There are lots of pre-release tasks to do, but much progress has been made recently! The sound effects are nearly done, the music has been rolling in, work on the Linux dedicated server has started, the tutorial progresses (map by Merkaba, scripting/code by me), networking optimizations make the gameplay silky, the final alien artwork rolls in (thanks Guy and Def One) and other loose ends get tied up.
Now the previews are starting to roll in. Here are a couple to keep you satisfied while you wait for the download...
Our resident NS writer Jeff Paris has recently put a new piece of the NS universe online for you. It's called "Six days in Sanjii", and can be found in the "World" section of this site. It describes the first ever recorded encounter with the alien species. Here's the intro to get you started:
Few records exist as vivid and historically important as Fajid Roha's award winning Six Days in Sanjii, the account of his rather remarkable experiences aboard Sanjii, the Genghis Labs mining facility. Fajid had the dubious honor of being a part of the first TSA team to ever encounter the aliens. Located in the star fields called The Steppes, in the Mongolian Cluster (just outside the settled end of the Ariadne Arm), Sanjii became an important Frontiersmen staging point during the Ariadne campaign.
Be sure to click this world link and read the rest. Also, if you haven't done so, be sure to read some of the stories told by the playtesters of their in-game experiences, at this forum thread (update link here).