Notes From The Producer: August 18th, 2010

This official release includes a lot of new stuff for players to enjoy, a lot of it suggested by fans. It adds the new VS - Race multiplayer ruleset for use against the AI or against other players, as well as a new Boarded Up block type. It has a lot more flexibility in what fullscreen resolutions players can use, even if their graphics card/OS doesn't report a resolution that they want to use as being supported. There is also a revamped sound subsystem that lets the game load faster, play multiple copies of the same sound effect at once (which sounds much better), and which avoids some issues on OSX.

Also included are 12 new Brainteaser levels created by players, a new visual block style created by a player, and updated stream graphics that look a bit fancier. Music tracks also now fade in when starting, which is a noticeable aural improvement. Aside from the above, this release has a number of bugfixes and other, more minor player-suggested tweaks.

All in all, an exciting first bit of free DLC, both with Arcen-created content and community-created content. Enjoy!

--Christopher M. Park

Beta Updates Cumulatively Included In This Official Release

* August 5th, 2010: 1.004 Beta (AI-Related Bugfixes)

* August 4th, 2010: 1.003 Beta (VS Race, Boarded Up Blocks, Experimental Sound Subsystem)

* July 27, 2010: 1.002 Beta (Bugfixes)

* July 26, 2010: 1.001 Beta (Guided Tour Improvements, Fullscreen Resolution Additions)

New & Updated Levels

• A new folder has been added to the Brainteasers section of the game, with a "Community-Created Brainteasers" folder. The goal here is for us to over time package a good selection of the community-created brainteasers into the main game itself; not all players know to look for custom puzzles on our forums, and since the puzzle files are tiny it is easy for us to package them right into the game for everyone to enjoy.
  
  • This first version includes 12 player-created puzzles: 3 by Ixiohm, 2 by jkefka, 2 by PLivesey, 2 by RCIX, 1 by The 9th Sage, 2 by triggerman602. Special thanks to all of them for taking the time to submit such great puzzles!
    

New & Updated Art/Music/Sound

• Music tracks now fade in when they are first loaded, to provide less jarring transitions between fast-paced and relaxing tracks and vice-versa.
  
  • Thanks to RCIX for suggesting.
    
  
  
  
• A new player-created block skin has been added to the game: eRe4s3rs Glow Blocks. Special thanks to Hans-Martin Portmann for creating these!
  
  
• The stream graphics have been improved with extra glow effects that makes them look more modern.
  
  • Thanks to Hans-Martin Portmann for suggesting.

• Post-level screen now no longer reports an achievement that had already been achieved globally (but may have just been achieved for that particular adventure).
  
  • Thanks to kout for pointing out that the previous behavior was confusing.
  
  
• The loss objectives panel now includes a note about the move limit for levels with a move limit. This is already shown on the screen in the form of the "moves remaining" counter, but now it's more obvious and consistent with other loss conditions.
  

• Fixed bug where Cutscene Index and Adventure Stats buttons would show through onto the main menu after playing an adventure level.
  
  • Thanks to Balthier for reporting.
  
  
• Enter And Escape now function as confirm or cancel (respectively) when a confirm dialog is being shown. Previously Enter would open the chat box instead, which was problematic on several counts.
  
  • Thanks to SmileyFace for pointing out the problem.
  
  
  
• Fixed bug where AI thought it could do a direction-redirect through an inverter or energizer.
  
  • Thanks to Ogtacular for reporting.

• Fixed a case where servers would lock-up while writing .dmp files
  

• Fixed some minor smoke grenade bugs
  

• Fixed a bug in the Steamworks internal stats reporting
  

• Added: new map - The Tunnel
  
• Improved: hit collision detection
  
• Fixed: 2 small mem leaks
  
• Improved: engine is now using “Bullet physics”
  

• Added AI Custom Options menu to allow fine control of each AI's Core Strategy, Build Speed, Resource Income, Veterancy, Intel, and Target preference.
  
• The pre-order maps Emerald Crater, Iskellian Coast, QAI Prototype Facility, Seraphim VII Site, and Weddell Isle are now available to play for all players.
  
• Added a Cybran Mass Convertor structure, unlocked via the research tree.
  
• Added “No Artillery Structures” to game exclusions list.
  
• Added "No Mass Conversion" to game exclusions list.
  
• Added shield range ring indicators both during placement and on mouse-over.
  
• Added factional shield coloring, and quicker impact effects to improve overall visibility and feedback.
  
• Added a keybind to turn the UI and all associated in-game clutter on and off for screenshots and movies: Ctrl-U.
  
• Updated the current ranked season to season 2
  

• Increased Mass Convert cost to 2500e and income to 250m.
  
• Increased Mass Convert cooldown to 10 seconds.
  
• Killing enemy units will now generate 25% less Research.
  
• Illuminate Rogue Nanites heal decreased to 5,000. Was 10,000.
  
• Illuminate ACU Shield health decreased to 12,000. Was 15,000.
  
• Illuminate ACU Teleport, Damage, Rogue Nanites and Personal Shield upgrades each increased by 1 RP.
  
• Illuminate Rogue Nanite's range increased from 10 to 15.
  
• Cybran Battleship range decreased to 90. Was 115.
  
• Cybran Kraken health and damage increased by 50%. Weapons no longer prefer unique targets.
  
• AI veterancy cheat buff is now an increased vet rate, rather than free levels.
  
• Illuminate Point Defense cost increased to 200m/440e. Was 190m/420e.
  
• UEF P-Shield health increased to 600. Was 400.
  
• Nuke cost increased to 1000m/4000e for each projectile. Was 750m/3000e.
  
• Mobile units that are hunkered will no longer be affected by the magnetron.
  

• Fix for being able to assist an engineer assisting a factory and bypassing the build speed reduction.
  
• Fix for being able to have UEF Pgens assist an engineer assisting a factory and bypassing the build speed reduction.
  
• Fix for being able to have UEF Pgens assist an engineer assisting a factory and bypassing the range check.
  
• Fix for AI not sending early attacks.
  
• Fix for Air units not accepting multiple destruction part meshes in their blueprints.
  
• Fix for AI ACU going back and forth when there are enemies nearby.
  
• Fix for AI not using the Noah Unit Cannon.
  
• Fix for units getting strung out along cliffs.
  
• Fix for units that have queued move orders pathing weird after using an ability.
  
• Fix for beam weapons not turning off when units were loaded onto transports.
  
• Fix for Hover units not triggering properly when killed.
  
• Fix for UEF Long Range Artillery not being able to fire at their upgraded max range.
  
• Fixed Sonar Radius buffs to work like Intel Radius buffs.
  
• Units that are dropped from a transport will no longer infinitely loop their move ambient sound.
  
• Fix for AI units trying to climb hills.
  
• Fix for UI-based ACU duplication exploits.
  
• Fix for replay files not closing properly under rare circumstances.
  
• Fix for Platoon position being on unpathable terrain and screwing everything up for the AI.
  
• Fix for units being teleported when dropped from a transport over invalid terrain.
  
• Fix for the wrong leader being selected for Air units.
  
• Fix for GPNav group leader selection. Agents are eligible to be the group leader only if they are close enough.
  
• Fix for units that have queued move orders pathing weird after using an ability.
  
• Fixed resources getting refunded for units that have completed building and are cancelled with the stop command.
  
• Fix for units getting stuck against walls if they started out moving via steering only (no flow field).
  
• Fix for naval units not receiving commands outside the playable rectangle.
  
• Fix for some air units in a group slowing way down.
  
• Fix for crash when issuing guard on the ground.
  
• Fixed a version number crash when loading a saved skirmish game.
  
• Fix for crash when loading a save game while a unit is jumping.
  
• You can no longer send air units through an enemy Space temple beacon.
  

• When we buff a unit's max health we now set the units health percentage to the same as it was before the buff was applied.
  
• Removed the visual effect on other units from the Bodaboom and Universal Colossus to improve performance.
  
• Increased Bodaboom buff check time to 8 seconds and Universal Colossus to 6 seconds to improve performance.
  
• Changed the Bodaboom range circle to match the Bodaboom's buff range.
  
• Attempting to join a game when you have modified files and the host does not (or vice-versa) will fail with a warning message. This is true for joining through the game browser or by receiving an invite.
  
• We now disable collisions on units while they are in a transport.
  
• All Air to Ground and Ground to Air projectiles will no longer collide with each other.
  
• Units that die while jump jetting will fall like air units.
  
• Anti-Nukes will now show the proper Available/Max numbers when you hover over the build AntiNuke button.
  
• Made path requests NOT immediately reset from cost stamp collisions.
  
• If you lose and have a human ally that is still alive, you can no longer hear sounds from enemies under the Fog of War and can no longer see decals created under the Fog of War.
  
• We no longer remove units from their group when issuing ability commands (except in special cases).
  
• GPNav now allocates all the memory it will require for Integration Fields at the start of the game to improve performance.
  
• Jump jetting units will now adjust their flying height to avoid colliding with terrain.
  
• Reduced the effect ambient sounds have on the game's framerate.
  
• Improved 'should dodge' logic so if your push class is less than, then you should dodge.
  
• Improved 'pass through walls' handling so battleships don't get pushed onto the shore.
  
• If a unit cannot move as fast as the group, then the unit's speed bonus max is 15% instead of 50%.
  
• Fixed air units group speed calc, so its not just the leader speed.. its the speed vote, just like land units.
  
• Illuminate Flare effect updated. Now less expensive, added an on ground impact effect.
  
• UEF Disruptor Station Activation Effects. Bigger for better player feedback.
  
• Illuminate Electroshock beam and impact adjustments.
  
• Illuminate Radar Overdrive, added activation effect.
  
• All faction scaffolding effect LOD adjustments. Better player feedback at further LOD range.
  
• Tri-armor buff effect. Now better looking and less expensive.
  
• Reclaim, Capture, Repair, Build effect LOD adjustment. Better player feedback at further LOD range.
  
• All Faction Unit destroy LOD adjustments. Better player feedback at further LOD range.
  
• Experimental Unit weapon effect LOD adjustments. Better player feedback at further LOD range.
  
• LOD update on unit upgrade, build bonus, overcharge, mass convert and hunker. Better player feedback at further LOD range.
  
• Changed text for shield restrictions to imply structures only.
  

• AI will now use path markers for attack and scouting.
  
• AI will build additional radar away from its base.
  
• Magnetron will now look for targets in a radius around itself, rather than the base it is assigned to.
  
• AI will now build the Cybran Mass Convertor.
  
• AI will build more than 1 mass convertor, if needed.
  
• AI will now prioritize getting the Mass Convertor research if it has a high amount of energy stored.
  
• AI will no longer mass convert when it has enough mass already.
  
• AI will now build more Pgens when Mass Convertor is researched, rather than waiting for it to be built.
  
• AI will use the buffer size to check for blocking terrain (via GPNav) before building a structure.
  
• AI will try not to nuke its own units.
  
• Improved AI research paths.
  
• Removed Radar and Vision cheat buffs from the AI.
  
• Added Naval Neural Net.
  
• Updated the Neural Net data based on several hundred new simulation sets.
  
• AI will wait until it has a mass convertor before going nuts with Pgens.
  
• Land, Balanced, and Rush AIs will put a higher priority on getting an Air factory if they can't reach an enemy by land.
  
• AI ACUs will no longer build Naval factories. This will be handled by Engineers.
  
• The AI will once again use the Illuminate Space Temple.
  
• Adjusted AI platoons to prevent the AI from stalling when hitting unit cap.
  
• AI can now use Naval units to guard its base.
  
• Guard base platoons will now guard a wider range.
  
• AI will build more engineers per expansion base.
  
• AI will only build up to 10 research facilities.
  
• AI will take mass fabricators into account when looking at income/spending ratio.
  
• AI will build Gantries in expansion bases more.
  
• Improved AI Nuke/Anti-Nuke behavior.
  
• AI platoons will no longer Jump Jet or Teleport unless at least 75% of the platoon can make the move.
  
• Platoons that the AI wants to run away will now clear previous commands.
  
• AI Neural Nets will now check to see if an enemy unit's shield is active when performing threat evaluation.
  
• AI units will no longer run to deactivated bases.
  
• AI will now use carriers appropriately again.
  
• Added a new function to the Platoon class to get a platoons shortest attack range.
  
• Micro distance is now based on the Platoon's shortest attack range.
  
• AI will now do a quick pathable check when looking for places to build.
  
• Engineers will no longer look for things to reclaim or units to repair while attached to another unit.
  

• Replays from previous versions will not function with this version.
  
• Skirmish Save games from previous versions will not function with this version.
  
• Campaign Save games from previous versions will not function with this version. Campaign progress (unlocks) will still be preserved, however.
  
• When exiting a multiplayer game or skirmish before victory conditions have been met, there is a 10-second window during which replays will not save. The temporary workaround is to wait 10 seconds before pressing the "save replay" button.
  

• Fixed hang when typing "map" twice in the console
  

• Smoke Grenades
  
  • Made them bloom faster
    
  • Made them more opaque
    
  • Fixed "one way" smoke
    
• Changed walk speed to be 0.52x of run speed ( Counter-Strike 1.6 )