FTL: Advanced Edition is due to launch as a free expansion on PC, Mac and Linux, and as a standalone game on iPad this year. Developer Subset Games has revealed some new systems for the expansion, which also boasts new alien races, equipment and an additional sector to explore.

Ships will remain capped out at eight systems total, Subset writes on its blog, so players will need to prioritize systems around preferred play style. The post also introduces a Clone Bay where you can simply grow a clone of your dearly-departed crew member - but if the cloning process is interrupted, then that crew member will be lost forever.

Hacking drones will allow players to target individual systems when encountering enemy ships in space. Sending a drone to hack the enemy shields, for example, will immediately drop all shields and open up the vessel to major damage. Finally, Subset is also adding a Hard mode to the game.

Subset Games still hasn't given us an official launch date for FTL: Advanced Edition yet, but has said both the iPad game and the expansion for existing platforms will be made available at the same time. [Image: Subset Games]