Soon enough you’ll meet sectors occupied by one of the NPC (Non-Primary Combatant) Factions like the Autonom, Growth or Paragon. These NPCs claim sectors using bases, like players do
Autonom is new.
NPC factors actively expanding ==> more active, lived in world.
Bases will Spawn raiding stacks of that faction if relations turn hostile.
NPC factions making life difficult for me ==>
The Hopperhound. A giant locust that can jump great distances and rip through armor.
This is new.
Hazards originate from crater locations and can be removed after researching Hazard Removal Technology.
So, good tension in deciding what to research. Research "better bullets" or "hazard tech?"
edit: I note that the events messages occupy the same slot as in AoW3.
Would it be possible to have a collapsable/expandable messages system.
By which I mean, one flashing icon for research events, one for combat, one for empire stuff, one for cities, and then up to the player to expand that, so clicking research would bring up the smart defence modules and nanite support messages shown in the screen shot.
And can we also have it that, if I am perusing a message, I don't get dragged away because a scout got ganked halfway across the map.