51 replies to this topic

[Phoenix Rising]

I had a noble goal when we started work on this version: to keep a record of everything we would change. Somewhere between the advantage revamp and the AI trials, that goal became impractical - nothing was being spared from improvement. So, in lieu of a conventional changelog, here's some analysis on just how different the game is from v1.1.

• 532/577 game object XMLs modified or created for this release.
• 3/7 enumeration XMLs changed.
• 82/82 custom AI XMLs implemented.
• 320/320 LUA scripts edited and compiled for v1.2.

Several major code projects were completed in the course of development. The complement formula was overhauled and transports were allowed to be carried (total spawn tags increased from 655 to 1218). Laser color variants were finished (+1641 blue laser hardpoints alone). Heroes were given leadership qualities, greatly expanded, their ships switched to canon variants, and generally don't resemble their former selves (+112 named hero variant net gain). A mechanic was devised for planetary advantages and galactic combat bonuses were standardized (advantage abilities expanded to 372 from 151). Custom AI was realized for the first time, with cunning infrastructure logic (56 novel equations). The land rules were redone from scratch, in essence, making this the Land Mini-Mod (43 new infantry types converted from vanilla assets, 3 droids, 8 vehicles, 15 buildables).

Salvaged variants, along with most legacy units, projectiles, damage/armor types, corruption data, cinematic data, and story props were cut for the sake of optimization. It's hard to track every minor change done for performance, so here are some current benchmark comparisons courtesy of Ghostrider:

2.2 GHz dual-core laptop with 2 GB RAM running Windows 7

v1.1 Loading
Logo - 55 s, Menu - 125 s
Core Worlds - 160 s, 2 FPS

v1.2 Loading
Logo - 55 s (-0%), Menu - 110 s (-12%)
Core Worlds - 120 s (-25%), 8-9 FPS (+425%)

3.0 GHz dual-core desktop with 2 GB RAM and a GeForce 7200 running Windows XP

v1.1 Loading
Logo - 30 s, Menu - 80 s
Core Worlds - 100 s, 7 FPS

v1.2 Loading
Logo - 25 s (-17%), Menu - 75 s (-6%)
Core Worlds - 75 s (-25%), 26-30 FPS (+400%)

This will be the first release where we've completely moved away from my time as campaign designer - and so much for the better. Ghostrider brought his vision of the Thrawn Offensive and Operation Shadow Hand to life, redoing every single unit in the process. We added a brand new historical campaign in Operation Skyhook, and the heroes to match. I can't even venture a guess at how many passes were made to update the sandbox set, but assuredly everything has been optimized. Historical campaigns now get free upgrades to start; we fixed the tech slider for Rebels and the credit slider also finally works properly. We assembled a team of testers, led by Reedek, who spent an unfathomable number of hours poring over these campaigns for bugs. Finally, Ghost drafted a 115-page technical manual to explain the intricacies of the mod.

Aside from name strings, all planetary text, all hero text, and all land text was rewritten. The campaigns all have new intro text. Land stats were put on individual lines and all buildable land units were given descriptions. The master text file added 429 kB. 7 GUI dialogs were modified.

8 Conquest land maps were added and the terrain of every GC space map was spread out to better accommodate pathing. A couple map-related exceptions were caught. 2 Skirmish space maps also made it in. Not to worry; evilbobthebob was only promoted from the testing team at the tail end of our beta phase.

• 326/868 new ALO model exports. +211 model net gain.
• 291/331 new ALA animation exports. +298 animation net gain.
• 958/1402 DDS textures edited. +598 texture net gain.
• 305 TGA icon changes or additions, most hero icons thanks to Invadious.

28 space unit models added: Acclamator I, Acclamator II, Action VI, B-wing, Cargo Containers B-D, Droid Tri-Fighter, Gozanti, I-7 Howlrunner, IRD, Research Station, Shadow Droid, Space Colony 1-5, TIE Bomber, TIE Drone, TIE Fighter, TIE Interceptor, TIE Targeter, T-wing, Victory I, Victory II, World Devastator, Xiytiar. 7 space unit model spin-offs or significant changes: Im418, Independence MC120, Liberty MC80, Reef Home MC80, Tector I, Tector II, TIE Interceptor RG. 9 space units with new animations: Barloz, BFF-1, BTL Y-wing, Delta-7, DX-9, ATR-6, RZ-1 A-wing, T-65 X-wing, Z-95 Headhunter.

8 unique Nertea land unit models added: Armored Freerunner, Arrow-23, Heavy Tracker, Overracer, PAS, PX-10, QH-7 Chariot, Talon I. 6 third-party land unit models added: B1 BD, B2 SBD, Greedo, LAAT, Luxury, T-16. Custom single energy bolts sized for damage added. 10 land unit model spin-offs or significant changes: A6 Juggernaut, AT-AP, Digger, Garm Bel Iblis, Guild House, Navy Trooper, Spy Network, Storm IV, T-47, X-34. 21 map props added.

With that said, the release candidate for v1.2 is undergoing a final evaluation by testers at this moment. If nothing goes catastrophically wrong, the release date will be Sunday, March 25th at 00:00 GMT-5.

Edited by Phoenix Rising, 24 March 2012 - 05:46 PM.

[P.O._210877]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smashedsaturn]

....the release date will be Sunday, March 25th at 00:00 GMT-5.

Crap.... I have plans all sunday.... so many delays, hopefully it'll be worth the wait....

[anakinskysolo]

All my respects go to you, PR and your team. I don't understand why you are not working in Lucasarts yet.

[evilbobthebob]

Because they're not making any large-scale strategy games

[Kitkun]

The stuff the PR team does would make AAA game developers cry.

[skie9173]

Battle driods, build-able or just starting units/planetary defense forces representing CIS holdouts? It would be really nice to see the Rebels get a benefit for controlling major droid production units.

Overall awesome work PR team!

[Phoenix Rising]

The B1 and B2 are not buildable, although you rarely get them in starting forces. Dellso has a whole army of them on Mustafar in the Outer Rim campaign.

[skie9173]

That was my guess. Thanks PR

[Henry X]

I knew checking the website at three in the morning would be a good idea.

[Aizen Teppa]

Yes, finally it is HERE. Hmm... need to droll today and probably will spend day on gluing my jaw together when it drop to the floor while reading the news.

You guys are the best modders I have even seen. I did my fair share bit of modding (without 3D) and I know how hard and difficult this JOB is. But I have never seen project on such vast scale. Take it from bottom of my heart: Thank you very much, for making so many people happy.

[johnchm.10]

lol, not gonna lie, i almost thought you guys added UNITS that were already there. lmao, not MODELS
long day, am i right?

[Brashin]

Guess im staying up late tonight to give this a download, can't wait

[Ghostrider]

lol, not gonna lie, i almost thought you guys added UNITS that were already there. lmao, not MODELS
long day, am i right?

Without new models, the land revamp would never have happened.
Space has also seen a fair share of brand new models appear in the mod, from the Gozanti Cruiser and CSA's IRD fighter to the Dark Empire Howlrunners, Shadow Droids and World Devastators.

The campaigns have been washed, edited, revamped, rewashed and overhauled repreatedly with every new addition to the space fleet.

You should find considerably more variation in fleet composition as a result!

I've spent so much time on the inside of the mod, looking at data and campaign rosters that, apart from testing, I'm as keen to actually PLAY the mod as you are....

[Phoenix Rising]

I was kind of surprised we added so many new space unit models in v1.2, but there it is. Sometimes replacing a vanilla model is as good as a new unit.

I feel like I have to keep editing this as I remember changes .

[Kitkun]

2.2 GHz dual-core laptop with 2 GB RAM running Windows 7

3.0 GHz dual-core desktop with 2 GB RAM and a GeForce 7200 running Windows XP

Those are the mod development computers?

[Krutilator]

Yeah!!! Thank's to development team .

Was The Death Star added to 1.2?

[Phoenix Rising]

It's a pre-paid unit in Skyhook only - you just have to choose where to build it.

[smashedsaturn]

lol, not gonna lie, i almost thought you guys added UNITS that were already there. lmao, not MODELS
long day, am i right?

Without new models, the land revamp would never have happened.
Space has also seen a fair share of brand new models appear in the mod, from the Gozanti Cruiser and CSA's IRD fighter to the Dark Empire Howlrunners, Shadow Droids and World Devastators.

The campaigns have been washed, edited, revamped, rewashed and overhauled repreatedly with every new addition to the space fleet.

You should find considerably more variation in fleet composition as a result!

I've spent so much time on the inside of the mod, looking at data and campaign rosters that, apart from testing, I'm as keen to actually PLAY the mod as you are....

are there any pictures of the new models you used for the acclamators and victories?