Fixing up Alpha 7.10

[ChromeAngel]

Edited 8th Decemeber 2012, see below
Alpha 7.10 did not turn out to be a great build for a roll up, but there is never a good way to tell ahead of time.  That's why we test.  Alpha 7.11 aims to fix the bugs in 7.10 and tighten up the new features.

Download 7.11 (26,704 KB)
40ksource.com
chromeangel.co.uk

Download 7.11b (2 KB)
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chromeangel.co.uk


More downloads bellow

[Edit]
14:00 18th Nov 2012

Whoops! forgot to bump the version number and update the default map cycle.  Please download and apply the 7.11 "B" patch to fix.
[/edit]


Installation instructions

• Install 7.10 as described here.  
• Extract the 7.11 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Extract the 7.11b patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.  You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Bug Fixes

• Canrifex player model ragdoll was broken (probably related to the recent model change).
• Screamer Killer world model is missing (probably just needs it's script updating).
• Jumppack particle effects go off flying away form the model in the wrong direction (turns out I was calling the wrong system from the code).
• Jumppack fire particles are visible through walls.  Tweaked the particles to use a different material
• Fixed a rather obvious exploit in ex_thunderhawk.
• Some players were reporting missing assault marine portraits. These missed being included in previous patches because they had been copied or renamed rather then edited, so they did not show up on my search by date changed.
• Some players were reporting missing weapon textures. These missed being included in previous patches because they had been copied or renamed rather then edited, so they did not show up on my search by date changed.
• Nqss fixed the broken control room spawn in ichar IV (everyone was spawning in the same room).

Tweaks

• Genestealer leap now work like AM and Lictor leaps.
• The VC is now hitscan, rather than projectile based.  Fexes no longer need to "lead" their target.  As a side-effect these will probably show as talon kills for now as they are both inflicted by the same entity.
• Updated the assault combo to use Stahlhagel's Chainsword world model.
• Replaced some of the old veteran animations that the assault marine was using with animations specificity for the assault combo.
• Tweaked the melee code to play "missed" sounds where available.
• Cleaned up the recent FGD changes a bit.
• I updated the media and help pages for the player classes to bring them into line as they were looking a bit haphazard.

Balance

• Buffed stealer claws by reducing the time between attacks
• Buff stealer claws by reducing the damage forces (knock back) to 25%
• Nerf psychic healing, by requiring much more "ammo" per heal

21st Nov 2012 - Alpha Patch 7.12
Fixes and tweaks based on last weekend's Alpha test were fairly quick to do, so here is Alpha 7.12 mid-week.  A test of this version is scheduled for Thursday the 22nd at 20:00 GMT, were we will be checking this updates and looking for ways to improve Nqss maps ( taris and ichar ).

Download 7.12 (17,553 KB)
40ksource.com
chromeangel.co.uk

More downloads bellow

Installation instructions

• Install 7.11 as described above.
• Extract the 7.12 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.  You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Bug Fixes

• Venom Cannon was trying to give reward points to itself, rather than it's owner.
• The Bolt Pistol in the Assault combo was also giving reward points to it's self.

Tweaks

• Updated tarsis_ultra by Nqss
• Changed the Apothecary healing aura sound effect.
• We can now see the jump pack effect angle and size tweaked

Balance

• Nerfed Stealer talon speed it down from 4 hits per second to 3.
• Buffed VC damage to 90.
• Nerfed VC ROF to 1.5.
• Changed the VC, so the AOE does a greater proportion of damage than the direct hit, making near misses and firing into groups more dangerous.
• Nerf psychic healing to require 5/8ths of the thropes energy, up from 3/8ths.
• Nerf psychic healing to be only 25% effective for the thrope using the power (10 points down from 40).

Future
I am following up an Engine crash report involving lictor.mdl, although I don't expect to get much if any response from Valve.  My ISP is upgrading their Router in my area to IP V6, which may or may not disrupt my Internet access and ability to host a dedicated server, starting Friday the 23rd.  Flamers, loading screens and new objective icons are all in the pipeline.

25th Nov 2012 - Alpha Patch 7.13
All the bugs were fixed for the mid-week alpha, so this weekend Alpha is just tweaks based on feedback from that test.  The expected ISP disruption appears to have been a non-event.

Download 7.13 (6070 KB)
40ksource.com
chromeangel.co.uk

More downloads bellow

Installation instructions

• Install 7.12 as described above.
• Extract the 7.13 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.  You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Tweaks

• The Assault Combo (BP+CS) and veteran combos (PP+CS / IP+CS) do not auto reload any more.  So you will not be disarmed when you run out of ammo at close range.  You must manually reload when you empty your clip on these weapons.
• Made JP particles more blues and less pink.
• Rotate the JP particles as again to make them appear ro be coming out of the turbines.

Balance

• Nerf the range of all leaps from 384 to 288, so the performance is in-line with the original stealer leap.
• Nerf the AM down to 2 frags, his speed/fun seems to make him preferable to tactical.
• Nerf the VC talon damage from 60 (4 talons) down to 30 (2 talons).
• Buff the medithrope healing radius from 350 to 512.

Future
We need to find a better sound for the firing of the VC and adjust the impact effect to look more Tyranic.  The Flamer has progressed to the point were I can start coding for it, although it feels a bit like "feature creep" ATM.  Nqss passed over a Plasmagun model this week, so it looks like the Specialist could have a variety of options.  I am torn between adding more of these weapons and trying to rebuild the fun into maps like Thunderhawk and Spacehulk.

Making a Beta 8 release in time for Xmas is looking like a possibility, but i'm not going to have time to add, debug and balance more weapons and work on the maps.  Choices, choices ^^

2nd December 2012 - Alpha Patch 7.14
Decided to go for the big push to get a new beta out for Xmas, so i'm trying to get everything balanced and polished ready for a release candidate.  I might start doing more mid-week Alpha tests to help with this as the Beta player numbers are dwindling.

Download 7.14 (12,238 KB)
40ksource.com
chromeangel.co.uk


Download 7.14b (10,584 KB)
40ksource.com


[Edit]
18:00 2nd Dec 2012
New version of city_conflict from Dark Marine and a folder structure fix for the tactical marine model.  Please download and apply the 7.14 "B" patch to fix.
[/edit]


Installation instructions

• Install 7.13 as described above.
• Extract the 7.14 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Extract the 7.14b patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.  You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Features

• New objective icons in the HUD contributed by Jake Coggins.

Balance

• Gave AM their grenades back and move them to tier 2.
• Buff Stealers by reducing the time between leaps from 7.5 seconds to 4 seconds.
• Buff Veterans by raising their melee damage from 50 to  85 (proof of concept for power swords).
• Buff Biovore by increasing their ammo reserve from 2 to 3 mines.

Bug Fixes

• Unable to afford anything from the class menu.
• Selecting too expensive classes using the number keys and getting locked out.
• Missing class menu instructions.
• Some weapons (grenades for sure) showing the wrong icon when picked up.

Tweaks

• New kill icons are for the VC and talons.
• Assault combo as alternative wargear for the tactical marine.
• Tweaked the servo skull model so it won't spam the server console.
• Moved the objectives around on ex_thunderhawk.

5th December 2012 - Alpha Patch 7.15
Small balance patch to tide us over while I investigate the bugs in 7.14b.

Download 7.15 (3,756 KB)
40ksource.com

Installation instructions

• Install 7.14b as described above.
• Extract the 7.15 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.  You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Balance

• Nerfed the lictor leap, reducing the range and increasing the re-charge time.
• Buffed the AM and Stealer leap ranges slightly.
• Buffed the VC by reducing the spread of shots by 1/6th.

Tweaks

• Removed the assault combo as a wargear option for tacticals. (can still be picked up)

8th December 2012 - Alpha Patch 7.16
Balances tweaks and a stab in the dark at bug fixing.

Download 7.16 (7,392 KB)
40ksource.com

Installation instructions ( read carefully )

• Install 7.15 as described above.
• Delete sourcmods/ex_alpha/scripts/ex_weapon_vet_combo2.ctx and sourcmods/ex_alpha/scripts/ex_weapon_ltalon.ctx
• Extract the 7.16 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.  You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

If you have problems installing or running this patch visit the Steam Community Game Group, chat room on Steam.  I'll be there to offer advice during testing times (please be patient, I will be in-game, participating in the test at the same time).

Balance

• Buffed Warp Blast from 66 to 70 damage
• Nerfed Warp Bolt from 40 to 35 damage.
• Nerfed Stealer movement speed to see if it balances their previously improved DPS and leap.
• Buffed Screamer Killer talons from 60 to 80 damage.
• Buffed medithrope heal by reducing the cost from 5 bolts to 3 bolts
• Nerf the rate at which Lictors can leap.

Tweaks

• Modified marine player model ragdolls (may have been causing some client crashes)
• Fixed the warrior player model ragdoll's left thigh bug
• Added a new "Grenadier" wargear option ofr the tactcal marine at Wergild's request.
• Modified the plasma pistol combo to use Farseer's UM powersword and HL2 crowbar sounds.
• Flattened the arc of biovore spore mines and added a "fuse", so they cannot be detonated straight out of the launcher.

[ChromeAngel]

After Action Report Alpha 7.11
First of all apologises for missing the start of the test ( I was playing STALKER:CS while I waited for the event to start and missed the notification).  Folks managed to get on the server and start playing without me anyway.    I also forgot to include the updated tarsis_ultra for the second weeks running, for which I have no excuse.   However it sounds like all the attempted bugs were fixed. The new assault marine animations looked badass.

Bug Fixes

• Venom Cannon is not giving reward points to it's owner
• The Bolt Pistol in the Assault combo is not giving reward points to it's owner.
• Nqss got a CTD caused by the Lictor model (more info might help)

Tweaks

• We can now see the jump pack effect is being emitted at an angle
• We can now see the jump pack effect is about 3x too big
• Stealer talon rate of fire was too fast, tweaked it down from 4 hits per second to 3 hits per second and it seemed fine.
• Players wanted a slower, but more powerful VC.  Buffed the damage to 90 per hit and Nerfed the ROF to 1.5. Should also make the radius damage higher and the direct hit lower.
• Nerf psychic healing, by requiring much more "ammo" per heal (again), reduce the effectives on the Thrope too.

These should be quick changes.  Mid-week alpha anyone?

[Nqss]

-i got crashes because of the lictor model
that is 100% i had engine error pointed at this model

-the apothecary healing aura got sound of NACT healing for everyheal it made

-the animations of veteran is not changed to the new ones

-there is some strokes of animation during grenade change with AM and Combo equip (for a second it stays up as it was)

the hieght of FEX's COLLISIONBOX seems to be aligned to its claws , not the actuall spine
not sure , but AMs on the back of Fex seems to be floating above it.
Am is annoying for Venom Fex , thats interesting

I would like to have more feedback for the new maps (i made , so i can do changes now and not after i finish it)
Lack of feedback is actually makes me shrugs , im pretty sure there is more complains then i think or have atm

[ChromeAngel]

Engine Error player/lictor/lictor.mdl (2) at 1.$ 1.$ 1.$ in contact with prop_static (2) at 126.4 6.4 -91.5, crash. dist= -1, minq = 99999999999999998000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.000000

As reported by Spawnof2000 on the community group discussion board.   Does this look like what you got Nqss?

[Nqss]

Engine Error player/lictor/lictor.mdl (2) at 1.$ 1.$ 1.$ in contact with prop_static (2) at 126.4 6.4 -91.5, crash. dist= -1, minq = 99999999999999998000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.000000

As reported by Spawnof2000 on the community group discussion board.   Does this look like what you got Nqss?

yes

[Valvatorez Jr.Commissar]

Is it possible to remove auto-reloading when a specific weapon runs out of ammo or is that tied to the engine? As it really hinders the effectiveness of both the Assault and Veteran in close combat while using chain swords.

[ChromeAngel]

Is it possible to remove auto-reloading when a specific weapon runs out of ammo or is that tied to the engine? As it really hinders the effectiveness of both the Assault and Veteran in close combat while using chain swords.

It should be possible, pretty much all the weapon behaviour is in the game code somewhere. 

[ChromeAngel]

Alpha Test 7.12 After Action Report
That was a bit of fun, even with a few players.  The bugs seem fixed.  Terminators seemed to have an easier time against VC fexes, but still got players asking for more ammo.

Ichar IV
The tyranids can defend their last point more easily then the marines can.  Maybe when the tyranid end is displacement mapped this will change.  Marines seem to be dominant in the middle objective.  The cave tunnel does not see much action until tyranids have the middle point.  this displacement technique might make better looking cave tunnels BTW, I noticed the edges weren't stitched.

Tweaks

• Make JP particles more blues and less pink.
• Rotate the JP particles as much again.
• Nef the range of all leaps by 25%
• Nerf the AM down to 2 frags, his speed/fun seems to make him preferable to tactical.
• Nerf the VC talons, so the SK is noticeably better up-close.
• Buff the medithrope healing radius, he seems the lesser choice now.

Also investigate the auto-reload on imperial weapon combos.

[Nqss]

-apothecary healing aura and his healing doesn't have sound now
Maybe they do , but it is still the same sound

-VC is the choice of the t3 now , so i would suggest nerf the damage of VC to 75 maybe

-Marines t3 is not as effective now as they used to be , this is the time when you can give termies additional ammo back , about +2 clips
Missles suppose to get buff , missles were nerfed to the 20% less damage , now i suggest to rise it 10% more

If this is possible , i would make screaming fex to be as it is , goodly armored and nerf some armor of VC fex , but since it harder to do , lets try suggestions above.

Now , lets talk about players choice
rarely choosed classes:
stealer (after reaching t2 or after capping all points available , they are not the choice anymore)
vore (not touched collision of sporemines , slow , defenceless)
veteran (apothecary and specialist are much more usefull in t2 for team)

Solutions , which i can see:
vore - collision of sporemines , cut off thier tentacles , increase the number of "energy" so vore could shoot 3 sporemines or 2.5 on full energy.
veteran - well , seems that this guy can become a choice of tactical marine loadout as a sergant , with his inferno and plasma pistol and the veteran which already in game can become an assualt marine sergant with combos of veteran
stealer.....i dunno , you still can choose him , but he suppose to have cover and playground. They die fast on open field

[Stahlhagel]

id rather buff the cc fex health and nerf the vc fex health to make them more balanced.

we shouldnt mess around with the weapons now since they feel pretty much how theyre supposed to.

since you will nerf all leaps by 25% !!! , you should wait and see how it pans out instead of nerfing the AM.

remember when the stealer was wastly underpowered, people did still choose him because its fast speed made it still fun, even though in 80% of the cases you enocuntered enemies it meant your death and ended uo as marine fodder.

[ChromeAngel]

id rather buff the cc fex health and nerf the vc fex health to make them more balanced.

we shouldnt mess around with the weapons now since they feel pretty much how theyre supposed to.

since you will nerf all leaps by 25% !!! , you should wait and see how it pans out instead of nerfing the AM.

remember when the stealer was wastly underpowered, people did still choose him because its fast speed made it still fun, even though in 80% of the cases you enocuntered enemies it meant your death and ended uo as marine fodder.

Looks like i've got calls for and against nerfing the VC.  As a compromise, I will nerf it, just not as much as Nqss wants.

The new leap system that was introduced with the AM turned out to be more effective than the stealer leap that it was supposed to duplicate.  The 25% nerf is just me trying to bring the leap into line with the original effect.  I never intended to have players jumping over the bunkers in  Thunderhawk for example.

[Dark Marine]

IcharIV:
Some of the spawn zones in the garage are a little bit to near to the last Space Marine objective. Sometimes I spawned exactly in the entrance to this hall. From there the way is to short to the last objective.


The Lictor and the Stealer have different regeneration times for their stamina. If I count right the Stealer need 10 seconds for full regeneration and the Lictor just 5 seconds. Personal I think 5 seconds are to fast and 10 seconds to long for the next jump. Maybe they can meet in the middle. Both can have 7 or 8 seconds for full stamina regeneration.

My opinion to the balance of the two fexes is that the VC fex is the better choise atm. With the VC I have a chance against camping heavys and terminators. The CC fex is a waste of points for those opponents.
Like others I was asking for more ammo for the terminator. But we have to keep an eye to the CC fex. I think Stahlhagel is right and we should work with the change of health of both at first.

[Stahlhagel]

i feel somehow like the cc fex would do well with a health or maybe speed buff to help him against campy enemies. 2 camping heavies are a nightmare for any cc unit, but that again would screw around with the lower classes. but as a top tier class, wouldnt such a buff be justified somehow ?

counter to that could include termie ammo buff,
a higher burst ROF for tacticals with slightly more spread,
slight damage increase from melta weapons to fex armor,
and maybe warrior health buff to counter the extra bolter firepower

[ChromeAngel]

i feel somehow like the cc fex would do well with a health or maybe speed buff to help him against campy enemies. 2 camping heavies are a nightmare for any cc unit, but that again would screw around with the lower classes. but as a top tier class, wouldnt such a buff be justified somehow ?

counter to that could include termie ammo buff,
a higher burst ROF for tacticals with slightly more spread,
slight damage increase from melta weapons to fex armor,
and maybe warrior health buff to counter the extra bolter firepower

If the VC fex is OP we nerf the VC fex, we do not buff all the other 3rd tier classes.  The other 3rd tier classes were balanced already.  We just need to tune the VC fex to their level.

[Stahlhagel]

fex was also considered balanced as tier 2 class until recently fex trains became considered an issue, just saying.