Ideas + Questions

[knucracker]

I'm very near the end of the release...
If I'm lucky I will bust most of it out tomorrow.  There are enough changes that I will probably beta it for a few days.  I'll add everyone interested to the beta group so they can see the beta folder and get early access.

Here are a few highlights:
- Fixing final story mission so you can win without using Thor.  
- The custom map screen gets a little awkward once you have more than one screen of maps.  Redoing the Paging mechanism and fixing a few refresh bugs.
- Fixed a minor graphical glitch that shows up on some maps.  Some shadows were on top of higher terrain.
- Possibly doubling the max output capacity of Odin City to 32.  It is really tricky to do something other than 16 and 32.
- Changed map editor so you can see your brush size and shape.
- Moved a few buttons around in the map editor and made the window a little taller.
- Added the ability to select what technologies are available on a map (yes you can even leave out collectors...).
- Added the ability to have an artifact unlock a technology.
- Updated the game to support selective techs and artifact-unlocked techs on custom maps created with the editor.

Things I have left to decide are the max output capacity thing.... I'm nervous this could change gameplay at less than extreme levels... but I can't really say that it does (I can't think of a reason it should matter, and I haven't really noticed while playing.... but I'm still thinking about it).  I might decide to only up the output capacity to 32 after you have built 10 speed pods or something....

Thor.... so you can put thor in a custom map.  It can be a tech to start with, or you could more reasonably unlock it mid-mission with an artifact (like a final mission to a campaign).  I will probably leave everything alone, but I had thought about crippling Thor in the custom maps.  In other words it wouldn't be as powerful as the Thor at the end of the campaign.  But, it is hard to cripple thor and it still not really be too powerful.  So I may just leave it.  It's the kind of thing that is good for final missions as a kind of reward to the player for finally reaching a goal.

[Kamron3]

Oh oh oh do it nooowww! Been waiting forever for that new output level :D

_k

w00t

[Aurzel]

all sounds great, cant wait, and dont cripple thor, or if you do just make its area of effect slightly smaller and make it not fire so many missiles

[knucracker]

Ok.... the beta version is up.  If you are a beta member you should see a new message in the beta group with download instructions for the patch.  If you aren't a beta member and want to be, just let me know.

[Chasofito]

I'm posting here because it is apparently where the version postings are being done currently. Just a personal suggestion but it may prove useful to other level makers.

A rectangle 'paint tool.' The idea to be able to fill a specific height in an area quickly could help when it comes to building a map which may use large areas or a fair degree of differing heights. From filling in details to maybe even clearing an entire portion as needed.

[Kamron3]

Yeah, maybe one of those size increasers than can increase it over what the max size is currently. The max size now isn't large enough if you are trying to flatten out an entire map to one level, or so.

[Aurzel]

yeah i thought of that too, a bit tedious to drag that tiny grid over a whole map