Aleph One 1.2

The Aleph One 1.2 release features online leaderboards and game statistics, a streamlined saved-game system, and full multiplayer support for the original Marathon game. This release also includes a number of other new features and bug fixes.

If you do not use the bundled downloads, we recommend that you update your scenario files. Each game includes a new plugin for the online leaderboards, and the Marathon scenario includes an important compatibility fix.

Aleph One 1.2 is not network compatible with the previous stable release.

Online features

Aleph One now integrates with the online leaderboards and player stats at lhowon.org. Sign up within Aleph One to send your Marathon, Marathon 2, and Marathon Infinity game results to lhowon.org, where you can see your overall win percentage, kill totals, and more.

From the new "Internet" preferences section, you can register your chat name, opt in to player stats, and configure other options relating to online play.

Saved games

Saving your game no longer stops the action until you type in a name. Each time you use a pattern buffer, a new saved game is created. The "Continue Saved Game" dialog shows you the in-game location, date, and game time for every save. Use the "Load Other" button to open a saved game from an earlier version of Aleph One.

Marathon compatibility

• Cooperative play is now supported in the original Marathon scenario
• Net games no longer use incorrect physics models
• Goal checking in repair levels now matches the original game
• Grenade trajectory in low-gravity levels now matches the original game
• Certain terminals and rechargers could be activated when they shouldn't have been. You must use the 1.2 scenario data files to get this update.
• If you have an existing saved game on an "exploration" level, you may need to re-explore the level before you can exit. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Lua

• Additions to the Lua API:
  • Triggers.projectile_created()
  • Game.dead_players_drop_items
  • Level.index
  • Level.map_checksum
  • Line.visible_on_automap
  • Polygon.visible_on_automap
• Additions to the Lua HUD API:
  • Level.name
  • Level.index
  • Level.map_checksum
• Custom fields on projectiles, monsters, etc. are cleared when the object is destroyed
• Lua error messages contain more diagnostic info
• Player:find_action_key_target() no longer triggers side effects

Other changes

• New preferences:
  • Camera Bobbing (Graphics) — if disabled, the camera and weapon will remain steady, to reduce motion sickness
  • Join Pregame Lobby by Default (Internet -> Pregame Lobby) — if checked, when you choose "Join Network Game", Aleph One automatically presses "Find Internet Game" on the next screen. Hold down the Alt (Option) key to join a local game.
  • Use Netscript in Films, Netscript File (Environment) — use these preferences to play back films of games recorded with netscripts. Solo Lua scripts are no longer loaded during playback of net game films.
• Logging in to the pregame lobby uses HTTPS to protect your password
• The editing cursor in text fields can be moved with the arrow keys or the mouse
• Command history in the Lua/chat console can be accessed with the up and down arrow keys
• Team color selection in the Join dialog is disabled when the game does not support teams
• Plugin API changes:
  • Scenario compatibility, to create plugins that load only for specific scenarios
  • More combinations of items are allowed within a single plugin
• The Plugins dialog (Preferences > Environment > Plugins) lists the components of each plugin
• Lua HUD support is available by plugin only
• A custom port can be used when gathering net games. The port number can only be changed by editing the XML preferences file.

Crashes fixed

• Maps with invalid light indexes in OpenGL (Shader) renderer
• 3D models lacking texture coordinates
• #STATIC command in terminals (SF #580)
• Joining a net game after a "map not found" film playback error (SF #504)

Graphical fixes

• 3D models display even when their center point is behind player
• Repair chip inventory is shown in Marathon Enhanced HUD plugin
• Carnage messages during film replay are shown for the currently viewed player
• Static, pulsate, and wobble transfer modes improved in OpenGL (Shader) renderer
• <player light="..."> MML setting respected in OpenGL (Shader) renderer
• Motion sensor on magnetic levels works properly when frame rate lags (SF #372)
• Styled chat names display properly in pregame lobby game info dialog

Platform-specific fixes

• Linux:
  • A new configure script now succeeds when optional dependencies are missing. The script also summarizes which features are enabled. Packagers should review the configure options, which have changed.
  • Aleph One builds and runs with more versions of FFmpeg / libav (SF #576, #578, #582)
  • Web links no longer cause Aleph One to become unresponsive on some systems
• Mac OS X:
  • Drag-and-drop now works in 10.10 (Yosemite)
  • Updated third-party libraries
• Windows:
  • The .save level console command successfully overwrites existing files
  • Updated third-party libraries

Other fixes

• MML from solo Lua plugins is no longer loaded after all other plugins
• Plugins ignore references to non-existent files
• Popping is reduced in certain ambient sounds
• Various MML settings are correctly reset when changing levels
• Some common but unhelpful messages are no longer written to the log file
• File-overwrite dialogs respect the "Hide file extensions" preference
• The first save in a cooperative game is less likely to fail
• Saving a game creates fewer temporary files
• Solo Lua is loaded when continuing a saved game even when the map file is missing
• Joystick/mouse buttons mapped to map or volume controls are no longer ignored
• UPnP configuration now works with more routers