New Return of the Shakturi 1.5.0.5 Public Beta Available!

[Erik Rutins]

Hello all,

We have a new update for you to look over. It includes bug fixes and balance changes as well as some improvements to how the AI handles fleets, invasions and space port construction. I'd like to also apologize for the delay in getting this out to you. We've been working on various plans to expand the market for Distant Worlds and one of these required us to build in support for localization (i.e. different languages). We had hoped 1.5.0.4 would be ready to go official while Elliot worked on the localization support, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way. The good news is that adding in the localization support also makes it easier for us to externalize more of the game in the future, which is potentially good news for modders. We also think that expanding the audience for Distant Worlds will end up being a good thing for everyone in the long run, but apologies again for the delay this caused.

We plan on making 1.5.0.5 official next week if there are no serious issues, but we want to give our Members a look. It can be found in the Members Club, under Registered downloads. You will need to have registered your game to download it. Remember this is a beta, and any feedback is appreciated.

v1.5.0.5 Beta – March 5, 2011

• Fleets and Invasions
  • Unoccupied automated fleets are now more responsive to intercepting enemy attacks
  • Automated troop transports will now automatically reinforce nearby colonies under invasion (drop their troops at the colony)
  • AI empires more likely to build Troop Cloning Facilities, especially when their native troops are strong
• Colonization
  • Starting colonies no longer ever have ruins
  • AI colonization now gives higher priority to independent colonies
  • Colony ships now take 3 times longer to build, slowing colonization slightly
• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed crash when rebelling militia are defeated at a colony
  • Fixed crash when receive tech bonus from ruins after researching all tech
  • Fixed occasional crash when eliminate an empire
  • Fixed bug where assigning some mission types to fleets (Load Troops, Refuel, Repair) would cause any ships in the fleet that were still under construction to prematurely leave their construction yard
  • Fixed bug where game sometimes no longer shows income or cashflow and other game tasks stop
  • Fixed crash when you have explored the entire galaxy
  • Fixed occasional crash when you recruit new troops at a colony
  • Fixed various GxBO crashes
  • Fixed rare crash in scrolling message list
  • Added extra fixes for ships jumping to galaxy corners
  • Fixed issue on Turkish Windows where could not save new designs
  • Fixed rare crashes in Empire Navigation Tool
• Others
  • Improved performance in late game when there are many civilian ships
  • Improved amount of space ports AI builds
  • Slightly increased colony income and lowered ship maintenance costs
  • Special racial techs now always show in 'Latest Components' list in Designs screen

v1.5.0.4 Beta – January 28, 2011

• Balance and Gameplay
  • Further refined number of colonizable planets and moons in galaxies based on Colony Prevalence setting in game startup. By default, there are now less colonies available in galaxies, slowing expansion a bit
  • Ancient Guardians no longer take ownership of lost colonies
  • limit resources (cargo) at new colonies to small amount of Caslon and Hydrogen fuel
  • fixed problem where AI empires sometimes not researching construction tech enough to build larger ships
  • fixed exploit where you could right-click on an unexplored system and get “Colonize” command in right-click pop-up menu
• Bug fixes
  • fixed bug where fleets sometimes move to top-left corner of galaxy when assign queued missions
  • fixed rare crash when colonize planet
  • fixed crash when edit planet with ruins for super weapons tech bonus
  • fixed bug where can obtain multiple bonuses from destroying pirate bases
  • fixed issue with incomplete message when offering info on story location
  • fixed rare crash in Empire Navigation Tool when viewing enemy targets
• Others
  • Allow scrapping of privately-owned bases in the Ships and Bases screen
  • Altered colony rebellions so that do not begin during invasions. Also ensure that colony will join empire of invaders if present instead of becoming independent or joining another empire

v1.5.0.3 Beta – January 17, 2011

• Colonization and Balance
  • balance of colonizable planets - now more colonizable high-quality ice and volcanic planets (with appropriate tech)
  • more independent colonies than previously
  • greatly increased capacity of passenger transport components
  • increased number of passenger ships and freighters
  • improved how passenger ships respond to migration needs
• Bug fixes
  • fixed rare crash at colonies when population drops due to invasion
  • removed duplicated components in 'Latest Components' list in Design screen
  • fixed crash when remove planets in game editor
  • fixed crash when switch themes (to a theme with less ship-sets than the previous one)
  • fixed bug in Start New Game screen when start game after switching back from theme with races not in current theme (if missing races set in Other Empires grid)
  • fixed bug where AI fleet formation would often disband and reform fleets
• Other
  • in nebula clouds movement speed is now 75% of normal (from 50%)
  • automated fleets now do not auto-respond to attacks if more than a sector away and another fleet is closer
  • space creatures are now shown in mini-map as dark red diagonal crosses
  • can now have more starting empires (Start New Game screen) when have more than 20 races for galaxies with 700 stars or more
  • now always reset research slider to "Starting" in Edit Empire screen of game editor
  • special super-weapon techs set for a race in races.txt file now apply for the race at game start

[WoodMan]

Thx very much Eliott and Matrix [;)]

Good job as usual!

Edit:

Just out of curiosity I saw some people mention that in RoTS the AI builds the wrong type of research stations at the research locations. Please accept my apologies for being so out of touch, I haven't actually played RoTS really yet at all! I've been working on my mod, so I don't know if this problem really exists or if it was fixed previously, but I can't see it in the change lists.

Anyone got anymore info, does it really exist, was it already fixed, if not, a good suggestion for before this one goes official.

If I'm talking a load of rubbish though, please ignore me, as I haven't played since January [:D]

[tjhkkr]

Thank you for the work and fixes! [:)]

[Apheirox]

Cheers, Matrix. It is clear you care about your customers.

There are some good changes here; you've closed the door on a few things that made the AI weak. I predict a considerably stronger AI without even have playtested it yet.

I'm loading this up right now, I'm very curious to see how this faster empire spread due to more effective passenger ships works out. Hopefully, you've killed the 'homeworld is only significant planet' gameplay completely.

[lancer]

G'day,

Thanks to Elliot, once again, for his hard work.

Very impressed by his efforts to solve the issue with the Turkish version of Windows.

That's dedication!

Cheers,
Lancer

[Caesar_Augustus]

I am awed... thank you [&o][&o].

[Data]

makes it easier for us to externalize more of the game in the future, which is potentially good news for modders

omg, I didn't even read the rest....I'm taking this as sloooowly as possible
you rule all sides of the force

[J HG T]

Sweet! Getting it now.

EDIT: "Starting colonies no longer ever have ruins". Seems like this is bugged. I started new game as Kiadians and had ruins at my home planet. Also, first race I encountered was "Them toads" and they also had ruins in their home planet.
Better check this out. Seems like there's something messed up with this.

[Igard]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
localization support also makes it easier for us to externalize more of the game in the future, which is potentially good news for modders.

Good news indeed. [:)]

Thank you Elliot, Erik and the rest of the team.

[Bingeling]

Maybe there is a negation missing, and they now always got ruins [X(]

I have not started a game yet, that is the hardest part of DW. Decide what to start and get going.

[Merker]

Indeed Bingeling, it's insanely hard to decide a start. So many possibilities, so many choices....it's mind numbing.....

A lot of thanks for the Matrix crew, good job people, your game, forum and yourselves are awesome[:D]. I'll buy the expansion soon enough, need to get it when I'm in holiday, otherwise I might waste a lot of sleep after I get it.....[8|]

Cheers

[Litjan]

Quick test results:

- AI still starts out with way too few research stations - so it can be outteched severely by the human player, if he quickly builds some research to max out his potential.

- Playing as Ugnari the AI fails to add medical and recreational facilities to spaceports

- The AI fails to add ion weapons to ships

Jan

[J HG T]

Played little more and it seems that the "no ruins on home planets" just doesn't work. Me and Haakonish had ruins but the rest races I've met haven't got any ruins on their home worlds. Go figure.

EDIT: To answer Litjans points:

- Agreed. The AI needs to build more research stations.

- Feature. "Less intelligent" races don't put useful stuff on their bases/ships. It's RP thing.

- This is random as far as I know. I don't know about this version but I've seen AI ships with ion weapons many times in earlier versions.

[Caesar_Augustus]

J HG T: Actually, the patch log states "Starting colonies no longer ever have ruins", which we obviously regard as "home" colonies; but perhaps this refers to AI-controlled colonies that never have ruins, not player-controlled empires?

[J HG T]

The problem is that in my game both I and Haakonish close to me have Ruins on the "home" colonies.
It feels too random to be working properly. Nobody, not me or other AI empires, should have ruins on the homeworld if the fix is working as I presume it's supposed to work.

[tornnight]

I also started with ruins.

I still see significant slowdowns when compared to 1.5.0.3 running a 1400 star map.

I also see many empires including mine struggling to keep enough fuel around. Civilian ships are constantly running out.
I have to go out of my way to force the constructors to build as many fuel gas mines as possible.

Edit: Actually maybe I'm not seeing any slowdowns. Or it may have just been that one game.

[tjhkkr]

I also see many empires including mine struggling to keep enough fuel around. Civilian ships are constantly running out.
I have to go out of my way to force the constructors to build as many fuel gas mines as possible.

That is really true; I have had so many fuel problems, I feel like a German tank commander in World War II; I cannot concentrate on fighting because I am fighting with fuel. I like the challenge to be sure.
I did not know I could force Construction Ships to do that. I have forced them to do other things; I will have to try that. Thanks tornnight

[Bingeling]

Either take manual control over a constructor and give it a manual order to build. Set it on auto afterwards to have it do its usual stuff once done (if you want that to happen).

Or you can select the location (gas planet, for instance) or queue some nearby constructor to build gas mine from the buttons under the info panel (lower left).

If you really have issues with fuel, make some custom star bases with multiple gas extractors and huge storage tank and enough docking bays, and hope that they gather gas faster that way. You can also arm them to fend off pirates and pay for this over your own budget unlike cheesy armed mining bases...

[shinobu]

ORIGINAL: tornnight

I also see many empires including mine struggling to keep enough fuel around. Civilian ships are constantly running out.
I have to go out of my way to force the constructors to build as many fuel gas mines as possible.

I frequently hit a point in the game where I am starving for fuel at my homeworld, where most of the traffic is. At this point, I have my constructors (which I always control manually anyway) start building gas mines at every possible gas giant in systems anywhere near my home system. It usually eases the problem within a reasonable time. And, if I'm lucky enough to have a good gas giant in my home system, I also sometimes custom design an extra-large gas mine to be constructed there...

[tjhkkr]

All of these are excellent ideas.
Thank you! [:)]