PBW: New features, SE5 shipsets.

[geoschmo]

We've added some new features to PBW.

First of all, we are now supporting custom shipsets for SE5. You may have noticed a few days ago we added a new category to the file library called "SEV PBW Supported shipsets". As you probably know, with SE5 the shipset you are using must be on the server or your empires pics get changed when the turn processes. Up to now you've been limited to using the stock races, or ones that were included in a mod if you were using a mod. Now you can use any of the shipsets listed on this page, and more are being added.

This page also has preview pics of the shipset, race, and flag. We felt the preview images we're necessary because when you set your empire up in SE5 you are just selecting images and it's not that easy to know which actual shipset files you are using.

We've added the code now so that if you are in a SE5 game, when you upload your empire you can select a shipset pic, race pic and flag pic, instead of simply a shipset name like with SE4. This is necessary because you can mix and match these choices in SE5 instead of being limited to one set. At this time, you make these selections from a list of names, so you may need to refer to the File Library page if you don't know the name of the pic you are using. Eventually our goal is to allow you to select your empire pics from a list of images directly.

The game info page for SE5 games will now display the images you selected when you uploaded your empire file, so other players joining your game will be able to easily see what pics are already being used and avoid duplicates.

We've added a page where you can update your empire after you've uploaded it. This will allow you to set or change the pics you've selected without having to have a PBW admin set you back to empire needed. This update page will also allow you to delete your empire so you can reupload it. The pics (or shipset name for se4 games) can be updated at any time, but you will only have the option to delete your empire until the game starts. You shouldn't need to change your empire after that, but if you do (for a restart for example) you can email your .emp file to your game owner like you do now.

To reach the Update Empire screen in the PBW text UI, look for the "Update Empire" button on the left where the "Send Empire" button would be before you have uploaded it. In the PBW graphic UI, you will have an "Alien head" command icon on the line of your empire to the right, next to where the "Update Password" command icon is located.

If you have a custom shipset you'd like to have supported on PBW, you'll need to post a note in the Admin requests. Give us a link to where the shipset can be downloaded. You can upload it to the File Library, "SEV shipset" page, but that will not make it supported. You still need to post a note in the Admin Requests forum. You cannot upload to the "SEV PBW Supported shipsets" page, because we have to do work behind the scenes to make the shipsets work on the server.

Please let us know if you experience any problems with these new features.