[Freeciv] released: freeciv-1.8.3 beta

[David Pfitzner <dwp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Freeciv people,

I am pleased to announce a new Freeciv beta release:  

              Freeciv 1.8.3 (beta)

Get it from:
    http://www.freeciv.org/download.phtml
    ftp://ftp.freeciv.org/freeciv/beta_version/
    Freeciv anonymous CVS, tag R1_8_3

(No diffs this time because they would be rather large.)
(No, 1.8.2 never happened; just don't worry about it ;-)

The documentation still needs to be updated, and there are no
real release notes (but the ChangeLog is mostly up-to-date)
but there are certainly lots of cool features to test!

Eg, big improvements to rulesets, including new rulesets 
for terrain, governments, and nations.  The latter is 
especially noticeable with lots of new nations and leaders 
to choose from.

Also, there is a start at internationalization (native language 
support); it still needs some work and more translations, but 
already is quite nice.  Also civ2-style specials and rivers, 
paratroopers and air-bases, and lots of other good things I 
don't recall just now :-)

There are a few changes yet planned before the next stable
release, but mostly we now want to find and fix bugs based on 
testing this beta release.

Report any bugs (and fixes!) via the Freeciv Jitterbug at
    http://www.freeciv.org/cgi-bin/bugs
(or by email to bugs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx).

Regards,
-- David