1.9.5.4 Beta Update available for testing

[Gerry Edwards]

Hello Everyone,

Distant Worlds 1.9.5.4 Beta Update is now available for testing. You may download it from Here.

This build has the following changes from 1.9.5.3:


CRASH FIXES
- fixed rare crash when determining object visibility for an empire

BUG FIXES
- fixed bug where loading a previously saved game was sometimes auto-switching to default theme, even when default theme was already loaded
- building pirate bases, fortresses and Criminal Network using the Facility dropdown list in the Colonies screen now properly assigns facility ownership to player pirate faction
- now ensure that cost for building pirate Criminal Network is always properly deducted
- now ensure that custom ship names (shipNames.txt) are used for new pirate ships built using the Build Order screen
- fixed bug where ship design images were being rotated when received a popup message about new ship type research breakthrough (e.g. Carriers)
- fixed bug where Robotic Troops (BattleBots from Robotic Troop Foundry) were not getting maintenance reduction bonuses when recruited from action button under Selection Panel

RESEARCH AND SHIP DESIGN
- AI ship designer now always adds sufficient reactors to ship designs (possibly more than one) to enable hyperdrive to operate at full speed
- AI ship designer now more willing to shrink new designs to fit within current construction size limits, especially when first obtain hyperdrive technology
- altered size of starting Colonization Module component (now 300 instead of 360, updated components.txt)
- NEW MODDING FEATURE: allow restricting any research project to specific races using the new ALLOWED RACES line in the research.txt file (updated header comments of research.txt explains)
- improved AI research pathing to better emphasize tech focuses from empire policy (ResearchDesignTechFocus1-6), while still researching other important techs
- increased research output for lab components by approximately 50% (components.txt and research.txt)

GAME BALANCE
- Shakturi now have faster construction and lower ship maintenance (updated Shakturi.txt race file)
- Shakturi ship design templates now use more weapons and other components (military ships, medium & large spaceports, defensive bases)
- Shakturi empire policy now builds more large military ships and less small military ships
- reputation gain from attacking pirates is now reduced by 50%
- Robotic Troops are now cheaper to maintain (25% of normal instead of 33%), and now twice as fast to recruit
- empires are now more willing to use excess cash on hand as factor when deciding whether to build new ships (e.g. low or negative cashflow, but large cash reserves on hand), especially when at war
- now much harder to perform intelligence missions against Ancient Guardians (steal maps, tech, etc)

OTHER
- no longer scrap and rebuild fighters after loading a saved game
- all sound effects (button clicks, etc) are now disabled when effect volume is set to zero in options screen
- savegame and settings folder location is now standardized to "My Documents\My Games\Distant Worlds Universe" (this remains the same across version updates)
- now send a message to an empire when one of their colonies is lost to a pirate faction that builds a Criminal Network there
- immediately update empire list in Diplomacy screen when trade Empire contact (can now immediately see new empire in list)

[Erik Rutins]

Please post feedback on the 1.9.5.4 Beta in this thread.

[MartialDoctor]

These changes are sounding nice. It will be good to see how the research and ship design turn out.

However, there is one change that I don't get:

- increased research output for lab components by approximately 50% (components.txt and research.txt)

When many players, to my knowledge, already play with research levels increased, why the move to do this. I would argue that research is too easy... research should be made more difficult and more expensive to perform, not easier.

[Nanaki]

That change wont affect actual research output a whole lot, but rather you will need far fewer research components in order to reach capacity. Overall effect is that research becomes cheaper (on $$$) since you wont need to pay for as much research components. I am guessing the change was done for AI reasons, since the AI puts far too few research components on its stations. With this change it will be much easier for the AI to fully utilize its research cap.

Still, I agree in that it does make research easier, in that you wont need to put as much money towards dedicated research facilties which means that fully utilizing research capacity requires much less of a monetary cost, which makes it even more of a nobrainer decision.

[Stilletto]

I'm getting a "530 Permission Denied" when trying to download the new beta.


Now it's working. Tried 5-6 and just received the error. Came back a few minutes later and now it's downloading.

[Bingeling]

ORIGINAL: MartialDoctor

These changes are sounding nice. It will be good to see how the research and ship design turn out.

However, there is one change that I don't get:

- increased research output for lab components by approximately 50% (components.txt and research.txt)

When many players, to my knowledge, already play with research levels increased, why the move to do this. I would argue that research is too easy... research should be made more difficult and more expensive to perform, not easier.

It is probably to help the AI empires.

Make it more difficult to cap, and the AI will lag further behind.

[warzer]

So with all these changes to allow the AI to build lots more ships what is being done to reduce the amount of memory used or use memory more efficiently?
How about review of save file late game to see if their is a way to reduce save file size and save/load times.

Edit: Wanted to add my Many thanks for fixing most of my crashing bugs so quickly and that I understand the other issue will take much more time to fix. I would also like to hear about future plans for fixes and feature implementations.

[DeadlyShoe]

argh cant remember my p/w.

*pokes buttons, mutters*
///

i am guessing the research lab change will most heavily affect pirates. my theory is you get SSP spam from pirates when they hit their research cap.

[SVWGiant]

Good news, especially Bug fix Nr. one!
What about the modding with game editor for importing new custom planet textures from the other-folder, which does not work?
My thread here

[dwaine]

Please guys !
Can you consider increasing the limit in facilities.txt ? 50 is way too low, consider 100 or more if possible !
If its not too much to ask, same thing for governments, limits are killing modding.

Also about facilities, can you make a generic type where we specify its utility, colony/empire income/growth/research etc ...

Please ?
Pretty please ?

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: Stilletto

I'm getting a "530 Permission Denied" when trying to download the new beta.


Now it's working. Tried 5-6 and just received the error. Came back a few minutes later and now it's downloading.

Yeah getting a server error when I try to download?

[warzer]

well I was able to play over 1hr before the out of memory crash occurred again. Up to a 131mb save file.

[Tcby]

This change list is REALLY GOOD. Thanks!

[Fleshbits]

Can you make it so that Empire Policies stop being changed every patch?

I always forget to go reset them to what I had in the previous save and end up with 100 colony ships being automatically built, taxes everywhere, waiting for research to finish that never does because it is auto assigned, and my ship designs becoming obsolete.

Then 2 hours later I realize, "Oh, damnit, the patch reset them."

[Cauldyth]

ORIGINAL: Fleshbits
Can you make it so that Empire Policies stop being changed every patch?

I think this item may address that:

- savegame and settings folder location is now standardized to "My Documents\My Games\Distant Worlds Universe" (this remains the same across version updates)

[Fleshbits]

Hope so! We'll see next patch

[warzer]

One issue I noticed with this build is that Automation for science and ship design keeps turning back on after loading a save. Others might as well but I use quite a bit of automation.

[Kobracan]

Good patch. So the save game location changed (which is a good change). Does that mean my old save is gone?

[Tcby]

Your old save will still be in its original folder.

[necaradan666]

Seems my settings are not being saved, have to choose them anew each time I start the game. Before installing the patch I removed the roaming/codeforce folder entirely from appdata. It was restored upon starting a 1.9.5.4 game, but remains empty apart from steam crashdump txts. Opened the game set up my options, started new game, adjusted automation settings and then saved to new location in My Documents, exited and went for a look.. can't see any sign of automation prefs or setting defaults files. Restarting the game brings up Galactopedia which I previously unticked and dismissed and all other settings are default too.