The contractor that I hired who is working on client2 is simply porting the current client to Irrlict. So when he's done, it should look almost the same as the current client. His currently estimated finish time is in June, though that has already slipped 3 times. Once he's done, then the main dev team will add in all the new models, new special effects, and new GUI, which will probably take several months.

The new GUI elements fall in 4 main categories:

1) Multiple selection for ship and base inventory and handling of actions on those multiple selections. i.e. select a bunch of things, then right-click and choose "sell", "toss", "transfer", or whatever, and that action will apply to all selected items.

2) Icons along the top for all allies and controllable possessions. There will be information along the top for anything you can control (slaves, drones, or bases) and possibly also allies in the same galaxy with shield bars on each one. Clicking on an icon will select it, double clicking will select all of that type, and triple clicking will select everything you can control.

3) RTS-Style commands for things you can control. After selecting things in the manner described in 2), you can then right-click on things in the galaxy to give context-sensitive commands to what you've selected. right-clicking on an enemy will tell your selected controllables to attack that enemy. Clicking on an AI base will tell your selected slaves to dock and deactivate there. Clicking on a wormhole would tell your selected slaves to jump through there and wait for you. Clicking on a debris will tell a selected slave to scoop that debris. Clicking on an ally would tell your selected things to heal or guard it. etc.

4) Small icons for wormholes, AI bases, and your current target that float on the edge of the screen in the direction of these things if they are off screen. This will help orient you, keep noobs who float away from feeling lost, and be very convenient for jumping to the next galaxy and docking at an AI base, since you will be able to right-click on these icons to either AP to and jump through that wormhole or AP to and dock at that base. You will also be able to select your slaves and right-click on a base or wormhole "edge floaty" to give them the corresponding order for that thing without having to find it on your radar or requiring it to be on screen.

Jeff if you will be able to right click on items to interact with them, will there still be the option to press X?

Just asking as i play on a mac and we only have 1 mouse click

You can press Ctrl and Click to right click but its just a hassle really

You can press Ctrl and Click to right click but its just a hassle really

So when the ETA of March was given...it was March of 2009?

It all sounds cool though. One thing which i would like to suggest for C2 is the ability to Mod the GUI and to create add-ons. I think the only online games that i can think of that actively promote this is WoW, and UT3. Both have massive modding communities which are highly beneficial to the development of their games. Blizzard and EPIC don't have the time to implement all the cool ideas that people have, and they have hundreds of people working for them, so they simply let everyone else do it.

I really think SS should move into being more customizable. By opening up to a modding community, SS is bound to grow. At the moment the market is pretty much limited to 14-16 year olds who happen to stumble across SS on their way to finding EvE and old school retro gamers who get addicted to the game for life. The game needs to appeal to graphics whores, modders, hardcore gamers and retro gamers. Thats the only way to really make SS popular.

LOL, Mac... You will be missing out. Can't you use a multi-button mice with Macs if you buy one?