Up to date History file from SE:IV Gold Beta

[Richard]

Enjoy:

Version History for Space Empires IV
---------------------------------------------------

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.

[Sinapus]

Okay... I'm drooling.

So, any ETA on when it will be out?

[Richard]

The Gold date is set for Jan 15th right now. If that holds we are looking for early to mid feb.

[ 03 December 2001: Message edited by: Richard ]

[Phoenix-D]

1.49 will be the Last patch for "standard" SE4 then I assume?

Phoenix-D

[Richard]

Yes that's correct.

[bearclaw]

Woo Hoo! Drones!!

Nick (bearclaw)

[chewy027]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard:
Enjoy:

14. Changed - Increased the maximum value of System Types in the
QuadrantTypes.txt file to 300.

---

Bigger is definetely better. Now if they would only increase the number of players allowed...

[Atrocities]

Thank you Richard. I love reading these revision histories. Makes one really really want this game. TCP/IP play is going to be a very very interesting addition. Soon Richard, your empire will be mine.

[tesco samoa]

Wow. Go away for one week and the whole world changes.

[LGM]

quote:

---

Version 1.52:
7. Fixed - The player order was incorrect in combat during a
simultaneous play game.

---

No More Pathes. You better at least fix this one for the non gold Version because as of 1.49 the game is unfair for multiple user play. Many of us are in multi-player games hoping this will be fixed before we get far into it. Now we can never hope to have this fixed in the non gold Version.

Except for this one issue which makes the game unfair, I really like the game. However, as long as this bug is out there, I really cannot fully enjoy it. Most players with a high ordinal position are just hanging on hoping this would be fixed.

You have given us little option between staying on the old Version and going to the gold Version. We have to buy the gold Version to get a game that will play fair for multi-player.

As a company you should at least fix bugs that render the old product unviable. If you look at at the times this order of combat has appeared in the forum, you will recognize that it is a big issue with the other players.

For me the money is really not an issue, I would want to buy the Gold Version. However, for all these games that we have invested hours playing to find out that that the low ordinal players will maintain their advantage through the rest of the game really frustrates me and I am sure many others.