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Version Changes
The Portable Host
Version 3.2.3.3
|
INDEX
Version 3.3d
Released October 2001
PHOST is in new hands since February 2001. Version 3.3b was
released in May 2001, 3.3c in September 2001.
Instructions for Players
- Update the PHOST documentation.
- If your host decided to raise the minefield limit
(CPNumMinefields)
to more than 500, check if your client program can handle this.
Send a bigminefields y
command if it does, so you can see the minefields with higher Ids.
Programs which support "big minefields", at the time of this writing,
are
- EchoView
1.2.20a and later;
- PCC
1.0.11 and later;
- VPA does not natively support it, but with VPA10k
you can at least see the minefields as markers.
Instructions for Hosts
- Replace the PHOST program
- (Optional) Add the new config options to your PCONFIG.SRC file.
For backwards compatibility, set:
CPNumMinefields = 500
AllowMoreThan500Minefields = No,No,No,No,No,No,No,No,No,No,No
MaximumMinefieldsPerPlayer = 10000
MineIdNeedsPermission = No
PALShipMinekillPer10KT = 0
SBQBoostExpX100 = 0
AllowPriorityBuild = Yes
DamageLevelForAntiCloakFail = 20
DamageLevelForTerraformFail = 100
DamageLevelForChunnelFail = 100
BuildQueue = PAL
Bug Fixes
- Intercept bug on Linux (hopefully) fixed. At least we couldn't reproduce
it after we turned off compiler optimization ... (v3.3a)
- Duranium and Tritanium values in meteor messages are no longer swapped.
(v3.3a)
- Fixed bug in clan beamup routine. (v3.3a)
- Fixed bug in tow resolution. A ship that is under a successful tow
can no longer tow other ships. (v3.3a)
- The custum hullfunctions HeatsTo50, CoolsTo50 and HeatsTo100 are no
longer exclusive, so a ship can cool and heat at the same time. If HeatsTo100
conflicts with CoolsTo50 then HeatsTo100 is ignored. (v3.3a)
- If a build order is changed then the priority of the changed order
will be at least the priority that a new build order would get. In previous
versions the priority could be set to 0 if the SBQBuildChangePenalty
option was set to -1. (v3.3a)
- Fixed bug in util.dat documentation (wrong description of the record
type 19 describing a surrendering ship). (v3.3a)
- You can no longer fix/recycle distant ships. (v3.3b)
- Specially-prepared TRNs could cause PHOST's TRN parser get
confused. (v3.3b)
- You can no longer set a long waypoint to break a tow, yet only
move a small distance using the Intercept mission. (v3.3c)
- Ships that are under successful tow are only affected by warp
wells if the tower is. (v3.3c)
- The definition of a wrapped map has changed a bit. The maximum
coordinates are no longer part of
the map. I.e., if the map borders are 1000 to 3000, possible
coordinates range from 1000 to 2999.
Please check your map: this change can cause planets now be out of
range. (v3.3c)
- Mine laying could cause an assertion failure in 3.3c when an old
minefield slot was being re-used. Sorry. (v3.3d)
New Features
- The CPNumMinefields
config option allows more than 500 minefields. (v3.3a)
- The MaximumMinefieldsPerPlayer
config option allows to limit the number of minefields per player, to
avoid reaching the 500 minefield limit too quickly if you do not want
to use 10000 minefields. (v3.3c)
- The PALShipMinekillPer10KT
config option allows to award priority points for ships destroyed by mine
hits. (v3.3a)
- The AllowPriorityBuild
and SBQBoostExpX100 options
can be used to implement a fairer ship build queue. (v3.3b)
- The cloakc.hst file is written and
read anytime PHOST runs scripts. This allows external utilities to set
the cloak status of ships through the cloakc.hst
file. (v3.3a)
- PHOST reads cloakc.hst to determine
shield levels before combat. (HOST 3.22 compatibility, v3.3a)
- If cloaking was cancelled through the cloakc.hst
file, then PHOST will consider this as a failed cloak. During the various
stages of redetermining the cloaking state of a ship (after combat, mine
hits, repairs etc.) this ship will remain uncloaked.
- RGA now sends a UTILx.DAT record.
There is now a record to signal destruction of a General Object
(v3.3c)
- Firecloud chunnel and Terraforming can fail if the ship is too
badly damaged. The Loki damage level can now be configured. The
relevant config options are DamageLevelForChunnelFail,
DamageLevelForTerraformFail,
and DamageLevelForAntiCloakFail.
(v3.3c)
- A new, PBP-based build queue has been implemented. In a nutshell,
it uses the old FIFO system, but players can collect PALs (nee PBPs)
and trade these for quicker ship build. That system was designed by
Degi in his PBP paper.
This system can be enabled with the BuildQueue
config option. (v3.3c)
Miscellaneous Changes
- The base mass of a planet (100kt) no longer affects the TAL of a player.
- The first ship executing the "lay mines" mission is picked
at random. This way low-ID ships have no longer a better chance to lay
minefields once the 500 mine limit is reached.
- The gsN friendly code (give ship) is no longer registered-only
(HOST compatibility, consistency with give
command). Likewise for the bdm friendly code and the Beam
Down Credits extended mission. (v3.3b)
- The Rob mission now also robs cargo from transporters (HOST
compatibility, v3.3b).
- You can no longer get 10000 mc per turn from gambling by storing
clans in the transporters. The maximum revenue is now limited to the
size of the Lady Royale's cargo room. (v3.3b)
- You can no longer transfer more than 10000 of something to foreign
ships. This could possibly cause overflows. (v3.3b)
- Some bogus (non-English) messages were fixed. (v3.3c)
- Siliconoid natives like deserts (HOST compatibility). In PHOST,
this rule only applies if CrystalsPreferDeserts
is on. (v3.3b).
- The range for the PALGloryDevice
config option has been increased to 0..1000.
Back to the index
Version 3.2e
Released December 21, 1998
Instructions for Players
- Obtain the latest FORMULAS.HTM file -- see changes below.
Instructions for Hosts
- Replace the PHOST program
Bug Fixes
- Segmentation violation while reading TRN files on Linux systems has
been fixed. (v3.2c)
- The TONS.HST file was not being written out. (v3.2a)
- An assertion failure could result when an add-on program removed a
base from the game (e.g., after TKF combat) but did not remove a pending
build order for that base from the build queue. (v3.2d)
- Cloak missions raised yellow alerts when the controller of a remotely-controlled
ship was not allowed to cloak the ship via the HULLFUNC.TXT
interface, even though the true ship owner did have this ability. (v3.2e)
- Cheat checking did not trap cargo dumps to non-existent planets, possibly
leading to assertion failures during host processing. (v3.2c)
- Comments following an assignment for array-type config options in the
PCONFIG.SRC file led to either strange error messages or segmentation
violations. Now, they are ignored as they should be. (v3.2b)
- The PCONFIG.SRC file was being opened in binary mode instead
of text mode on PC-based systems, meaning that a trailing end-of-file character
(^Z) would cause PHOST to reject the file. (v3.2b)
New Features
Miscellaneous Changes
- The formula describing the number of base torps used to aid in planetary
combat was slightly incorrect.
- The formula describing ship fuel
consumption now describes the meaning of the FuellessShipMass
quantity.
Back to the index
Version 3.2
Released March 2, 1998
Instructions for Players
- Obtain the new MISSION.INI file from your host and place it
in your game subdirectory.
Instructions for Hosts
- Replace the PHOST program and the PLANG*.HST files
- Distribute the new MISSION.INI file to your players.
- Add the new AntiCloakImmunity
config option to your PCONFIG.SRC file. For backwards compatibility, set:
AntiCloakImmunity = Yes, Yes, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No
Bug Fixes
- A bug prevented players from changing build orders after the 500-ship
limit had been reached. The new build order would not be recorded and the
old build order would persist but without ever gaining priority. (v3.1b)
- Player-initiated config modifications (e.g., AllowMoreThan50Targets)
were not correctly reflected in the PCONFIG.SRC file when AUXHOST
programs were used during hosting. (v3.1c)
- Some of the example PCONFIG*.SRC files had an incorrect default
value of the FighterFiringRange
config option. The files listed a value of 100000 while the suggested default
value (and the one implied in PHOST v2.x) is 3000.
- PHOST would fail with an assertion error when a wormhole's mass became
exactly 0, either due to a manual setting or by programmed changes. Now,
a wormhole mass of 0 on an active wormhole generates an appropriate error
mesage. (v3.1c)
- Ships travelling too fast for their damage level had their warp speeds
reset to 0 instead of to the maximum allowed speed. (v3.1c)
- Host data consistency checks falsely flagged problems due to ownership
issues caused by remote control. Specifically, a Lizard ship under remote
control had its damage-limited speed calculated without the Lizard bonus.
(v3.1c)
- Host data consistency check diagnostics no longer appeared in the HOST.LOG
file (although they were displayed on-screen during the host run). (v3.1c)
- The -f flag of PVCR was broken so that PVCR could not be used
to view HOST-generated battles (as interpreted by PVCR). (v3.1c)
- The build queue ordering reported in the player messages (and UTIL.DAT
files) was incorrect since the build queue was not sorted after TAL/PAL
adjustments were incorporated. The build queue is always sorted prior to
each ship building stage so this bug did not affect the order in which
ships were built; only the view that players had of the build queue was
slightly distorted. (v3.1c)
- Fixed "Wraparound Maps" page to
consistently indicate that planets outside the wraparound region are ignored.
In one place, the documentation indicated that the planets are remapped
into the wraparound region.
New Features
- Two new extended missions, Lay Mines
In and Lay Web Mines In were added.
These missions allow control over which existing minefield is to be augmented
with new mines. These missions are only available to registered players.
(v3.1c)
- The Scoop Torpedoes From Minefield
extended mission now takes a second parameter indicating a specific minefield
to scoop from. (v3.1c)
- New AntiCloakImmunity
config option changes anti-cloak immunity from a racial option to a per-player-configurable
option (added for HOST 3.22.022 compatibility). (v3.1c)
- PHOST now writes a CLOAKC.HST file to the game directory prior
to running an AUXBC.INI file (if one exists), and also reads it
back to update cloaking information after the AUXBC.INI program
returns. This interface works identically to the one introduced in HOST
3.22.017. (v3.1c)
- The remote control forbid
and allow commands can now be
used to set the default forbid/allow state for all newly-built ships. Previously,
all newly-built ships were allowed to be remotely controlled. (v3.1c)
- The SBQPointsForAging
config option has had its allowable range increased to 0-10000, up from
the previous range of 0-500. (v3.1c)
- The PALCombatPlanetScaling
and PALCombatBaseScaling
config options have had their allowable ranges increased to 0-200, up from
the previous range of 0-100. (v3.1c)
Miscellaneous Changes
Back to the index
Version 3.1
Released October 6, 1997
First public release
Back to the index
Version 3.0
Limited Beta Release
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This document is maintained by The
Portable Host Project (phost@gmx.net).
Last updated 3 October, 2001