[xp-a] XPilot 4.4.2beta available for testing

[<xpi...@li...>]

XPilot 4.4.2beta is available for beta testing.
It contains an impressive number of new features which
will be listed below.  You can download the source code,
Linux executables or Windows executables from:

ftp://ftp.xpilot.org/pub/beta/xpilot-4.4.2beta.tar.gz
ftp://ftp.xpilot.org/pub/beta/xpilot-4.4.2beta-6.i386.rpm
ftp://ftp.xpilot.org/pub/beta/XPilot4.4.2beta-NT13.exe

As long as 4.4.2 is in beta there is feature freeze.
What we would like to know about this release is if
it is stable and if the features work as they should.
Is it something we can give to the innocent masses?
Do the new features speak for themselves, or do we need
to update the documentation?  (rhetoric question ;-))

Happy beta testing!

Bert

What follows is the ChangeLog for 4.4.2:

Paul Alexander Drees submitted a bugfix for the Windows version of XPilot.
It used to be that, if you typed a message, the score window would go bla=
nk
until a new set of scores came in.

Joe Groff submitted a patch to allow more keys to be bound to one
mouse button.

Jarno van der Kolk submitted a patch:
    Almost all of the serveroptions can now be "changed at runtime".
    Only file-options, like scorefiletable, defautsfile, etc. still can't=
 be
    changed at runtime.  And the options, timing and teamplay.

Bob Glickstein submitted "flak hack."  It changes the shots fired by cann=
ons=20
to be AAA ("anti-aircraft artillery") rounds.  These work like normal sho=
ts=20
but explode into small flak bursts after a short while.

Austin Donnelly submitted a patch:
    Also discussed on rec.games.computer.xpilot was an proposal to make t=
he
    ball connector non-rigid.  This patch adds a new option
    "connectorIsString", (default no) which when set allows the connector
    to go "slack", so you can't push against the ball.
    This makes certain ballruns harder, and others easier.  It does take =
a
    little getting used to.

Guido Koopman reworked Bob's flak patch a little. Flak explosions are sma=
ller
and flak can be turned off with an option cannonFlak.

Austin Donelly submitted a patch to allow clients to make some
attempt at backwards compatibility with old servers which can't handle
a turnResistance of 0.0.

Austin Donelly submitted a patch, which adds two new options:
    ballCollisions  (default no)   Do balls collide with other objects?
    ballSparkCollisions (default yes)   Can balls be blown around by exha=
ust?

    ballSparkCollisions is only active if ballCollisions is also on.

    What happens during a ball-object collision depends on the object.
    Shots (including missiles of various kinds) are absorbed in an
    inelastic collision.  Other balls bounce off, unless they were going
    too fast (as determined by maxObjectWallBounceSpeed) in which case
    both balls pop.  Wreckage and debris is also absorbed.  Laser pulses,
    mines and powerup items pass unhindered through the ball.

    I originally had items bouncing off the ball, but this turned out to
    look silly: items have low mass and even slightly clipping them
    with a ball would send them off at high speed without affecting the
    ball much.

    I tried to get lasers absorbed, but couldn't work it out - I suspect
    the collision detection is slightly different, but I haven't spent
    much time on it.  Mines I couldn't decide whether they should trigger
    or bounce of the ball (so I ignored them).

    This is my latest version, and fixes the problem I mentioned earlier
    about balls in treasures being blown about.

    One of the cute things I've found is that you can blow a ball by
    placing and detonating a mine close to it :)

Paul Alexander Drees submitted a patch for the server:
    It makes asteroids release items when they are broken.
    The probability that an asteroid releases items is given
    by the option asteroidItemProb, while the number of items
    that are released is between 1 and asteroidMaxItems.
    I also streamlined some code in frame.c using a function I
    created for the asteroid item determination.

Juha Lindstr=F6m submitted a patch for the client:
    The attached patch draws the object information of the radar to the
    map on an area three times the size of the radar. The information
    is drawn in the sliding radar way so that you sit in the center
    of the radar and the circles show where the opponents are relative
    to you. Now if one of the circles suddenly moves quickly towards
    you, just drop a few bullets to the direction of the circle, move
    behind some cover and BANG the world is again a bit better place
    to play xpilot :)

Jarno van der Kolk submitted a version of xp-replay for Windows:
    Finally, it works. (i.e. it doesn't crash all the time) :-)
    This ZIP contains the source and an executable in the Release-dir.
    The files should be unzipped into src/replay/NT, since the project us=
es
    "src/client/recordfmt.h".
    Beware that XPreplay loads the entire XPilot recording into memory, s=
o
    it doesn't really like the 80 Mb recordings from the summercamp. It C=
AN
    handle the ballrunrecordings from the various ballrunsites just fine
    though.