BZ2 1.3 Public Beta 2 released

[GSH]

Ladies and gentlemen, we are pleased to announce the Battlezone 2 1.3 public beta #2. This is a rather extensive patch to Battlezone 2. A short summary of what's changed is at http://www.visi.com/~nathan/bz2/bz2_13.html if you want to read that. This beta is released as a 29MB (29,736 kilobyte, 30449664 byte) .exe download. There is also a 174KB .zip of the MP DLL source.

Note: this patch is available in English *ONLY*.

This Battlezone II 1.3 patch comes with no warranty, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Except when otherwise stated in writing the copyright holders and/or other parties provide the package "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and the accuracy of the information contained within it. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the package is with you.

In addition, it is *highly recommended* that you install this patch to a directory with a fresh [re]install from CD to avoid problems from leftover MODs, etc. Please do NOT install over 1.2 if at all possible.

The patch is available to download from the following mirrors:

Mirrored by CmptrWz/bzscrap.com:
http://www.bzscrap.com/downloads/Patches/Public1.3/

Verifying archive integrity: should you have access to md5sum (a checksum program), the info is:
930ed2d9e038067e362c7b24cd76fb6e BZ2_MPDlls_v13PublicBeta2.zip
e4c66f4b21870cc218088d02e255c544 BZ2_v13PublicBeta2_english.exe

Potential mirror sites, please verify these sums before posting.

A few notes I've given to the beta testers already:

- It's best to install this over a clean install from CD. That'll let you install multiple copies of BZ2, each with a different patch and/or set of MOD(s) installed. If you do install 1.3pb2 over an existing install, then your addon folder will be renamed off, effectively uninstalling most MODs. Please check that any MOD(s) are compatible with 1.3pb2 before installing.

- If you you want to whine about infinite hovering, then take it elsewhere. You may find that another BZ2 patch is preferable for you, and nobody is forcing you to play this patch. See above about multiple installs.

- In the folder you run BZ2 from, there's a file 'Battlezone.log' (Windoze will try and hide the extension by default; please fix that). That file is created each time you run BZ2, and last time's file is overwritten. Thus if you run into problems, you may want to copy it off for a minute.

- If you get a crash (== Access Violation), please do your best to copy & paste out the details of the AV. I may ask for your logfile (see above) to help debug it. Please report all crashes to me; we've fixed a lot of them, but there's still probably a few left. Everyone will benefit if crashes are fixed before release.

- Please note some terminology: a crash is an Access Violation or some other dialog box that pops up to note the game's quitting. A freeze is when BZ2 stops responding without any crash message box.

- In the folder you installed BZ2 to, there's a file called "changelog.txt." It is updated every build with what changed, with most recent things at the bottom. Please skim over the last little bit to get an idea of what's changed every build-- and it may be worth it to test the areas noted as changed.

- Suggestions for tweaks/features may be ignored or shot down. We know the code, and what's easy and what's not. Also, we'd like to finish this project up eventually, which means clamping down on tweaks, even if they'd be cool.

- You may want to look at the file addon\config\GamePrefs.ini . There are a number of user- tweakable settings in there I didn't feel like doing a way of editing them ingame.

-- GSH

[Angstromicus]

No posts?

Well... FIRST!!

Wow, it was released early, and finally, after years of waiting. Thankyou Nathan And Ken and all the beta testers for all the work you've done FOR FREE in making this patch.

[Kite]

awesome!

[squirrelof09]

I would of posted first :p, but I was too busy playing it. I love the respawn selection for Instants. and the extra options for Multiplayer.

[DrummaDude]

omg i cant wait to start it on the weekends! i have school on weekdays =/

[BZDraconian]

Where I didn't really like how the editor was completely seperate from the game last time, what you did this time by adding in SP and IA missions is totally awesome! ^_^

Now I can cheat in the SP missions and move the attacking force a few hundred meters back, or put a daywrecker in the way so they stfu. ^^;

I was a bit worried though when I hopped in my favorite BZ2 vehicle: The Jet Gnat.
I pressed C to engage it and it would always try to stick to the ground but I would move normally. So silly me, I pressed C again and it worked alright ^_^; Whew... was worried there. I can fly all I want all the same, any worries I had about the Jet Gnat not working in 1.3 aren't there anymore. Nathan, you shot those worries with a shotgun and they died ^_^;

I had a suggestion, don't know if it was implemented, didn't test... I don't even know if I suggested it ^^;

Stackable objects... putting an iceberg on top of another... or criss crossing bridges (One being a higher level than the other), or a bridge-highway running across the skyline of the city objects. I can already do these though, by placing the stacked objects in a proper place, then moving them above where I need it with the Move tool. However, sometimes the objects are fluid, my ship can move through them. I've always wondered if that could be fixed, unless of course it creates new problems if both objects remain solid if they are touching.
Another more practical application of stackability is deploying a recycler under a bridge. Reasonably, that should be possible if the bridge is high enough.
It's just a minor thing though. ^^;

[seanthegreat]

GOD THIS PATCH KICKS   AS*

[OvermindDL1]

BZ2 works in 2 demensions, not three, in terms of building placement.  Believe me, I've tried to stack objects even using the dll (spaced by a few thousand units) and it won't work if a building is anywhere under it...

[lucky_foot]

I'm going to download it when I get home! Thanks for all your hard work GSH!!!! and to all you beta testers too!

[Red Devil]

Even if there is terrain between them?

BZ2 works in 2 demensions, not three, in terms of building placement. Believe me, I've tried to stack objects even using the dll (spaced by a few thousand units) and it won't work if a building is anywhere under it...

[ScarleTomato]

You mean like an underground tunnel going under a bridge? I think it won't let you.

The only fix I've heard of for this is making a single object in threed with everything you want for that square.

[GSH]

The AI in BZ2 does all its pathplanning in 2D only. That's not going to change.

-- GSH

[Red Devil]

Doesn't following terrain kind of get around the pathing some though?

And couldn't you give the object something other than a building class to get around the under/over restriction?

[BZDraconian]

I've stacked objects before!

Geeze. All you have to do is place an object nearby and use the Move tool to move it where it needs to go.

What would be nice though is if both objects -remained- solid...but let's say I had a bridge over a tunnel, the bridge object that is over the tunnel sometimes would allow ships to pass through it as if it was made of air.

[ScarleTomato]

Yes. I believe that's what they're talking about. From what I hear though you can paste both object's into one and have the collision work for both of them.

Is there any list showing the new odf switches? One in particular I was searching for makes buildings unable to be demolished.

Edit: NVM, saw it in the Changelog

Silos? Sweet!
and allied Commbunkers? Very cool. Has the insane recycler been modified to showoff some of the new mpi aspects of PB2?

I'd play with it myself, but i wont be able to till friday.
Next week is spring break though