (i.e. prevention of the AI from surrendering too early) are also implemented as well as the correction of "various" performance issues. As for gameplay, players will now have the ability to observe encounters even if other combats are queued; the Zuul receive one additional colony despite the map settings and a free bore ship is provided at every initial world and the build queue is now visible from the trade tab in the Empire Summary. Other tweaks include new AI player names, badges and portraits to reflect characters and references from The Deacons Tale (visible to 1.5.2 players, but not accessible for personal use) and multiple drag and drop options.

In Born of Blood, over 30 years have passed since the first stellar empires began to expand. Four races once set out to explore and conquer the galaxy, but now a promising age of diplomacy emerges. A new alien race rises shattering the uneasy peace. With new drive systems, ships, technology and tactics, the Zuul burst onto the scene with a devastating agenda. You have to form alliances and learn to work with your foes as you lead your fleets to victory in a universe at war, where only the strong survive.