Hex of Steel News

[h3]BREAKING CHANGES[/h3]

• Save files and scenarios generated by version 8 and above are not compatible with earlier game versions (7 and before). However, files from version 7 and before are compatible with version 8 and above.
  

Hello everyone!

Yes, this is indeed one more major update for the game :)

There are two major highlights in this update, the first one being an actual in-game tutorial, with steps, to teach new players about game mechanics in a friendly way.

The second one is for the most creative of you out here, because this introduces new modding possibilities.
The game will now support Harmony out of the box, which lets you tweak the base game code, or write your own.

This should open up the world of possibilities to an unprecedented level, giving you the tools to build the mod of your dreams.

These new modding possibilities will however be unavailable on iOS and Android, simply because those platforms do not allow code injection from external libraries at runtime, whereas desktop platforms allow that.

I cannot wait to see what you will come up with!

And now, the full change-log!

[h3]ADDED[/h3]

• Brand new in-game Tutorial to make new players life easier.
  
• Support for code modding using Harmony lib. This opens up a whole new world of modding possibilities, as you will now be able to write your own code to mod the game (this includes modifying the base game's code as well as adding your own). I have recorded a full tutorial that explains how to do that here.
  
• Tooltip over the 'Continue' button to provide information about what save is going to be loaded if you press it.
  
• Localization of the game into Traditional Chinese.
  
• The game is now fully playable through cloud gaming (GeForceNow).
  
• Compression to save files, they now are 90% smaller (yes, 90%). This is the reason why the files no longer are backward compatible. Old files will still load fine.
  
• New achievement for completing the new tutorial scenario.
  
• New 'Library' workshop tag for filtering mods.
  

[h3]CHANGED[/h3]

• Multiplayer compatibility version.
  
• App icon was changed to look more modern.
  
• In-game mouse cursor to look more modern.
  
• Main menu wallpaper was remade.
  
• All Steam store artwork was reworked.
  
• Steam store page trailer was updated.
  
• Joining or creating a faction in the Diplomacy menu has been split in two for improved clarity.
  
• Capturing units in campaign would not always add them to your reserve (in the case that you reached your max core units).
  
• All save files are now properly trimmed instead of growing exponentially.
  
• Cleaned up a lot of the code for modders.
  
• Max SteamCloud files amount is now 100.
  
• Max SteamCloud files total weight is now 1 GB.
  
• Workshop tag 'Map' has been removed and replaced by 'Scenario'. Update your mods tags!
  

[h3]FIXED[/h3]

• Modded heroes with custom graphics with wrong dimensions would prevent whole mod loading.
  
• Borders will now be properly redrawn in real time (after any tile edit) in the Map Editor.
  
• AI will no longer purchase paratroopers when there are no land VPs in the scenario.
  
• AI will no longer purchase land units (infantry, tanks, etc) when there are no land VPs in the scenario.
  
• Having a '+' char in your mod's name would prevent all sound effects or music clips to be loaded.
  
• Sea Hurricane Mk I was not marked as carrier compatible.
  
• Some units properties were not synced properly when loading a save file.
  
• Minor details in Units Editor.
  
• Lags when launching the game due to Steam Cloud saves being written to disk.
  
• Countries not localized in the multiplayer real time lobby.
  
• Real time hosting data transfer fixes.
  
• Real time multiplayer now has proper re-sync (even for large maps) when a player goes out of sync and reconnects.
  
• Leave room button would still be displayed even after being kicked out of a real time multiplayer room.
  
• When trying to upgrade a unit, if that unit was not available to purchase for any reason, you could not upgrade it to itself.
  
• Various localization fixes in different languages.
  
• README and mod thumbnail files are now properly copied over to disk on iOS/Android.
  

[h3]ADDED[/h3]

• Support for MP3 format for SFXs and musics for mods. I strongly encourage every modder to update their mod and replace their WAV sound files with MP3 files to achieve significant RAM gains (over 90%).
  

[h3]CHANGED[/h3]

• Multiplayer compat. version.
  
• You can now select units that are on top of one another in the map editor (air/ground on single tile).
  
• Mods graphics load process, over 85% RAM gains were achieved on average, reducing significantly RAM pressure from mods (tested on Napoleonic Wars mod).
  
• For modders: A new folder named 'Flags' has been added to the 'Graphics' folder. This is where all of the flags should now be placed. The game will automatically move them for the players/you upon loading the mod, but it would be nice if you could move them there directly, as such: HexOfSteel/MODS/YourModName/Graphics/Flags/USA/Flag.png
  

[h3]FIXED[/h3]

• Coral Sea campaign scenario as Axis was instant lost on turn 1.
  
• Recon units in trains could move twice.
  

[h3]ADDED[/h3]

• Translation for many languages for the Steam achievements.
  

[h3]CHANGED[/h3]

• Multiplayer compatibility version.
  
• Network code reorganization.
  
• Towed AA units no longer can move and attack, it's either one or the other during their turn. Only SPAA can both move and attack.
  

[h3]FIXED[/h3]

• Medals not properly showing in list of completed/beaten scenarios (Axis/Allies).
  
• Scenario would not end when there were both major VPs to be captured and one or more units to be destroyed to achieve victory, and the major VPs were captured.
  
• Potential errors when loading a map with modded units or modified units stats that would have invalid variable values when applying various loadouts (reaching negative movement points and similar stuff).
  

[h3]REMOVED[/h3]

• Several achievements that were really hard or impossible to be achieved and would prevent regular players to unlock all of them (100% completion).
  

[h3]ADDED[/h3]

• Quickload key-bind (loads the last save file that was made/updated).
  

[h3]CHANGED[/h3]

• Multiplayer compat. version.
  
• Steam Cloud save files will no longer systematically download and overwrite local game files if the timestamps of both files is identical (should prevent any freeze when booting up the game when having tons of steam cloud save files but none have changed locally).
  
• When playing with the 'camera follow AI moves' setting, it will now focus on units being targeted by AI artillery units which are in the FOW instead of not focusing on anything and skipping those attacks from FOW.
  

[h3]FIXED[/h3]

• Units would overlap on friendly mines when ordered to move across them into FOW and if there was an enemy unit in that tile in the FOW (kind of very specific).
  
• Pressing the 'Continue' button in the main menu would systematically load the latest steam cloud save. Steam Cloud save files now have their 'file creation date' properly restored upon download.
  
• Custom units spawned in the Map Editor using the 'spawn units' button could have 'broken' graphics.
  

[h3]CHANGED[/h3]

• Multiplayer compatibility version.
  
• Faction change cost: reduced when switching to neutral (old formula only counted players you were at war with, but not if they got vanquished entirely or not).
  
• Steam Workshop Mods Manager menu UI + code rewrite.
  

[h3]FIXED[/h3]

• Notifications menu not properly scaling with your screen's height.
  
• Units would not move to destination tile in very specific case: enemy land mine on one tile + enemy unit on an adjacent tile + ZOC setting ON.
  
• Localization typos.
  
• Minor issues with some scenarios.
  
• Units editor resetting the active mod whenever you left the menu, giving you the 'you need to select a mod' message every time you tried to mod any unit afterward.
  
• AI planes would not perform attacks when it should have in some cases.
  
• Video player for video wallpaper in main menu would stretch the video content.
  
• Steam API callbacks were called twice instead of once per frame.
  
• In specific cases, Steam mods would remain as numbers (ID) in the Mods Manager, instead of displaying their actual name.
  
• Most likely fixed the 'spotted units' icons not clearing out when they should (radar/sonar).