0.5b3: More Developing news - Tyranid Mod for Dawn of War

Hey folks,

So I've been given a list of most of the 0.5b3 updates from Miros and I thought I'd give you a little inside look at what's going on. This list isn't everything, but it constitutes the majority of what will be the 0.5b3 change list (less the Gargoyles, since they won't be an in-game unit until 0.6).

Things marked with a "✔" have been completed and/or implemented for testing, things with a "(?)" are things we are considering or need further discussion about their implementation.

Animation

1. Hive Tyrant:
   - Re-animate
   - Center synapse marker
   - Sync kills/deaths
2. Warriors: Sync kills/deaths
3. Carnifex: Make missing animations
4. Trygon: Burrow animation/FX ✔
5. Gaunts: Create Termagant/Spinegaunt fusion for generic "Gaunt" unit ✔
6. Buildings:
   - Complete animations
   - "Debris" texture
7. Fix cover markers

OE

1. Hive Tyrant: Fix selection volume
2. Broodlord: Reduce selection circle (?)
3. Biovore: Fix incorrect projectile FX
4. Carnifex: Fix incorrect FX
5. Gargoyles: Weapon FX
6. Lictors: Add decap animation ✔
7. Buildings: Death & low-health FX
8. Footfall FX
9. Unify weapon FX
10. Blood FX
11. Add sounds ✔

Code

1. Hollow's suggestions:
   - Research time and cost changes (?)
   - Sight range changes ✔
2. Biovores: Weapon upgrade reduction (?)
3. Bioplasma (clickable ability): ✔
   - Carnifex (?)
   - Warriors ✔
4. Genestealers:
   - Upgrade armour on heavy armour research ✔
   - Correct squad names ✔
5. Race compatibility SCAR code ✔
6. Zoanthrope: Change Toxic Miasma range(?) ✔
7. Hive Tyrant:
   - Added Leech Essence ability ✔
   - Remove Catalyst from Tyrant (?)
   - Change Toxic Miasma range(?) ✔
   - Change weapon requirements ✔
8. Reclamation Pools: Removed Toxic Miasma ✔
9. Rippers: Reduced FX to equate to 3 rippers ✔
10. Reclamation Pool: Generator-like lights ✔
11. Sporemines: Spawn FX ✔
12. Broodlord: Hypnotic Gaze ability ✔
13. MaSS/WoN: Redesigned as research ✔
14. Tiering unit squad cap bug fix ✔

Textures

1. Gargoyles: Fix eye texture ✔
2. Icons:
   - Fix white border and redesign some
   - Square ability icons (?)

As you can see, there are a lot of changes and new content going into 0.5b3 - and this is just Miros' workload. After these are all completed we still have bug and balance testing and fixes and retesting, and then we ship it to you guys.

Also not included on this list are the new models in the works from Ministry and Heretec (who recently volunteered from the RelicNews forum to help us out) for 0.6. I'm not going to spoiler you on what those are, but new units are in the works.

So still a lot going on, and of course all our staff are doing this in their spare time - so unfortunately, as always, I can't give you guys a release date until we get to the "a few days off" stage. It is coming though!

0.5b2 FAQ:

So we seem to be getting the same three questions over and over from new people downloading 0.5b2. To save time, here they are in short form, with their relevant answers:

Why don't I have a builder?!
Click the button at the centre-top of the UI bar across the bottom.

Why does my build menu go away when I select a unit?! Why doesn't it come back when I de-select that unit?!
Because selecting a unit de-selects the hivefleet - exactly the same as when you click a unit that isn't your builder, you won't have your builder selected.

Why is the AI not doing anything?!
Have you installed the CPU player patch yet?