Marathon Aleph One

File Release Notes and Changelog

Release Name: 2007-10-20

Notes:
  * The classic Mac OS version does not support mp3 or Ogg/Vorbis
    music playback, or net games

  * This release is network incompatible with all older releases of
    Aleph One

  * A new theme format will be introduced in a future version of Aleph
    One; the current theme format is now deprecated.

Changes:
Features:

* Many metaserver improvements:

  * Support for registered logins (enter your login and password in
    the Player section of Environment Prefs)

  * Continue to update game displayed on metaserver while in game

  * Display players as white when available, and gray when AFK or in
    game, like Myth does

  * Show open games in white, running games in gray, and incompatible
    games in red, also like Myth

  * Sort players by admin, status, then ID, not name; again, like Myth

  * Add an .available command, to list only available players

  * Add a .games command, to list games

  * Clicking on games in progress displays approximate time remaining,
    for timed games

  * Display the current number of players / max number of players on
    the right hand side of the games list

  * Remove the "in game" and "p host" hacks, now that they are unnecessary

* Support for reading embedded shapes out of netmaps. You can use
  JUICE (http://juiceforge.sourceforge.net/) to embed Anvil 1.0.3
  shapes patches directly into net maps. Embedded shapes will be
  transferred automatically along with the map in net games.

  Note: Only standard collection (non-custom CLUT) shapes patches will
  be used

* Compression of map/physics/net scripts before sending to other
  players in net games, to reduce transfer time

* Make SMPEG, Speex, and ALSA optional in Makefile-built systems
  (./configure --help)

* Add resolutions 2560x1600, 1280x768, and 1280x960 (they are at the
  bottom of the list, due to stupid hard-coded resolution
  restrictions)

* Use a separate thread to connect to net games, which allows
  canceling the join when gatherers have a firewall up. Unfortunately,
  this means the firewall warning message will no longer appear.

Bug Fixes:

* Fix various freezes when gathering large games

* Fix a hang loading Wavefront models in Linux

* Fix display of untimed games on the Mariusnet web site

* Fix an assertion failure when trying to reconnect to the metaserver

* Send a proper logout message when disconnecting from the metaserver

* Only print the OpenGL info to stderr once