Exterminatus Alpha 8.50 news

After the release of the last Exterminatus Beta version in February I launched a plan aiming to get EX on to Steam through the Greenlight system. A week later Valve released an update, making the February's beta unplayable without all players and servers downgrading to the "previous version" and breaking the server browser. Alpha 8.40, released that same week making EX compatible with the latest Source 2013 version once more.

Since then I have been working on the plan, thinking that 10 Alphas would be enough to get EX into a state ready to Beta and proposed to GW for Greenlighting. I don't think we're quite there yet, but I need to roll up all the changes over the last 10 releases (the patches are getting crazy large). So there is no patch file this week, but a full install 7zip package (EX is now too massive to ZIP).

Install the Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer

• Navigate to the "Tools" section on your Steam games "Library"
• Install the "Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer"
• Run the Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer at least once.
• You can exit once the menu has finished loading.

Install the latest Exterminatus Alpha

• If you already have a copy of the EX beta, delete it.
• Run the alpha installer and follow it's instructions.
• Restart Steam. You should now see both the Exterminatus Alpha 8.50 listed in your library.

Progress on the Greenlight plan

• Port the EX code to the latest Source 2013 Beta_test code base in readiness of it's eventual public release. - DONE
• Create a new Offline Tutorial map to introduce new players to EX. 75%
• Continue to improve the lighting and detailing of the maps, to make them bolder and more polished. 75%
• Create a Venom Cannon war-gear set for the tyranid warrior priced in the 75pt category. - DONE
• Create a Dual-wielded Devourers war-gear set for the Carnifex to be priced the same as the Screamer Killer. DONE (needs testing)
• Give marines points for killing barbed strangler projectiles.- DONE
• Create a Vox menu that doesn't block gameplay. - DONE
• Seek GW's permission to put EX on Steam Greenlight as a free mod. (waiting for all of the above)

As you can see by the goals I set out back in May we're looking pretty good. However i am very uncomfortable with the idea of presenting EX to GW with a broken server browser and Steam Overlay not working, both of which cropped up since the plan was decided on and both of which seem to be out of my control.

Here is a detailed round up of all the changes since Beta 8.38:

Features

• Compatibility with the latest version of Source 2013 Multiplayer.
• New Vox menu (bound to the X key by default) that allows aiming and shooting while it's open.
• New akimbo devourers wargear for the Carnifex called the "Devourer Host".
• New venom cannon wargear for the warrior class, priced at 75 points. It has 40% less range, splash size and damage than the carnifex version, but fires 40% faster too. This involves new weapon models and new warrior animations. CC requested.
• New map ex_fortress by DontAsk4470. It's his first map, so expect some rough edges. Alpha 8.50 features version 5 of this new map.
• New skybox added to ex_city_conflict thanks to DontAsk4470.
• ex_valley also has a new skybox thanks to DontAsk4470.
• DontAsk4470 has contributed 4 other custom skyboxes that are included in thus alpha but not used by any maps yet.
• New ruined wall prop for ex_valley.
• New 40k themed textures added to ex_orbital.
• New skybox for ex_orbital by DontAsk4470.
• ex_valley has some new props in tomb objective.
• New stain glass window texture, based on Saint Sisters by Khantain (with permission)
• Team HUD colours can now be configured via scripts, to allow chapter packs to change the HUD colours to match the skins.
• Objective captures are now reported with the death notices.

Tweaks

• Cloaking shader has been tweaked to prevent popping at the end of a transition.
• Fixed alignment of hint text.
• Alternative Chainsword sound effects from DontAsk4470.
• Alternative Powersword sound effects from DontAsk4470.
• Alternative Tarantula sound effects from DontAsk4470.

• A smaller version of Cyberman's flying buttress prop for use on ex_valley, with 4 texture variations.
• More imperial versions of the deafult Source props used in ex_orbital.
• Moved the vent that connects the cargo objective in ex_orbital, changed the long corridor and many pieces of lighting.
• ex_valley has had it's fog tweaked to match it's new skybox.
• ex_city_conflict has been reverted back to it's old skybox and had chnages to the breakable wall at the tower objective.
• New sound and visual effects for the venom cannon thanks to DontAsk4470.
• Thanks to DontAsk4470 for new reload sound effects for the bolter and melta.
• Added a tracer effect to the venom cannons, thanks to DontAsk4470 for the particle effect.
• Added an ambient idle sound to turrets, so you can tell when one is near and "alive".
• Polishing some of the old 40k computer props to use double the texture resolution.
• Replaced the portcullis door prop , you can see this in the ex_orbital cargo bay.
• Aesthetic tweaks to ex_hive. Replacing a dev texture and some HL2 props, added some details to the lift room.
• Tweaked plasma weapon particles, thanks to DontAsk4470 for the particle effects.
• Tweaked the ambient idle sound to turrets, so louder and more continuous.
• Polishing some more of the old 40k computer props to use double the texture resolution.
• Aesthetic tweaks to ex_ichar_IV. Replacing a some HL2 props and textures with 40k versions.
• New Carnifex talon sounds by Bulwark
• New Devourer firing sounds by Bulwark
• New marine battle cries and deaths recorded by Bulwark. Alpha 8.50 features more heavily edited versions of these.
• Marine classes now have their own unique battle cry along with the generic ones.
• New imperial decals, door and crate textures to replace the old Source textures
• Updated version of ex_forge, ex_valley and ex_orbital using the new textures and decals.
• Started on the single player tutorial map ex_tutoiral_2016.
• Added a new objective, shorted several routes and removed some intermediate areas in ex_lycantium. Alpha 8.50 features yet more improvements and connections to this map.

Bug fixes

• Fixed Tarsis Ultra, overview map for the loading screen.
• Lictor cloak nerfed, can now be configured via the server console.
• Attempted to fix the HUD occasionally not highlighting the correct target objective. I don't know how to reproduce the old bug, but we should know soon enough if this fix has made it any worse.
• Fixed the Carnifexes twin devourers in 8.50, so they do damage properly.

Balance

• Marine players now score points for killing off Barbed Stranger projectiles. This is to discourage prolonged BS ambushes, where the marines cannot counter attack their ambusher.
• Nerfed the meltagun by increasing it's reload time.
• Nerfed meltagun rate of fire from 0.18 to 0.2 seconds.
• Nerfed meltagun max range from 800 to 700.
• Nerfed the boltgun slightly, by increasing it's reload time.
• Buffed the spore mines rate of fire from 1.2 seconds per shot to 0.8.
• Nerfed the spore mine's damage from 50 to 40.
• Buffed warrior health from 170 to 205 (equal to 1 more bolt hit).
• Reduced the cost of the warriors venom cannon from 75pts to 50pts.
• Nerfed the warriors venom cannon from 60% to 50% of the carnifex venom cannon.
• Tweaked the biovore weapon so it can fire a (inaccurate) barrage of up tp 5 spores in rapid succession, but then require a long period to regenerate new spores.
• Buffed the rate at which devourers regenerate ammo from 1 second to 0.75 seconds (new console variable ex_warrior_dv_regen).

I will be carrying on with the map improvements and extending the tutorial level. I might have to look at more actively hounding Valve for a fix to the server browser and overlay problems as they really worry me. Does anyone know if GW has an active Twitter account or Facebook page? Would that even be a good approach to seek permission?