Planetary Annihilation: TITANS News

Updated: 2021-06-16 for 115711 updates


Hello Commanders,

Your eyes do not deceive you, this creature of majesty above is both half-Commander and half-unicorn. Touch its horn if you will, but the only wish it grants is the pillaging of the galaxy’s resources to ensure the demise of your enemies. Friendship is temporary, but a well-placed ubercannon blast is forever.

The Unicorn Commander is available to all players during the Steam Summer Sale, after which it can be purchased through the Armory. It also comes with its own strategic icon so that everyone else knows that you’re better than them, both as a player and a person.

Lobbies now have the option to shuffle player starting locations. No longer can you know who is where without any scouting in FFA and team games. Live the mystery.

The AI has had an easy difficulty added to skirmish and normal in Galactic War as part of some more extensive changes. We hear your eyebrow lift (just one, you’re classy like that) at the addition of an easier difficulty, but once improvements land and it’s kicking your hiney, you’ll be sorry you got all sniffy about an easy difficulty.

Translations have been updated and expanded to include community mods like Legion Expansion and Queller AI.

Previous update series: https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/stay-safe-updates/



[h2]Client Improvements[/h2]
Local client improvements:

• Updated translations
  
• Added connect timeouts to download manager to avoid long launch stalls
  
• Added initial support for full offline / disconnected mode via --offline (work in progress)
  
• Improved game password dialog with focus and default button
  
• Added shuffle landing zones to new game lobby for large FFA and teams games using maps with custom landing zones
  
• Improved discord user handling (114673)
  
• Improved commander spawn zoom (114673)
  
• Added spacebar to exit video (114673)
  
• Improved locale error logging (114673)
  
• Improved fatal error logging (114673)
  
• Added audio device routing (114716)
  
• Added default audio device setting with list refreshing every 5 seconds 114716)
  
• Added default audio device selection during startup (114716)
  
• Reduced unnecessary locks and allocations during material creation (114862)
  
• Added automatic open of players list for 1v1 ranked games (114750)
  
• Added --enable-detailed-minidump command line parameter as an alternative to setting the MINIDUMP_DIRECTORY environment variable (114750)
  
• Added skybox graphics setting (114776)
  
• Removed outdated sRGB restrictions for AMD / Intel GPUs (114880)
  
• Added --gl-disable-srgb / --gl-disable-mrt-srgb command line options to restore previous behaviour if needed (114880)
  
• Added --hardware-hdr command line option to enable experimental HDR10 support on latest Windows 10 for modern 10 series or newer Nvidia GPUs (114880)
  Note: macOS HDR10 support is automatic
  https://planetaryannihilation.com/support/troubleshooting/#HDR10
  
• Added support for 128 bit UNITTYPE flags and masks expanding max types from 63 to 127 (114980)
  
• Added SIMD optimisations for 128 bit flags (114980)
  
• Added legacy CPU check with error message to try legacy build (114980)
  
• Added events to ui/main/game/live_game/js/constants.js (114980)
  
• Updated strategic icons for water hover units (115050)
  
• Updated water shader to show different depths (115280)
  
• Added SELECTED OR ALL to order and build previews (115711)
  

[h2]Client Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed SDL2 full screen toggle / resize issue on Windows (114628)
  
• Fixed intro video loss of focus (114673)
  
• Fixed tutorial commander specs (114716)
  
• Fixed custom line formations crashes (114726 / 114823)
  
• Fixed settings mod compatibility issue (114726)
  
• Fixed join modded game crash from modded new game lobby or live game (114726)
  
• Fixed landing crash on slower systems (114726)
  
• Fixed setCommandMode crash (114759)
  
• Fixed line command crash (114759)
  
• Fixed API data access (114880)
  
• Fixed get units crash (114880)
  
• Fixed icons not showing with one or more unit server mods (115280)
  
• Fixed handling of Unicode surrogates eg 🔥 (115447)
  
• Fixed ALWAYS order and build previews ignoring SELECTED (115678)
  

[h2]AI Improvements[/h2]
Local server and public server improvements:

• Added easy difficulty for AI skirmish to match galactic war (work in progress)
  
• Improved AI start location selection (114716)
  
• AI landing policies now avoid planets with others AIs so they spread across planets (115050)
  

[h2]Galactic War Improvements[/h2]
Local server and public server improvements:

• Added normal difficulty between easy and hard (work in progress)
  

[h2]Server / Sim Improvements[/h2]
Local server and public server improvements:

• Improved attack (focus fire) task
  
• Added shuffle landing zones
  
• Added early exit for sim tasks that set failed during initialisation (114673)
  
• Added radar jamming (114862)
  
• Added support for 128 bit UNITTYPE flags and masks expanding max types from 63 to 127 (114980)
  
• Added SIMD optimisations for 128 bit flags (114980)
  
• Add new units types
  UNITTYPE_Vehicle (114980)
  UNITTYPE_Shield (114980)
  UNITTYPE_Amphibious (114980)
  UNITTYPE_WaterHover (114980)
  UNITTYPE_Interplanetary (115506)
  UNITTYPE_TacticalDefense (115506)
  UNITTYPE_Radar (115506)
  UNITTYPE_RadarJammer (115506)
  
• Changed amphibious units on sea floor to require underwater vision if below the water line (115693)
  

[h2]Server / Sim Fixes[/h2]
Local server and public server fixes:

• Fixed AI server crash in evaluateBases
  
• Fixed Windows 4GB replay / saved game limit (114862)
  
• Fixed moving to target assist task crash (114862)
  
• Fixed auto repair / reclaim while transporting (114862)
  
• Fixed water-hover pathing around structures, walls, TITANS, etc (114980)
  
• Fixed handling of Unicode surrogates eg 🔥 (115447)
  
• Fixed beam weapon collisions with structures, terrain and water surface (115447)
  

[h2]Maps[/h2]
Map improvements:

• Added shuffleLandingZones
  

Updated the following maps to use shuffleLandingZones: true

• Clutch
  
• Lock
  
• Crag
  
• Bedlam
  
• PAX
  
• Medea
  
• Roc
  
• Blitz
  
• Forge
  
• Berg
  
• Duat
  
• Pacific
  
• Styx
  
• Meso
  
• Amplus
  

[h2]Modding[/h2]
Modding improvements:

• Exposed locTree for localislation parsing of modified DOM nodes avoiding the need for concatenated loc strings or data-binding locTree(document.getElementById('#nav-link'));
  
• Added gOffline and gModsOffline for offline mode (work in progress)
  
• Added api.audio.getDevices():[string]
  
• Added api.audio.setDevice(string)
  
• Reworked SettingItemModel to support
  
• options.function(currentValue)
  
• options.deferredFunction(currentValue) for async
  
• options.refresh: seconds
  
• option.empty: string
  
• Added support for JSON // single line comments
  
• Improved modding support for multiple selectable skybox mods in settings: (114776)
  
• model.skyBoxes.push({text: 'Test', value: '/pa/terrain/sky/textures/skybox_02.json'})
  
• api.ar_system.changeSkyBoxSpec(api.settings.getSynchronous('graphics', 'skybox'));
  
• New recon observer channel radar_jammer (114862)
  

[h2]AI Modding[/h2]
AI modding improvements:

• Default personality tag is the placeholder for current base game functionality
  
• Added fall back to default netural_networks if not included under personality.ai_path which will be the case for most mods
  
• Added additional --ai-debug output (114673)
  
• Added enabled to build specs for AI debugging (114673)
  
• Added debug to build conditions for AI debugging (114673)
  
• Added IsMainBase build condition (114673)
  
• Added first pass of AI intel point threat status (114673)
  
• Added personality.starting_location_evaluation_radius (114673)
  
• Added gw mod support for bounty_mode, bounty_value, sudden_death_mode, shuffle_landing_zones and land_anywhere (114716)
  

AI mods can use personality.ai_path to specify their own complete set of templates, builds and unit maps as the default AI may be changing significantly.

[h2]Toolchain[/h2]
Updated software development toolchain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toolchain

• C++17
  
• Visual Studio 2019 latest with 142 build tools / Windows 10 SDK latest (115050)
  
• Xcode 12.2 / macOS Big Sur 11 / 10.16 latest for macOS Mavericks 10.9+ with full notarisation using hardened runtime (115050)
  
• Steam Linux runtime with gcc-9 / LTO native (previously limited to gcc 6.2 and no LTO)
  
• Steamworks SDK 150 (115050)
  
• Windows libcurl 7.68.0 with nghttp2 1.40.0 for HTTP/2 and multiplexing (will upgrade to 7.70.0 and 1.41.0 soon)
  
• breakpad latest
  
• libpng 1.6.37 with SSE
  
• libsquish 1.15 with SSE
  
• stb_image 2.25
  
• stb_truetype 1.24
  
• lz4 1.9.2
  
• miniz 2.1
  
• zlib 1.2.11
  
• sdl 2.0.12
  

https://planetaryannihilation.com/guides/rainbows-unicorns-updates/




https://planetaryannihilation.com/guides/titans-balance-changes/




https://steamcommunity.com/games/386070/announcements/detail/2855799982664689112

Both games are updated at the same time.

We are Kickstarter backers, supporters, modders and players continuing development of PA.




Founding Kickstarter backers from September 2012 were gifted TITANS for free.

All other owners of classic PA can upgrade to TITANS at a permanent discount of 90% off for ~$US2.99.


News: https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/

Development and Updates Timeline: https://planetaryannihilation.com/timeline/

Hello Commanders,

Your eyes do not deceive you, this creature of majesty above is both half-Commander and half-unicorn. Touch its horn if you will, but the only wish it grants is the pillaging of the galaxy’s resources to ensure the demise of your enemies. Friendship is temporary, but a well-placed ubercannon blast is forever.

The Unicorn Commander is available to all players during the Steam Summer Sale, after which it can be purchased through the Armory. It also comes with its own strategic icon so that everyone else knows that you’re better than them, both as a player and a person.

Lobbies now have the option to shuffle player starting locations. No longer can you know who is where without any scouting in FFA and team games. Live the mystery.

The AI has had an easy difficulty added to skirmish and normal in Galactic War as part of some more extensive changes. We hear your eyebrow lift (just one, you’re classy like that) at the addition of an easier difficulty, but once improvements land and it’s kicking your hiney, you’ll be sorry you got all sniffy about an easy difficulty.

Translations have been updated and expanded to include community mods like Legion Expansion and Queller AI.

Previous update: https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/stay-safe-update-114344-114438-114445-114475/



[h2]Client Improvements[/h2]
Local client improvements:

• Updated translations
  
• Added connect timeouts to download manager to avoid long launch stalls
  
• Added initial support for full offline / disconnected mode via --offline (work in progress)
  
• Improved game password dialog with focus and default button
  
• Added shuffle landing zones to new game lobby for large FFA and teams games using maps with custom landing zones
  

[h2]AI Improvements[/h2]
Local server and public server improvements:

• Added easy difficulty for AI skirmish to match galactic war (work in progress)
  

[h2]Galactic War Improvements[/h2]
Local server and public server improvements:

• Added normal difficulty between easy and hard (work in progress)
  

[h2]Server / Sim Improvements[/h2]
Local server and public server improvements:

• Improved attack (focus fire) task
  
• Added shuffle landing zones
  

[h2]Server / Sim Fixes[/h2]
Local server and public server fixes:

• Fixed AI server crash in evaluateBases
  

[h2]Maps[/h2]
Map improvements:

• Added shuffleLandingZones
  

Updated the following maps to use shuffleLandingZones: true

• Clutch
  
• Lock
  
• Crag
  
• Bedlam
  
• PAX
  
• Medea
  
• Roc
  
• Blitz
  
• Forge
  
• Berg
  
• Duat
  
• Pacific
  
• Styx
  
• Meso
  
• Amplus
  

[h2]Modding[/h2]
Modding improvements:

• Exposed locTree for localislation parsing of modified DOM nodes avoiding the need for concatenated loc strings or data-binding locTree(document.getElementById('#nav-link'));
  
• Added gOffline and gModsOffline for offline mode (work in progress)
  

[h2]AI Modding[/h2]
AI modding improvements:

• Default personality tag is the placeholder for current base game functionality
  
• Added fall back to default netural_networks if not included under personality.ai_path which will be the case for most mods
  

AI mods can use personality.ai_path to specify their own complete set of templates, builds and unit maps as the default AI may be changing significantly.

[h2]Toolchain[/h2]
Updated software development toolchain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toolchain

• C++17
  
• Visual Studio 2019 latest with 142 build tools / Windows 10 SDK latest
  
• Xcode 11.5 / macOS 10.15.x latest for macOS Mavericks 10.9+ with full notarisation using hardened runtime
  
• Steam Linux runtime with gcc-9 / LTO native (previously limited to gcc 6.2 and no LTO)
  
• Steamworks SDK 148 (will upgrade to 149 soon)
  
• Windows libcurl 7.68.0 with nghttp2 1.40.0 for HTTP/2 and multiplexing (will upgrade to 7.70.0 and 1.41.0 soon)
  
• breakpad latest
  
• libpng 1.6.37 with SSE
  
• libsquish 1.15 with SSE
  
• stb_image 2.25
  
• stb_truetype 1.24
  
• lz4 1.9.2
  
• miniz 2.1
  
• zlib 1.2.11
  
• sdl 2.0.12
  

https://planetaryannihilation.com/guides/rainbows-unicorns-update-114599/

https://planetaryannihilation.com/timeline

Hello Commanders,

Did you want to know what Planetary Annihilation Inc is doing to help you stay safe during COVID-19? No? Didn’t think so.

Instead we’ve spent the time adjusting the dials, tweaking the numbers and fiddling the stats, all to create the new perfect™ TITANS balance. We’re making adjustments to make it easier to create your initial base, make tanks more viable as an early game option, and also make it easier to get into the orbital layer.

For the map makers among you, we fixed metal on the equator, allowed you to quickly create backups as you work, and height adjustments are now possible for terrain.

You’ll need to dive into the pas files with your preferred text editor to make the changes, no fancy UI just yet, but it will allow you even more control over your creations. In return, don’t create systems with planets as far apart from one another as possible and orbital travel times so long they verge on the realistic. No one likes those systems. Please stop.

New support section on website (work in progress): https://planetaryannihilation.com/support/


Partially fixed attack (focus fire) charging to their death for units with a firing delay, ballistic solutions, etc. eg Grenadier, Hornets, etc.

Queued area load and unload can now be used to create a temporary ferry.

[h2]TITANS Balance Changes[/h2]
Commander

• Build range increased to 30 from 20
  
• Faster and more accurate alt-fire ubercannon d-gun (114438)
  
• Fixed all commanders to have identical mesh bounds based on base commander spec (114438)
  

Icarus Solar Drone

• Speed increased to 50 from 30
  

Stryker attack vehicle

• Speed increased to 20 from 15 (faster than Dox)
  

Grenadier

• Rate of fire increased to 0.5 from 0.4
  
• Range increased to 145 from 130
  
• Yaw ranged increased to 135 from 90
  
• Idle aim delay decreased to 0.5 from 1.0
  
• Firing standard deviation decreased to 0.75 from 1.0
  

Drifter hover tank

• Range increased to 115 from 100
  
• Damage increased to 125 from 120
  

Pelter medium range artillery

• Firing standard deviation increased to 0.5 from 0.35
  
• Range decreased to 240 from 260
  

Orbital Launcher

• Cost decreased to 1,500 from 2,000
  

Mend advanced combat fabricator (check the build range)

• Can now build Anti-Nuke Launchers and Umbrella anti-orbital defenses
  

Anchor defense satellite

• Ground weapon range reduced to 80 from 100
  

Jig gas mining platform

• Metal production decreased to 30 from 36
  
• Energy production decreased to 7,500 from 9,000
  

Piranha gunboat / sea scout:

• Navigation changed to new water-hover (114438)
  

Stingray missile ship target priorities:

• Air & ( Transport | Bomber | Gunship | Titan )
  
• Mobile & Air
  

Narwhal frigate target priorities:

• Air & ( Transport | Bomber | Gunship | Titan )
  
• Mobile & Air
  

Horsefly advanced heavy strafing aircraft

• Cost increased to 2,000 from 1,200
  
• Health decreased to 1,250 from 1,500
  
• No longer targets air
  

https://planetaryannihilation.com/guides/titans-balance-changes/

[h2]Client Improvements[/h2]
Local client improvements:

• Added support for interplanetary area and line formations with load / unload
  
• Added build range preview (control)
  
• Added official support link to start menu (and removed community support link)
  
• Added alt / option alternative area build (114438)
  
• Added max radius for alt / option alternative area build (114445)
  
• Changed Armory to be available offline and show locked commanders not available to purchase without steam overlay (114473)
  

[h2]Client Fixes[/h2]
Local client fixes:

• Fixed black screen issue where load event for splash image failed to fire (patched by community mods)
  
• Fixed strategic icons and fog of war lighting showing when units teleporting
  
• Fixed invalid userIds causing empty friends list (114473)
  

[h2]System Editor Improvements[/h2]
Local client improvements:

• Added export to system editor for fast backups while creating maps
  
• Added description, creator and version to system editor
  

[h2]System Editor Fixes[/h2]
Local client fixes:

• Fixed system editor metal sport validation
  
• Fixed unselectable sunken CSG in system editor
  

[h2]Server / Sim Improvements[/h2]
Local server and public server improvements:

• Added continuous area load / chase and interplanetary area load / unload (queued area load / unload orders can be used for temporary ferry)
  
• Added terrain height adjustments to planet builder
  
• Added water-hover navigation type for low draft brown water navy access to shallows (114438)
  

[h2]Server / Sim Fixes[/h2]
Local server and public server fixes:

• Fixed transport / distance with teleport load / unload exploits
  
• Fixed death explosion damaging their own wreckage
  
• Fixed move sub tasks targeting a unit only targeting initial position resulting in missed air / orbital loads for moving units
  
• Fixed nav agent targeting of lower layers by air / orbital not excluding radius of each agent resulting in missed loads as vertical move outside of goal range
  
• Partially fixed attack (focus fire) charging to their death for units with a firing delay, ballistic solutions, etc
  

[h2]Modding[/h2]
Unit server mod changes:

• Added load_range and chase_range to transporter spec
  

[h2]Content Creation[/h2]
Video creation improvements:

• Added --no-sun and --no-planets with hidden black biome for video capture using api.ar_system.changeSkyboxOverlayColor(0,0,0,1)
  

https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/stay-safe-updates/




https://planetaryannihilation.com/guides/titans-balance-changes/




https://steamcommunity.com/games/386070/announcements/detail/2855799982664689112

Both games are updated at the same time.

We are Kickstarter backers, supporters, modders and players continuing development of PA.




Founding Kickstarter backers from September 2012 were gifted TITANS for free.

All other owners of classic PA can upgrade to TITANS at a permanent discount of 90% off for ~$US2.99.


News: https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/

Development and Updates Timeline: https://planetaryannihilation.com/timeline/

Hello Commanders,

We’re almost mid-way through Planetary Annihilation: TITANS 1v1 ranked season 7.

Over the past seasons many players have proven themselves to be among the best commanders out there, capable of adapting to the ever changing pool of maps. An even smaller number of commanders can lay claim to the title of Uber #1, the highest symbol of skill in the game. Holding this rank at the end of a season also comes with the reward of the prestigious Beast Commander.

Of those few who hold this title to their name, two have consistently shown they can stand out from even the highest echelons of commanders with the sheer size of their egos. Now it’s time to put them head-to-head to determine once and for all who really has the biggest pair of tusks!

[h3]On Saturday, June 6th, starting at 17:00 UTC, AndreasG and NikolaMX will compete in a best-of-9 series. The winner will take home US$1,000 while the loser departs in disgrace and audience catcalls.[/h3]

They will NOT know the map list in advance. The maps may be from the 1v1 ranked pool, or they may be confronted with brand new maps. We’ve allowed them to submit one map each to try to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses.

This titanic grudge match permits no excuses for defeat other than distinct and tangible inferiority. The defeated will be, officially, a loser.

Join us over at WPMarshall’s Twitch where this event will be cast live for your pleasure. It’s going to be quite a spectacular tussle between these 2 players where we will determine who is truly deserving of the Beast Commander.

When: 2020-06-06 Saturday 17:00 UTC
Where: https://www.twitch.tv/wpmarshall

https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/beast-vs-beast/




https://planetaryannihilation.com/guides/titans-balance-changes/




https://steamcommunity.com/games/386070/announcements/detail/1699433555461912598

Both games are updated at the same time.




Founding Kickstarter backers from September 2012 were gifted TITANS for free.

All other owners of classic PA can upgrade to TITANS at a permanent discount of 90% off for ~$US2.99.


News: https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/

Development and Updates Timeline: https://planetaryannihilation.com/timeline/

Season ends at 2020-07-24 00:00 UTC.

Three maps carried over from season 6:

• Alloy
  
• Shoulder
  
• Tropics
  

One map returning from season 5:

• Gargantuan LE
  

Eight maps returning from previous seasons:

• Aquilaris
  
• Backbone
  
• Hyde
  
• Kelvin
  
• Niflhel
  
• Tartarus (updated)
  
• The Ardennes
  
• The Marne
  

One original map returning from season 1:

• Amplus
  

Three NEW maps for Season 7:

• PAX Frontier
  
• Complaint Department
  
• Herculaneum
  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dkr75-orjg



Participation prizes are back for the most active players when the season ends at 2020-07-24 00:00 UTC

• Three most active Bronze players – US$100 each
  
• Three most active Silver players – US$100 each
  
• Three most active Gold players – US$100 each
  
• Three most active Platinum players – US$100 each
  
• Three most active Uber players – US$100 each
  

https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/titans-1v1-ranked-season-7/




https://planetaryannihilation.com/guides/titans-balance-changes/




https://steamcommunity.com/games/386070/announcements/detail/1699433555461912598

Both games are updated at the same time.




Founding Kickstarter backers from September 2012 were gifted TITANS for free.

All other owners of classic PA can upgrade to TITANS at a permanent discount of 90% off for ~$US2.99.


News: https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/

Development and Updates Timeline: https://planetaryannihilation.com/timeline/