New 1.0.4.8 Public Beta Update Available

[Erik Rutins]

Thanks again for your patience and support while we continue to improve Distant Worlds.

We recommend that if you are experiencing any serious issues with the 1.0.4 official update, that you give this beta update a try. This update will work fine with existing saved games. If your old save file continues to have issues, please start a new game.

This is a minor "clean up" update to the 1.0.4 official update that includes further economic fine-tuning and improvements to some automation, as well as resolving most issues reported with the 1.0.4 official update. This is not the 1.0.5 update, which will include some major changes that will not work with old save files.

Here's how to download this update - because it's a public beta, you need to get it from our Members Club. Click on the Members Link in the top nav bar. If you haven't created an account there yet or registered your copy of Distant Worlds, please do so. Once logged in and registered, click on "My Games" then click on the "Private Downloads" link next to Distant Worlds and you will see a link to download the public beta update.

Please note that once this becomes official, it will be available through our normal download and update process (in the Latest Downloads section and through the "Check for Updates" link on your game menu) but we do not like to release public beta updates widely until we are sure they are good to go.

Change History:

v1.0.4.8 Beta – May 18, 2010

Public Beta Update

Please Note – This update does create a new save folder, although it will work with previous saves. You need to navigate to the previous version save folder to open your older saves. We recommend starting a new game in order to get the full effect of the changes and improvements, as some will not apply to older save files.

Also, this update may reset the automation settings in your Options screen. Please open the Options screen again to adjust them to your preference. Apologies for any inconvenience.

This is a minor update to the 1.0.4 Official Update, the main goal of this update is to further fine-tune and improve the economic balance in 1.0.4 while also addressing any serious issues that were reported with the 1.0.4 Official Update.

Bug Fixes:

1. Fixed additional reported crashes and freezes
2. Fixed a bug that sometimes occurred in retrofitting (was not completing)
3. Fixed a bug where ships sometimes could not be destroyed
4. Fixed resupply ships not mining fuel
5. Fixed a bug where crash research would sometimes not produce a breakthrough
6. Fixed a bug where armed civilian ships were attacking space creatures
7. Fixed a bug where planets, moons or asteroids were sometimes not being explored
8. Fixed a bug where stars and planets in a system were sometimes not displaying, even when the system had been explored
9. Fixed display of long range scanners in galaxy/sector view so that they always appear in the correct location
10. Fixed a crash when attempt to retrofit ships from the Ships and Bases screen that do not have a non-obsolete design for their sub-role
11. Fixed a crash that occurred when an empire is wiped out and has a mutual defense pact with another empire
12. Fixed a bug when crash research continues after discovering all tech in an area
13. Fixed a bug that could cause fleets with a retrofit order to get stuck in the retrofit process

Game Balance Changes:

1. Capped maximum total corruption at a colony to 75%, including a 50% cap on Empire-level corruption (the rest comes from local and distance factors).
2. Slightly lowered the benefits of advanced medical and recreation tech so that less dramatic bonuses at colonies, and thus slightly lower tax rates

Automation and AI Improvements:

1. Improved AI ship and base purchasing and suggestions – as a result empire cashflow should now be more stable and less likely to go into the red when using automation or suggestions for build decisions.
2. Troop purchasing AI improved - will not purchase single troops at colonies when no pressing need for them
3. Better checking for troop maintenance costs, further lessening chance of economy going into the red
4. Intelligence agent recruitment AI improved - will only recruit agents when have met other empires, also recruit less agents
5. Intelligence agent utilization improved. Agents now always have missions, either counterintelligence or espionage/sabotage
6. Improved AI decisions around scrapping ships and bases in both the private and state economies - when economy under pressure then AI may scrap some private items
7. The AI no longer auto-retires ships for the player, even when ship construction is fully automated

Other Improvements:

1. Added extra filters in Ships and Bases screen (research stations, defensive bases, monitoring stations)
2. Made screen resolution check a warning (instead of enforced) - can still proceed to play at a lower resolution if you wish, which should allow Distant Worlds to work on most Netbooks

[Igard]

Thanks Eric and Elliot for continuing to improve DW. However this will be the first time I don't download the beta patch since I'm perfectly content running 1.0.4.5.[:)]

[Shark7]

Yay!

And thanks Erik and Elliotg for all the hard work you guys are putting into this. [&o]

[Dadekster]

Very nice, always good to see improvements. Not sure whether to cringe or look forward to the new round of 'corruption' talks [:'(]

Thanks for fixing the crazy frieghter captain goes postal on space monsters thing too. Was driving me nuts. [8D]

[EisenHammer]

Thanks and now downloading.[:)]

[the1sean]

lol, my armed colony ships are great at hunting down pirates, alien scum, and space monsters. The only problem I have is that sometimes they forget to colonize the target planet afterwards, lol.

[Mifune]

Well I thought I was going to get a couple of hours of sleep before work. I guess not.

[tkobo]

Any fix for the non-loading save games in there ?

[Machaon]

Hey, I just had an extremely irritating issue (in 1.0.4.5) regarding a resupply ship. I deployed it at a planet where it was attacked by a kaltor. It defended itself, killing the kaltor, but not before it took one damaged component. Now, if I tell it to deploy, it immediately undeploys to go repair itself, rendering it useless. I scrapped it just because it pissed me off. I don't have 1.0.4.6 yet so I dunno if this is addressed. If it is, great; if not, fix it, because it's ridiculous.

Also, I'm just curious; the description for the repair-bot components implies they repair damaged components, but I've never seen them actually repair anything. Is the description full of crap? Are the repair-bots always the first components to go (even if you have more than one)? Are they not working? WHAT GIVES!?

[martok]

Awesome! I'm very happy to see the issues regarding the supply ships not mining fuel have been fixed. I have to admit it was really bugging the crap out of me.

ORIGINAL: Machaon

Hey, I just had an extremely irritating issue (in 1.0.4.5) regarding a resupply ship. I deployed it at a planet where it was attacked by a kaltor. It defended itself, killing the kaltor, but not before it took one damaged component. Now, if I tell it to deploy, it immediately undeploys to go repair itself, rendering it useless. I scrapped it just because it pissed me off. I don't have 1.0.4.6 yet so I dunno if this is addressed. If it is, great; if not, fix it, because it's ridiculous.

This was actually a feature just implemented in 1.04 per players' request. Ships that are damaged will head to the nearest spaceport for repairs, and then resume their previous mission once repairs are complete.

[Keston]

1. Added extra filters in Ships and Bases screen (research stations, defensive bases, monitoring stations)

This is good. I haven't mentioned it before, but could the filter menu dropdowns extend farther down? This would make all the choices visible so there is no need to make it scroll to access the last items on the list (tedious for troop carriers on the ships and bases filter by this time). This would apply in other dropdowns as well.

Also, an option for a more readable (less "futuristic") font would help - leaning forward to see whether there is a single pixel decimal point nestling between two digits as well as routine reading are needlessly challenging.

[Bartje]

Thanks guys, I'm liking it so far!

[J HG T]

Looks nice! BTW, can anyone confirm if savegames fully work with this patch? I have extremely great game going on in 250 star map as kiadians, would be real shame to start over. 

[Erik Rutins]

Yes, 1.0.4 official save games should work fine.

[J HG T]

Thanks Erik! Now, off to chart and conquer distant worlds.

[Athalian]

sensor overlay STILL not fixed :'( Its still shifts at certain zoom levels..

[Machaon]

ORIGINAL: martok

Awesome! I'm very happy to see the issues regarding the supply ships not mining fuel have been fixed. I have to admit it was really bugging the crap out of me.

ORIGINAL: Machaon

Hey, I just had an extremely irritating issue (in 1.0.4.5) regarding a resupply ship. I deployed it at a planet where it was attacked by a kaltor. It defended itself, killing the kaltor, but not before it took one damaged component. Now, if I tell it to deploy, it immediately undeploys to go repair itself, rendering it useless. I scrapped it just because it pissed me off. I don't have 1.0.4.6 yet so I dunno if this is addressed. If it is, great; if not, fix it, because it's ridiculous.

This was actually a feature just implemented in 1.04 per players' request. Ships that are damaged will head to the nearest spaceport for repairs, and then resume their previous mission once repairs are complete.

Is this a serious post? Yeah, it was much requested, and it's even a good idea in general! I'll bet ya no one wants a resupply ship they just told to deploy to instantly undeploy to go across the galaxy to fix itself (which is exactly what was happening here)! Particularly when it's fully functional despite its damage!

The deploy/undeploy is just an example; I don't think any player would except the game canceling an order they just gave a unit to have it do something else. If I tell a ship to attack I expect it to attack the target until either it or the target no longer exist. If it still has functional weapons and can move, it better attack when I tell it to. Period. And a resupply ship on manual control I just told to deploy should not ever undeploy itself, ever.

Actually, I was under the impression that this whole auto-repair/refuel business was going to be toggleable on a ship-by-ship basis, similar to how automation is. Quite disappointed that it's not, as it has stepped on my toes more than once.

[Canute0]

5. Intelligence agent utilization improved. Agents now always have missions, either counterintelligence or espionage/sabotage

Thats good and bad. Agents they come back from a mission are immediatly on Counter Intel. Same for new Agents.
Please give it a delay to assign them for a new mission. Or maybe assign them at the same mission again instead Counter Intel.

[Athalian]

ORIGINAL: Canute

5. Intelligence agent utilization improved. Agents now always have missions, either counterintelligence or espionage/sabotage

Thats good and bad. Agents they come back from a mission are immediatly on Counter Intel. Same for new Agents.
Please give it a delay to assign them for a new mission. Or maybe assign them at the same mission again instead Counter Intel.

Why? they are not stuck at counterint so you can freely change their mission. Maybe have a box or something where u can choose to repeat the mission or not

[Igard]

ORIGINAL: Athalian
Why? they are not stuck at counterint so you can freely change their mission. Maybe have a box or something where u can choose to repeat the mission or not

That's true, I think I will go ahead and dl this solely for the reason that agents efficiency has been improved. I hate that feeling when I check the intelligence screen to see I have agents on the payroll sitting around sipping nephys wine.