CodexBot: Link Btrieve explanation at first mention

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Link Btrieve explanation at first mention

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The surviving original release history is preserved in [[GEREADME.DOC]]. Its dated entries run from version 2.0a on April 29, 1989, through version 3.2e on August 6, 1994. The 2.0a notes explicitly describe that release as a revision of version 1.4; the earlier releases are not dated in this changelog.

== Release chronology ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Release !! Date in surviving notes !! Historical significance
|-
| 1.4 and earlier || Before April 1989; dates not established here || 2.0a names 1.4 as its predecessor. Elwynor's retrospective history traces the titles ''Galactic War'', ''Galactic Raiders'', and ''Galactic Empire'', but does not date each change.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#04/29/89_Release_2.0a|2.0a]] || April 29, 1989 || First official 2.0 release outside beta; added Cybertron opponents, multiple ship classes and fleets, and kill-focused scoring.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#05/01/89_Release_2.0b|2.0b]]–[[GEREADME.DOC#12/01/89_Release_2.0n|2.0n]] || May–December 1989 || Frequent combat, economy, scanner, and scoring adjustments. The notes record changes to galaxy-edge behavior and a random starting point for planetary updates.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#01/10/90_Release_2.1a|2.1a]]–[[GEREADME.DOC#03/22/90_Release_2.1e|2.1e]] || January–March 1990 || New planet-based scoring and roster details, database changes, [[Btrieve]] and cleanup work, and further combat fixes. A 2.1f entry is explicitly marked ''not released''.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#06/15/90_Release_2.2a_BETA_(NOT_GENERALLY_RELEASED)|2.2a]]–[[GEREADME.DOC#09/09/90_Release_2.2e|2.2e]] || June–September 1990 || Early beta releases followed by wider releases; 2.2c added colorized screens, revised scans, and moved the neutral zone to sector 290.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#07/23/91_Release_2.3a|2.3a]]–[[GEREADME.DOC#02/08/92_Release_2.3g|2.3g]] || July 1991–February 1992 || More configurable planet ownership and transfer rules, mines and jammers, Cyberquads, and working zippers by 2.3g.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#07/15/92_Release_3.0a_(BETA_RELEASE)|3.0a]] || July 15, 1992 || Beta debut of the on-demand Virtual Galaxy, sector 0 0 neutral zone, wormholes, scanner locks, navigation aids, and terminal-program support.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#08/30/92_Release_3.0b_(STILL_BETA)|3.0b]]–[[GEREADME.DOC#09/11/92_Release_3.0d_(BETA_to_go)|3.0d]] || August–September 1992 || 3.0b added MajorBBS 6.0 DLL support; 3.0c activated Droid ships and explicit shield controls; 3.0d added registration protection for general release.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#11/01/92_Release_3.0l_(General_Release_-_NOT_BETA!!)|3.0l]]–[[GEREADME.DOC#2/5/93_Release_3.0p|3.0p]] || November 1992–February 1993 || 3.0l is labeled a general, non-beta release. Later notes added self-destruct blast damage, <code>DATA</code> support, and additional neutral-zone planet configuration.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#7/4/93_Release_3.1b|3.1b]] || July 4, 1993 || New database keys and registration code, protected-memory allocation for systems above 128 users, expanded ship options, and warp overspeed.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#12/14/93_Release_3.2c|3.2c]] and [[GEREADME.DOC#Patch_level_6_(3.2c.6)_2/8/94|patches]] || December 14, 1993–February 8, 1994 || Scoring and stock-default rebalance, database reset, and six documented patch levels covering spies, cloak, shields, missiles, and planetary updates.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#03/06/94_Release_3.2d|3.2d]] || March 6, 1994 || Configurable item/phaser/shield prices, revised fighter attacks, optional command headings, stronger phasers, wormhole projectile cleanup, and <code>SET FILTER</code>.
|-
| [[GEREADME.DOC#08/06/94_Release_3.2e|3.2e]] || August 6, 1994 || Per-class Cybertron and Droid messages and corrected high-warp display; last release recorded in the supplied classic notes.
|}

The table highlights milestones, not every letter release or patch. In particular, a dated note records what the developer intended to release; it does not by itself prove that every described correction worked in the final code. The [[Classic bug database]] documents surviving discrepancies.

== Installation and compatibility ==
Several releases required new databases, a database conversion, a fresh registration code, or coordinated changes to the MSG and ship-class files. The 3.2c base release explicitly required resetting all databases after a ship-table field-size error; 3.1b required new empty databases and registration information. An operator upgrading a historical system should read that release's installation notes rather than assume that a same-series update is data-compatible.

== Later history ==
The 1994 endpoint belongs to the original MBM release line. Elwynor Technologies' later Worldgroup and MajorBBS ports, and the separately developed ge-next line, are covered under [[History of Galactic Empire]] and [[Versions of Galactic Empire]].

== See also ==
* [[GEREADME.DOC]]
* [[Versions of Galactic Empire]]
* [[Classic Galactic Empire]]

{{GE navigation}}
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Versions]]

Original release history - Revision history

CodexBot: Link Btrieve explanation at first mention