New Beta 0.7.1086

[nachtwolf]

We have just released a massive beta named 1086, check the website for details.

 

We have some serious new toys packed in this one!

Edited September 3, 2007 by nachtwolf

[Blood Angel]

Wow... half of these features were in the April Fools' release, I wasn't expecting actual results so soon!

[Kratos]

Yes, we all did a splendid job I must say!

 

Prepare to see some (6) TFTD units in the near future! (Yes Guruluas2000, we will have Calcinites. )

[nachtwolf]

Yes, we all did a splendid job I must say!

 

Prepare to see some (6) TFTD units in the near future! (Yes Guruluas2000, we will have Calcinites. )

 

Time to stop adding them hardcoded however.

We'd rather have a LUA API for units, it's been trailing behind for too long now.

We will have to rebuild the old ones to LUA too.

[bamb]

The height view bug seems to be fixed, a huge thanks!!

Also the loading seems to go very quickly now. Maybe it's because I don't have so much maps yet in the dir...?

 

One note is that I think the ufo2000 weaponset included is the old one, I think so. The heavy laser & plasma suck and the disposable RPG costs a lot and the laser sounds are not free etc etc...

 

The chrysalids are cool. They have no walking sounds yet so they're silent. One more evil alien for my repertoire against pope's humans...

 

Seems to work fine for me in general, played one game already.

[Kratos]

Ufo2k weapon set is a very touchy subject right now. We're thinking about replacing it and letting Sporb call it a different name and you guys can download that. (Please don't discuss this here, in a different thread please)

 

I know about the walking sounds, I just didn't put them in properly. But since Azrael and I are working on lua support, I rather not mess with this until it's ported as a unit lua.

[Jezulkim]

Whoo! Thanks. I can't try it right now but I'm sure the new features are awesome.

 

EDIT: I tested it, and all I can say is: 0MG this is AWESOME

Chryssalids,

Also the night combat looks 201% better than before + electro flares. This is so cool.

Yeah, I almost forgot, medikits. I didn't try them in action, only viewed the medikit menu. They'll be useful in battle, Many thanks.

Edited September 4, 2007 by Jezulkim

[korper kontrolle]

AWESOME thanks a lot guys, can't wait to test

[Gurluas2000]

Woah you remember me?

im looking forward to it

[Guest Azrael Strife]

Woah you remember me?

im looking forward to it

Impossible not to, you flooded the forums with annoying "I want calcinites" posts.

[Sporb]

im still not so sure TFTD units is such a fantastic idea. Unless you will have some sort of sTop-gap that will enable people without TFTD to still be able to play with players who do own the game (IE a skin used when no TFTD data files are found ... like a giant question mark! that would be awsome!)

[Popek]

big daddies will make calcinites the new trend this year

[bennyxbo]

It's my opinion that UFO2k is already as big as it needs to be without TFTD tiles, weapon sets, armour and characters.

 

Approx half of all games are played on City with the original X-com weapon set. Newcomers to UFO2k already face a steep learning curve with the current build, so I don't think its a good idea to layer on more stuff. After this latest release, the very last thing I would like to see added would be HWP's ( expensive ones ) , but after that the focus should be on improving the experience of learning and playing .

[Popek]

Approx half of all games are played on City with the original X-com weapon set.

 

this is partly due to City being the best option for maps. after a fresh install, until now thanks to Dawn City.

[Kratos]

It's my opinion that UFO2k is already as big as it needs to be without TFTD tiles, weapon sets, armour and characters.

 

Approx half of all games are played on City with the original X-com weapon set. Newcomers to UFO2k already face a steep learning curve with the current build, so I don't think its a good idea to layer on more stuff. After this latest release, the very last thing I would like to see added would be HWP's ( expensive ones ) , but after that the focus should be on improving the experience of learning and playing .

I completely agree with the learning curve problem. I personally never cared before about making the learning curve based on less quantity, since I just remove the maps and weapon sets out my extensions folder, but I have heard from many players, like yourself, about this issue.

 

This is my belief for the distributive content. We should not slap new players with so many complicated things, such as too many add-ons. There should be three strict things in the distributive: Familiar content that most likely players have already tried, such as X-com and TFTD, and a strict ufo2k representation content that is balanced and cooperates together graphically and in theme (including story). Otherwise, it is a mess, which leads to poor quality. Our UFO2000 developer team may not all be professional, but this doesn't mean we cannot try to be as much as we can. If our goals don't provide the best interaction for the user, then what is our purpose to be developing this game? Ourselves? I certainly doubt this is the only reason. (at least I hope not)

 

X-com and TFTD attracts many respective fans alike. Since they, mostly X-com, are the birth and basis of ufo2000, they should be mainstays. We should have strictly original game type add-ons, however. There are some original maps maps such as Xcom base (which is replaced with xbase++), alien base, and terrain with UFOs that are not included and should be IMO. No more, no less. No extra stuff like modified city, airfield, warehouse, etc.

 

As I said, extra add-ons should be tossed out of the distributive, including original material. The user should not be confused, and we should prevent this at all costs, for I believe we are losing interest due to this. You don't hear about it because people disappear without informing why. Why? It's not their duty, although it would be quite helpful, to tell us where we went wrong. I don't contact GIMP (art program) developers because I hate how they changed something, I either adapted or used that tool less.

 

Official UFO2000 content needs to be based under one theme: story, graphics, and everything that requires a real game's cooperation. Off the wall content is a loose phrase for this distribution policy, so it probably should be clarified. As an example, my new unit, Metapod, fits the story (X-com based) with Nachtwolf's new unit, Hoverdroid. However, it does not comply with graphic familiarity. So in other words, one has to go. (I'd vote mine to not be included, personally). It may look nice, but we can't having clashing themes. Another example, the Galactic (aka Aurora) weapon set does not fit in theme with Sporb's UFO2000 weapon set. It fits graphics (I think) theme due to they were both designed by Sporb. However, they do not in story and general theme. Once again, one has to be tossed out. (I'd remove Galactic since it is much further from a X-com based story.).

 

Picture this in your mind: you try to assemble a map together using tiles from X-com, and then combine with new tiles such as Dawn City or Moonbase. Your end result will be horrible. This is what it is like with UFO2000, none of the pieces are put together as one. And if they did they wouldn't be properly one since there is already too much.

 

Like many others, I believe add-ons are always nice for variety in game play, so what do we do about the add-ons? There is a solution to all of this, however. An in-game add-ons install method. They should be easily installed for the user's convenience (not all users are computer friendly ). Serge has brought this idea up himself once. His idea was to have a place where the game itself (most likely a server) and would have an option to download via web scripting. This would allow for the easiest and virtually painless install for add-ons. His post describes this much better than mine: http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?s=...st&p=128718

[bamb]

I agree with some parts: consistency is important. I haven't myself played with the Galactic weaponset. It's a bit weird to have it pop up as the first one alphabetically, and it is a departure from the rest.

Maybe if there could be some kind of a division in the weapons, meaning x-com modified and ufo2k could be "preferred weaponsets" and then the rest could be "extra weaponsets".

 

I still think the hardest part is getting anything to work, and getting around idiosyncracies in the game, not too many maps or too many weapons. It's always been a chore getting mates to play... Having to edit the ini, pressing shift-arrows, pressing *, doors not working automatically, what the green lines are etc.

 

I think some good advanced terrains should be included in the game so you get varied gameplay. Say, dawn city and apartment at least. And also because it's so damn hard to get anyone download and install separate terrains. They don't practically take any space either, but they do possibly increase game startup times?

So the content manager could be an application that moved directories from "/storage" to "/extensions" and back. Since the maps are tiny, they could all be included with the game. It could even be a "enable extended content" button in the main menu that moved a big selection of maps and weapons from storage to extensions, or then added another directory to the game extension search path. The idea being that newbies would have less choice but after a few games when they are familiar with how stuff works, they could press a button and get all that extra that other people want to play with them.

[Sporb]

I sort of agree but i dont. UFO2K isnt Xcom which is why weve spent so much time moving away from those parts. If you ask me, it should be the entire Xcom game that should be removed other wise we might as well just change the name back to X-com Gladiators and flick the big finger to the rest of the copyright issues we were trying to avaoid in the first place ...

[Kratos]

I sort of agree but i dont. UFO2K isnt Xcom which is why weve spent so much time moving away from those parts. If you ask me, it should be the entire Xcom game that should be removed other wise we might as well just change the name back to X-com Gladiators and flick the big finger to the rest of the copyright issues we were trying to avaoid in the first place ...

I don't see your point. We were based on X-com, and will remain based on X-com. Otherwise, we can just forget about our entire existence as a game. X-com is the game's soul, and is the foundation of game behavior. It makes no sense to tear out our related foundation when previous developers worked so hard to find a way to use X-com without being illegal. It is now perfectly legal what we are doing right now.

 

You are misunderstanding our copyright intentions. The whole purpose of creating free of copyright material was to allow those who did not have X-com to play without having to; and of course to flex our ability for creating new material. It also prevents X-com's owners from shutting us down if they ever decided to, not that they shown any interest ever to do so in the past. UFO2000 is as its name implies, X-com UFO made in year 2000. It will remain this way. It is also an attraction to X-com players, which is our main player base, mind you.

 

I fail to see your logic. If we toss the X-com graphics, we might as well toss the entire game, as its code functions similar to X-com.

[bamb]

Ufo2k could get a massive infusion of players (which would be nice) if it could be playable out of the box without X-com.

[wastelandmerc]

bamb, i don't agree with you. Getting X-Com files isn't so hard. Enter UFO: Enemy Unknown in google, and you get on first page sites when you can download game.

Beside this new version is lovely.

Edited September 16, 2007 by wastelandmerc

[Kratos]

Ufo2k could get a massive infusion of players (which would be nice) if it could be playable out of the box without X-com.

It already can...what are you talking about?

[Guest Azrael Strife]

Ufo2k could get a massive infusion of players (which would be nice) if it could be playable out of the box without X-com.

Dillusional, these kinds of games rarely get a "massive infusion of players".

 

Besides, as I see it, the main thing preventing a lot of new players is the completely unappealing user interface this game has, I'm sure that has turned off more than one or two players.

[Sporb]

I don't see your point. We were based on X-com

 

you are correct we WERE! based on Xcom, the game moved away from that a long time ago. By your reasoning youd be happy if there was NO possible way to add anything at all in which case what you intended to imply would be that UFO2000 has always been a simple Port of Xcom and nothing more. Clearly this is not the case or Most if not all of the original Xcom features would have been implemented.

 

 

I fail to see your logic. If we toss the X-com graphics, we might as well toss the entire game, as its code functions similar to X-com.

 

is that right? well i return to a statement i made awhile ago: since your on a crusade to remove anything not Genetically Xcom why dont you change the name back to Xcom-Gladiators because you will be removing the 'Soul' as you put it, of UFO2000 Turning somthing that was flexible and interesting to work with into a carbon copy of a dated buggy game.

 

It makes no sense to tear out our related foundation when previous developers worked so hard to find a way to use X-com without being illegal

 

So what? we should just scrap all the various work Serge and Nachtwolf and the other Code ninjas have done over the recent months because you want to bend the game to what you think it should be? And dont Bother trying to lay down the Guilt trip. The older inactive developers obviously did not see a future for this game or they would still be helping to work on it (Since they would have a far better knowledge of the code that somone trying to dig through messy un-commented cludgy code).

 

As far is i am concerned at this stage you can take YOUR game and continue to do with it what your please. Ill have no part of ruining ufo2000 so you can satisfy your need for nostalgia trips!

 

Ill have no more part of this discussion or game.

Edited September 17, 2007 by Sporb

[Kratos]

is that right? well i return to a statement i made awhile ago: since your on a crusade to remove anything not Genetically Xcom why dont you change the name back to Xcom-Gladiators because you will be removing the 'Soul' as you put it, of UFO2000 Turning somthing that was flexible and interesting to work with into a carbon copy of a dated buggy game.

UFO2000 exists because of x-com. I can't see how you can beat a game down because of its date.

 

And I'm not trying to remove anything genetically x-com. You misunderstand completely. I'm want anything that isn't UFO2000 official content out of there. If it doesn't represent UFO2000, why is it in there? The only other content that should be in there is X-com and TFTD because they EARNED that right.

Edited September 17, 2007 by Kratos

[Sporb]

is that right? well i return to a statement i made awhile ago: since your on a crusade to remove anything not Genetically Xcom why dont you change the name back to Xcom-Gladiators because you will be removing the 'Soul' as you put it, of UFO2000 Turning somthing that was flexible and interesting to work with into a carbon copy of a dated buggy game.

UFO2000 exists because of x-com. I can't see how you can beat a game down because of its date.

 

And I'm not trying to remove anything genetically x-com. You misunderstand completely. I'm want anything that isn't UFO2000 official content out of there. If it doesn't represent UFO2000, why is it in there? The only other content that should be in there is X-com and TFTD because they EARNED that right.

I dont 'Beat Down' Xcom as you so beleive, I merely made a reference to the number of Bugs inherent in the games. Dont get me wrong, i like XEU and TFTD but when i want to play them ill play THEM. UFO2000 Exists to reproduce an Aspect of Xcom, that aspect being the battlescape. IF UFO2000 had been intended to port Xcom then dont you think it odd that no one bothered to add geoscape stuff and scenarios early on?

 

Again! You intend fully to remove the Soul of UFO2000!

[Hobbes]

This conversation has gone way off topic. Please return the discussion back to its original topic, Beta 1086.

 

Thank you

[bennyxbo]

The artistic direction cannot be split into two different visions, therefore it sounds to me like UFO2K needs to be split into 2 separate games - in order for both to grow. It would please me to see a streamlined version of UFO2k, but I would also like to see the original content made into a sequel of some sort... the .357 mag is one of my favorite weapons to use, however, it belongs in a different game, in a different theme. Perhaps the mood and style of the second game could contrast xcom's?... Im thinking with those 1980 police issue .357 revolvers, a Cops vs the Italian mob version would be cool. Alternatively , adding more new aliens to xcom ( which already has a few fringe aliens ) would be a very bad idea.

 

The engine is what both games could share in common, but the artistic style of the second game will be new and fresh ( TFTD may not have outdone UFO defence, but it was still a much needed sequel )

[Hobbes]

This moderator will patiently say it again: this topic is to discuss the beta 1086, NOT to discuss the similarities/differences of UFO2000 towards X-COM or the future direction of UFO2000 or any other matter not related to beta 1086.

 

Thank you

[bennyxbo]

This moderator will patiently say it again: this topic is to discuss the beta 1086, NOT to discuss the similarities/differences of UFO2000 towards X-COM or the future direction of UFO2000 or any other matter not related to beta 1086.

 

Thank you

 

I was writing my post when you must have posted that, sorry.

[Hobbes]

This moderator will patiently say it again: this topic is to discuss the beta 1086, NOT to discuss the similarities/differences of UFO2000 towards X-COM or the future direction of UFO2000 or any other matter not related to beta 1086.

 

Thank you

 

I was writing my post when you must have posted that, sorry.

 

No problem

[Popek]

anybody else noticing long pause times between end turns with the latest release?

 

particularily if smoke has shown up that turn.

[Intri]

anybody else noticing long pause times between end turns with the latest release?

 

particularily if smoke has shown up that turn.

 

I have noticed it too. It especially slows down my game at turn's end when there are many flames on map (smoke from smoke grenades didn't do that).

Edited September 18, 2007 by Intri

[Gurluas2000]

I agree with something:

make the original x-com and tftd things have first priority, like standard set, let it be the x-com 1 set

but i disagree in removing third party stuff, remember this: modding is the reason a game survives.

[John Faust]

I Like it! but theres a bug that makes it's appearence known at random. seems to occur when medipacks are on the map, wheater syndicate of modified. I'll try to screencap it

[Exo2000]

So far so good, but I'm still noticing (this has been around for a while for me) extreme FPS slowdown when playing with both conventional and remade smoke/explosion graphics. The game actually pauses and by the time it's caught up, the only way I know a grenade has gone off is the explosion sound and the fact there's now smoke and terrain damage. Large amounts of smoke also cause serious slowdown or cause the game to ignore commands to the point where the game over-scrolls when scrolling with the keyboard.