1.6.0

Burn, baby, BURN!!!!!

Update for 4.2.... and all the others I've missed. Quite a lot of changes, both under the hood and visible.

First major change is: Overwriting vanilla files. Way back in March, Paradox made a change to the component_templates and how they work when adding things via mods. You may have seen the weird Combat Computer listings, but it extends farther than just them. They only way to ensure upgrades happen is to put them into the vanilla files. Of course, this means mod conflicts are going to be more common. It's an unfortunate side effect of that change in March.

Second major change is: potential checks. Previously, the mod added things based on the ship_class and ship_type arguments. Paradox, and the modding community at large, has changed to a potential check system. AVWR has been overhauled to this new check style. While many of you won't see a difference, some will find mods working together a bit more easily; adding items to new ship types from other mods. This is NOT a full compatibility change for all mods, but it will help in some cases.

Third major change, variable hard coding! Thought I did this last major update, but it would seem the staggered release was a waste of time! It's done now; every cost, weight, and upkeep value is hardcoded. "Should" reduce load times. "Should."

Final major change is: localization file layout. The entire localization file has been rewritten. My hope is to make it easier to translate, assuming the language follows the syntax of English. It may take a bit for non-English syntax translations to be updated, but other should be far easier/less time consuming to perform.

Without further adieu...

• Updated Non-Space Fauna weapon templates to use potential checks.
  
• Updated upkeep costs for shared mechanical/bioship weapons.
  
• Changed vanilla weapons upgrade paths to continue with AVW tiers.
  
• Corrected Medium Plasma costs to be for medium size, not small.
  
• Corrected Energy Lance and Arc Emitter templates to include use_ship_main_target logic.
  
• Added use_ship_main_target check to Mass Accelerators.
  
• Corrected Missile and Swarmer speeds. No more 18 in a 400 zone!
  
• Added Lens Flare Beam and Solarflare Emitter to 00_weapons_extra_large.txt overwrite.
  
• Added Reshaping Projectile Accelerator to 00_biogenesis_weapons.txt overwrite.
  
• Added Reshaping Projectile Accelerator to 00_weapons_projectile.txt overwrite.
  
• Merged Mechanical component_sets into one file.
  
• Updated Space Fauna mutation upkeep costs. No more minerals for Ameobas!
  
• Updated Space Fauna energy weapon icons and tech icons to have color progression, following mechanical versions.
  
• Updated Space Fauna missile/torpedo tags to correct sizes over generic g_slot tags.
  
• Added Bioship Mandibles and Bio-Swarmers.
  
• Created Mandible and Bio-Swarmer icons and technology icons.
  
• Changed Vanilla Mandible and Bio-Swarmer upgrade paths to continue with AVW tiers.
  
• Corrected Vanilla M-slot Bio-Swarmers templates to remove from Mauler Torpedo weapon list.
  
• Added Bioship Snapper Guns (Point Defense), Barbs (Flak), and Fighter Wings (Strike Craft).
  
• Created Snapper Gun, Barb, and Fighter Wing icons and technology icons.
  
• Created vanilla icon replacements for Bio Nanite Barbs and Skrand Fighter Wings, to follow new upgrade paths.
  
• Changed vanilla Snapper Gun, Barb, and Fighter Wing upgrade paths to continue with AVW tiers.
  
• Added Bioship Bio-Plasma, Beam Projector, Disruptor, Energy Thrower, Beam, and Arc Emitter weapons.
  
• Created vanilla icon and tech icon replacement for Archaeo Beam Projector to match other Archaeo items.
  
• Corrected Perdition Beam upkeep costs being Alloy instead of Food heavy for Bioship empires.
  
• Added Bioship Quill Battery (Autocannons), Shard Accelerators (Rail Guns), Mass Accelerators, and Chitin Artillery.
  
• Created vanilla icon replacement for Bioship Nanite Autocannon to follow AVW's upgrade paths.
  
• Changed Quill Battery, Shard Accelerators, Mass Accelerators,and Chitin Artillery upgrade paths to continue with AVW tiers.
  
• Corrected Mega Cannon template required technologies, removing them from Mega Cannon T1 tech card.
  
• Added technology_swap logic to Point Defense, Flak, and Strike Craft technologies for Bioship empires.
  
• Created tech icon replacements for Bio Nanite Barbs and Skrand Fighter Wings.
  
• Added technology_swap logic for Plasma, Laser, Disruptor, Energy Torpedo, Energy Lance, and Arc Emitter technologies for Bioship empires.
  
• Added technology_swap logic for Quill Battery, Shard Accelerators, Mass Accelerators,and Chitin Artillery technologies for Bioship empires.
  
• Added potential checks to Missile and Torpedo technologies to remove from Bioship empires.
  
• Added technology_swap logic to Swarmer technologies for Bioship empires.
  
• Added Mandible technologies, and restricted to Bioship empires.
  
• Merged Technology files into one file.
  
• Added Psionic Bombers, Psionic Lightning, Psionic Disruptor, and Zro Launcher tiers.
  
• Changed Vanilla Psionic Bombers, Psionic Lightning, Psionic Disruptor, and Zro Launcher upgrade paths to continue with AVW tiers.
  
• Hardcoded all variables.
  
• Moved Mechanical and Bioship weapons into vanilla files.
  
• Massively overhauled the Localization file. Hopefully, it'll be easier to read and quicker to translate... outside of syntax changes.
  
• Completed localization, and fixed a few errors. Looking at you Matter Disintegrator and Cloud Lightning! No description displaying components..... grumble, grumble.
  
• Formatting "might" be complete. Probably not, but I'm hopeful for now.

1.5.1

Quick update for version and removal of unused component value.

• Removed all instances of "use_ship_kill_target".
  
• Updated version to 4.0.*.

1.5.0

The Bio Updated!

Added Space Fauna weapons, for all your growing needs!

• Added Eye Beams (lasers).
  
• Added Bio Plasma.
  
• Added Bio Beams.
  
• Added Bio Energy Torpedoes.
  
• Bio Disintegrator.
  
• Added Bio Disruptors.
  
• Added Lightning Breath and Emitters (Bio Arc Lightning).
  
• Added Shard Accelerators (Bio Mass Drivers).
  
• Added Thorn Cannons (Bio Autocannons).
  
• Added Chitin Artillery (Bio Artillery).
  
• Added Bombards.
  
• Added Bio Launchers.
  
• Added Spore Launchers (Bio Swarmers).
  
• Added Bio Torpedoes.
  
• Added Barb Batteries (Bio Flak).
  
• Added Spitter Guns (Point Defense).
  
• Added Flagella (Bio Strike Craft).
  
• Corrected components to prevent Fallen Empires from using max tier weapons on game start.

1.3.3

The Final Countdo... errr, Update Step!

Last step in the upgrade series!

• Changed Point Defense Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Point Defense AI weights.
  
• Changed Flak Battery Archetype, Military Power, Damage, and Firing Rates to hard-codded values.
  
• Changed Strike Craft Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and Launch/Regen/Speeds to hard-codded values.
  
• Changed Perdition Beam Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Perdition Beam AI weights.
  
• Removed now unused variables from scripted_variables file (152 lines removed).

1.3.2

Update Très!

This installment of the update focuses on our loverly missiles!

• Changed Missile Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Missile AI weights.
  
• Added AI Tag Weights to Missiles.
  
• Changed Swarmer Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Swarmer AI weights.
  
• Added AI Tag Weights to Swarmers.
  
• Changed Torpedo Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Torpedo AI weights.
  
• Removed now unused variables from scripted_variables file (161 lines removed).

1.3.1

The Reduction Continues!

The overhaul continues! This time, Kinetic weapons are on deck!

• Changed Mass Driver Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Mass Driver AI weights.
  
• Added AI Weight modifier for Shroud and Cosmic Storms to Mass Drivers.
  
• Changed Autocannon Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Autocannon AI weights.
  
• Added AI Weight modifier for Shroud Storms to Autocannons.
  
• Changed Kinetic Artillery Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Kinetic Artillery AI weights.
  
• Added AI Weight modifier for Shroud and Cosmic Storms to Kinetic Artillery.
  
• Added AI Tag weight to Kinetic Artillery.
  
• Changed Mass Accelerator Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Mass Accelerator AI weights.
  
• Added AI Weight modifier for Shroud and Cosmic Storms to Mass Accelerators.
  
• Added AI Tag weight to Mass Accelerators.
  
• Removed now unused variables from scripted_variables file (252 lines removed).

1.3.0

Variable Evanesco!

We are beginning the overhaul of the underlying code. Prior to this update series, ALL weapon values were called variables instead of hard-coded values. Made things easier to track and balance, but lead to a larger footprint and load times. Now is the time we'll be remedying this issue. Additionally, AI weights will be rectified as the files are gone over, so fewer "Really? T1 shields with T10 guns? GG, AI Empire, GG."

• Changed Laser Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Laser AI weights.
  
• Changed Plasma Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Plasma AI weights.
  
• Added AI Tag Weights to Plasma.
  
• Added AI Weight modifier for Cosmic Storms to Plasma.
  
• Changed Disruptor Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Disruptor AI Weights.
  
• Added AI Tag Weights to Disruptors.
  
• Changed Energy Torpedo Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Energy Torpedo AI weights.
  
• Added AI Tag Weights to Energy Torpedos.
  
• Added AI Weight modifier for Cosmic Storms to Energy Torpedos.
  
• Changed Energy Lance Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Energy Lance AI weights.
  
• Added AI Tag Weights to Energy Lances.
  
• Changed Arc Emitter Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Arc Emitter AI weights.
  
• Changed Matter Disintegrator Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Updated Matter Disintegrator AI weights.
  
• Changed Cloud Lightning Archetype, Military Power, Damage, Firing Rates, and AI Weights to hard-codded values.
  
• Removed now unused variables from scripted_variables file (402 lines removed).

1.2.5

Quick update to bring mod into new patch line.

• Updated Descriptor file to reference new patch line: 3.14.*

1.2.4

Simple update to bring up to current patch: 3.13.0

• Updated version to current: 3.13.0

1.2.3

Small update to fix version syntax.

• Updated supported version from "3.12.*" to "v3.12.*" Amazing what a single "v" can do!"

Have plans for some big code overhauls. Hardcoding some calls, tweaking AI weights, reducing load times.... all the good things. Will not be able to do it all at once (will kill save games with the level of changes), so will be rolled out slowly. Will have more details as we get closer to it, time permitting. ^.^