[conquest] Conquest 8.3b (devel) is available

[Jon Trulson <jon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

        Source tarball:
        http://downloads.sourceforge.net/conq/conquest-8.3b.src.tar.gz

        Optional musicpak (unpack in ~/.conquest/):
        http://downloads.sourceforge.net/conq/conquest-musicpak-8.3.tar.gz

        SVN tagged release:
        http://conq.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/conq/tags/conquest-8.3b

        SVN current (possibly unstable) development:
        http://conq.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/conq/trunk

    This is a possible 8.3.1 (stable) release candidate.  Yay. :)

    This version reworks the innards of hud rendering and adds
    client-side orbital calculations for smoother orbital movement
    around fast-moving objects.  Dead handling has been enhanced.

    In addition, a new 'hud_info' option was added to allow the
    display of certain information on the last (i)nfo'd ship/planet
    in the hud.

    A variety of other fixes and enhancments were made - here is the
    HISTORY section for this release.


8.3b (devel) 07/21/2008

  - rework 'dead' handling.

    - Now, at least in the GL client, when you die you will actually
      see it.

    - The 'dead' node has been converted to an overlay node.  After
      you've died, you will still see what is going on around you.

    - in the dead node, hitting ESC will take you back to the main
      menu, hitting [TAB] will re-enter your ship directly without
      having to go through the menu.

  - clients now compute orbital position directly rather than using
    the server's idea of your ship's position in orbit around a
    planet.  This provides for much smoother movement when you see
    ships (including your own) that are in orbit around fast moving
    objects.

  - fix doomsday motion.  Instead of simply stopping when within range
    of a locked-on planet or ship, continue to stay in range when
    possible
    (ie: should the planet/ship move out of range).

  - conquestd (server) changes

    - dead rework.  No longer sleep for 2 seconds after a ship is
      killed.

    - in the menu state, no longer wait for 1 second before updating
      the client.  Now we update at full speed.

    - got rid of the driver countdown timer.  There is really no need
      to kill the driver (if your client driver started it) just
      because your ship has been dead for more than 15 seconds.  This
      is the 21st century after all.

    - Older clients playing on newer servers will notice that you go
      immediately to the 'dead' screen when you die, since the server
      no longer sleeps for 2 seconds on ship death.

    - Newer clients playing on older servers will notice that when
      they die, ship and planet updates will decrease to one per
      second.  After 15 seconds, and if you are the only player,
      updates will stop entirely.

      Other than these changes in behavior, client/servers are still
      compatible.  As usual, use the latest client on the latest
      server for the best results :)

  - fix bug that prevented you from seeing your own torps on LR scan
    if you were at war with your team.

  - redo how data data is cached and stored in the GL client.  New
    hud.c and hud.h files handle the setting of hud information (alert
    level, warp, damage, etc).  Move this stuff out of GL.c.  Move hud
    caching out of gldisplay and into the hud data structs where it
    belongs.

    This should speed up hud endering somewhat by avoiding
    unneccessary computations and string generation.

  - reworked the 'alt_hud' stuff.  When enabled, this would allow
    certain information (distance, direction) about a ship or planet
    that was last (i)nfo'd to be displayed.

    This option is now called hud_info, and is enabled by default.

    For the GL client, this data is displayed below the ship's status
    icon in the hud.  For the curses client, this information is
    displayed just below the viewer.

    The alt_hud config option is still present but does nothing.  In
    the future it will be used to enable an experimental cockpit
    (hud/viewer), if one is ever written.

  - re-implemented the 'REPAIR' and 'CLOAKED' icon ship indicators to
    just render the text directly rather than use textures.

    got rid of the icon cloak and repair textures since their services
    are no longer required.  There were 8 of them, though only two
    were even being used.

  - got rid of the 'BETTER_ETA' defines.  This code has been in use
    forever, I think it works, so no need to conditionally compile it
    :)

  - initGLShips() - don't go all fatal on us just because some
    textures couldn't be found...

  - When pausing during playback of a recording, use the framedelay
    rather than spinning as fast as possible.

  - rework the way the playback speed and time is displayed in both
    the curses and GL clients.  Now show the percentage into the
    recording you are currently viewing, and instead of displaying the
    internal framedelay, show the 'speed' (1x, 2x, -3x, etc).

  - fix UDP error on Solaris (possibly others).  Use write() rather
    than sendto() when a UDP connection has already been properly
    established (EISCONN).

  - standardize how some buttons are referenced in the game's text for
    consistancy:

    RETURN -> [ENTER]
    TAB    -> [TAB]
    ESCAPE -> [ESC]

  - rename clPutShip() -> clbPutShip(), like most everything else in
    conqlb.

  - minor code cleanups

--
Happy cheese in fear                 | Jon Trulson
against oppressor, rebel!            | mailto:jon@xxxxxxxxxxx
Brocolli, hostage.       -Unknown    | #include <std/disclaimer.h>