V1.5.5.0

The largest change in this version is internal: most of the internal filenames for units have been renamed. The files now follow a sensible system which will make them more approachable for developers. Anyone with local widgets or a non-Circuit AI will need to look at updating their code or configuration. @KingRaptor has written a tool for this task so talk to them if the task is large.

Another large bit of hidden work is ongoing work on the singleplayer campaign. Most of the work remaining is scenario design and implementation. We're not running with fully general missions so this work is much less daunting that the story campaign attempt. Missions are created with a reasonably short configuration file, part of the purpose of the internal renames was to make this task easier.

We have also been following engine development fairly closely and collecting bug reports. Bug reports have definitely decreased over the collection period and we appreciate the patience of the community for the few spikes that occurred.

Balance

Speed nerfs:

• Firewalker 2.1 → 1.45
• Penetrator 2.4 → 2.2

These changes seem opposed to Quants Rule since both of these units are fast for artillery. However, artillery should be slow in order to make positioning important, especially if the artillery is good against units. The Firewalker change seems particularly extreme but I think the high speed is an oversight from when the unit was otherwise hopeless. I decided that it should be noticeably slower than Recluse, with 1.6 speed, so that the owner of the Firewalker has to really think about risk and positioning. Also, @Fealthas said that speed would have little effect and I took it as as a challenge.

UI

• Fixed some ugly main menu spacing.
• Made build tab hotkeys work while Shift and Alt held. Ctrl is blocked by default to preserve global selection hotkeys. This is a change to defaults so existing players will need to modify or delete their hotkeys file to apply it.
• Added a toggle for Gesture Menu in the settings so it is easy to enable. Fixed a bug with right-click opening.
• Added human readable names for the "set particular state" hotkey buttons.
• Improved COFC rotation/zoom smoothness and configuration.
• Fixed missing Smoothscroll for existing players.

Previous versions

Here are some changes since the last release notes. These changes were live for at least three weeks.

Unit Movement

Units now move in a straight line if there is a direct, unimpeded (not counting mobiles), path to their goal. This makes them much nicer to control within battles as it removes the old issues of over-steer and zigzagging. Units can even be a bit more efficient moving over long distances.

Unfortunately this only applies to move commands. Ideally this would be seen as a prototype for an engine change that would apply it to all forms of movement. For widget and AI writers, this movement is implemented with a new move command so you may want to change any instances of movement to use the new command.

Balance

Fixed some target priority issues. This is mainly a Racketeer buff:

• The target priority gadget now returns MAXIMUM PRIORITY for the target of the set target command. This is something that was worth doing ages ago.
• All units with overkill prevention now slightly prioritize the last target that they shot at. This means that if you run 10 Glaives at 10 Racketeers they will all be disarmed forever. Previously the Racketeers would all stare intently at the Glaive with the slightly shorter disarm timer and get caught out by the Glaive with the second or third shortest disarm timer.

Other changes:

• Slow damage no longer damages wrecks. The main effect is that Outlaw is much worse at clearing wreck fields. It has a small amount of normal damage so its wreck clearing ability is not entirely gone.
• Increased Sniper footprint from 2x2 → 3x3 to reduce teamkill.
• Added a wreck for Caretaker and Strider Hub.

UI

• Unbound /track.
• Response noises play for more commands.
• Update unit states when switching spectator. For selection rank.
• Added a 'D' ability to Thunderbird which causes it to instantly start its run.
• Added selection rank to New Unit States.
• Transport load double tap now works on constructor commands.
• Added an option to only use selection filtering when Alt is held.

Fixes

• Fixed LUPS LOD. Now many effects such as (cloaking and thrusters) are not drawn for unit icons. This will improve performance.
• Made DDM guns not get stuck in each other.
• Fixed jumpjet on morph+reload bug.
• Fixed a bug that allowed Thunderbird to make double length runs.
• Fixed Warrior burst when slowed.
• On flacplop the ground is now instantly flattened. This fixes the bug where commanders would linger after plopping their factories on uneven terrain.
• Increased HLT and LLT overshoot command blocking range.
• Fixed transport AI failing to transport auto transported constructors for the last mex of an area mex command.
• Fixed Rogue overkill prevention for its damage buff.
• Fixed selection rank of commanders not being maintained through morph.
• Fixed constructor transport AI not being maintained through morph.
• Fixed commander selection rank defaults in widgets not matching New Unit States defaults.