Beta 0.896 (Power Auto-Battle! -- probably last release for until Tue next week)

[x4000]

New one: http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Stars_Beyond_Reach_Beta_Phase_2_Release_Notes#Version_0.896

I'm going to be traveling, so there won't be much in the way of new releases until Tuesday next week, but Keith will still be here plowing through bugs so there should be a meaty release of that sort when I get back.  Then it's on to diplomacy stuff on my end!

Now, about this actual release:

1. Rogues that attack you won't be any less in numbers, but they will be less frequent (and in groups, therefore).

2. Holy guacamole, if you hit end turn and there's stuff your attackers can attack, and you didn't already do it, then your attackers do it for you.  I didn't think I'd like this, but I really, really do.  It makes dealing with the border skirmishes and rogues in particular much much better.  More of an empire-building thing and less of a fiddle-with-anything design.

3. A vast bulk of the AI's broken placement logic has been fixed as of this release.  A lot of that got messed up with the switch to territories, but that's at least 90% back to working.  The possible exceptions are seaports/coast-guards and resource harvesters in neutral territory.  The Thoraxians are freaking terrifying now.

4. A variety of other combat-related bugs have been fixed up, and the AI for combat is smarter (both for your new auto-combat and for the AI players).

5. Oh, and military barracks are no longer pointless in half the situations they crop up in.  There were some big bugs there that have been there since probably the start of beta.

6. The way that power is handled has been fully shifted to the new model I have in mind.  Aka: it's used to power buildings, that's it, and actions cost no power.  That way there's not all that confusing "working power" stuff, and the power display on the top bar can actually be fully informative and responsive.  The reason for having extra power is now partly because military buildings cost so much power just to have on, and then the rest of what used to be a temporary power cost for actions is largely a per-use crowns cost.


All in all I'm definitely pleased with this one.  Hopefully there aren't any major gamebreakers in it.

[kasnavada]

That one definitely looks good .

I was particularly waiting for the barracks changes in particular - but that part of automation could have been done so fast is pretty great too.

Also, neutrals. Is there loot to go with it ?

[crazyroosterman]

I like this for the most part but is that automation mandatory? can I turn it off Its just that I can imagine that starting fights by accident that I don't want to be involved with?.

[x4000]

The fighting automation starts no fights, it only continues fights you started.  There's really no reason to turn it off, because if you were to want to stop fighting, you'd use diplomacy and thus the auto-fighting would then not kick in because there is no enemy enemy (now we're neutral at least). 

For the fighting continuing what is already started, there's no real reason to avoid that unless your population is very low or something, because that's the main resource you'd lose.  If that's the case, you're better off turning off your attackers (helipads, whatever) since they suck up a ton of energy and would also be diverting staff from more useful places like defenses or birth centers or whatever else.

Regarding the neutrals and loot, there might be at some point, though I'm not sure if there will be prior to 1.0.  We'll see how things go.

[ptarth]

2. Holy guacamole, if you hit end turn and there's stuff your attackers can attack, and you didn't already do it, then your attackers do it for you.  I didn't think I'd like this, but I really, really do.  It makes dealing with the border skirmishes and rogues in particular much much better.  More of an empire-building thing and less of a fiddle-with-anything design.

I going to count that as another point for me.

[Shrugging Khan]

What's the opinion on getting notifications on un-harvested resources and unused Wonders in the player's teleporter range/territory?

Because having to check the map for little icons and slightly different tiles can be pretty hard on the eyes 

[crazyroosterman]

The fighting automation starts no fights, it only continues fights you started.  There's really no reason to turn it off, because if you were to want to stop fighting, you'd use diplomacy and thus the auto-fighting would then not kick in because there is no enemy enemy (now we're neutral at least). 

For the fighting continuing what is already started, there's no real reason to avoid that unless your population is very low or something, because that's the main resource you'd lose.  If that's the case, you're better off turning off your attackers (helipads, whatever) since they suck up a ton of energy and would also be diverting staff from more useful places like defenses or birth centers or whatever else.

Regarding the neutrals and loot, there might be at some point, though I'm not sure if there will be prior to 1.0.  We'll see how things go.

fair enough I presumed automation would turn my helicopter pilots into roid heads and make them attack every.

[Zebeast46]

What's the opinion on getting notifications on un-harvested resources and unused Wonders in the player's teleporter range/territory?

Because having to check the map for little icons and slightly different tiles can be pretty hard on the eyes 

Already got a mantis for a wonder overlay  .

[Shrugging Khan]

Please do link it 

Anyways, I find 0.896 to be completely unplayable.

http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=17302
http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=17301

Something is amiss with the territories.

[Zebeast46]

Please do link it 

Anyways, I find 0.896 to be completely unplayable.

http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=17302
http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=17301

Something is amiss with the territories.

Alright here is the link.

http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=17011

[Shrugging Khan]

Supported!

[nas1m]

What's the opinion on getting notifications on un-harvested resources and unused Wonders in the player's teleporter range/territory?

Because having to check the map for little icons and slightly different tiles can be pretty hard on the eyes 

Definitely seconded!

[crazyroosterman]

What's the opinion on getting notifications on un-harvested resources and unused Wonders in the player's teleporter range/territory?

Because having to check the map for little icons and slightly different tiles can be pretty hard on the eyes 

sounds lovely.

[x4000]

Anyways, I find 0.896 to be completely unplayable.

http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=17302
http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=17301

Something is amiss with the territories.

Ugh, players are always exaggerating, that so irks me.  "Completely unplayable."  Uh huh, sure.  That's just a way of saying you don't like being confined to one small territory until the Thoraxians wander in and you can't build anything anymore.  You can still play!  What, with enough restarts you could probably get in a good 30 turns before you're deadlocked into being a passive observer.  And even then -- you can keep hitting "end turn" and researching techs, can't you?  You might be able to even see some of what is going on through the clouds a bit.  Maybe someone will eventually even come over and kill you.

But no, I just get all this sort of exaggeration like "completely unplayable."  Ugh, some people.

[x4000]

(Fixed, by the way -- sorry about that, and thanks for the catch!)

http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Stars_Beyond_Reach_Beta_Phase_2_Release_Notes#Version_0.897