Prerelease 3.159 (Performance+, Desync fix, bugfixes)

[x4000]

The latest beta is available via the Updates window in version 3.060 or greater of the game.  Just open the game and you can quickly download the prerelease through the updates tab.  If you don't yet have 3.060 or greater, you can download 3.060 here.  This prerelease version is compatible with any vendor's version of the game -- Steam, Impulse, whatever.

Note:  If you have bug reports related to this release, please log them in the bug reports subforum with one bug per topic.  It makes things infinitely easier for us.  Thanks!

Looking for a Patch That Can Be Manually-Installed?
Because of the time involved in creating multiple versions of each patch, we only create manually-installable patches for official versions of the game, not each beta prerelease.  But you can easily create your own manually-installable beta patch!  Please note that current betas can only be successfully applied to version 3.060 of the game or later (if you later wish to revert to the official version for any reason, you can download the full raw files from the above link to do so).

To create your own manual beta patch, simply download these two files:
1. Current Beta Director Xml File.
2. Current Beta Zip File.

If you try to open that zip file, it will say it's corrupt -- that's okay, it's not really a zip file.  Finally, create a new zip file on your computer, and put both the director and the fake-zip-file inside it.  Call your outer zip file something that starts with Beta and ends with an extension of .zip.  Beta.zip will work just fine, or you can name it after the specific version number if you want to hang onto it.  And that's it!  Now you have your very own manually-installable package of the AI War beta version of your choice, which you can install by simply selecting via your Updates window in the game.  Please note that "Beta" in the filename is case-sensitive.

What's new since 3.158:
(Cumulative release notes since 3.120 are here http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=AI_War_-_Current_Beta)

-------------------

    *  In the previous version loading a save with a unit that has modules could lead to it constantly hitting collision checks with its modules. Fixed to correctly never collide with modules.

    * Minor change to RunCollisionDetection to prevent unnecessary calls to the random generator.

    * Changed movement angle-of-rotation calculation to a simpler slope-to-angle conversion lookup-table-based approach rather than the fairly cpu-intensive ATan2 method.

    * Fixed a major and subtle desync based on floating-point precision. A bit of floating point math recently slipped into part of the simulation based on some of the changes to our FInt struct, and this may have been the cause of the elusive desyncs that a tiny minority of players have been recently seeing. This fix may also have some minor performance improvement implications.

[rubikscube]

so many updates before finals

[eRe4s3r]

I am glad before the switchover to full-work-on-Tidalis we are getting the fortress line fixed, because with the changes to research gathering massive consolidated high-cost-high-firepower front-line in-supply defenses need a serious boost. Though i hope we get the fortress modules too ;P

I was just wondering though, whether it can be changed that mining golems destroying a world give AIP increase to the player. Because thats sort-of illogical. The threat shouldn't increase for something we have no control (and can often not prevent) the destruction of a planet and freeing of its defenders is enough punishment imo.

Anyhow, love these new changes.

It would be cool if there'd be an option to install a low-power research module into fortresses (when modules come) so that a fortress can become a super-high-cost but safe method to gather research within in-supply worlds.

[Buttons840]

Many thanks, as always.

[Fleet]

I was just wondering though, whether it can be changed that mining golems destroying a world give AIP increase to the player. Because thats sort-of illogical. The threat shouldn't increase for something we have no control (and can often not prevent) the destruction of a planet and freeing of its defenders is enough punishment imo.

If a mining golem went and attacked Canada, I would expect them to be a little more cautious of everyone, USA, Japan and Russia included, even though aliens from outer space sent the Golem.

[rubikscube]

It is that talk that we never co operate and split up during the civil war of the 27th century, causing our down fall (civil war did happen in the 27th century right?)

[wyvern83]

Are AI core turrets supposed to work without supply?

[Buttons840]

Are AI core turrets supposed to work without supply?

Yes.

[Ktoff]

I was just wondering though, whether it can be changed that mining golems destroying a world give AIP increase to the player. Because thats sort-of illogical. The threat shouldn't increase for something we have no control (and can often not prevent) the destruction of a planet and freeing of its defenders is enough punishment imo.

Well on the plus side, one AI world gets eaten ;-)

Also: How much trouble is it to kill a mining golem? In a current game, i have an incoming mining golem on a MkIV factory world which is conveniently near the frontline (also: core leeches fabricator) Is the fricking golem killable, or will we just be wasting time and resources?

[keith.lamothe]

Quite killable, and you'll really want to kill it in that case

Used to be you could just throw your full sniper turret cap on the planet and it'd die in an hour or so, but we since made it immune to snipers

[Buttons840]

Quite killable, and you'll really want to kill it in that case

Used to be you could just throw your full sniper turret cap on the planet and it'd die in an hour or so, but we since made it immune to snipers

Try the new fortresses on it, they're range should help.

[x4000]

Regarding mining golems -- yeah, fortresses should really do a good job.  If you are out of supply, then having a bunch of bombers ought to do it, too.  But the AIP cost is definitely by design, you get benefit out of the golem's work, and if it's on an AI planet there's absolutely no incentive for you to go stop it if there's no AIP cost to it.  Granted, there's not much of a cost, just the normal cost of it destroying the planet if I recall, so if that planet was already on your kill list you could just let it happen, heh.

Regarding fortress modules: definitely something still planned, but for sometime after the next official.  Might happen in tandem with the AI War 4.0 stuff, or might happen further down the line.

[Volatar]

Its great to see you still updating the game like crazy Chris

[x4000]

You bet -- a lot of that is Keith at the moment, but the 3.158 in particular had a bunch of stuff from me.  I still keep active on a weekly basis, but a lot of the day to day stuff is more Keith these days.  I'm really looking forward to being able to sink some concentrated time into AI War with CON and AI War 4.0 and all that, though.

[wyvern83]

Are AI core turrets supposed to work without supply?

Yes.

Thanks, just thought I'd ask.