Version/2.37.x

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2.37.1

Release: TBC

Features

• We’ve added a new parameter for building entities. Now, when you recycle a building, it can either give you resources (which is the default behavior) or not. The commander will get feedback for what the refund cost will be when triggering a recycle on a building.
  • This change allows level designers to strategically place buildings without worrying about commanders using them to gain additional resources through recycling. For instance, pre-spawned turrets are placed in starting locations to prevent early rushes. However, in the past, commanders have used these turrets to gain small resource advantages during the early phase of the game.
  • Although none of the official maps have been changed to adopt the above behaviour, this may be implemented in the future.

Bugfixes

• Reverted grenade physics behaviour back to how it was prior to 2.37.0. We now fake the grenade bounce sound without detecting surface type.
• Changed physics timestep to match server tickrate. (Instead of DEFAULT_TICK_INTERVAL - for Empires that's currently 66 tick)
• Removed code that disables vertex-lit materials being applied to detail models. (It no longer replaces the model with error.mdl)
• Comprehensive refactoring of vehicle code, both client & server. The aim of this is to improve code readability & maintainability while implementing minor bug fixes and reducing code complexity. It will allow us to iterate easier in the future when adding new features. Some related bug fixes
  • Fixed some bugs caused by the vehicle self-destruct functionality. When the self-destruct timer had elapsed it would cause the self-destruct damage to be applied first, then ignore any subsequent damage/regeneration that may happen in that frame. Essentially, if a vehicle was taking self-destruct damage it would be invincible to biological damage-over-time and armor would stop regenerating.
  • Fixed a number of potential crashes.
  • Fixed some issues with how vehicle water level is detected/set in code. This has no impact on gameplay but is now working as intended.
  • Fixed a bug with vehicle damage assists. Assists had the potential to be awarded because other entities had damaged the vehicle. (trigger_hurt for example).
  • Significantly reduced memory required to store a vehicle object through removing unused variables and optimization.
  • Reduced CPU usage by optimized code in various places.

Script/Game Balance

Infantry weapons

• Modified the Heavy Machine Gun for both teams to deliver sustained fire with decent accuracy, despite initially lower accuracy compared to rifles and SMGs, thanks to its low increment for longer, stable bursts.
  • HMG spread is based on DuckingSpread
    • HMG is 100% less accurate while Standing
      • HMG is 200% less accurate than Standing while Jumping
    • HMG is 20% more accurate while proning
  • HMG Spread Modifier is based on Spread
    • HMG is 200% less accurate while moving
  • HMG increment is based on Standing Increment
    • HMG increment is 20% slower while Crouching
    • HMG increment is 40% slower while Proning
• Adjusted the cycle time for the following weapons to align with servers operating at a 100 tick rate.
  • SMG 1(Both teams)
    • CycleTime 0.09 -> 0.08
  • SMG 2 (Both teams)
    • CycleTime 0.075 -> 0.07
  • NF Assault rifle
    • CycleTime 0.106 -> 0.1
• Engineer Tool
  • Increased heal amount from 4 to 6
  • Reduced Heal Modifier from 3 to 2 (Heal upgrade multiplier)

Known Issues

• Armor impact sounds are often too quiet to be heard well. (Carried over from previous update.)

2.37.0

Release: 2024-05-26

Features

• Grenades and mines make sounds when they bounce against surfaces.
• Added armor impact sounds.
  • Distinct sounds play when a vehicle's armor is damaged, a vehicle's hull is damaged, and when a sticky grenade latches to a tank hull.
  • Different armors can have different sounds, though most armors currently do not.
• Enabled several unused NF taunts.
• Updated the commander view's zoom functionality.
  • Added zoom-to-cursor functionality. The camera will zoom towards the cursor position when enabled. An option will be added to the advanced section of the multiplayer settings menu.
  • Camera smoothing has been updated, updated cvars added to control this.
    • emp_comm_zoom_stepsize - Controls how many units to increment/decrement the target zoom amount per scroll.
    • emp_comm_zoom_speed - Original cvar, original values should still work with updated smoothing method.
• Enabled the trigger_portal brush entity.
  • trigger_portal is an brush entity in the Source base code.
  • It moves touched entity to a destination trigger_portal, preserving the relative position and velocity of the entity.
  • Warning: This entity can cause teleported entities to become stuck or escape the map, and has not extensively tested. Use at your own risk!
• Added team-limiting spawnflags to all trigger bruah entities.

Bugfixes

• Fixed the game phase material proxy not updating correctly.
• Fixed MG turrets continuing to play the shooting sound effect after game end.
• Fixed spectator HUD not displaying observer target info correctly.
• Added warning message when the vehicle customization menu fails to open because your team has no chassis researched.
• Changes to team physics content masking.

Script/Game Balance

Vehicle Weapons

• Guided Missile
  • Increased Maximum Guiding Range from 5500 to 8000
• Homing Missile
  • Increased Maximum Lock On range from 7000 to 8000
• Biological Missile
  • Reduced Bio Duration from 8 to 5s

Vehicle Armors

• Regenerative
  • Reduced Health Regeneration from 4 to 3

Vehicle Engines

• Bio Diesel
  • Reduced Cooling by 0.25

Other changes

• Sever operators can now disable the server inactivity timeout by setting emp_sv_inactivity_timeout to 0.
  • If non-zero, the timeout has a minimum of 120 seconds.
• Deprecate the emp_sv_forceteam convar.
  • This functionality has been replaced by the new AllowedTeams field in emp_info_params.
    • Setting AllowedTeams to 0 allows players to join either team. Setting it to 2 or 3 allows player to only join Northern Faction or Brenodi Empire respectively.
    • This function can still be accessed by setting the emp_sv_forceteam convar, but that variable is now deprecated and will not show up in autocomplete.
• Remove remnants of the PushMap setting in emp_params
• Minimap icons will now be revealed to both teams when the game is over.
• When the game ends, the game timer on the HUD will freeze, displaying the final time for that round.
• When creating workshop packages, you can now specify a preview image.
  • This can be done by adding the "Image" "FilePathRelativeToWorkshopItemFolder.jpg" KV pair to the package.txt`

Known Issues

• Armor impact sounds are often too quiet to be heard well.