1. RELEASE NOTES
1.1 - GIANTS 1.4 UPDATE
There were several beta
versions made between 1.1 and the current 1.4. Below is a list of most of
those changes and additions affecting the 1.1 version.
*Compatibility
- VERY IMPORTANT: This patch (and every future patch of
Giants) will require DirectX 8.0 or later to be installed on your system.
You can install DirectX 8.0 from the Giants CD, or download it from
microsoft.com.
- Bumpmapping should now be enabled for the NEC Kryo and there
should also be a slight performance increase on this video card. These
changes affect the Kryo only.
- Fixed a graphics driver problem that will
give some video cards a slight performance increase.
*General Issues
- Fixed a bug where the reaper could not build turrets on
a tower that was over deep water.
- Fixed Kabuto throwing bug where if the
throw button was held down, he would not throw the object.
- The patch
installer for this version removes the MPlayer links that are related to
Giants. A link to GameSpy Arcade is added. Also, the patch installer
offers to install GameSpy Arcade.
- Fixed a potential bug that would cause
the camera to get "stuck" in baseview, and the player could not exit baseview by
hitting ESC or clicking the "Back" button.
- Mouse sensitivity is now
configurable via the game menus (keymapping options), as well as via the
command-line parameter. The command-line setting overrides the menu
setting.
- The in-game chat system is better, allowing longer messages.
Also, the HOME, END, INSERT, DELETE, and arrow keys work in the chat edit box as
expected.
- Fixed a problem where Model Detail setting was not being saved
correctly. A side effect of this fix may be that Model Detail will be set
to "Low". If you make sure to set it to the correct setting for your
machine and desired framerate, it will use that setting from then on.
- Fixed
a problem that would cause the player to exit a gift shoppe from the wrong
exit.
- Editing abilities and debug invincibility have been removed from the
game. We are mainly concerned with players cheating during multiplayer
games. Having said that, we may find a way in the future to allow the
player to access the editor for single player levels as an unsupported
feature.
- Game now saves/restores invert mouse option and lod option
settings
- Keyboard "Enter" can now be mapped easily to an action
*Multiplayer Major Issues
- A bug involving incorrect names being
displayed has been fixed. This had a chance of occurring if a player
leaves the game and another player immediately joins.
- Due to popular
demand, there are now two new Game Team settings: Mecc vs Kabuto and Reaper vs
Kabuto. These 2-team games will take place on the 3-way islands, and will
disallow Reapers or Meccs, respectively.
- Kabuto now gets 1/5 the normal
score for killing a Mecc or Reaper.
- In Capture The Smartie games, team
scores now reflect the number of smartie captures the team has made, rather than
the team's combined kills. In addition, the player who performs the
capture receives the Points Per Capture score added to his or her personal
score. In normal deathmatch games, scoring has been unchanged (except for the
Kabuto change above).
- The dedicated server tool should now work across all
Windows operating systems.
- Weapon and party house item availability is now
adjustable by the host in a multiplayer game. This enables the host to
block certain weapons, spells, or partyhouse items from being available in the
game. This can be set either by the dedicated server tool GUI, or on the
command line. See readme_dedicated.txt for details.
- Fixed a lockup
bug that would happen when a player tried to enter a gyrocopter in a high-lag
situation.
- Fixed a bug that would cause Kabuto to fly around randomly in a
high-lag, high-packetloss situation.
- Death messages are now much
more varied and interesting.
- Added a dedicated server mode to Giants.
This mode requires the use of a Windows tool that came with this patch,
Dedicated.exe, which creates a sequence of levels and options to run on a Giants
server. You can launch the game from the tool, or use the "-dedicated
filename.gdf" command-line parameter of giants.exe. Read "readme_dedicated.txt"
that came with this patch for details on the tool.
- Giants now supports two
additional multiplayer game types: "Defend the Base" and "Defend Base with
Smartie Capture". In these game types, which are join-anytime games, the
Meccs and Reapers start with fully built bases, but the base buildings can be
destroyed (and repaired). Note that Kabuto is allowed to play in these
game types.
- Fixed synchronization problems with base items. This was
causing joiners to crash just before they entered game and other issues like
seeing gyropads that aren't there, not seeing gyropads that are there, having
multiple gyropads, etc.
- Changing the max players while in a game now works
better.
- Fixed a resource leak when firing certain weapons. This
should help performance in longer lasting games.
- Fixed a crash bug
involving casting the slow follow spell while you have a the homing bow locked
onto the same target.
- Fixed rare audio crash with ambient sounds.
*Multiplayer Minor Issues
- When changing settings on the "Multiplayer
Settings and Options" screen, if a change to the game type or game teams
invalidates another setting, the other setting will choose a valid default
rather than choosing "None" or "???".
- Players who join a game after the
host is already in the game will enter the game as soon as possible, rather than
waiting for the Join button to be pressed.
- Turrets now fire at Reapers
riding reaperskis.
- There are now different messages for when players leave
the game depending on whether they left on purpose or lost their connection
somehow.
- Reapers can no longer cast spells while in Kabuto's hand or after
being thrown by Kabuto.
- Reaper can no longer use cloak spell if she is
carrying the enemy flag.
- Changed the staging screen so that the host may
start the game before everyone in the game has finished loading. This is
true for "join-anytime" games only.
- Fixed a late-joiner issue regarding
bases that may have been causing synchronization problems.
- Fixed a problem
where turrets would explode when the host player changed teams.
- Fixed a
small problem with the camera on a reaperski in a multiplayer game.
- Fixed a
potential problem with gyrocopters falling out of sync.
- Slightly changed
how scoring works for turrets. Now, being killed by a turret will count as
a team kill for the team who built the turret. Note that no single player
gets points for turret kills.
- Fixed reaper turbo map mode cheat.
- Fixed
reaper turbo jumping cheat.
- Fixed reaperski instant kill while
turboing.
- Prevented projectiles from lingering after the player that fired
them leaves the game.
- Removed 3-way game restrictions. Can now have more
than 9 players and they can all be meccs if you want. However, still only 1
Kabuto is allowed.
- Fixed a bug where meccs would become oversized due to
reaper shrinking.
- Reaper Powerup bow will now target kabuto offspring.
- Casting smartie grab and slow follow spells on smarties at the pub now
works properly.
- Reaper can no longer use teleport spell to teleport inside
objects.
- Reaper can no longer cast follow spell on smartie in the bubble
she is carrying.
- Reaperski powerups won't respawn if their associated pier
is destroyed.
- Giants now is more careful about selecting network connection
types. TCP/IP connection types associated with DirectPlay should always be
used now.
* Various other minor fixes across the
board.
