1.1.2.4 Public Beta Update Available

[MaximKI]

Hi everyone,

Please try this new beta and let us know if it helps your game.

To facilitate frequent beta iterations as needed, this beta is only available for now on Steam and GOG. All Matrix customers also have a free Steam key available (through your My Page) which can be activated if desired to install DW2 via Steam and test this Beta there.

On Steam, you can switch to it by going to Distant Worlds 2 in your Steam Library, right-clicking on it, choosing Properties -> Betas -> then choosing the latest beta branch from the drop-down list and allowing Steam to update your game. If it updates correctly, you should see the latest beta version listed as your version in-game on the bottom right.

On GOG, you can switch to it by going to Distant Worlds 2 in your GOG Library, selecting Distant Worlds 2, then clicking on the button next to "Play" that looks like two horizontal lines with small offset circles, choosing Manage Installation -> Configure then picking the latest Beta from the Beta channels drop-down list and allowing GOG to update.

As of the official 1.0.6.4 update, the Core game engine has been upgraded to use the latest version of Stride. (4.1.0.1 and a newer version of .NET. As of the recent 1.1.0.9 Aurora Update, we now include .NET 7 in the game executable, so no additional external .NET redistributables are required.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you still experience crashes with 1.0.6.2 or later, especially crashes in battle, please try the new DXVK rendering option in the game settings. This can be found under "Rendering Mode", which can be switched from DirectX 11 to DXVK. This will likely resolve many issues caused by driver bugs or incompatibilities. If you try this setting and the game does not launch, please note the command line option below to switch back to DirectX 11. Integrated new command line option to use DirectX11, which resets any registry settings to use DXVK. To use add /use-dx11 as a command-line argument to DistantWorlds2.exe

Changes in 1.1.2.4 (13th March 2023):
CRASH FIXES
- Fixed crashes at startup for some players (inadvertently introduced in 1.1.2.2 beta)

POPULATION POLICIES
- Additional increase for slavery income factor, note that for maximum revenue you will likely want to control taxes on planets with slavery manually

RESEARCH
- Tweaked research paths for troop transports to avoid requiring the Ikkuro to only research their own splinter pods

Changes in 1.1.2.2 (March 10th, 2023):
INTELLIGENCE MISSIONS
- fixed Spy Mission user interface for new Dhayut intelligence mission types (Influence Empire Positively and Influence Empire Negatively) to ensure player supplies Mission Target empire

RESEARCH
- fixed display of Slavery Unhappiness modifier value to be green (beneficial) when value is negative on Enslavement Control facility in Research screen

CHARACTERS
- ensure new leaders are never selected from imprisoned characters

OTHER
- data file updates with some minor adjustments to Dhayut and Ikkuro research projects

Changes in 1.1.2.0 (March 9th, 2023):

CRASH FIXES
- fixed various rare crashes

COMPATIBILITY
- added better handling of 'Unsupported Graphics Profile' error (DirectX 11 not supported): auto-reset from DXVK to DirectX 11 if relevant and explain need to upgrade video driver

UI IMPROVEMENTS
- now properly clear active textbox when press Enter so that subsequent keypresses properly handled by UI without additional mouse clicks (e.g. when rename item in Selection Panel)

GAME EVENTS
- fixed some game/colony events not always triggering
- now include bonus descriptions in tooltip for any active Colony Events at top of Selection Panel (when colony selected)
- fixed ruins investigation logic to be more careful when evaluating untriggered game events for investigating race
- extended GenerateShipBase game event action so that can generate ships or bases owned by location empire

REPUTATION
- reduced reputation impact from hunting space creatures and destroying pirates

DIPLOMACY AND WAR WEARINESS
- tweaked how race aggression and caution values affect diplomacy: more aggressive races slightly more likely to pursue conquer strategies. more cautious races more likely to pursue friendly strategies
- properly include war weariness reduction bonus when displaying war weariness for a faction in Diplomacy screen and other places
- tweaked tech trading costs so that other faction does not value items too low

SHIP DESIGN
- slightly reduced energy over-allowance factor when auto-generating ship and base designs so that do not generate designs with insufficient energy collectors
- disallow setting civilian ship and bases to manually retrofit using button 'Mark Selected As Manual Retrofit' in Designs List screen

COLONIZATION AND MIGRATION
- fixed Colony Ships sometimes constantly loading and unloading colonists when preferred colonization target currently has threats (dangerous location) and alternative colonization targets also have threats

RESEARCH
- fixed bonus levels for research project requirements being set to zero in previous beta
- in Research Screen fixed research projects sometimes incorrectly disallowed from moving up in queue when optional random path to parent project not enabled

INTELLIGENCE MISSIONS
- fixed ambassadors not gaining experience from intelligence missions when assigned to pirate factions

CHARACTERS
- decreased minimum total skills before characters are auto-dismissed from 0% to -10% (when Characters are automated) to reduce too rapid turnover
- player faction now never auto-dismisses leader character unless total skills are -50%

OTHER
- added new Empire Nouns and Adjectives for new government types

Changes in 1.1.1.1 (March 3rd, 2023):

CRASH FIXES
- fixed rare crash when ship resolves mission commands
- fixed rare crash when changing character empire
- fixed crash when rendering header panel for Civilian Ships section

GAME DIFFICULTY
- research bonus thresholds for research projects for non-player factions now progressively scale with game difficulty level (non-players have lower thresholds)
- fixed game difficulty level being incorrectly reset when start a new game at difficulty higher than normal

UI IMPROVEMENTS
- readjusted available user interface sizes based on vertical screen resolution
- ensure properly close diplomacy detail panel when exit to main menu
- fixed armor components not showing in ship damage report when empire has not yet researched the armor component (acquired high tech ship)

INTELLIGENCE MISSIONS
- adjusted intelligence mission difficulty levels: all missions slightly easier, very difficult missions quite a bit easier
- ensure properly clear target empire when manually assigning counter intelligence missions to own spies
- factions with Internal Stabilization intelligence mission now use it more frequently
- fixed intelligence mission success chance sometimes being incorrect in Character Mission screen in mission target selection dropdown list

SLAVERY POPULATION POLICY
- altered how slavery colony population policy affects happiness and reputation - constant impact level based on amount of population enslaved

SHIP AND FLEET BEHAVIOR
- improved passenger ship migration mission selection in situations where few migration sources for destination colony due to limited available suitable races or low source population
- automated fleets no longer attack pirate bases in foreign territory unless manually queued
- some ships no longer participate in salvaging debris (Colony Ships), while all others are now more cautious to not salvage while there are threats at the location

SHIP DESIGN
- removed some incorrect warnings for some ship roles in the Ship Design screen

FIGHTERS
- tweaked fighter logic so that they are more willing to attack distant targets that their parent carrier is attacking
- fixed bug where fighters onboard bases or carriers could sometimes get damaged by nebula effects (storms, etc)

SHIP DESIGN AND RETROFITS
- fixed bug with Ship Design retrofit path where ships and bases would sometimes retrofit to the wrong design when using 'Latest Design for Largest Hull for Role'
- in Ship Design screen, selected component is now cleared only when right-click in empty part of model view area (not when left-click)
- fixed faulty text in tooltip on Retrofit action button under Selection Panel when multiple designs available for ship or base ('Multiple None Designs available')

LEADERSHIP CHANGES
- greatly reduced chance of rebellion at capital colony after disruptive leadership change

POPULATION POLICIES
- rebalanced income and unhappiness from slavery colony population policy

NOTIFICATIONS
- no longer send galaxy-wide news messages for colony events that are initiated from race- or government-triggers

RESEARCH
- ensure always enable all first-level diplomacy research projects for all colonized races in empire, regardless of how acquired (e.g. first contact with race may be through colony conquest)
- slightly increased automated building level for research stations (when viable research targets exist)

MODDING
- fixed Mod profiles sometimes not being remembered correctly

OTHER
- fixed 'Mining Bonanza' game event to properly apply temporary mining bonus
- added new interstitial loading screen images when DLC installed (Ikkuro + Dhayut)

[Buio]

I was planning on running a game with the Aurora release. But these betas are so tempting with their fixes and updates. During the time since release, I've probably played 90% on different betas. Despite it, I'm pretty poor at feedback. I just like new and shiny updates.

[rxnnxs]

I 100% play the beta. They are always stable for me and include all new nice to have things.
While at 1.1.1.1. and using the new very good working camera angle view,
I find that at a certain distance, the proportions of rings are calculated wrong. they behave false in relations to the planetary rings.
Maybe my orbital Mod is the case, because for moons he uses orbit values higher than 1, but this should only increase the miscalculation and therefore shows better that there is one value calculated wrong.
If you zoom closer into the system, the behavior acts normal.
The miscalculation affects the oribtal rings (and their thickness as well) as well as the drawn (ship)icons and also the sun!

So, in short. when looking from above, the orbital rings of planets AND THE SUN are greater than when viewing from the side.

miscalc.jpg (17.56 KiB) Viewed 1787 times

The short video to show it better

2023-03-04 12-48-26_1.7z

(980.53 KiB) Downloaded 8 times

P.S.:
I tried it with the normal Version of the game, it still happens.
But this happens also when zooming in and out. I maybe recognized before, but never bothered.
But now, that I know, it nags!
So is this intended?

[Silvokial]

I've noticed in the new beta that AI players completely ignore colonization range.

Is this by design?

[zgrssd]

My Beta just updated to 1.1.2.0.

[MaximKI]

New public beta build is out now! Please give it a try and let us know what you think.

See details in OP of this thread.

[MaximKI]

New public beta is out now!

See OP for details.

[zgrssd]

New public beta is out now!

See OP for details.

Wait, the DLC races are in the Beta?
Or does that only apply for those that are in the DLC's beta?

[AKicebear]

New public beta is out now!

See OP for details.

Wait, the DLC races are in the Beta?
Or does that only apply for those that are in the DLC's beta?

In other games, the base game may update to be compatible with the DLC mechanics and avoid complicated branching of versions (especially as more DLC release), but the DLC content itself is only visible if you have it enabled on Steam.

[rxnnxs]

Maybe someone gives zgrssd the DLC for free - he will find the bugs before it is published. That would be very nice.

[rxnnxs]

Now with 1.1.2.2 (I use Direct X 11), the display is very dark again.
With Version 1.1.2.0 it is bright as it should be.
I have FullScreen, but use on a TV with a native Resolution of 1920x1080 a smaller resolution 1366x768.

[InfoBit]

I am having problems with the beta. My game does not start if I activate the beta.

The launcher starts. I click play, and the small rectangular title screen opens, but then it closes right away.

The non-beta version runs without a problem. Is this related to the new DLC?

[zgrssd]

I am having problems with the beta. My game does not start if I activate the beta.

The launcher starts. I click play, and the small rectangular title screen opens, but then it closes right away.

The non-beta version runs without a problem. Is this related to the new DLC?

Could you try the start that does not progress and give the log files for the attempt?

The DLC is not yet out. But DW2 is the kind of game where most of the DLC stuff is always present in the game file, just toggled off by default.

[InfoBit]

Could you try the start that does not progress and give the log files for the attempt?

The DLC is not yet out. But DW2 is the kind of game where most of the DLC stuff is always present in the game file, just toggled off by default.

I just noticed there is a new beta called "Legacy beta" at version 1.2.0. That one runs with no issue. I think I will play that version for now and wait until the DLC comes out before attempting to debug it.

[MaximKI]

A new public beta is live now!

Check OP for details.

[InfoBit]

A new public beta is live now!

Check OP for details.

The new beta fixed my crash at startup! Thanks