Demo installer for Evochron Legacy version 1.0528...
Version 1.0528 includes the following improvements:
- Customizing options added for target direction pointer.
- Target direction pointer relocated to edge of inner gunsight rim for improved legibility.
- Internal font creation/coloring optimized to use fewer indexes and provide faster loading.
- Forward/reverse inertial thruster output now displayed at engine outlets in external view modes.
- Space station radio chatter voice selection now set to a fixed value based on location (player request).
- New green highlight lines added to quadrant map to better indicate player's current sector location visually.
- Server programs updated to improve behavior with large 'chatlogfull' file save delays potentially causing player drops (optional update).
- New bar graph indicators added to outer gunsight rim for weapon energy, hull damage, set velocity, forward velocity, gravity, and altitude.
- Server programs updated to accept default 'Dedicated1' as a server name if using private mode for LAN/direct IP hosting (also an optional update).
- Cargo, equipment, and missiles that can't be transferred to a newly built replacement ship is/are now automatically sold for credits rather than discarded.
- When fuel is sold during item transfers to a newly built replacement ship, the event is now displayed in the message log along with the credits received.
- MDTS system updated to auto-lock weapon aiming almost instantly when a target initially reaches range, eliminating the previous momentary delay.
- Automatic repair and restore system for sw.cfg settings file implemented to attempt to recover a lost or damaged file due to external interference.
- Optional digital readouts (enabled through hudtext.dat) now display in both HUD modes 1 and 2.
- 'INERTIAL', 'IDS X', and 'IDS OFF' labels moved to 'text.dat' file for optional customizing.
- Several minor UI improvements (click ranges and mouse over sound prompts where needed).
- Screen resolution list in Options menu updated to better sort from lowest to highest.
- Quest marker not appearing in nav map rear view mode under certain conditions fixed.
- Destination jump/nav waypoint (yellow marker) is now displayed on quadrant map.
- Nav Map/Quadrant map toggle button added to zoomed map mode.
- Highlight bars added to multiplayer public server list.
- Compass tape given brighter band for better contrast.
Notes:
Servers that had the setting for saving the full chatlog enabled could run into long delays when trying to save large full chatlog files (particularly if the system running the server program had a slow hard drive). This could happen if the server programs were left for long periods of time without occasional moving/backing up of the full chatlog file(s). The long delay during the save operation could result in players getting dropped. The new server programs can now contend with this condition and better handle long save operation delays without dropping players. It is still recommended that you back up any chatlogfull.txt file periodically to prevent long save delays from impacting gameplay status for connected players.
The target direction pointer has some new formatting and options to accommodate its move to the inner gunsight ring. The pointer is now smaller than before, so it uses a larger arrow pointer relative to the image size as a result. So any custom target pointer images will need to be updated for the new format and placement system. The size of the pointer itself will need to be about twice the size, unless a much smaller pointer is desired. The customizing kit has also been updated with new images to show how the pointer textures should look for the new formatting. The target direction pointer can also now be customized further, beyond just its textures. And these new options will allow you to continue to use the old format, if desired. Just keep in mind that doing so will render the target pointer along the outer gunsight ring on top of the new bar graphs. The texture surface can be scaled as well as the 3D surface it is rendered to. To specify custom scaling values, use a file named 'targetpointer.txt' in a custom \hud folder and include these values in each line:
- 1st value sets the texture UV X scale (default value is 1.0, use 0.5 to use an old format texture image)
- 2nd value sets the texture UV Y scale (default value is 1.0, use 0.5 to use an old format texture image)
- 3rd value sets the texture UV X offset scale (default value is 0, use 0.25 to use an old format texture image)
- 4th value sets the texture UV Y offset scale (default value is 0, use 0.1 to use an old format texture image)
- 5th value sets the scaling percentage for the 3D surface (default value is 40.0)
This build introduces new bar graphs on the rim of the gunsight. These bar graphs provide optional quick visual cues for their respective values. Each bar graph starts from the center of the line that is drawn from the digital readout it corresponds with. So each bar graph starts at its zero value at the center of each corner of the gunsight. Included for gravity and altitude are bar graphs indicating the rate of change with 5 lines used for center, so more lines indicate an increasing rate of change and fewer lines indicate a decreasing rate of change.
The new bar graphs can also be customized or disabled. The bar graphs use a circular format designed to fill in the gunsight, so the placement options for them are based on angles and distance from center. The distance from center value simply sets how far away the circular placement pattern will be for the bar graphs. The starting angle for upper bar graph sets how far above and below the center line to place the upper bar graphs. The lower angle sets where to start the lower bar graphs. All angular distances start from 0 for the horizontal center line of the gunsight. The step distance values tell the game how far apart to space each line in the bar graph, also in angle values. The character index tells the game which character to use for each line in the bar graph. The bar size values tell the game how large to make each bar indicator. The default 12113 value is for a '-' symbol. Characters start from index value 12100 (blank space) and increase from there using the character layout in the bitmap font image. The color mode will render the bar graphs in either standard white/blue with the default 1 value, or green with yellow medium and red low levels when the value is set to 0. To specify custom placement values, use a file named 'hudbargraphs.txt' in a custom \hud folder and include these values in each line:
- 1st value sets the distance from the center of the gunsight (default value is 2.31)
- 2nd value sets the starting angle for the upper bar graphs (default value is 42.5)
- 3rd value sets the starting angle for the lower bar graphs (default value is 48.5)
- 4th value sets the step distance for the upper bar graphs (default value is -1.5)
- 5th value sets the step distance for the lower bar graphs (default value is 1.5)
- 6th value sets the bar X size (default value is 225.0)
- 7th value sets the bar Y size (default value is 50.0)
- 8th value sets the character index to use for the bar graphs (default value is 12113)
- 9th value sets the color mode to use for the bar graphs (blue/white or green with mixed coloring, default value is 1)
- 10th value sets the offset width parameter (longer width for minimum and maximum lines, default value is 1)
Since some users reported problems with the automatic DPI detection and scaling system capping their mouse pointer limits (seemed to be related to using a desktop resolution that was far below what an attached monitor was capable of), the original system has been removed and replaced by one that merely switches to full screen exclusive. This won't provide the maximum potential image quality the display may be capable of, but should now allow for 1:1 mouse limit alignment under such conditions. You can still manually select a desired resolution if you want to try a different setting.
Both the customizing kit and the custom cockpit viewer program have had their version numbers changed to align with the minimum client build they support. The latest updates to both are available on the customizing page here: Starwraith.com
