FTL: Advanced Edition's new subsystems revealed, include cloning and mind control

Subset Games have revealed some more information about their upcoming free update for FTL. In a new blog post , the team run through some of the subsystems that the Advanced Edition will bring. The expansion - due early this year - will introduce the ability to clone crew members, hack enemy ships, and use mind control. This will basically make the game 30% more sci-fi - a figure that will rise dramatically should they announce a constantly malfunctioning holodeck room.

The cloning room is a medbay that, as the name suggests, provides clones of dead crew members at a cost to their skills. The downside, rather obviously, is that you don't have that medbay, although the clone room does slightly heal all crew with each jump.

"The goal of the Clone Bay was to really disrupt the core way you play the game," write Subset. "You'll be able to send crew off into dangerous situations without fear of death. Giant alien spiders will no longer be the terrifying, unstoppable force that you're used to, since the system can simply revive your crew after the event. But, if a stray missile takes out the system mid-clone, you'll find death can still be quite permanent."

For hacking, players can fire a drone that attaches to an enemy system. Each system will produce a different event, for instance hacked Teleporters will instantly recall boarding invaders - giving players another option against invaders.

Head over to the full post to learn about the self-explanatory mind control, and the backup battery - designed to provide a short burst of extra power at crucial moments.

Phil Savage
Editor-in-Chief

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.

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