Zero-K v1.8.4.4 - Engine Update

Recent engine development focused on a single number - the CPU usage of terrain rendering - and a new version is ready for release. The old renderer was quite expensive when zooming around, even lategame, whereas the new one is barely noticeable. For the best results consider tweaking your map detail settings.

Along with the engine update we have fixed a few issues from v1.8.4.0. The elo options in !proposebattle now work and there is a larger teams matchmaker. Lingering Lobster bugs are gone and Crab has some additional fixes.

Engine

• Map rendering is much faster. This should be especially noticeable on lower-spec computers.
• Nanoframes no longer decloak. As a side effect terraform construction points are no longer placed far underground.

Lobby

• Fixed the minelo and maxelo options in !proposebattle.
• Split the 2v2 - 4v4 matchmaker queue into 2v2 - 3v3 and 4v4 - 6v6.

Game

• Fixed Lobster throw bugs and unreliability. The improvements of v1.8.4.0 are now properly live.
• Hacked around Crab uncurling issues to make the bug less common.
• Units no longer run away from economic structure AoE if the structure is in a hole.
• Fixed some map trees having unintentionally low energy values.
• Added compatibility for some maps that set the energy values and reclaim time of trees too high.

lobster to space become easy :P
trying use in battle

Meanwhile thank you so much for your work. :)

Reaver shell ejection is fixed too.

Ok so meanwhile I want to bring up Desolator's awfully long curl-up time. This is a feature that I doubt anyone has ever used in games human vs human. It is useless beyond all measures.

I am curious what GoogleFrog thinks about this feature of Desolator. Maybe it should be

A. Either removed and HP of Desolator buffed directly
B. Time of armoring-up reduced
C. Just removed without any buffing.
D. Left alone as its ok now

More elegant solution would be like this: Desolator gains armor reduction as soon as button is pressed or at least no more than 1 second in, whereas animation continues and Desolator is not allowed to fire. See, i guess that intended purpose is to defending against artillery and air damage, but it seriously fails at task. Now it would be able to without changing HP or animation speed values.

Desolator (DDM) in bunker mode before nerf could atill use heat ray and i think heat ray also worked when Desolarot was without grid? Desolator was nerfed because there was moment when some players learned how to make fast porcpush with them. Desolator by itself now is rarely used in team games because need of grid and cost. Not even mentioning about its bunker mode. There is no point to nurf of buff it. Its more porc for FFA or chickens.
Also Lucifer can be switched in bunker mode.
Desolator and Lucifer bunker modes is absolutes because there is gauss and razor for more cheap cost and utility options, and dont need grid for them. Plus gauss have regen in bunker mode.

Dregs that doesn't sound hard once dyth68 writes his anti-bait patch.

quote: A. Either removed and HP of Desolator buffed directly B. Time of armoring-up reduced C. Just removed without any buffing. D. Left alone as its ok now More elegant solution would be like this: Desolator gains armor reduction as soon as button is pressed or at least no more than 1 second in, whereas animation continues and Desolator is not allowed to fire. See, i guess that intended purpose is to defending against artillery and air damage, but it seriously fails at task. Now it would be able to without changing HP or animation speed values.

I tend towards (D) because it is a niche feature that doesn't seem to be harming anyone. There are two problems with (B), but that doesn't mean a small reduction in transition time is out of the question. Here are the problems with a fast transition:

• If you only have to look ahead a few seconds to see whether you should have a Desolater open or closed, it may as well be automated like Razor.
• Making the two heaviest turrets also immune to artillery seems like a really bad idea.

quote: Dregs that doesn't sound hard once dyth68 writes his anti-bait patch.

I will try and get that done this weekend.