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Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by George Geczy
Here it is folks - one more bundle of Supreme Ruler goodness: Update 8

Biggest Highlights:

- Rolls out the experimental "Update 7" changes into the core Supreme Ruler engine
- Includes the "Mod Pack" Content
- Adds some new Features & Fixes
- Updates everybody to "Gold", including owners of the original SR2020


Here's the more detailed changelog from Update 6 to Update 8:


New Content
- New "MOD" Scenarios included (20 Scenarios)
- New Units and Technologies added

New AI / AI Improvements
- Improved AI Military Response code / Military actions
- AI better manages air units and Naval invasions
- AI strategies for larger troop concentrations improved
- Better use by AI of unit formations and larger forces

New Features
- Play on as Dictator available when losing an election
- Idle (circling) air units now respond to Unit Requests & Hotspots
- Added 'LOAD UNIT' command, transport will load any units in its zoc
- Air units in overstacked airstrip will look for alternate airstrips
- Air units will better disburse to available carriers
- Added 'Diplomatic Alignment' effects when treaties signed/cancelled
- Add ability to turn Third Party Diplomatic Alignment effects on/off
- Add Language Selector to Game Options (requires restart)
- Surrounded cities are now blockaded and lose their supply level
- AI Regions will accept treaties and alliances less easily
- Equipment List: Infantry Units re-balanced (less engineer-rush etc)
- Equipment List: Garrison movement rate set to 0
- AI will no longer send Command Units on Naval Invasions

Performance Improvements
- Improved performance of Pathfinding code by 35%, reduced memory usage
- Improved map performance by moving unit texture loads to background thread
- Game Performance at highest game speeds improved

Fixes / Improvements
- Fixed Save-game file size issue (files now much smaller)
- Fixed incorrect 'victory' text box when region is defeated
- Fixed possible hang when diplo offer maximize picked but green not poss
- Fixed bug when Fog-of-War turned on after scenario started with it off
- Build-to-Strength on merged units fixed
- Base production queue value reset on owner change (possible bug fix)
- When a center upgrade destroyed, all nodes are now also destroyed
- When base in enemy ZOC it goes "lockdown", no auto unit landing/reserve
- Upon Surrender units remain in Reserve (Garrisons too); constr queue kept
- Units should land properly at a just-surrendered airfield
- 'OnePerHex' now enforced for airport/seapier/barracks
- Optimized memory use of save-file compressor
- Changed order-id sequence code to resolve possible multiplayer/mt sync prob
- Fixed bug where scrapping river city node also scraps roads in hex
- Fixed (hopefully) final issues with pathing lines not showing for off-map dest
- Garrisons on a fully-garrisoned hex are now disbanded
- Resolved MP lobby sync issue when switching between saved and scenario lists
- Non-Tradable Techs are now enforced (ie units with non-tradable prereqs)
- Diplo trades use removehex/newlocation properly; mp sync & 'ghost dmg' bugs
- Fixed in-flight missiles not getting saved properly
- Units that are marked as Favorites will show even if obsolete or replaced
- Fixes to LOADUP order to not leave some potential units unloaded
- Corrected a targetting/visibility bug where long range fire opps were missed
- Corrected a case where unit opportunity fire set not used in missile firing
- Indirect damage of multiple units in hex no longer drops below 50% in stacks
- Full Equipment name is now shown for units
- Removed 'Missile Storage Limit Exceeded' maintenance cost penalty
- Fixed issue with 'bordering' not always properly set
- Health care rating no longer defaults to 80% on cache creations
- AI Regions will now properly use initial missile stocks
- Changed save buffer size calculation to prevent possible overflow
- Fixed small/rare issue with AI Neutral-Exit of standoff units
- Fixed rare issue with air units looking for landed refueling tankers
- Fixed upgrade and base infrastrure cost over-calculation on multi-nodes
- Deactivated facilities were costing too much maint cost
- Mouse Freeze on Large-Font Windows fixed

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by George Geczy
You can obtain Update 8 by using the "Check for Updates" feature from the Windows Program menu, or else download it directly from the following link:

http://www.battlegoat.com/downloads/Set ... -6.8.1.exe


Enjoy!

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Eldin
This must be the best update yet for the 2020 series. Great work BG! :D

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by way2co0l
Awesome! Thanks a ton! :D

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by tkobo
So basically you merged update 7 and update 8,and made it update 8 official ?

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Legend
Some people might want to pay attention to this point...
- Updates everybody to "Gold", including owners of the original SR2020

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by way2co0l
Legend wrote:Some people might want to pay attention to this point...
- Updates everybody to "Gold", including owners of the original SR2020
Yea, that was a very nice thing for you guys to do. Sadly didn't do anything for me as I already had gold but still great for those that didn't. :)

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Balthagor
tkobo wrote:So basically you merged update 7 and update 8,and made it update 8 official ?
Yes, since all feedback on update 7 was positive it become "official".

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Uriens
I can see you guys added sound for laser weapons ... except that it doesn't sound like laser at all (copy pasted 009.wav into 028.wav). I can find some laser sound for laser infantry if you like and put it up as a mod. Hopefully there won't be any copyright issues that way.

Also, Yugoslavia mod seems to be a bit wrong. Croatian flag for Yugoslavia, for example. There is already a Yugoslavian flag included in the game so it could/should be used instead.

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Pax25
So if I purchased SR 2020 and Global Crisis individually (and not SR Gold), this is the next update (after Update 7 - 6.7.63)? Starting a new MP campaign today and wondering if we should use this update.

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by way2co0l
From what I understand, this updates everyone's game to the exact same complete gold version no matter what combination it was purchased in. They all should result in the same checksum and should be good to go for MP. :)

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Balthagor
way2co0l wrote:From what I understand, this updates everyone's game to the exact same complete gold version no matter what combination it was purchased in. They all should result in the same checksum and should be good to go for MP. :)
Correct. There is now only one official version. 6.8.1. Whatever you bought you should be able to update to that.

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Hundane
Also, Yugoslavia mod seems to be a bit wrong. Croatian flag for Yugoslavia, for example. There is already a Yugoslavian flag included in the game so it could/should be used instead.
http://www.bgforums.com/forums/viewtopi ... 48&t=12252

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by grat2112
Will the update work on previously saved games? Or do I need to start a new one?

Re: Update 8 Announcement

Posted: Apr 26 2011
by Balthagor
As always, the savegames will continue to work but map fixes/changes and data changes (units/techs/etc.) won't be there.