Up to date History file from SE:IV Gold Beta

[jowe01]

Sounds great !

Just where are the important AI improvements ( I have only seen 2 or 3 minor changes to minister behaviour) ? Are they in the Gold code, i.e. in Version 1.50 ? What exactly has changed ?

[Taqwus]

Hmmm. As of 1.49, the following still seem to be unresolved.

- Does the colonization minister now care about supply? Relying on the minister now tends to result in pods blithely running out and going at speed 1, even when a path of equal length would go right over a resupply depot. It's viable early (when you don't know about far-away worlds) and post-stellar-harnessing (solar collector), but between those, it gets a touch dodgy.


- Will the pathfinding no longer loop if an enemy blocks it?

If a ship or fleet is to go through a warp point at W (and with an order besides attack), and an enemy fleet has just come through the other side and blocks it, the hapless wanderer will cheerfully expend all its movement points going from 1, to 2, to 1, to 3, to 1... this could make a BIG difference if the enemy fleet consists of, say, a star destroyer or something else which it is crucial to be intercepted immediately.

There may be scenarios where it makes since for the pathfinder to *not* abort when it would repeat a point without achieving another waypoint (specifically given destination/order -- e.g. original location, warp point; IOW, forwards progress), but I'm not sure what those would be.

[jowe01]

I have waited 2 days but so far no answer. Let me restate my question:

SE4 Gold will support TCPIP and will otherwise add a couple of more gimmicks to an already very feature-rich game. However, I think I am not the only one to feel that the biggest disadvantage of SE4 in single-player is an AI that... well sucks (erratic diplomacy, bad pathing, bad choice of battle, bad "strategy",...)

So each time a new patch comes out, I am hungrily looking for significant AI improvements (except for one of the first patches in vain so far). The announcement of SE4 contains a claim of improvements to the AI. However, reading the history file in this threat, I can only find some very minor tweaking of minister behaviour. Is that all, or were there major AI improvements in 1.50 (the gold Version)? If yes, great, that would be a real addition to gaming fun. If no, oh well, buying SE4 gold is more of a charity (for a good and committed programmer and company, certainly) project than paying for value...

[Rollo]

Wow, this will be a major improvement for the AI .

With the AI handling mines better and all different ship types included into fleets, you can expect a quantum leap for the Gold AI and some rather nifty new AI tricks that will surprise some players.

Rollo (can't wait to do AI modding in Gold)

[Sinapus]

Is there going to be any change in cloaking and sensors? Something like a range at which a particular sensor can detect a cloaked ship and such, similar to how long range scanners can show ship stats if a ship is in range?

Also, can a feature be added where the display for a system shows what was there the Last time you had a ship/planet in it instead of the usual blank display?

[vegard]

Revision files are good reads.
Any chance SE will ever feature something like S!GS's tabloid thingy?

[edit: messed up the URL]

[ 07 December 2001: Message edited by: vegard ]

[Mephisto]

1.) IMHO these "minor" minister enhancements are not at all "minor".

2.) Recount the fixes and improvements, there are mayn out there, especially regarding mines. Did you ever found it boring that the AI would throw fleet after fleet into your minefield? Well, not any more. It will sweep the field but not with attack ships any more. ;-)

3.) Kamikaze, boarding and troop ships are now all activly searching for fleets.

4.) Boarding ships are now actually working.

5.) Many more features but I'm tired to type the fix list once more.

[Atrocities]

quote:

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5.) Many more features but I'm tired to type the fix list once more.

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YOUR RICHARD?!?!?!?

[Richard]

An Update again...

Version 1.56:
1. Fixed - Some minor spelling errors in SystemTypes.txt.
2. Fixed - Some picture problems with the new System background pictures.
3. Fixed - Added the Baseship bitmap name as the primary picture for the
baseship vehicle size. This way no changes will be needed if
race styles are already using them.
4. Fixed - TCP/IP Host's chat Messages would dissappear when a message from
a player would come in.
5. Fixed - TCP/IP Player would not receive chat Messages while taking his
turn.
6. Fixed - A TCP/IP Player who quit the game and then restarted before taking
their turn would receive a file load error.
7. Fixed - If a TCP/IP Player reconnected to a game in progress, the message
displayed would incorrectly be "Waiting for all players to connect."
8. Fixed - If a TCP/IP Player reconnected to a game, errors would occur when
the game turn was received.
9. Fixed - Sometimes a disconnected race would not start researching the "Not
Connected" items early enough.
10. Fixed - Mod Folders were requiring that the picture be present.
11. Fixed - Boarding ships would not engage enemy ships even if they had weapons.
12. Fixed - Kamikaze ships were not seeking for fleets to join.
13. Added - Added an "Orders" tab to the Colonies Window.
14. Added - Added a "Multi-Add" button to the Construction Queues window. This will
allow you to add Ships or Units to multiple construction queues at a
time.
15. Fixed - Fixed a problem with combat to-hit chances where the weapon modifier
was being factored in after the total modifier to hit was bounded to
1% or 99%.
16. Fixed - Fixed a problem where chains of partnership treaties would not allow
all players to see with all other players sight. A->B, B->C = A->C.
17. Changed - Increased the default fighter launch group size to 10.
18. Fixed -

Version 1.55:
1. Fixed - The text for the Weapon Platform and Satellite weapon
mounts did not say anything about their extended range.
2. Fixed - Generating multiple quadrants when starting a game would
sometimes cause a crash.
3. Changed - Changed the VehicleSize.txt file so that each vehicle
size has a primary and alternate bitmap.
4. Changed - Added a to-hit bonus for weapon platform weapon mounts.
5. Changed - Increased the possible range of Facility Family from
1 - 64000 in Facility.txt.
6. Added - You can now clear the orders for all selected ships.
7. Fixed - All Drones with the same orders should move together
in a group.
8. Changed - Drones now get their full movement immediately upon launch.
9. Fixed - The General.bmp was missing from the patch. This included
a new drone icon for cargo.
10. Fixed - Drones should not be able to have self-destruct devices.
11. Added - New fields in Settings.txt to set the random range of starting
computer and neutral players.
12. Fixed - An error would occur if you were a player with a number greater
than 10, and you were trying to change cargo in the combat
simulator.
13. Fixed - Sometimes the game would report that a player order file could
not be found in a simultaneous game.
14. Changed - Increased the maximum value of System Types in the
QuadrantTypes.txt file to 300.
15. Fixed - AI would design mine sweepers when it didn't have the mine
sweeping component.
16. Fixed - TCP/IP Host problem where a reconnecting client would be listed
twice.
17. Fixed - TCP/IP Host problem where a reconnecting client would not be
notified that they had reconnected successfully.
18. Added - Sounds to the TCP/IP Host when a player connects or disconnects.
19. Changed - TCP/IP Host must wait until all players have submitted their
empire files before the host can add its own empires.
20. Fixed - TCP/IP Player cannot set his empire to computer control.
21. Fixed - TCP/IP Host gets a more specific message that they can only add one
empire at a time to the game.
22. Fixed - TCP/IP Host's "Remove Empire" button changes its text to
"Toggle Empire AI On/Off" after the first turn.
23. Fixed - TCP/IP Host can toggle an empire between AI and human control.
24. Fixed - TCP/IP Host would be in the wrong state after the host canceled
processing the turn because of a missing player file.
25. Fixed - TCP/IP Player would sometimes get Access Violations when it
received Messages while a player was taking their turn.
26. Fixed - TCP/IP Chat Messages are no longer lost when you take your turn.

Version 1.54:
1. Fixed - The AI Neutral files had not been modified with the new
settings, and were causing errors when they were loaded
for a neutral's turn.
2. Added - Confirmation dialogs when you quit as a TCP/IP Host or
TCP/IP Player.
3. Fixed - When a TCP/IP player quits a game, the host will have a
status for that player of "Quit".
4. Fixed - If a TCP/IP player reconnects to a game, they will not
make a second line in the list.
5. Added - Added a sound effect when a chat message is received.
6. Added - Confirmation dialog when you try to process a turn as the
TCP/IP Host.
7. Changed - The TCP/IP Host can only add one empire at a time.
8. Fixed - List index out of bounds error when a TCP/IP Host quit a
game in progress and then started a new one.
9. Fixed - Progress bar window would stay open when a TCP/IP Host
did not want to continue processing after the game could
not find a missing player order file.
10. Added - The TCP/IP Host can now remove an empire from the game
before it begins, or change an empire to AI control during
a game.
11. Fixed - TCP/IP Host can add AI controlled empires.
12. Fixed - TCP/IP Host can create empires while players create their
empires.
13. Fixed - TCP/IP Player could not cancel out of creating an empire.
14. Fixed - If the TCP/IP Host added more than one empire, sometimes
their pictures would be mixed up.
15. Added - Added Combo boxes to the TCP/IP Player window.
16. Fixed - The SE4 Map Editor would error if you regenerated the quadrant
and there were less systems then previously.
17. Added - Added some new system types.

Version 1.53:
1. Fixed - When the AI first developed Quantum Reactor technology,
it did not always create new designs for its ships.
2. Fixed - All drones would launch even if you selected "Launch 1".
3. Fixed - Seeker launch sounds were not playing in Tactical Combat
or the Combat Simulator.
4. Fixed - The Ionic Pulse Missile did not have a sound effect.
5. Changed - The AI will completely redesign all of its ships on turns
1, 20, and 40.
6. Fixed - Drones will not choose seekers or fighters as targets in
combat.
7. Fixed - Empire files were missing the Drone Attack strategy.
(New Empire files thanks to Philipp Kullmann)
8. Fixed - Fighter Groups were not getting bonuses from racial
characteristics.
9. Added - Added more empire settings to the AI_Settings.txt file.
10. Fixed - When marking a design as obsolete, the view on the list
would jump back up to the top.
11. Added - New sound effects! You can use either the new sound
effects or the classic sounds effects by selecting the
setting in the Options window.

Version 1.52:
1. Fixed - Ships were firing on their own in Tactical Combat.
2. Fixed - Drone design warning was saying "Must have 1 bridge."
3. Fixed - When the AI generates an empire, it was not using all of
the racial points from characteristics. The AI will now
purchase characteristics first, then advanced traits.
4. Fixed - You were unable to add drones to the combat simultator.
5. Fixed - If a cloaked minesweeper is about to enter a sector with
a known minefield, it will decloak.
6. Changed - Decreased the size of the Shield Regenerator V to 20kT.
7. Fixed - The player order was incorrect in combat during a
simultaneous play game.
8. Changed - Increased Asteroids starting value. Also added these values
to the Settings.txt file.
9. Fixed - Updated the Map Editor so it will work with current maps.
This should also fix the Ruins problem.
10. Changed - Improved the sound effects.
11. Fixed - Drones were not showing up in the Combat Replay.
12. Changed - Reduced costs for Ringworld and Sphereworld components.
13. Fixed - AI would propose treaties at a higher level than its
"Highest Allowed Treaty" setting.
14. Added - Added a setting to Settings.txt which allows drones to
not be effected by mines.
15. Changed - Smart Bombs can now be placed on Ships, Bases, Satellites,
and Drones.

Version 1.51:
1. Fixed - It was possible for the Purchasing Minister to take a
very long time to finish.
2. Fixed - Recon Satellites were being miscounted by the AI for
use by its scripts.
3. Fixed - In certain cases, the Ai would not move a minesweeper
to a minefield because of the "Don't move through mine
fields" Empire Option.
4. Fixed - AI would research Mines a bit too much when they
encountered the first minefield.
5. Changed - Weapon Platforms and Satellites now get a range bonus
on their weapon mounts like bases get.
6. Fixed - When the AI first developed Shield technology, it did
not always create new designs for its ships.
7. Fixed - The TCP/IP Player should show an error if it cannot
connect to the host even if the host is on this
machine.
8. Fixed - The TCP/IP Player can only add one empire to the game.
9. Fixed - In the TCP/IP Host window, if the host cancels his
login to play a turn, the game should not end.
10. Fixed - Made the TCP/IP host a bit more lenient on player drops.
If you're dropped, you can reconnect and rejoin the game
(using the same player name). However, to get resynched
with the game, you'll just have to wait till the host
sends the turn file out again (you'll miss a turn).
11. Fixed - Minor manual text fixes.
12. Fixed - When starting a new TCP/IP Host game, all order files
for the selected game name will be deleted.
13. Fixed - On the TCP/IP Player window, when the chat button was
pressed the focus would not be set to the Chat Message
control.
14. Added - When all of the player order files have been received
by the TCP/IP Host, a sound will be played and the
game will un-minimize itself.
15. Fixed - If a vehicle could not recover a unit, the wrong name
was displayed.
16. Fixed - Point Blank strategy ships in combat would move to the
opposite side of the target from where they were.
17. Fixed - There was a bug in the fonts that would cause >> to
be displayed in Messages.
18. Fixed - Newly launched units weren't always having their
individual minister turned on if the automatic setting
was set.
19. Added - Drones. The manual pages on Units have been updated.
20. Added - A DataFileHistory.txt file which describes the data file
changes we've made in each Version.


Version 1.50:
1. Note - Gold Version.

[Q]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sinapus:
Is there going to be any change in cloaking and sensors? Something like a range at which a particular sensor can detect a cloaked ship and such, similar to how long range scanners can show ship stats if a ship is in range?

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That would be a very nice change: Make the different sensor really different so it may be useful to combine them. And the highest cloak level could be only defeated by close range sensors.