Pirates
Pirates got some improvements in this update.
Encounter size has always been determined by the relative mass of the pirate vs the human vessel. Previously the encounter size was limited to three; now it may be as many as five. Up to six if they are escorting a freighter.
Pirate scouts play an important role in the creation of pirate bases. Previously, the first pirate ship encountered triggered the creation of a pirate base somewhere in the sector.
Now a pirate scout is encountered when there is no base in the sector. It will move somewhere in the solar system and perform a sensor scan. If it completes the scan, a pirate base is created somewhere in the sector.
Scouts may also be encountered after a base exists so seeing a scout is not an indication that no base exists.
As before, once pirate base exists in a sector, pirate encounters are more frequent.
Designer Vertex Normals
Some actions in the designer cause the normals at the face vertices to get broken.
Fixed.
Designer Paste At Orientation
Orientation of pasted objects is wrong when using the Paste At function.
Fixed.
Ramp Bug
Try to walk on cargo ramp of Gulliver while it is hovering and I end up on the ground instantly as soon as I cross the threshold.
Fixed a hull void in the model.
Orchard Bug
I constructed an orchard but it did not start growing the product I selected initially.
Fixed.
Blueprint Not Loaded Bug
"Blueprint not loaded. Server is loading it." What server?
Removed exchange entries when the program starts if there is no corresponding blueprint.
Windmill
Can we have a single windmill model, instead of groups of four of them?
Done.
Near/Far Clip Bug
Planets morph strangely at a certain distance away. They seem to ooze into the scene.
Fixed.
Fleet Ship Maneuver
Will a fleet ship with 0 maneuver drive cause the entire fleet to fall into the sun?
When a fleet ship's maneuver acceleration drops below 10m/s, it will drop out of the fleet. When the flagship's acceleration drops below 10m/s, it dissolves the fleet.
Corrosion Shield
It would be nice to have some protection from insidious and corrosive atmospheres. A shield module was suggested.
Corrosion Shield Module added. It blocks 80% of kinetic and energy damage. It blocks 90% of acid damage and 100% of corrosion damage.
The name "atmosphere shield" was suggested. I did not choose that because atmospheres cause other kinds of damage besides just corrosion.
Fleet Orbit Bug
Atlantis orbited a gas giant with half the fleet hanging down into the atmosphere.
Fixed.
On Screen Avatar Buttons
Move the Recall Home and Avatar Selection Page buttons to the Avatar menu. They would be appropriate there and that would remove two buttons from the screen.
Done.
Huge Thorns
Thorns on plants are often huge, like walls of broomsticks sticking out of the trunks of plants.
Thorns were toned down a bit. They still don't cause any damage.
Pirates got some improvements in this update.
- Pirate marauders will form into fleets.
- Pirates sometimes escort a pirate freighter that could have any sort of cargo.
- Pirate scouts will sometimes be encountered.
Encounter size has always been determined by the relative mass of the pirate vs the human vessel. Previously the encounter size was limited to three; now it may be as many as five. Up to six if they are escorting a freighter.
Pirate scouts play an important role in the creation of pirate bases. Previously, the first pirate ship encountered triggered the creation of a pirate base somewhere in the sector.
Now a pirate scout is encountered when there is no base in the sector. It will move somewhere in the solar system and perform a sensor scan. If it completes the scan, a pirate base is created somewhere in the sector.
Scouts may also be encountered after a base exists so seeing a scout is not an indication that no base exists.
As before, once pirate base exists in a sector, pirate encounters are more frequent.
Designer Vertex Normals
Some actions in the designer cause the normals at the face vertices to get broken.
Fixed.
Designer Paste At Orientation
Orientation of pasted objects is wrong when using the Paste At function.
Fixed.
Ramp Bug
Try to walk on cargo ramp of Gulliver while it is hovering and I end up on the ground instantly as soon as I cross the threshold.
Fixed a hull void in the model.
Orchard Bug
I constructed an orchard but it did not start growing the product I selected initially.
Fixed.
Blueprint Not Loaded Bug
"Blueprint not loaded. Server is loading it." What server?
Removed exchange entries when the program starts if there is no corresponding blueprint.
Windmill
Can we have a single windmill model, instead of groups of four of them?
Done.
Near/Far Clip Bug
Planets morph strangely at a certain distance away. They seem to ooze into the scene.
Fixed.
Fleet Ship Maneuver
Will a fleet ship with 0 maneuver drive cause the entire fleet to fall into the sun?
When a fleet ship's maneuver acceleration drops below 10m/s, it will drop out of the fleet. When the flagship's acceleration drops below 10m/s, it dissolves the fleet.
Corrosion Shield
It would be nice to have some protection from insidious and corrosive atmospheres. A shield module was suggested.
Corrosion Shield Module added. It blocks 80% of kinetic and energy damage. It blocks 90% of acid damage and 100% of corrosion damage.
The name "atmosphere shield" was suggested. I did not choose that because atmospheres cause other kinds of damage besides just corrosion.
Fleet Orbit Bug
Atlantis orbited a gas giant with half the fleet hanging down into the atmosphere.
Fixed.
On Screen Avatar Buttons
Move the Recall Home and Avatar Selection Page buttons to the Avatar menu. They would be appropriate there and that would remove two buttons from the screen.
Done.
Huge Thorns
Thorns on plants are often huge, like walls of broomsticks sticking out of the trunks of plants.
Thorns were toned down a bit. They still don't cause any damage.