Merry Christmas! I've just uploaded GH2 v0.410 to the website. I didn't get quite everything that I wanted finished, but I wanted to make a release for Christmas so here it is.
Note that RPG and Arena campaigns from previous versions are no longer compatable. Characters are fine, though, so just export all your pilots and start again.
Here's the list of changes:
- Added Tool gears (ghswag.pp)
A tool can give you a bonus in any non-combat skill. Both Performance and CodeBreaking require tools; the tool can be either equipped or kept in your backpack. For other skills, the tool must be equipped in order to have an effect. A number of interesting tools have been added to the equipment file. I hope you enjoy them.
- Added personal computers and computer stores
- Added Concert,ifGHasSkill ASL commands (arenascript.pp,minigame.pp)
- Performance skill has been reworked (skilluse.pp)
- Scene description is quotestringed (playwright.pp)
- Added Harness gears (ghguard.pp)
A harness can be equipped on one of your limbs. They can contain computers, power sources, and weapons.
- Increased experience rewards for skill use (action.pp)
- May select character colors during creation (chargen.pp)
- All quest-related gears may have quest rumors (interact.pp)
- Added multiple tile sets (locale.pp)
- Removed unused ROOM parser command (gearparser.pp)
- Many unnessecary terrain types removed (locale.pp)
- Cash earned and repair cost now displayed after arena mission (gh2arena.pp)
- Characters joining arena unit reimbursed for lost mecha (gh2arena.pp)
- Arena units must now be affiliated to a faction (gh2arena.pp)
When you start a new arena unit, you choose a faction. At this point in time the faction doesn't make any real difference- all factions get the same missions, can buy the same mecha, and can hire characters belonging to different factions. This will change in the future.
For right now, the only real effect of a unit's faction is when creating a character from the ArenaHQ menu. The character generation choices will be constrained so the generated character will either belong to the unit's faction or will not have a faction at all.
- Reworked arena mode mission handling (gh2arena.pp)
Instead of randomly being given a mission each time you press "enter combat", the arena unit now has a list of missions to choose from.
In the future, the missions available will be filtered based on the skill level of the unit and the faction they belong to. For right now, all factions are given the same missions. When more missions have been written + tested, then I can split them up for the different faction types.
If anyone would like to try scripting some arena missions, that'd be great. We could start a thread about it.
- Can now create pilots from ArenaHQ menu (gh2arena.pp)
- Fixed a bug with missile ranges (ghweapon.pp)
- Character generation can be limited by faction (chargen.pp)
- Sell item price lowered in arena mode (gh2arena.pp)
- Improved the transfer items menu (backpack.pp)
- Fixed exploitable jumping bug (action.pp)
- Fixed problem with winning the game/exporting characters (navigate.pp)
- Split building textures and bitz from terrain image (glmap.pp)
- Tile drift happens in microgravity (action.pp)
- Terrain destruction will not start fires in a vacuum (effects.pp)
- No benefit from wings in a vacuum (movement.pp)
- Replaced enviro_fx strings with environment data (movement.pp)
- Fixed module install bug (backpack.pp)
- Two new portraits that I'm not really happy with, but I think I'm getting better at shading.
So those are the changes. I didn't get around to doing a few of the things I said I would (Mech.Eng hasn't been de-gimped yet, for instance), but I did do quite a bit. Now if you'll excuse me it's time to go slip into a coma.
