Elemental: BETA 4 Preview

from JoeUser Forums

We’re finishing up our work on Beta 4 for a release later this week.

Here are a few highlights:

#1 A general polish pass has been done across the board.  Not quite to 1.0 but significantly better.

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#2 Players will be able to access the Workshop’s Tile Editor

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#3 PLayers will have access to the Workshop’s Map Editor

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#4 The tactical battles have gotten a lot of polish

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#5 There’s been a lot of love given to spell effects and sounds throughout the game

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#6 The game will occasionally design units for you (for players who don’t like designing their own units).

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#7 A MASSIVE pass on performance tuning. This same screen in Beta 3C would have been 11 FPS.

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#8 MASSIVE pass on cloth map performance to make sure the game runs on Netbooks.

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#9 The start of work on the tech trees to make them more challenging (This will be an ongoing thing).

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#10 The Diplomacy system has gotten its first pass at the AI intelligently valuing things (this will be an ongoing thing to improve)

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We have also done a massive pass at both stability and video card compatibility.  Generally speaking, beta 4 shouldn’t crash on you during the course of a game.  However, we are still working on loading games from within a game (there’s a lot of STUFF to deal with there) as well as loading saved games. It’s still far better than beta 3C but it’s not perfect yet.

We have also dramatically reduced the memory foot print but this is an area we will be making substantial improvements during the next week or so (post Beta 4).

When Beta 4 goes out, we’ll go into more depth on the things players can expect us to focus on in particular for the release version.  Given that Beta 3C was only a week ago, I think the beta community will find Beta 4 a major relief (i.e. how much can change in a single week). 

The stability of Beta 4 (our current internal beta of it) is equal to the day 0  version of Galactic Civilizations II and its performance significantly better than the release version of Galactic Civilizations II.

After Beta 4, our code tree gets separated into the version that will be polished, tweaked and bug fixed for the manufactured version (the version that hits stores on August 24) and then the version that will go towards the release (Day 0) version that will be available on August 24th.

As of today, the game is now sufficiently ahead of schedule that the Stardock team is no longer in “crunch mode”.

If you’re still playing Beta 3C, you should stop before it causes permanent damage (it’s pretty awful).

Our main focus going foward is polish polish polish polish polish (including AI, UI, Balance, Spell Work, Special Abilities in tactical battles, Tester requested tweaks, etc.).

Oh, btw, the campaign (which won’t be in the betas) is pretty damn cool and was 100% made with the mod tools and XML (i.e. you guys could make your own campaigns).

Cheers!

193,731 views 128 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Speaking of netbooks, will the game support the rather awkward resolution of 1024×600.  It seems that a lot of games can't, or perhaps it is just the older games I try installing.

The next beta looks, fun, I'm looking forward to the mod tools.  I'm assuming the mod tools are bug free, it's the content integration we are to be looking for?

 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

I can't wait for beta 4:drool:

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Frogboy, are you likely to add modding functionality as requested from the mod beta? For example, I'd like to be able to have quests of the format: "Monster has %chance to drop item, item starts quest." Currently, this doesn't seem possible as all quests are of the "Go to tile, get quest, go to spawned tile to finish quest" format. Would you take these kinds of requests during Beta 4, or are these locked until release and you'll look at them after?

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

This sounds truly fantastic, Frogboy!  Thanks for the update, and I'm very happy to hear you are out of crunch mode!  Go take a nap or something...   :zzz:

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

SWEET!

 

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Still trying to get up to date with Beta 3C, I have no time for Beta 4!!! XD

Make sure to add to the sovereign creation (units too?) some... sliders? to rotate them and all that. Stop the autopose thingy. And if we are Tarth, could we get a check in the unti creation screen that allows us to determine which gender we want to use for the new unit? Random is not so good.

Now that I have mentioned two unimportant details that I have been itching to say for a long time, Frogboy in the OP flexing for us:

And before I forget, Beta 4 is the last or could there be (crashes apocalypse aside) a 4A or something?

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Sounds awesome, can't wait to get my hands on the new beta...espeically the map editor:D

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

i have a few questions

 

1. other then water (the sea) keeping the players apart is it of any use???

 

2. can the map be all land??

( i have  Intel Core i7 -920 with a Ati 4850 1gig video card and a asus p6 motherboard with 3 gigs of ram)

(oh ya i'm running windows7)

so i can handle alot

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Gothmogg, reply 4
This sounds truly fantastic, Frogboy!  Thanks for the update, and I'm very happy to hear you are out of crunch mode!  Go take a nap or something...  
End of Gothmogg's quote

Don't encourage him!!! Keep working Frogboy, don't listen to him.

J/K

Good work guys, excellent news (god knows how I needed good news today) keep up the good work...

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

1. other then water (the sea) keeping the players apart is it of any use???
End of quote

One of the planned expansions is going to deal heavily with the water, so you can expect a more "stuff" there. For now, it's just geographical.

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

One of the planned expansions is going to deal heavily with the water, so you can expect a more "stuff" there. For now, it's just geographical.
End of quote

Serious? Where can I get more info on this?

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

Any details on the tactical combat changes?

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

Yay! Better AI, fewer crashes!  :')

Reply #14 from Elemental Forums Top

Serious? Where can I get more info on this?
End of quote

There's no real "info". Frogboy's just been posting in threads here and there. I don't remember the thread but there was one talking about how boring water is, and he pitched in saying there were plans on that already, just after release. He pitched in another thread about item creation that the first expansion is supposed to focus on that a bit, too.

Edit: Found it.

10) Re The Seas.  Indeed. The seas in Elemental are pretty empty.  We have in mind 2 expansions for Elemental.  What you get with the game is the campaign known as Book I: Relias.  One of the expansions is going to focus on the Sea Kings and it will be in that expansion that we go crazy on the sea stuff.
End of quote

https://forums.elementalgame.com/389002 reply #11

Reply #15 from Elemental Forums Top

Can you list what you're doing for diplomacy, and if you're following any of the ideas listed? 

 

On, egalitarian should be default at creation: Male, Female, Random, or Select, so you can have an all-male, all-female, egalitarian, or select gender.  No reason to restrict this.

 

 

Reply #16 from Elemental Forums Top

I have no idea what to expect for the campaign, but I am excited nonetheless. Don't disappoint me Stardock!

Reply #17 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting arstal, reply 15
Can you list what you're doing for diplomacy, and if you're following any of the ideas listed? 

On, egalitarian should be default at creation: Male, Female, Random, or Select, so you can have an all-male, all-female, egalitarian, or select gender.  No reason to restrict this.

 
End of arstal's quote

Egalitarian has the benefit in that recruiting takes less population (you have a larger pop to draw from). 

It also proves once and for all that woman are not real people. 

Reply #18 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting pedroente, reply 11

One of the planned expansions is going to deal heavily with the water, so you can expect a more "stuff" there. For now, it's just geographical.
Serious? Where can I get more info on this?
End of pedroente's quote

the thread referenced is here

Quoting Frogboy, reply 11

10) Re The Seas. Indeed. The seas in Elemental are pretty empty. We have in mind 2 expansions for Elemental. What you get with the game is the campaign known as Book I: Relias. One of the expansions is going to focus on the Sea Kings and it will be in that expansion that we go crazy on the sea stuff.

End of quote

specific post is here

Reply #19 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Annatar11, reply 14

Serious? Where can I get more info on this?
There's no real "info". Frogboy's just been posting in threads here and there. I don't remember the thread but there was one talking about how boring water is, and he pitched in saying there were plans on that already, just after release. He pitched in another thread about item creation that the first expansion is supposed to focus on that a bit, too.

Edit: Found it.


10) Re The Seas.  Indeed. The seas in Elemental are pretty empty.  We have in mind 2 expansions for Elemental.  What you get with the game is the campaign known as Book I: Relias.  One of the expansions is going to focus on the Sea Kings and it will be in that expansion that we go crazy on the sea stuff.
https://forums.elementalgame.com/389002 reply #11
End of Annatar11's quote

Thanks man!! Very, very good news indeed...

Reply #20 from Elemental Forums Top

1. Awesome

2. Awesome

3. Awesome

4. Awesome

5. Awesome

6. Awesome

9. Awesome

10. Awesome

 

" As of today, the game is now sufficiently ahead of schedule that the Stardock team is no longer in “crunch mode”."  --

IS freaking outstanding!

 

Eagerly waiting for the next release 

 

 


 

Reply #21 from Elemental Forums Top

as are all of us that are frustrated by the ooms and other crashes, and wanting the improved performance/graphics

harpo

 

Reply #22 from Elemental Forums Top

How exactly do Mod's and workshop additions work?

I know we can make things, how are they shared with the community, will there be a bank of downloadable material we can browse in game? you also stated about adding it to the a canon status or something how will they be reviewed? Also will we be able to make custom tactical maps, like inside structures, as well as outside, just curious. Also is there a way of exporting/importing art assets, if so what format are they in, and are they able to be edited with say photoshop, and or gimp, also are the 3d models editable, or can we add our own say using 3d studio max or something. Probably not in this release I'm just curious for the future. Its a great Idea allowing the community to add assets to your game, you increase the games over all portfolio, making money for you and allowing the community to add their own creative touches with it, I wish they would have allowed the same creativity with a lot of other games. Much like how the public community of ultima online made hundreds of improvements to the game world which was never picked up by EA.

 

here is an off topic non-mod related subject but I have to ask. If my sovereign dies in game and I have an heir, will said heir take over as sovereign or am I just screwed?

 

All things being equal, I can't wait to see my sexy Elemental game disk, 

Reply #23 from Elemental Forums Top

ooooOOOOOOooooohhh...

Reply #24 from Elemental Forums Top

"Generally speaking, beta 4 shouldn’t crash on you during the course of a game."

The game won't run out of memory and crash any more?

 

 

Reply #25 from Elemental Forums Top

@froboy

you often said the magic system needed a lot of love any new on this front? (since i concur with this notion)

 

edit: a suggestion i can't immediately see what the city is producing/what the population stand of the city is nor how long it will take to finish the building/units/gorwth to its next level. i hope you will add this so the interface will be more akin to civ4. i personally can't stand the ui at the bottom of the screen and think it could be removed if the empire tree and the city ui gets more love.