Westwood Studios has announced the details of its upcoming July patch for Earth and Beyond. It was stated that this new patch marks a shift in the focus of the development team. Before, the team was heavily focused on the combat aspects of the game. Now, they are leaning more towards the exploration and trading side. Part of this focus lies in the re-evaluation of experience formulas. "Manufacture," "Analyze," and "Refine" are all areas that have previously had their experience formulas tweaked--"Prospecting" is to follow this month.

The design team has also set out to create "uber" encounters based around exploration and trade. It is not known when these new encounters will arrive, but they are now the design team's top priority.

It was also announced that the development team will be on hand at GenCon in Indianapolis, from July 24-27. The team encourages any fans in the area to attend.