Beta Branch Patch 0.27 - More Missions
With this update we want to help ease the learning curve of basic game mechanics. With several new tutorial missions the Adventurer helps the player to understand new block types and weapons.
In addition to the tutorial missions, long-term quests are introduced. These are given to the player after first meeting the Adventurer.
Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.
This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK):
Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'beta'.
In addition to the tutorial missions, long-term quests are introduced. These are given to the player after first meeting the Adventurer.
Beta Branch Note: These changes are currently available on the beta branch. The beta branch is for testing experimental changes and for finding and fixing errors.
This is how you get access to the beta branch (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK):
Right-Click on Avorion in your Steam list, Properties -> Betas -> Select branch 'beta'.
Gameplay
"The Adventurer is the players' introduction to the story. Additionally the Adventurer now gives the player long-term quests that guide through the game."
- Added new tutorial missions for introductions to
- R-Mining
- Torpedoes
- Commanding Fighters
- Fleet & Map Commands
- R-Mining
- The first dialog with the Adventurer is now forced (instead of hail) to reliably introduce players to the story
- Added new missions that accompany the player through the game, specifically for
- Crossing the barrier
- Finding Avorion
- Reaching the center of the galaxy
- Crossing the barrier
Client
- Particles and effects are now paused in pause mode
- Added torpedo space to ship stats overview in ship menu
- Added a tooltip line for consumption of energy when upgrades are permanently installed
- Removed option for mailing items from alliance inventory since it wasn't possible anyway
- Activating items from the alliance inventory is no longer possible
- "Mission Updated" etc. texts no longer overwrite each other when multiple missions are started simultaneously
- Quick-Switching of control schemes (F2) is now disabled by default (Can be turned back on in settings)
- Improved error messages when connection to (local) server doesn't work
- Server now waits for Steam network response when initializing networking, not when downloading mods
- Downloading mods is skipped entirely (not just download an empty list) when download list is empty
Balancing
"Since we often ran into performance issues, we had to introduce some changes to the inventory and mail system. A frequent performance issue is the unlimited inventory size. We have limited inventory space to 1000 slots (which we think is a good compromise between performance and comfort) to see how things work out. Keep in mind that these are experimental changes."
- Limited inventory of players and alliances to 1000 slots
- This prevents players and alliances to pick up or get items when the inventory is full
- The limit is introduced to save performance without limiting the player too much
- 1000 Slots means 1000 different items, stackable items can still be stacked to infinity
- This prevents players and alliances to pick up or get items when the inventory is full
- Sending mails is no longer possible when inbox is already full
- Mails sent to a player with a full mailbox bounce back
- Increased fighter dodge recharge time to 120 seconds from 60
- AI ships no longer get coaxial guns
Scripting API
- Inventory():hasSlot() now ignores item type
- Added a maxSlots property to Inventory
- Added Inventory:hasSlot(item) function to check if items can be added
- Implemented a "addOrDrop" function for Inventory that drops the item when inventory is full
- Adding mails to a player is no longer inhibited by max mails limit
- Implemented sendCallback() function for Faction that delegates it to alliance or player
- Added callback to refinery for onTakeAllPressed
- Added more control for bullet points in mission description
- Upgrades of all player ships now accessible from scripts
- structuredmission.lua framework: Implemented a "noBossEncountersTargetSector" property for disabling the spawn of the AI and Swoks
- Improved docs for new properties for disabling player events
- Implemented properties for structuredmission.lua framework to disable player events in target sector
- Implemented disabling of certain player-related events in specific sectors
- Merged spawnswoks.lua and spawnai.lua into their own script to have random encounters in one place
- PlayerID's property "id" is now a string
- Fixed several issues when registering new callbacks while callbacks are being executed
- Added a setter to Hyperspace Engine for "can pass blocked sectors" property
- stringutility's join() now uses tostring() internally to convert values reliably
- Added more tags to civil ships to distinguish freighters, miners and traders
- Moved script updates of player communicator to update of the sector the player is in for improved performance while multiple players are online
- Players' scripts are now updated in parallel for better performance
- Invoking functions on players from another sector is no longer possible
- Players' scripts are now updated in parallel for better performance
- Implemented invokeRemoteFactionFunction() and runRemoteFactionCode() to make up for removing invoking function on players in other sectors
Bugfixes
"Bugs marked with [UBR] are user bug reports. Thanks to everyone for reporting and keep it up!"
- Fixed a bug in Cover Retreat mission where the two factions didn't attack each other
- Fixed a bug in Cover Retreat mission where the enemy fleet didn't attack the player
- Fixed an issue where sellable inventory items couldn't be sold
- [UBR] Fixed an issue where fighters started from ships with AI Xsotan artifact would never need pilots again
- [UBR] Fixed an issue where destroying items in Alliance inventory wasn't working
- [UBR] Empty reconstruction tokens that are applied to alliance crafts now put the token into the Alliance's inventory
- [UBR] Fixed an issue with Merchant Beacon where Alliances couldn't call in merchants
- [UBR] Fixed an issue with Merchant Beacon where any faction would respond (instead of specific faction)
- [UBR] Fixed an issue with Reinforcements Transmitter where Alliances couldn't call in reinforcements
- [UBR] Fixed an issue with Reinforcements Transmitter where timer would be set wrongly when player is not in a ship
- [UBR] Fixed several issues where turrets weren't deleted while modifying crafts
- [UBR] Fixed relations of factions improving when killing their own hired head hunter
- [UBR] Fighters are now correctly displayed as enemies, even if their mothership is gone
- [UBR] Fixed "Pick up stolen Cargo" combo box not having the correct setting selected for the current ship
- Fixed an issue where dumping cargo could lead to bad cargo problem not disappearing
- AI, Swoks and Guardian can no longer immediately spawn on game start / login