[conquest] Conquest 8.1.2ng1 development snapshot is available

[Almighty Tallest Cataboligne]

>
> >       http://radscan.com/conquest/conquest-8.1.2ng1.src.tar.gz


Urr.  I had to take a break from this code base, so I have not installed
this yet.
Busy right this moment upgrading my network with wireless hub/cards and
better graphics cards.
The current goal is better support for GL games on my network.

My comments are based from the code submitted prior to this update.  As yet
I have no idea what changes Jon made in implementing what I submitted.

>        1. Shields... In general, I do not like the new shield graphics...
> I think the shield graphics used on the icon display is actaully much
> better - I'd prefer that.  The new sh graphics are just too
> big/distracting.


There were a few options to control live shield gfx.  It should not be
difficult to change the gfx to the design
you want - i.e. the luminous cloud deal.


>
>        2. Any ideas for re-arranging the icon hud so things are more
> readable?


Need txf font files for all the hud stuff...I was working on this and had to
walk away when I hit a few stumbling blocks.
The tools to make txf's cant get ttf fonts even though my OS can use them.
This leads to recoding the txf making tool.  I'm not prepared to get into
that yet.

       3. 'Team colors'.  I find this stuff actually quite confusing.


Team colors should have and off option - which should be the default...in
that case the original red/yellow/green should be used.  Though, if no one
else will use them, putting an #ifdef set around the code would do fine.


>        4.  Numeric indicators for heading and warp.  I'd like them to be
> bigger.  Also, I find reading the graphical warp indicator... not so easy
> - sometimes I have to search for the indicator line.  Maybe this indicator
> should be more obvious?


The numbers can be tweaked.
I know a better positioning system needs to be done for the hud.
I'll take another look at the heading pointer, but with my upgrade to TFT
monitors, I doubt my visual is going to help.

       5. tactical grids.  Look nice.  The relative gamma for these needs
> to be equalized however, so that a 'brightness' of 50 for example looks
> the same regardless of what grid (team) you are using.


I'll take some samples and compare those.  Shouldnt be hard to achieve this.

       A couple of other changes I forgot to mention for the ng1 release:
>
>        - reworked the vbg code so that tac and vbg aren't mutually
> exclusive.  A future addition will be an ALT-G hotkey for toggling the
> grid.


Thought I had a grid toggle key?  Vbg with the tac?  maybe good...the vbg
should have an swap key too.

       - directional torp vectors are now standard for all ships.  I
> reworked this somewhat to base the angle() on the torp's delta direction
> of fire, rather than the lastblast dir (which can change between the time
> the torp fire command was sent, and when it actually shows up on your
> screen).  Much more reliable :)


Cool, I had no idea how to do this without server data on the torp.

       - Cat had provided different explosion graphics for each team.  I
> removed this as I think explosions should look the same regardless of
> what is exploding.
>
Hope you just replaced the data in the image resource file...I like the
different explosions.

My hardware and network changes should be done in a week (I hope.)
I'll try and get back to this then.  Besides at that point I can do some in
house testing!

Regards,
-Cat-

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