=============================================================================== --- --- --- MASTER OF ORION II: BATTLE AT ANTARES --- --- --- --- DOS VERSION 1.40 --- --- --- --- CHANGELOG --- --- --- =============================================================================== This changelog is an adaptation of the file 'MOO2v140_readme.txt' from patch version 1.40b24 which can be found at http://lordbrazen.blogspot.com Rocco, Oct 14, 2023. =============================================================================== --- Version 1.40b25f --- =============================================================================== Executable: Sep 10, 2022 Released: Sep 12, 2022 V-sync Disabled vsync, greatly speeding up switching between screens. Build Queue Blockers Disabled warnings for housing, trade goods or repeat builds above a product in the build queue if setting 'auto delete trade goods/housing' is off. =============================================================================== --- Version 1.40b25 --- =============================================================================== Executable: Nov 9, 2020 Released: Nov 9, 2020 Screen Fades Screen fade-ins and fade-outs are now faster. Tactical Combat Setting In the Game Setup screen, Tactical Combat is now turned on by default. Missile Racks Default In the Design Dock console, missiles default to x2 shot racks instead of x5. Menlo Cheat ALT+menlo gives 30.000 instead of 9.999 research points. =============================================================================== --- Version 1.40b24 --- =============================================================================== Executable: Aug 18, 2008 Released: May 22, 2010 1.40b24 and 1.40b23 exe's are identical except for the date and version number. =============================================================================== --- Version 1.40b23 --- =============================================================================== Executable: May 22, 2006 Released: May 22, 2006 (updates of all earlier 1.40 versions are listed here too) The 1.40 game executable has 28K code space and 4K data space added. New Features ------------ Post Warp technology age All players get all techs 250RPs and below except for fighter bays (even creative races will not receive fighter bays). Cluster galaxy This new map has more stars in the same area as a large galaxy. (single player only) Improved home systems There will now be at least one colonizable planet in your home system (plus your homeworld). New command line switches: /nonebula No nebulae are generated on new maps. /nowh No wormholes are generated on new maps. /nobh No black holes will appear on new maps. Any generated black hole is converted to a star of random color. /noorion Orion and the Guardian are not generated on new maps. A regular system will appear in its place. /nosplint No splinter colonies will appear on new maps unless there is a monster guarding it. Unguarded splinters are converted into planets with gold deposits. /minstart The unoccupied planet closest to the sun in all home systems will be at least 2 production per worker and its gravity will match that of the homeworld. Will not generate rich/ultra rich large/huge planets. /hugestart The unoccupied planet closest to the sun in all home systems will be huge and its gravity will match that of the homeworld. /richstart The unoccupied planet closest to the sun in all home systems will be rich and its gravity will match that of the homeworld (this switch is ignored if /goodstart is used). /goodstart The unoccupied planet closest to the sun in all home systems will be ultra rich and its gravity will match that of the homeworld. NOTE: The switches /minstart, /hugestart, /richstart, and /goodstart all affect ONE and the same planet. Their effects are cumulative. /picks=# Sets the starting race picks points to #. Valid values are 10-14 (default is 10). If you try a value outside of the valid range it will use the default. Note: some screens in the game only show the first 11 race picks (it is possible to pick more than 11). /planets=# Sets the minimum number of planets in all home systems to #. This value includes the home world. Valid values are 2-5 (default is 2). If you try a value outside of the valid range it will use the default. /droids All players start out with the ability to build androids (all 3 types). /nohousing The housing option will no longer be available from the build list so housing production will not be possible. This switch also adds +150% bonus to population growth. The bonus will be added into the growth formula exactly the same way that the bonus from universal antidote is. /noreport The report button on the diplomacy screen will be disabled, preventing you from seeing what technology your opponent has. Also, Technology demands and trades are greyed out. /noscan Disables the scan button in combat so that detailed scans of ships will no longer be possible. Only quick scans will be possible by mousing over the ships. (Bugged; scan is still possible with the 's' hotkey) Removed Features ---------------- Last Race button The last race button has been removed from the multiplayer Select Race screen to prevent numerous bugs (duplicate race pictures / various crash bugs). Modem Comm Info and TEN buttons The modem Comm Info button has been disabled (and greyed out) in order to make room for the patch code. If you need to configure the modem settings, you can use the 1.31 version of the game to do so. The TEN button has been disabled (but not greyed out) for the same reason. Bug Fixes --------- Missing VESA bug You should no longer receive the erroneous "load VESA.COM" message when you have a proper VESA VBE enabled video card. Display Redraw Routing bug (1) Fixed a problem in a display redraw routing that sometimes resulted in memory outside the VESA display memory window to be overwritten. This bug could cause random crashes and lockups. Display Redraw Routing bug (2) Fixed another problem with a display redraw routing that sometimes resulted in memory outside of the video frame buffers to be overwritten. This could cause parts of the save game to become corrupted, random crashes, and other strange behavior. ESC from Custom Race screen bug Pressing ESC on the Custom Race screen could wrongly display the 'Last Race' instead of the 'Custom' button in the Select Race screen. This occured after creating a new custom race (not when chosing Last Race). Now the correct 'Custom' button will always be displayed. Ship leader crash The game will no longer crash when you view ship leaders and you have no ships. Credit cheat fix You will no longer produce Trade Goods and a buildable item on a colony in a single turn if you have no next item in your build queue. Previously the excess production was counted twice, giving the extra BCs while still storing the production. One side effect is tech breakthrough happenning before combat now. Repeat Build bug It is no longer possible to cancel the production of a Repeat Build item after it has been bought. Cancellation allowed money to be converted to stored production. This could be exploited to purchase expensive items by canceling multiple cheaper repeat built items over the course of several turns. Arti planet bug The planets artifacts research bonus will no longer vanish in LAN games when an opponent ends his turn first. Cloned cships and opships Colony ships and outpost ships should now always be used up when the ship lands. It should no longer be possible to build the colony and keep the ship. Stealth Field bug Ships equipped Stealth Field technology will no longer be visible to long range scans on the Galaxy Map. Cloak techs bug Ships equipped with the Cloaking Device or Phasing Cloak will no longer be visible to long range scans on the Galaxy Map. Phasing Cloak bug All Phasing Cloaked ships should now always revert to regular cloaking after 10 rounds during combat instead of only ships from player #0. Tractor Beam crash Tractor Beams should no longer crash the game when a player is moving a ship wile Tractor Beams are engaged. (This was most notable if one of the ships involved was off-screen.) BHG with INI bug When ship initiative is enabled, a Black Hole Generator should now destroy a ship instead of only immobilizing it. RKERNEL.COM ----------- As part of the 1.40 patch, a fix was made to the MOO2 file 'RKERNEL.COM' that corrects a problem with sending packets during LAN game play in Windows XP, preventing lockups and crashes. This fix is not needed when playing in DOSBox. If you have bought Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares online and play the English DOS version, then you are running patch version 1.40.b23 and you have the fixed RKERNEL.COM. If you do not have the fixed RKERNEL.COM and experience problems during LAN games played natively in Windows XP, you can patch the file as follows: patch_1: off => 0x765C old => "01 74" new => "00 75" patch_2: off => 0x7697 old => "01" new => "00" ======================================[&]======================================