Prerelease 1.009B (New F1 and Z+A functionality, various fixes)

[x4000]

It appears you can scrap a command center for no AI points cost, which makes it a bit of an exploit that if it looks like it's going to die, you can just delete it before it happens.

It would probably worth doing a check to see if there's more AI ships in a system then friendly ships by a significant amount, then it gives the AI the +10 points anyway if it's deleted. Otherwise if the player has more ships (or the AI has under a dozen ships; just to take into account a patrol wandering through a warp gate at the wrong moment), then not penalise for the destruction of the command center (basically to handle a controlled retreat from a sector you've decided it just way too much trouble to defend).

Actually, it never should increase the AI progress at all -- only if the AI players lose one.  I'll check on this, though, it might just be that the wording is unclear that this is an AI-only thing.

EDIT:  Oops, I see Revenantus already answered this one.  But, I'll just add that this is added to my list.

[x4000]

Pressing the comma key on the title screen, or anywhere outside of an actual campaign, causes the game to crash.

Thanks for that -- it's an in-game hotkey trying to execute, but the data structures are not there since you are not actually in a game, and it's not properly checking to see if that's the case.  Fixed for the next version!

On the positive side, this is the first time my cat walking on the desk has resulted in something useful.

Yeah, I don't think any of my cats have ever found a bug (we have three).  Oh well, they're good for typing long AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA addendums into documents that are left open on a laptop.

[x4000]

Additionally, the Ion Cannons seem to be missing more than they should - this Mark III failed to hit a space plane 6 consecutive times (green waves were displayed). It is however destroying other targets, like cruisers, with great efficiency. Are they supposed to miss at all? Or could it be something to do with the fact that the space planes have cloaks? The space plane, however, wasn't cloaked when the shots impacted.

Probably the space plane cloaked at some time while the shot was inbound, but that shouldn't have the effect it is -- cloaking is indeed the only reason for an ion cannon or other sniper shot to ever miss (counter-shooters aside).  I'll work on that, too, thanks for bringing it up!

Actually, looking at the code I don't see any way this could have happened.  The shield block effect would only happen if the plane was cloaked at the time the shot hit, that's the only time it is evaluated after the shot is actually fired.  The other instance in which it might cause a shield hit animation (in the currently-released prerelease) is if the plane was inside the protection of a counter-sniper turret, got shot at, and then left the counter-shooter's protection before the shot actually hit.  At least, that's all I can see...

[Revenantus]

Actually, looking at the code I don't see any way this could have happened.  The shield block effect would only happen if the plane was cloaked at the time the shot hit, that's the only time it is evaluated after the shot is actually fired.  The other instance in which it might cause a shield hit animation (in the currently-released prerelease) is if the plane was inside the protection of a counter-sniper turret, got shot at, and then left the counter-shooter's protection before the shot actually hit.  At least, that's all I can see...

That could have potentially happened - the space plane issue occurred in the same system with the counter-sniper turret. I have a save some time before I made the assault on the system containing the Ion Cannon. Later today I'll try to reproduce it. I honestly watched with great dismay as my captured Ion Cannon failed to destroy the space plane .

Did you get a chance to look at the save game with the harvester auto-placement difficulty?

[x4000]

That could have potentially happened - the space plane issue occurred in the same system with the counter-sniper turret. I have a save some time before I made the assault on the system containing the Ion Cannon. Later today I'll try to reproduce it. I honestly watched with great dismay as my captured Ion Cannon failed to destroy the space plane .

Ha, gotcha.

Did you get a chance to look at the save game with the harvester auto-placement difficulty?

Not yet, that's on my list for today, though.  I'll post here if I have questions or specific comments with it, or else it will just be noted as fixed in the release notes for today's prerelease.  Thanks!

[darke]

It appears you can scrap a command center for no AI points cost, which makes it a bit of an exploit that if it looks like it's going to die, you can just delete it before it happens.

It would probably worth doing a check to see if there's more AI ships in a system then friendly ships by a significant amount, then it gives the AI the +10 points anyway if it's deleted. Otherwise if the player has more ships (or the AI has under a dozen ships; just to take into account a patrol wandering through a warp gate at the wrong moment), then not penalise for the destruction of the command center (basically to handle a controlled retreat from a sector you've decided it just way too much trouble to defend).

Actually, it never should increase the AI progress at all -- only if the AI players lose one.  I'll check on this, though, it might just be that the wording is unclear that this is an AI-only thing.

EDIT:  Oops, I see Revenantus already answered this one.  But, I'll just add that this is added to my list.

Ah, cool. I've never actually seen it increment the AI level when it's been destroyed by an AI, mainly because the AI is too sneaky for me and tends to destroy them behind my back, so I've never noticed an increase or not.

No bugs tonight, but an odd quirk: I noticed when playing against the Teleporter Turtle AI, despite the fact it says it gets all ships with teleportation, it doesn't seem to have teleporting Engineers just the usual ones.

On that note, it would be particularly obnoxious if it had teleporting mine layers as well (even if there isn't a science upgrade that gives that to the player, though I can't imagine giving a teleporting mine layer to players as a science upgrade would hurt anyway, since it'd have a similar effect to the teleporting engineer); and the "stealth master" AI would be even more annoying if it had AI-only stealthed versions of both.

[x4000]

No bugs tonight, but an odd quirk: I noticed when playing against the Teleporter Turtle AI, despite the fact it says it gets all ships with teleportation, it doesn't seem to have teleporting Engineers just the usual ones.

Oh, that's a good catch -- the teleporting engineers did not exist when the Teleporter Turtle AI was coded, and I had not thought about adding that in until you mentioned it.  Added to my list!

On that note, it would be particularly obnoxious if it had teleporting mine layers as well (even if there isn't a science upgrade that gives that to the player, though I can't imagine giving a teleporting mine layer to players as a science upgrade would hurt anyway, since it'd have a similar effect to the teleporting engineer); and the "stealth master" AI would be even more annoying if it had AI-only stealthed versions of both.

I've added these to my "maybe" list.

EDIT:  Changed my mind, these are now on the full to-do list for future DLC updates.

[x4000]

I have captured 2 systems in which I am unable to place harvesters by using ctrl-click, manual placement succeeds however.

I found the problem -- there are cloaked Stealth Command Posts on top of these deposits.  The auto-placement is correct, whereas the manual placement is in error (and I will fix that).  You'll want to send in tachyon drones or scout starships or something to reveal those command posts so that you can kill them.  Very few AI types use the Stealth Command Posts -- looks like you are running up against one of them!

[Revenantus]

I found the problem -- there are cloaked Stealth Command Posts on top of these deposits. 

Ah, sneaky.

The auto-placement is correct, whereas the manual placement is in error (and I will fix that). 

I'd naively assumed that because manual placement was succeeding that the auto-placement must have been in error. My bad. Thanks for checking that.

You'll want to send in tachyon drones or scout starships or something to reveal those command posts so that you can kill them.  Very few AI types use the Stealth Command Posts -- looks like you are running up against one of them!

Will do - I generally augment my fleets with a scout starship anyway - As long as I make sure to keep them out of harm's way they seem like a good investment.

[x4000]

I'd naively assumed that because manual placement was succeeding that the auto-placement must have been in error. My bad. Thanks for checking that.

I had the same assumption -- it wasn't until I used my debug build to see what was going on that I realized there was something there.  Thanks for sending it!

Will do - I generally augment my fleets with a scout starship anyway - As long as I make sure to keep them out of harm's way they seem like a good investment.

Yeah, especially now that they don't open fire automatically.

[x4000]

New prerelease:  http://arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,179.msg1250.html#msg1250

[Admiral]

Good to hear from you!  There are still a few features that you requested that are on my list (the icon slider and the Alt+1-5 for selection), and they just haven't quite made it into the prereleases yet.  But I haven't forgotten!

My friend is on the way over; we'll be finishing our 40-planet game today with the latest patch. Hopefully we can start an 80-planet game after that, at level 7.

What's harder/more interesting - a pair of level 7 AIs or a level 6 + level 8?

I am still not entirely clear about what I've read about special starting planets with special starting ships. I'd love to start with parasites... Those ships are the best.

Cheers!

[x4000]

My friend is on the way over; we'll be finishing our 40-planet game today with the latest patch. Hopefully we can start an 80-planet game after that, at level 7.

What's harder/more interesting - a pair of level 7 AIs or a level 6 + level 8?

Sounds like fun!  Hmm... a pair of 7s or a 6 and an 8... that's a tough question.  Level 7 is the threshold at which all of the AI tactics are used, so I think that probably two 7s would be more interesting in that regard.  But if depending on the styles of the AI players, having one really strong at 8 and one a bit weaker at 6 could also provide a different sort of interest.  If it were me, I think I'd prefer the two 7s, but I don't think there's anything wrong with either of those choices.

I am still not entirely clear about what I've read about special starting planets with special starting ships. I'd love to start with parasites... Those ships are the best.

If they are in the starting galaxy, you can click them and take them while in the lobby!  And if they are not, you can just generate some more maps until they do come up.  If there's something good for your friend adjacent to your parasites, then so much the better.

With each galaxy map, there are 8 possible starting planets, and each one has a specific ship type with it.  Whichever planet you select is the ship type you get, along with the position.  If you don't click any planet, you'll get one of them at random.  Let me know if you have any other questions on that, if there's still something unclear I'd like to try to make it clearer.  I improved the text inside the lobby itself, but you may not have seen that since the change.

[Admiral]

If they are in the starting galaxy, you can click them and take them while in the lobby!  And if they are not, you can just generate some more maps until they do come up.  If there's something good for your friend adjacent to your parasites, then so much the better.

I was playing with the map creation (host a new game) option after reading your (as always, prompt) reply. There are several options under "AI Modifier" which are very interesting. However, I do not see why they should be mutually exclusive instead of available together.

Why not have separate options like:

[] Schiz
[] Nuclear Command
Enemy waves: 0 ---------------- 3x (slider)

And, while you're at it (although I think this is less important), why not allow individual ships to be disabled (starting from Complex) as a "custom" option for "Available Ships?" Don't know if this is useful, but I'm a big fan of options.

Cheers!

(v1.009D)

[x4000]

There are several options under "AI Modifier" which are very interesting. However, I do not see why they should be mutually exclusive instead of available together.

Why not have separate options like:

[] Schiz
[] Nuclear Command
Enemy waves: 0 ---------------- 3x (slider)

Well, I'm pretty much out of room for lobby options, period.  I know there is future stuff I'm going to need, plus there is this sort of issue with splitting out these various other functions, etc, so that they can be more specific (like the enemy waves) or used in conjunction with one another.  The only way I can think to do this is to make multiple tabbed pages of advanced options, which initially I had wanted to avoid just so that people wouldn't have to stare at so much complexity there.  But, now that it's unavoidable, I think I'm going to redo that entire section of the lobby so that it is a bit more flexible and also has more room for expansion, since that's going to be needed.  These are good points that you've raised, I've added that to my list for part of that process.  Even at the original release of the game, there just were not nearly so many options for the lobby, so it wasn't an issue until all the new things have been continuously added!

And, while you're at it (although I think this is less important), why not allow individual ships to be disabled (starting from Complex) as a "custom" option for "Available Ships?" Don't know if this is useful, but I'm a big fan of options.

Yeah, that's another good one.  Then the simple, complex, etc, are just basically presets.