RTS

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ZeroK: 4K screen scaling and local replay fix

We’ve just knocked off two longstanding issues and they need wider testing.

Adoption of 4K screens seems to be slowly on the rise, so today we bit the bullet and trawled through UI framework code. The result is screen scaling which defaults to floor(max(1, screenHeight/1080)). Scaling can be applied by anyone to both the game and lobby so it can also be considered an accessibility feature. We tested as much as we could, but there are a lot of bits of UI and no dev has a 4K screen so we would much appreciate testing and feedback from those with such screens.

Recently there have been reports of crashes while attempting to locally launch replays. This issue has existed for a while but was revealed with Steam packaging. For Steam we do not use incremental game version updates because they result in longer load times and are more prone to corruption. The old fast-loading archive is deleted on updates and the lobby did not know how to do its own incremental update for older game versions. This has been fixed and we are looking to go further by adding more data to the replay menu.
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ZeroK: Zero-K v1.6.2.10 – Factory Cost

This is a tiny version prompted by a failure to include the Antinuke fix in the previous release. We’ve taken the opportunity to nerf Dart, reduce the factory cost change and improve the singleplayer UI.

Balance

Factory (and Strider Hub) cost 1000 -> 800 (was 600).

Dart:

  • Cost 35 -> 40.
  • Damage 45/135 -> 35/140.
  • Range 180 -> 150.

Singleplayer

  • Added an ally to the Jumpfac mission to make it a bit easier.
  • Added the load game submenu to the Singleplayer menu. Save/load still requires a lot of fixing and testing.
  • Added a restart option to the ingame menu for singleplayer and coop games.

Fixes

  • Actually fixed Antinuke.
  • Added custom boxes for Apophis v2_3.
  • Fixed rare errors with shield colour and Starlight death.
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ZeroK: Zero-K v1.6.2.3 – Balance Update

This is a balance patch that escalated. A Scorcher fix turned into widespread smooth aiming and the investigation of collisions bug lead to fixes throughout the entire collision damage system. Alongside these changes are a number of balance changes informed by feedback and recent tournaments. Ronin has a small nerf and there are buffs for some niche riot and scout units. We’ve iterated on Lobster design and mechanics to make the unit more reliably useful.

Balance

Units now aim smoothly at their target, with a few exceptions for technical reasons. This will likely disrupt a lot of balance, particularly among raiders and riot units.

Fixed/improved collision damages and velocities:

  • Fixed incorrect unit-unit collision damage. There was a bug causing pairs of units to receive a lot of damage if they were of the same type and little damage otherwise.
  • Fixed collision speed. Colliding units now collide in-elastically and correctly based on mass.
  • Fixed ridiculously elastic unit-wreck collision as well as very low damage.
  • Fixed weirdly applied velocity for unit-ground collision. Gravity guns should cause less movement stutter on heavy units.

Ronin:

  • 80% movement speed for 3s after firing (55 elmo/s, normal is 69).

The slow stacks with other sources of slow (as normal) and the penalty time is tied to reload time so is increased by status effects.

Phantom:

  • Increased horizontal aim speed by 71% (210 › 360 °/s).
  • Decreased movement turn rate by 15% (430 › 360 °/s).

Phantom can now aim constantly at static targets. This will reduce instances of friendly fire.

Rogue:

  • Slightly reduced precision at leading targets. This may be an improvement as a group of Rogue will spread their shots.

Lobster:

  • Always lobs.
  • Units reliably take 4.5s to arrive.
  • Confers collision damage resistance upon launch. Starts to wear off after 5s.
  • Can fire up much higher cliffs than the previous version and is less dependent on map gravity.
  • Range 600 -> 660.
  • LOS 660 -> 500 (the +10% range rule does not apply above 600 range).
  • Increased aim speed by 266%.

Mace:

  • Health 1200 -> 1400.
  • Increased horizontal aim speed by 25% (600 › 750 °/s).
  • Increased acceleration by 7.1% (126 › 135 elmo/s2).
  • Increased turn rate by 7.6% (86 › 92 °/s).
  • Moved its model forwards slightly (6 elmos) so that it looks more ‘balanced’.

Flea:

  • Increased range 140 -> 155.

Redback:

  • Cost 280 -> 250.
  • Speed increased 5.8% (51 › 54 elmo/s).

Recluse:

  • Increased ability to lead targets. Actual weapon physics and accuracy should be unaffected.

Dart:

  • Damage 55 -> 45.
  • Added 135 slow damage.

Commander modules:

  • Flamethrower +10% damage.
  • Lightning Gun +10% reload time (1.67 › 1.83 s).
  • Disruptor Ammo cost 450 -> 300.

Hercules heavy transport (already in previous releases):

  • Cost 500 -> 750.
  • Health 1100 -> 1800.
  • Speed 8 -> 9.

Scorpion (already in previous releases):

  • Tail weapon ranges 470 -> 490 so it can reliably fire its tail when its claws are in range.

Detriment (already in previous releases):

  • Gauss damage 160 -> 200 (matches Gauss turret).

Interface

Fixed/improved some unit selection:

  • Clicking on a unit and releasing the mouse now selects the unit if the unit moves away from the mouse cursor before release.
  • Shift clicking selected units now removes them from your selection.
  • Ctrl clicking units now selects/deselects all units of that type of the screen.

Misc. changes:

  • Added cumulative overdrive metal ingame graph.
  • Added a time indicator to construction tooltips that shows the maximum speed at which the selected units can complete the construction.
  • Increased the size of most selection hitvolumes by about 35%. Units are now easier to select and target.
  • Ally unit selections are shown by default when spectating a team and when commsharing.

Fixes

  • Removed the short movement orders that are issued by factories. This fixes some problems with temporary unit blocking.
  • Fixed autogroup failing to include units at the end of factory queues in some situations.
  • Fixed Raven dive against spherical units.
  • Fixed Show All Commands options for showing your own commands but not those of your allies.
  • Fixed gravity gun and Archer tooltips.
  • Fixed Wind Generator interaction with the water level modoption.
  • Default map boxes extend 20% into the map instead of 30%.
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ZeroK: Zero-K v1.6.1.6 – Amphbots and Lobsters

This release is primarily a balance patch with some much-needed love for Amphbots. They have finally received an “artillery” unit and, as is tradition among the Bot factories, it has new and unusual mechanics. This artillery, the Lobster, throws allies (and enemies) at its problems and should have many creative uses. Limpet and Archer have also received buffs and there are nerfs for Siren, Racketeer and Blastwing.

Balance

Added Amphibious ‘artillery’, the Lobster.

  • Uses nearby units as ammo, launching them at its target.
  • 340 cost.

Removed the water tank mechanic from Archer. Now it constantly fires at full capacity.

Slow waves no longer deal damage to ally units in order to buff Limpet and for consistency with Outlaw. This affects Limpet, Commander Slowbomb and Disco Rave Party.

Racketeer:

  • Health 950 -> 780
  • Reload 6s -> 7s
  • Timer 8s -> 9s

Siren main gun reload time 2s -> 3s.

Gunships now ram and climb cliffs instead of teleporting to the top.

Mechanics

  • Made overdrive not spend all excess energy unless every player has full storage. Hold back some energy from overdrive to be given to players who have less energy income and energy in storage than their teams average spare energy.
  • FFA maps now default to shuffle even when played with 2 teams.

Interface

  • The default Ctrl+Z hotkey no longer ignores builders. Settings for current players are unaffected.
  • Allies now have more vivid and distinct teamcolours in small teams.
  • Energy economy breakdown now shows overall overdrive efficiency.
  • Added a large cursors option, mostly for an issue with 4k screens.
  • Structure terraform up/down mouse hold very slightly more lenient with regard to movement.
  • Added Artemis to Unit Marker.
  • Made all units easier to select, particularly factories.
  • Rearranged the ingame menu. Most importantly, moved Hotkeys and Unit Behaviour to root. Fleshed out the simple settings menu.
  • Commander shock rifle now shows directional particles (same as Phantom sniper).

Fixes

  • Fixed Crab attack jittering issues (#2693).
  • Fixed icon distance settings being overridden to the default (#2715).
  • Fixed a rare resource bar crash at game start (#2692, #2252).
  • Fixed Gesture menu hold threshold being 0.5s if you set it to 1.0s (#2679).
  • Fixed startbox editor crash (#2694).
  • Fixed Gesture menu preventing minimap clicks (#2677).
  • Fixed extraneous lobby button when there is no lobby (#2127).
  • Fixed the language list being spammed with untranslated languages (#2614).
  • Fixed Quake enabling buildings to be stacked in the same spot (#2650).
  • Fixed Libyan flag being the old green one.
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