v1.0.9.0 Now Live
Fellow Commanders,
With the winter holidays upon us, we're happy to announce the next major update to the game! As always, it is Ducky approved ;-). Read on for detailed information about the new features and minor changes, as well as for a peek into what the next update will bring.
The interface of USC was originally designed with low-res displays in mind for compatibility with smaller laptops and older systems: main elements always fit in a smaller area so that all functions are accessible. But now the time has come to upgrade the interface to much better accomodate the needs of HD and full HD displays!
An option in the Settings menu is now available to set the scaling of all the main GUI elements (all dialogues, control panels, and the ATAC) to 1.0x (original), 1.2x, 1.4x, 1.5x or 1.6x factor. All GUI textures have been re-rendered to provide a pixel-sharp look even on the greatest scaling. While (almost) all functions remain unchanged, you can now set the GUI to fill in almost the entire screen, making it more easier to read text in upscaled fonts, click buttons, view the minimap, etc.
A few remaining elements (item & weapon icons) will be updated to full HD resolution later.
IMPORTANT! Remember that you can switch to the secondary in-game GUI containing the minimap and the combat log by pressing the TAB key if they don't fit under the main ATAC controls due to screen size/scaling settings. You can also toggle the scaling factor with the numeric + and - keys while in-game.
If you encounter any problems or doesn't need/like the new looks at all, you can force the game to use the legacy GUI by adding the following line (case and space sensitive) under the
section of the USC.cfg file in the game's main folder:
Further recommendations and reports of issues about the interface are more than welcome on the forum under the new 'Interface & controls' category.
1.) The ready/holster weapon (engage/disengage attack mode) and the defense mode/reload/unload functions on the ATAC now both have a separate, orange button displaying the AP cost. Clicking this button is identical to the legacy right-clicking on the corresponding function. To switch attack modes/support functions, just left-click on the info area as before. A few display elements have been changed: ammo cost now only reads as "x[N]" (not "Ammo: x[N]"), "range:" as "r:", and "tranquilization:" as "t:".
Remember that you can always use [SPACE] to toggle attacking, "D" to initiate defense mode, "R" to reload and "U" to unload if you don't want to always use the mouse.
2.) Instead of right-clicking, you can now also use the new "Use" button in the inventory to activate/use (or deactivate) the selected item with an appropriate function.
3.) Only in Campaign mode, there's now a button to field salvage the selected item.
We've received a fairly large amount of constructive feedback about the (lack of) inventory space, mostly in regard to picking up loot or crafting materials. We took the time to carefully re-evaluate this question, and we decided to introduce the "field salvage" option ONLY in Campaign mode.
What does it do? Simply enough, field salvage lets you to instantly salvage any item (weapon, ammo or equipment) currently not in use for 25% of its normal Credit value. These Credits are immediately added to your Campaign Credit pool, even if the mission is a "far site" and your squad(s) won't return to HQ right after it. 25% doesn't sound too much, but considering that you can now literally pick up *all* items for a profit and that many items have a 5000-10,000 Credit normal value, we think it is quite fair and yet it doesn't ruin the overall economy of the Campaign.
Crafting materials (screws, integrated circuits, transistors, microchips, screwdrivers, wire cutters, crystals and rubber duckies) are already automatically picked up from the ground and added to your resource pool when you complete either a Campaign or single mission. You only need to pick up and carry them with you if you plan to fall back (and need them pronto), or it is a multi-map mission and you don't want to leave something behind accidentally.
Blueprints are very valuable strategically, and carrying them home is part of the struggle you are awarded for afterwards. Don't leave them behind if you want them. This won't be changed.
Many weapons in USC have special, "unrealistic" targeting rules ("star", "sweep"), and the topic has been discussed several times on the forums. To sum it all up, these "unrealistic" modes exist for multiple reasons, including weapon strength and value balancing, compensation of the lack of some real-life micro-movements that arise from the game being grid- and per-player turn-based, and in general, because USC is not designed to be "realistic"--it is designed to be a board-game like turn-based game with its own set of rules.
Nevertheless, I've been convinced that it wouldn't hurt to implement an option to override these special rules for players who really don't want to use/accept them. I understand this. To enable the override, open USC.cfg and add these lines to the end of the file, then (re)start USC:
Attack modes with a "star" or "sweep" targeting pattern will use "free" instead; "arc" and "passthrough" modes won't be affected.
IMPORTANT! Using the override will flag your Campaign/DTB/single mission save permanently, and you'll get a -0.15x/-250 per Wave/-10,000 Score penalty, respectively.
-- A full, re-edited transcript of the in-game tutorial pop-ups (Basic Tutorial.pdf) can now be found in the "docs" folder.
-- You can now also use CTRL on the squad assembly screen to switch between a hybrid weapon's two main modes (useful for checking ammo status for both clips).
-- Server functions will be now automatically disabled for the session if initial connection times out/fails, to prevent program hanging. REMEMBER that you can disable all on-line functions if you don't need/want them by adding the line "disableServer=1" under the [Engine] section of USC.cfg. (This does not affect direct TCP/IP connections with other players.) Server functions/options will be further improved in the future.
-- Fixed an inventory tooltip text glitch accidentally introduced in the previous update.
-- Fixed a few minor interface glitches/issues.
-- Yet again, no rules were changed.
Another update is scheduled to be deployed some time in January. It will further enhance the HD redesign, fix any potential issues with the new features (feel free to give us feedback!), and enable touchscreen-friendly control features. It will also prepare the game for Season 2...
Thanks for reading, and happy hunting!
With the winter holidays upon us, we're happy to announce the next major update to the game! As always, it is Ducky approved ;-). Read on for detailed information about the new features and minor changes, as well as for a peek into what the next update will bring.
Revamped HD interface
The interface of USC was originally designed with low-res displays in mind for compatibility with smaller laptops and older systems: main elements always fit in a smaller area so that all functions are accessible. But now the time has come to upgrade the interface to much better accomodate the needs of HD and full HD displays!
An option in the Settings menu is now available to set the scaling of all the main GUI elements (all dialogues, control panels, and the ATAC) to 1.0x (original), 1.2x, 1.4x, 1.5x or 1.6x factor. All GUI textures have been re-rendered to provide a pixel-sharp look even on the greatest scaling. While (almost) all functions remain unchanged, you can now set the GUI to fill in almost the entire screen, making it more easier to read text in upscaled fonts, click buttons, view the minimap, etc.
A few remaining elements (item & weapon icons) will be updated to full HD resolution later.
IMPORTANT! Remember that you can switch to the secondary in-game GUI containing the minimap and the combat log by pressing the TAB key if they don't fit under the main ATAC controls due to screen size/scaling settings. You can also toggle the scaling factor with the numeric + and - keys while in-game.
If you encounter any problems or doesn't need/like the new looks at all, you can force the game to use the legacy GUI by adding the following line (case and space sensitive) under the
[Interface]
section of the USC.cfg file in the game's main folder:
disableResizing=1
Further recommendations and reports of issues about the interface are more than welcome on the forum under the new 'Interface & controls' category.
New interface functions
1.) The ready/holster weapon (engage/disengage attack mode) and the defense mode/reload/unload functions on the ATAC now both have a separate, orange button displaying the AP cost. Clicking this button is identical to the legacy right-clicking on the corresponding function. To switch attack modes/support functions, just left-click on the info area as before. A few display elements have been changed: ammo cost now only reads as "x[N]" (not "Ammo: x[N]"), "range:" as "r:", and "tranquilization:" as "t:".
Remember that you can always use [SPACE] to toggle attacking, "D" to initiate defense mode, "R" to reload and "U" to unload if you don't want to always use the mouse.
2.) Instead of right-clicking, you can now also use the new "Use" button in the inventory to activate/use (or deactivate) the selected item with an appropriate function.
3.) Only in Campaign mode, there's now a button to field salvage the selected item.
Field salvage feature & considerations on inventory space
We've received a fairly large amount of constructive feedback about the (lack of) inventory space, mostly in regard to picking up loot or crafting materials. We took the time to carefully re-evaluate this question, and we decided to introduce the "field salvage" option ONLY in Campaign mode.
What does it do? Simply enough, field salvage lets you to instantly salvage any item (weapon, ammo or equipment) currently not in use for 25% of its normal Credit value. These Credits are immediately added to your Campaign Credit pool, even if the mission is a "far site" and your squad(s) won't return to HQ right after it. 25% doesn't sound too much, but considering that you can now literally pick up *all* items for a profit and that many items have a 5000-10,000 Credit normal value, we think it is quite fair and yet it doesn't ruin the overall economy of the Campaign.
Crafting materials (screws, integrated circuits, transistors, microchips, screwdrivers, wire cutters, crystals and rubber duckies) are already automatically picked up from the ground and added to your resource pool when you complete either a Campaign or single mission. You only need to pick up and carry them with you if you plan to fall back (and need them pronto), or it is a multi-map mission and you don't want to leave something behind accidentally.
Blueprints are very valuable strategically, and carrying them home is part of the struggle you are awarded for afterwards. Don't leave them behind if you want them. This won't be changed.
Targeting modes
Many weapons in USC have special, "unrealistic" targeting rules ("star", "sweep"), and the topic has been discussed several times on the forums. To sum it all up, these "unrealistic" modes exist for multiple reasons, including weapon strength and value balancing, compensation of the lack of some real-life micro-movements that arise from the game being grid- and per-player turn-based, and in general, because USC is not designed to be "realistic"--it is designed to be a board-game like turn-based game with its own set of rules.
Nevertheless, I've been convinced that it wouldn't hurt to implement an option to override these special rules for players who really don't want to use/accept them. I understand this. To enable the override, open USC.cfg and add these lines to the end of the file, then (re)start USC:
[Rules]
forceFreeTargetingMode=1
Attack modes with a "star" or "sweep" targeting pattern will use "free" instead; "arc" and "passthrough" modes won't be affected.
IMPORTANT! Using the override will flag your Campaign/DTB/single mission save permanently, and you'll get a -0.15x/-250 per Wave/-10,000 Score penalty, respectively.
Miscellaneous
-- A full, re-edited transcript of the in-game tutorial pop-ups (Basic Tutorial.pdf) can now be found in the "docs" folder.
-- You can now also use CTRL on the squad assembly screen to switch between a hybrid weapon's two main modes (useful for checking ammo status for both clips).
-- Server functions will be now automatically disabled for the session if initial connection times out/fails, to prevent program hanging. REMEMBER that you can disable all on-line functions if you don't need/want them by adding the line "disableServer=1" under the [Engine] section of USC.cfg. (This does not affect direct TCP/IP connections with other players.) Server functions/options will be further improved in the future.
-- Fixed an inventory tooltip text glitch accidentally introduced in the previous update.
-- Fixed a few minor interface glitches/issues.
-- Yet again, no rules were changed.
What's next?
Another update is scheduled to be deployed some time in January. It will further enhance the HD redesign, fix any potential issues with the new features (feel free to give us feedback!), and enable touchscreen-friendly control features. It will also prepare the game for Season 2...
Thanks for reading, and happy hunting!