BETA 1A released

Tons of new changes

from GalCiv2 Forums
Up on SDC now.

(Edit by kryo -- changelog posted by Boogiebac below:)

+ NEW: Tons of AI updates
+ TWEAK: Tweaked costs and such
+ NEW: Flavor Text added to components
+ NEW: Implemented Choose Launch Direction button on planet context
window
+ FIX: Fixed bug where you could fit more than the capacity on a ship in
the ship designer (float values are no longer used due to precision
errors)
+ FIX: Freeze-up in battle viewer
+ FIX: When declaring war from the trade screen, a senate vote will pop
up if you are not an imperial government
+ TWEAK: Tweaked crew numbers, ship mass, and ship dimensions in Ship
Intel Report screen
+ DEBUG: When new game is started, all missing shipcfg files will be
outputted to the debug.err file (DEBUG BUILDS ONLY)
+ NEW: Added flavor text for space cannon
+ FIX: Fixed potential crash in component flavor text function
+ CHANGE: Improve button for space miners only is disabled when there
are no more modules left to upgrade the base.  If you do not have the
tech required for a module and click the Improve button, a message will
pop up explaining why you can't upgrade the base and what tech you need
to research
+ TWEAK: made it so player receives Espionage Level-up messages again.  Had turned this off at one point because the Espionage Manager screen used to show your espionage level for each race, however it long longer does.
+ TWEAK: Super Ability Specifics
+ FIX: additional debug information for activation
+ FIX: more info in popup when activation fails (location of sig.bin)
+ FIX: took out serial check for now since SDC apparently doesn't save the serial number in the sig.bin
+ NEW: added code for super dominator
+ TWEAK: added DA serial to the information being sent to the metaverse
+ TWEAK: Galaxy setup window updated...still needs scenario window implemented.
+ FIX: Anomaly frequency adjusted: Now many more when abundant, less when rare.
+ TWEAK: New Improvement "Galactic Resort" checked in.
+ TWEAK: New Improvement Graphics checked in
+ NEW: 5 New United Planets issues checked in:
    -Anti-Aggression: Have to wait 1 week before attacking/invading in a new war.
    -Mining Loyalty: Mining Bases won't flip if closer to a player owned planet than a foreign planet.
    -Neutral Ground: Upon declaring war, all warships are removed from the opposing players    territory.
    -Open Trade: 2x trade revenue.
    -Open Tourism: 2x tourism revenue.
+ TWEAK: made it so that the spore ship is destroyed after one use
+ NEW: enabled "No range" mega event
+ FIX: Fixed a string not found error in ship intelligence report
+ FIX: Completed construction is cleared when a base is destroyed (you will have to start building the base from the beginning again)
+ CHANGE: Civilizations now have an inherent ability bonus from raceconfig.xml.  You cannot remove this bonus, but you can add to it using ability points in the setup screens.
+ CHANGE: Ability points available has been temporarily reduced from 10 to 5 (until we can balance this a little more)
+ CHANGE: When a planet changes ownership, all active spies are returned to their respective players
9,658 views 29 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow! You guys are workaholics having another build this quick.  
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Cool. Is there a summary .txt file somewhere that notes the changes/additions in this version of the Beta?
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Absolutely fantastic. Great effort to all of the Stardock team.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving celebration from us in the land down under  
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Immediately loved the launch direction feature, will get tons of use.   Only thing though I started a gigantic, all abundant;even asteroids all abundant game and the asteroids are very few and far between. The nearest group(only 2) are three sectors and four systems away from my start point. Out of about 6 x 6 sector area I have found only five total. Have they been reduced? They were all over in my games with build 1.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One that stood out the most for me in this version thus far was that abilities you choose for your race stack with the races innate abilities. That's just dandy
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Cool! Changelog?

Also, wow. You guys sure work late!

Edit: I just made my first power plant, and to my surprise I could only get one of them per planet. I can't thank you enough for making that call. My original fear was that planetary management would get bogged down and the build list would become cluttered, but by only allowing one per planet it's actually pretty cool. Again, thank you.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
COOL!!!  
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Is it necessary to restart game after upgrade to Beta 1A, or the current game can be continued?
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It will run, however I was in the middle of a game and either the update or another but wont let me use my spies....kind of a pain when you wanna mess up a planet pre-invasion.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Is it necessary to restart game after upgrade to Beta 1A, or the current game can be continued?


I'd restart or finish the game before you update.

And as an update to my message above.... not only do your ability picks stack with the race's innate bonuses, but every race gets the same allotment of 5 points. There is currently no way to buy Abilities that cost more than 5 points, but I expect those to either be removed or recosted (or maybe some negative ones you can take for more points to be added!)

I really hope this stays, its the best way to represent a race's innate abilities as opposed to a particular faction in that race's differences (ie: All Korx are better than average traders, whether or not they are more militaristic or focus more on research).

As a side note, I noticed that you can't set your starting alignment for Custom Player Races...
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, you can, but it's a bit of a loophole. First, create a custom opponent, change the sliders that are locked, and then load that race as the player's race.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One thing I noticed was that with races I customized before updating (like say, I gave the Terrans +30% HP), after updating, they still had that +30% HP, which cost me 3 points before the update, but now it was innate and free, and could also be stacked with another +30% HP, for a total of +60%.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That's what I did for my current game... along with defense and offense modifiers on top of the previous ones, as well as war party. Makes for some really kick-ass ships.

Yeah, I know, cheap and unbalanced as hell, but fun.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One thing I noticed was that with races I customized before updating (like say, I gave the Terrans +30% HP), after updating, they still had that +30% HP, which cost me 3 points before the update, but now it was innate and free, and could also be stacked with another +30% HP, for a total of +60%.


Yeah, I just noticed that. I've made a habit of clicking the clear button when selecting a race so I didn't notice it at first
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ok, who's holding the devs at gunpoint and forcing them to work all night?

*points finger accusingly*
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Aha, I know what it is. The new Battlefield 2142 patch has made it so unstable, the devs can't play it and actually have to do some work.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
May we get a changelog please?
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Beta 1A already ..... *Stunned of UK*

Thats some software factory you got there Frogboy, you have my admiration - nice one

Regards
Zy
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Here's the list...enjoy!

+ NEW: Tons of AI updates
+ TWEAK: Tweaked costs and such
+ NEW: Flavor Text added to components
+ NEW: Implemented Choose Launch Direction button on planet context
window
+ FIX: Fixed bug where you could fit more than the capacity on a ship in
the ship designer (float values are no longer used due to precision
errors)
+ FIX: Freeze-up in battle viewer
+ FIX: When declaring war from the trade screen, a senate vote will pop
up if you are not an imperial government
+ TWEAK: Tweaked crew numbers, ship mass, and ship dimensions in Ship
Intel Report screen
+ DEBUG: When new game is started, all missing shipcfg files will be
outputted to the debug.err file (DEBUG BUILDS ONLY)
+ NEW: Added flavor text for space cannon
+ FIX: Fixed potential crash in component flavor text function
+ CHANGE: Improve button for space miners only is disabled when there
are no more modules left to upgrade the base.  If you do not have the
tech required for a module and click the Improve button, a message will
pop up explaining why you can't upgrade the base and what tech you need
to research
+ TWEAK: made it so player receives Espionage Level-up messages again.  Had turned this off at one point because the Espionage Manager screen used to show your espionage level for each race, however it long longer does.
+ TWEAK: Super Ability Specifics
+ FIX: additional debug information for activation
+ FIX: more info in popup when activation fails (location of sig.bin)
+ FIX: took out serial check for now since SDC apparently doesn't save the serial number in the sig.bin
+ NEW: added code for super dominator
+ TWEAK: added DA serial to the information being sent to the metaverse
+ TWEAK: Galaxy setup window updated...still needs scenario window implemented.
+ FIX: Anomaly frequency adjusted: Now many more when abundant, less when rare.
+ TWEAK: New Improvement "Galactic Resort" checked in.
+ TWEAK: New Improvement Graphics checked in
+ NEW: 5 New United Planets issues checked in:
    -Anti-Aggression: Have to wait 1 week before attacking/invading in a new war.
    -Mining Loyalty: Mining Bases won't flip if closer to a player owned planet than a foreign planet.
    -Neutral Ground: Upon declaring war, all warships are removed from the opposing players    territory.
    -Open Trade: 2x trade revenue.
    -Open Tourism: 2x tourism revenue.
+ TWEAK: made it so that the spore ship is destroyed after one use
+ NEW: enabled "No range" mega event
+ FIX: Fixed a string not found error in ship intelligence report
+ FIX: Completed construction is cleared when a base is destroyed (you will have to start building the base from the beginning again)
+ CHANGE: Civilizations now have an inherent ability bonus from raceconfig.xml.  You cannot remove this bonus, but you can add to it using ability points in the setup screens.
+ CHANGE: Ability points available has been temporarily reduced from 10 to 5 (until we can balance this a little more)
+ CHANGE: When a planet changes ownership, all active spies are returned to their respective players

Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have anomalies set to common, and I got 11 in view of Earth on turn 1! I'll have to try abundant and see what happens. I noticed a slight change in AI behaviour towards anomalies too. I don't know what was going on, but normally AI flagships always head for anomalies. I watched the Altarian flagship fly past three anomalies and through my home system. Have they been programmed to use them to scout for new worlds now?
Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
+ CHANGE: Civilizations now have an inherent ability bonus from raceconfig.xml. You cannot remove this bonus, but you can add to it using ability points in the setup screens.


I'm a little confused on this one and am not sure what it implies. When starting a new game with a custom race it has abilities set that I don't want and with only 5 points to spend I cannot make the custom race I normally play with. I'm assuming this is the change that causes this issue. At first I thought maybe it was an old raceconfig file so I deleted the one in the saved folder. Then I thought maybe the reset button was bugged. But then I looked at the raceconfig.xml file and realized that for some reason the custom race has been hard coded like all the other races. I'm curious to know if this is intended or if something else broke the custom race setup.

I mean I know I can go in and edit the xml file to put back the ability picks I like. But it just struck me as odd that this change was made.

Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I mean I know I can go in and edit the xml file to put back the ability picks I like. But it just struck me as odd that this change was made.


Now, I when I first started this game I always spent my Ability Points on abilities that the race already had bonuses in. This actually hindered me severely for many races. I basically spent points to reduce the actual bonuses I got for those abilities, for the most part.

Of course, I eventually learned that they didn't stack and it seemed counter-intuitive to me. Especially since it didn't seem to be mentioned anywhere in the manual! I figured it was just a matter of balance and sucked it up, now I don't have to.

This change is much, much, *MUCH* more newbie friendly than the old way. Also, it helps to make the races differ from each other more than just the Super Abilities alone could do and makes choosing your race all the more important. Frankly, I will be very, very sad if they go back to old method.

Of course, I do have one thing about it that I don't like:

Custom Races should have no abilities that they are forced to get. They should just have more points to spend.

Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I like the "hard-coded" bonuses of the main races (as if you want to make a truely custom race, there's the custom race button there).

Though I do hope we can get a clean-slate option for customs (perhaps give them 15 points to work with?).
Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This is what I love about betas; you get to see it all grow right before your eyes
Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yeah, I know. I'm loving the beta for exactly that reason!