Version/2.28.x

2.28.8

Release: TBD

Features

• Added armour penetration effect to vehicle damage
  • When taking more than 30 damage at once, armour will take 90% damage, hull will take 10%.
• Added message informing about ticket drain when no spawns are available.

Bugfixes

• Recustomization of vehicles will now consume wages before taking resources from the team.
• Vehicle restriction will now prevent players from using team resources for vehicle recustomization. (Customization is only allowed if the player has wages.)
• Fixed vehicle spawners not respawning instantly when their vehicle is recycled
• Fixed issues with HDR not setting skybox textures properly
• Now requires a minimum of 2 votes to eject a commander.
• Added an extra check to make sure weapon shoot sounds come from the correct location in the world.

Script/Game Balance

• Commander Vehicle Sticky resist 0.25->0.24
• NF Jeep Engine
  • Max speed 70->69
  • Turbo period 2->1.5
• BE Jeep Engine
  • Turbo period 1->1.5
• 180 mm Artillery Cannon
  • Heat 15 -> 16
• 203 mm Artillery Cannon
  • Heat 25 -> 28
• HE Artillery Cannon
  • Heat 15 -> 25
• Ranged Artillery Cannon
  • Heat 20 -> 22

2.28.7

Release: 29/03/2020

Features

• Added glow outlines to mines:
  • Appears along side the original warning icon, the outline turns green if the mine is being defused.
  • Also added a display timer for the defusal skill so that players can see the defusal progress.

Bug fixes

• Fixed a bug where players could be awarded points for healing other players much faster than intended.
• Removed the dissolve 'fadeout' effect from tanks. There were underlying issues with it's implementation where the server would have to find and remove anything in the entities' hierarchy that wasn't 'dissolved'.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle wheels were not all being added to some of the physics engine checks. (4 out of 8 wheels for example).
  • By default HL2 supports 4 wheel vehicles, empires vehicles have up to 8. Unknown what side effects this may have caused.
• Fixed some of the debug helper displays not showing for vehicles. (ent_bbox in developer mode)
• Removed the default GameConfig file and moved empires.FGD to the tools directory. The reason for this is that without a default file and the FGD file being in the tool directory; you can just launch the tool and it will create a GameConfig file that works for you. (Our default file didn't work and other games don't use a default.)

Sound changes

• Added a custom soundmixer.txt script, which will allow us to tweak how sound groups are mixed in the game.
• Moved a lot of sound files to different directories to fully implement the built in sound-mixer system.
• Changed some volume levels and sound attenuation levels to hopefully improve how sounds mix together; the aim of this is to prevent some of the late game audio issues.
• Moved the building ambient sounds to the client instead of being in server code. Also fixed the method used to loop the sounds; which wasn't working properly.
• Building ambient sounds are now defined in the buildings.txt script rather than being hard-coded.
• Removed bullet flyby/near-miss sounds that we don't have license to use. We now use the near-miss sounds shipped with Half-Life 2.
• Fixed bullet flyby/near-miss sounds playing when the local player shoots. (Sound effects still happen on bullet ricochet effect)
• Fixed an issue where the sounds played at the end of the game wouldn't play. (You are victorious! / You have been defeated! / Win/Lose Music)
• Weapon silencer skill now varies based on weapon being fired. Previously the volume and sound attenuation was the same regardless of weapon. (Now percentage based of scripted sound attenuation)
  • An example of this is scout rifle can be heard a farther distance with silencer than a pistol.

2.28.6

Release: 15/03/2020

Bug fixes

• Fixed missiles colliding with your own tank.

Script/Game Balance

• Changed the scout rifle sway model to be influenced by player speed. Increases sway in general.
• Sprinting while ironsighted now uses the correct run speed.
• Added a new ammo type for machine pistol:
  • Scout gets 72 bullets by default
  • All other classes get 54 bullets by default
• Reworked armors to shift some health to vehicle hull instead.
  • Composite Armor
    • Health 80->77
  • Reactive Armor
  • Health 125->122
    • Deflective Armor
    • Health 75->72
  • Regenerative Armor
    • Health 72->70
  • Absorbant Armor
    • Health 68->66
  • Capacitive Armor
    • Health 170->165
  • BE Heavy Tank
    • Hull Health 225->235
  • NF Heavy Tank
    • Hull Health 275->285
  • BE Medium Tank
    • Hull Health 200->210
  • NF Medium Tank
    • Hull Health 200->210
  • BE AFV
    • Hull Health 200->210
  • NF Light Tank
    • Hull Health 150->160
  • BE Artillery Tank
    • Hull Health 125->130
  • NF Artillery Tank
    • Hull Health 125->130

2.28.5

Release: 08/03/2020

Features

• Scout binocular can now spot multiple targets with a cool-down of 5 seconds between each.
  • Voice-over line has been removed from binoculars to avoid spam.
  • Spot time :
    • Buildings => 3 minutes
    • Vehicles => 1 minute
    • Infantry => 30 seconds

Bug fixes

• Fixed a bug causing kill count on the scoreboard to reset when changing team/rejoining a server.
• Fixed the NF commander not being able to see his heat level.
• Fixed an issue with the anti-vehicle-spam timer display showing incorrect info.
• Fixed a typo that was causing the point cost display of squad heal not to work.
• Fixed a client-side bug that was allowing players to use certain skills without actually being that class. (Mine detection as an example)
• Fixed a bug where any vehicle damage caused by engineer tools couldn't be repaired.
• Fixed a few text issues relating to the chat messages printed when using squad skills.
• Reverted to the old method of collision for missiles during grace period, now that it is confirmed this wasn't causing a bug where vehicles fall through the map.

Script/Game Balance

• Scout now gets one more magazine for all weapons except for Heavy Pistol, shotgun pistol and scout rifle
  • 3 magazines -> 4 magazines
• Deflective Armor - Slight nerf to compensate for the armor angle modifier now working vs vehicle machine guns
  • APBulletResist 0.35->0.1
  • BulletExplosiveResist 0.45->0.2
• Stamina upgrade changes:
  • Stamina upgrade now reduces stamina consumption of sprint by 33% instead of 25%
  • Stamina upgrade now reduces the stamina consumption of jump by 33% (originally 0%)
  • Rifleman stamina recharge brought in line with other classes. (Previously lower)

2.28.4

Release: 15/02/2020

Bug fixes

• Fixed a server bug relating to angle modifier that caused a crash on servers.
• Fixed a typo on the new commander health text, added a space between the display and player name.
• Fixed an issue with NF repair station's collision mesh being offset slightly as of last patch.

Script/Game Balance

• Squad artillery changes:
  • Moved spawn position from slightly below skybox to 4000 units above target, so it's a lot more consistent to use.
  • Damage per shell 100->150
  • Damage type : KineticArt -> SquadArt (This change means only walls and non-CV vehicles will actually take 50% more damage.)
  • Explosion force : 2000->20000

Map changes

Glycencity

• Tweaked first BE spawns so players face the vehicle factory
• Added two level 2 ML turrets defending each vehicle factory
• Non-essential capture point resource gain reduced from 1.0 to 0.8 per second
• Fixed displacement seam in C2
• Minor displacement adjustments around middle NF spawn
• Fixed power line connections around NF 2nd flag
• Restored missing overlays from a structure in B5
• Fixed lighting origins on building flag icons
• AI-related optimisation

2.28.3

Release: 14/02/2020

Features

• Added a new map-specific loading screen. When loading an official map there will be an image of the map displayed.

Bug fixes

• Fixed a bug where vehicles were not being destroyed properly when killed.
• Fixed a crash relating to the voice status HUD element.
• Fixed a bug where bullet tracer effects wouldn't happen if they didn't hit anything.
• Fixed a bug which would cause missiles to explode when colliding with each other.
• Fixed a few typo's in the squad point changes introduced in 2.28.1
• Fixed a bug where if you were using two grenades on an apc, it would only fire one.
• Fixed machine gun muzzle flashes facing the wrong direction on NF heavy tank.
• Fixed a visual bug where there was a client/server mismatch when firing within the first 3 seconds of vehicle creation.
• Fixed vehicles being able to fire weapons whilst under water.
• Fixed vehicle machine guns ignoring armor angle modifiers. (Deflective armor)
• Fixed an issue with the NF repairpad. The root bone wasn't centered meaning the building placement could clip into other things when rotated.

Script/Game Balance

• Tweaked some building placement values to allow for easier building placement as commander.

• The above angle modifier fix should buff Deflective/Composite armor against vehicle MG while nerfing Capacitive.

Other changes

• Changed the bullet tracer particle effect. It previously travelled slow enough for players to assume they had to lead their shots for them to hit.

2.28.2

Release: 09/02/2020

Bug fixes

• Fixed squad targets being able to target projectiles.
• Fixed a few missile icons having no transparency.
• Fixed a bug where the cursor would sometimes disappear if you had net_graph displayed.
• Ammo/health crates now use client-side animation instead.
• Changed water rendering to hopefully remove artifacting at the intersection between water and displacement.
• Changed the health thresholds for building smoke/fire effects:
  • Yellow 'unbuilt' smoke stays visible until the building is fully built. (Fades the more HP the structure has)
  • Building has over 80% health = 0 smoke/flame particles
  • Building has between 60% - 80% health = 1 smoke/flame particles
  • Building has between 40% - 60% health = 2 smoke/flame particles
  • Building has between 20% - 40% health = 3 smoke/flame particles
  • Building has less than 20% health = 4 smoke/flame particles

Map Changes

Mvalley

• Small bug fixes, like holes in displacements.

Other Changes

• Fixed a floating smoke particle attachment on NF barracks model.
• Added imperial and nf model folders to the default sv_pure config.
• Increased Brenodi barracks level of detail model (LOD4) distance from 400 -> 600 (To be consistent with NF)

2.28.1

Release: 08/02/2020

Features

• Players now gain points for damaging buildings rather than destroying them. (1 point every 200 damage)
• Rifle NPCs now have a 50% chance to run at you whilst shooting instead of being stationary
• Squad heal costs now scale, costs from 3-6 squad points depending on the amount of health lost
• Commander health status has been enhanced, now showing hull HP and armour separately
• Vehicle damage reworked to use floating point numbers instead of integers, this will be most noticeable for low-damage per hit weapons
• Extended squad armour and damage to affect vehicles now

Bug fixes

• Changed guided/homing missiles to become "dumb" missiles when out of guided/homing range, reduces load on server.
• Corrected smoothscrape sounds to play the correct audio, instead of roughscrape.
• Fixed "start locked" spawn flag from func_rot_button.
• Fixed a bug preventing vehicles from getting overheated.
• Fixed a bug where vehicles would be tagged as being killed twice if they died by decon/drowning damage. Awarding players 2 points not 1.
• Fixed a bug where vehicles would try to check and stop vehicle MG firing sounds even if there were none playing.
• Fixed two crashes in the class loadout VGUI panel.
• Fixed a crash in the commander's research VGUI panel.
• Fixed crash related to ragdolls.
• Fixed crash when drawing debug circles.
• Fixed crash relating to the mini-map.
• Fixed homing sound spamming every tick on clients instead of looping.
• Fixed HUD missile lock-on icon positioning overlapping the ammo counter.
• Fixed smoothing groups not working on detail brushes.
• Fixed some issues were a hit-tick would display even if no damage was done. (Damage to buildings)
• Moved cursor to text field when editing chat rather than random spot on screen.
• Optimised some of the client-side code for drawing missile lock-on.
• Reduced the explosion force of squad artillery, should better allow for consecutive hits on parked vehicles.
• Fixed turrets not shooting at all types of NPCs
• Fixed roadkills not crediting NPC kills correctly
• Fixed a bug regarding hitboxes. Headshots wouldn't register if the shot player was crouching.
• Changed behaviour of missile collision 'grace period', this is to try identify if this was the original cause of vehicles falling through the map.

Scripts/Game Balance

• Squad Charge cost 3->2
• Armor regeneration delay reduced from 5 seconds to 4 seconds.
• Fixed a typo that may cause bugs in the vehicle_armors.txt script introduced in 2.27.1
• Fixed default vehicle presets which no longer work because of changes in 2.27.1
• Rifleman HMG FalloffEnd 2500->5000. It will do 0~2 more damage within 5000 range, starting from 0 at 0 range, around 2 at 2500 range and back to 0 at 5000 range.
• Increased effectiveness of Sticky grenades vs walls, 2 sticky grenades will now take down a fully built wall.
• Reduced Grenadier Mortar explosion radius 210->200
• Removed unused aircraft resist values in building scripts.
• Restructed cost of artillery tanks, cost is now based more on the equipped weapon:
  • Base chassis cost 725->375
  • 180mm Artillery Cannon cost 60->250
  • 203mm Artillery Cannon cost 80->350
  • HE Artillery Cannon cost 90->600
  • Ranged Artillery Cannon cost 100->750
• .50 cal MG weight 50->40
• Medium Chain Gun weight 65->60
• Buffs to Plasma MG and plasma HMG:
  • Plasma MG
    • Damage 5->7.5
    • Falloffstart 5000->0
    • Falloffend 10000->7000
    • MinimalDamage 3->4
  • Plasma HMG
    • Damage 6->10
    • Heat 1.4->2.2
    • Clip Size 30->35
    • Heat To Target 2.3->2.5
    • Falloffstart 5000->0
    • Falloffend 10000->7000
    • MinimalDamage 4->5
• Increase the weight of standard weapons to discourage chassis rush:
  • Standard Cannon
    • Weight 50->65
  • Standard ML
    • Weight 30->35
  • BE AFV
    • Base Weight 634->614
  • NF LT
    • Base Weight 523->503
• Slight buff to Homing missiles:
  • Homing ML
    • (Base) Lock-on time 0.55->0.25
    • Lock Range Modifier 0.0005->0.00055 (Lock-on timer increases by this multiplied by distance to target)
  • Improved Homing ML
    • (Base) Lock-on time 0.3->0.1
    • Lock Range Modifier 0.00045->0.00048 (Lock-on timer increases by this multiplied by distance to target)
• Players will now gain an additional quarter of the recycled resources from vehicle carcasses as wages.
  • Vehicle recycle amounts have been tweaked to reflect this change.
• Vehicle armor skill damage reduction reduced from 15% to 12%

Map Changes

Mvalley

• Raised crates clipping into the floor in dam building
• Readded missing brush in B4
• Fixed floating rope in D4
• Fixed texture seams in D4, B1, and D1
• Adjusted displacements around the map
  • It is now easier to see which slopes are climbable and which aren't
  • Several previously climbable spots are no longer climbable
  • A few climbable spots were widened and visually adjusted
  • Vehicles may still make it up the slopes with enough speed and/or mines
• The connector areas in B4 and D4 are no longer climbable by vehicles
  • The only access points are now the infantry-only bridges
  • This change is meant to incentivise infantry attacks to and from north
• New dam doors override mechanic
  • Each pillbox at the top of the dam now has a button
  • When both pillbox buttons are pressed, every door in the dam building changes its current state (from closed to open OR from open to closed) and all buttons lock down for 60 seconds

Other changes

• Added .vmt files required for glow outline effects.
• Altered the wording of some squad powers to make it easier for players to understand what they do and if they should use them.
• Max setting for 'emp_sv_vehicle_fadeout_time' reduced from 500 seconds to 400 seconds.
• Removed 'emp_sv_player_revive_penalty' and 'emp_sv_player_revive_stamina_penalty' cvars.
• Removed unused cloaking parameters from various .vmt files.
• Removed zoom_sensitivity_ratio default setting in infantry.cfg