Marathon Aleph One

File Release Notes and Changelog

Release Name: 2008-06-21

Notes:

* IMPORTANT! The theme format has changed! Users who are not using Mac
  OS X should delete their old Default theme from Themes, and copy the
  new Default theme that comes with this version. Old themes are no
  longer supported.

* This version is network compatible with the previous version, except
  when a net script is being used

* Built-in cheats (and cheats MML) are deprecated and will be removed
  in a future version; theya are being replaced by Cheats.lua which
  has almost the same functionality, and can be enabled as a solo Lua
  script

Changes:

* Support for TrueType fonts in themes, the console, HUD, overhead
  map, and terminals

* Entirely new theme support, including features like:

  * New layouts for Configure Keyboard and Setup Network Game

  * New widgets for checkboxes and tabs
  
  * Enhancements to the Advanced OpenGL prefs dialog

    * Change mipmap settings labels to match other FPS games; add a
      "bilinear" filter setting

    * Texture depth settings for old cards

  * Widget focus no longer changes when you move the mouse; use
    tab/arrow keys or click to change widget focus

  * A checkbox for "Mouse Acceleration"

  * A crosshair configuration dialog

* A <default_levels> MML tag, for specifying default load screens and
  music in the Scripts folder, instead of requiring it to be in a TEXT
  resource (see MML.html)

* Enable a wider range of Western characters in file selectors, player
  names, in-game and Internet chat

* 3D model improvements
  
  * Use a slightly better sort algorithm for sorting model triangles
  
  * Enable use of DXTC model skins

  * A texure quality slider for 3D models

* Enable the "circle" crosshair in software mode

* [Glen Ditchfield] write the Aleph One Log.txt file to ~/.alephone in
  Unix operating systems

* Display the Postgame Carnage Report after replay of net game films

* Don't toggle fullscreen/windowed mode on pause (breaks immersion)

* Make it possible to disable teleport effects and sound when entering
  or leaving a level (see MML.html)

* Lua improvements
  
  * A Lua interpreter console for solo play -- it is enabled whenever
    a solo Lua script is active, and can also be enabled all the time
    by using MML (see MML.html)

  * Lua scripts can ask for collections to be loaded (so scripts can
    use monsters / effects not present on the level) (see Lua.html)

  * Entirely new Lua API (see Lua.html), with compatibility mode for
    old scripts

  * [Hugo Forss] new humongous icons for Leopard and Vista, as well as
    updated file icons for Mac OS X

  * Alpha channel support for the Lua HUD, from Solra Bizna

  * A new Netscript game type that leaves scoring up to the Lua script

  * A checkbox in Environment Preferences for using a solo Lua script

* Improvements to the Find Internet Game lobby

  * Private messages (sending a message when a player is selected
    sends it only to him, with a red background)

  * An info button for getting more info about games

  * Nicer looking players list and colorful chat with support for Myth
    styled text in server messages

  * Main games display shows game name, time remaining (if running),
    game type, map, number of players, whether teams are on, and
    gatherer

  * An alert in the chat area when the room connection drops

  * Support for choosing custom Internet colors (in Player
    preferences)

* Expat 2.0.1 for XML parsing

* A man page for Unix versions, from Sam Morris

* Reduced CPU usage while in-game

* Control-U and control-H work on the console

* An experimental "Zero Restart Delay" feature which allows one to
  hear more of the AR's bullets being fired

* Support for up to 32 sound channels (this is a bit CPU intensive)

* A .save level command, which exports the level in its current state
  to a Forge-openable unmerged map; regrettably, this exported level
  is insufficient for playing back films

* A true entry point for CTF maps; if you have old CTF maps, you will
  need to update them using JUICE to show up for CTF

* A 1280x720 resolution for PS3 Linux

* Holding down alt (command on Macs) while joining jumps straight to
  Find Internet Game

* AlephOne.app is once again distributed in a .dmg; the large
  Mac/Windows libraries sources are now compressed with 7-zip

* Files ending with .lua are ignored when parsing Scripts folder

Bug fixes:

* Fix some rare 3D model crashes

* Fix flickering 3D models at long view distances

* Fix sticky scroll bars

* Update the error message displayed when trying to assign the scroll
  wheel to controls

* Fix a rare bug that could cause level scripts to be ignored

* Re-enable faders in software on Mac OS X

* Fix LAN (not IP) gather/join

* Work around a bug in recent ATI Catalysts that would cause various
  screen elements to display incorrectly at resolutions higher than
  640x480

* Fix Lua overlay icons in software on little endian machines

* Mac OS X now defaults to 32-bit OpenGL, not 16

* Fixed can_join MML (now Marathon Infinity can join Marathon 2 games)

* OpenBSD fixes from Peter Hessler

* Some 3D model / transparent texture interaction fixes

* Fixed a crash entering liquids when "More Sounds" was unchecked

* Escaping out of a popup selector no longer changes the selection

* Fixed a 3D model memory leak

* Fixed level music playing too early when resuming a saved game

* Fixes for gcc 4.2 and 4.3

* Stop advertising the game at the Postgame Carnage Report, for all
  those people who leave their computer sitting at this screen and
  their game tantalizingly showing up as nearly completed on the Find
  Internet Games metaserver

* Fixed compiling with --disable-opengl

* Fixed file selectors in classic Mac OS

* Fixed the "If you want to quit" message to say Command-Q on Mac OS X
  instead of Alt+Q