Prerelease 3.172 (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 3.171:
(Cumulative release notes since 3.120 are here http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=AI_War_-_Current_Beta)

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

    *  Fixed bug where ai tech level was not always properly recalculated when setting the negative AIP offset (like when loading the game).

    * Fixed typo in the Zenith Starship description.

    * Fixed bug where flak turrets mk II and III were rebuilding into mk I.

    * Fixed bug where fully repaired but not activated Golems (not activated because you don't have enough energy) would revert to 25% health after save and load.

[Wingflier]

The idea to change the research cap on each planet from 2000 to 2500 was a good design decision, bravo.

[x4000]

Thanks -- that wouldn't have been valid a year ago, but given how the game has evolved in that time it was definitely time.  Back in beta at one point it was actually 3000 (and at another point it was 2500, and at another point 1000). 2000 was definitely the right number for a long time, but more recently the game has really grown beyond what that could support alone.  All those performance improvements, etc, lead to larger battles and a need for more stuff to be unlocked, and all those added starships and such created a wider tree that players were hungry to be able to explore more of at once.  Plus it took the sting out of the nerfing of knowledge raiding.

[quickstix]

I was particularly guilty of constant knowledge raiding, although a lot less so after moving to F+D.

Quick question. I'm still running 3.120 Official but because I'm finally on break I have time to play full games again. Is this release fairly stable? I am itching to try out all the new stuff, especially the golem changes, context menu and paint attack.

I'm also assuming I'll need to grab that extra 500 knowledge as well from all my planets, but the auto gather option should help I assume.

[x4000]

Quick question. I'm still running 3.120 Official but because I'm finally on break I have time to play full games again. Is this release fairly stable? I am itching to try out all the new stuff, especially the golem changes, context menu and paint attack.

Yeah, this is practically release quality, although there are a few known bugs we are still slowly working through.  The main reason we haven't yet done an official release is a combination of those bugs, and of the nearness of the preorder phase starting for the next micro-expansion.  So this has already been in that sort of practically "release candidate" mode for a couple of weeks, and it will stay there for a few more, I think.  Anyway, in short I think you'll be just fine.

I'm also assuming I'll need to grab that extra 500 knowledge as well from all my planets, but the auto gather option should help I assume.

Yep on both counts, exactly it.

[quickstix]

Awesome, thanks a bunch.

Getting very excited about the new expansion and the unity port, plus I'm going to try out Tidalis later today. Exciting times for Arcen Games indeed.

[x4000]

You bet -- and thanks in return!  We're really excited about all this, too.  So much going on, it will also be a relief when things are a bit more relaxed for us, but exciting times nonetheless and this should set us up for a really great autumn, I hope.

[rubikscube]

I know i asked this before but, how is it still 10,000 starting knowledge? with 500 more per planet and transports now don't need to unlock, plus you only upped the other knowledge costs a little bit, shouldn't it be lower like 8000 or such, just saying cause knowledge per planet and starting planet must have a good balance.

[quickstix]

I think starting knowledge is fine, especially with the harder difficulties. Otherwise taking the first few planets is a bit of a challenge, especially if you want to grab a Mk3/4 early, as I tend to do sometimes.

8000 for me means I can only unlock 2 mk 2 ships off the bat, then having to wait for the rest of the knowledge to accumulate before grabbing another mk 2 or tech. Other guys go straight for mk2 Command Stations at the start, which aren't too cheap either. The knowledge costs might have only gone up a bit, but they add up at the end of the game.

10000 is balanced with the 500 increase. Drop it to 8000 and you have to take the extra 500 knowledge of 4 more planets to make up for the 2000 drop, unless you feel like knowledge raiding, which is fairly difficult these days.

4 planets= 80 AIP + Time and effort. Too expensive for my liking, especially 80 AIP.

[zebramatt]

Not to nag, but I don't suppose you'd consider tweaking the Show Unexplored Planets tooltip?

On the Host New Game Setup Screen, under Game Options, the Show Unexplored Planets checkbox tooltip is ambiguous. The second sentence, "Be advised that the Human Colony Rebellion and Mining Golem minor factions can be very hard to play with this option," seems to suggest that showing unexplored planets makes it more difficult to resolve rebellions or destroy mining golems - is that right?

Changing the option from the default makes it harder

Perhaps "Be advised that the Human Colony Rebellion and Mining Golem minor factions can be very hard to play with this option disabled"?

[quickstix]

Not sure if this is the place, but have turrets again decided that turret trains would be a great thing to shoot?

Normally I wouldn't mind, given no AI progess on kill now, but my turrets are shooting at trains rather than enemy ships coming through the wormholes. Maybe a control node could control this behaviour?

[x4000]

Not sure if this is the place, but have turrets again decided that turret trains would be a great thing to shoot?

Normally I wouldn't mind, given no AI progess on kill now, but my turrets are shooting at trains rather than enemy ships coming through the wormholes. Maybe a control node could control this behaviour?

That was an intentional shift requested by players. I'd suggest just finishing tem off real quick and then the problem goes away. Those turret trains do a lot of damage.

[quickstix]

Ah, that's fair then. I've had no end of fun with them, especially on planets where capturables happen to be on wormholes. Was not impressed when they killed a beam starship fabricator.

[x4000]

Yeah, there's always counter dark matter turrets if you're running into trouble of that degree.

[quickstix]

Those things are life savers, especially with the range increase. That's the thing with 40 maps, you get planets with multiple fabricators so there's a good chance one will be on a wormhole. Nice to be on 80 again.

Loving all the new stuff, especially automating control groups and paint attack queues.