[conquest] Conquest 8.3b (devel) is available

[Jon Trulson]

         Source tarball:
         http://downloads.sourceforge.net/conq/conquest-8.3b.src.tar.gz

         Optional musicpak (unpack in ~/.conquest/):
         http://downloads.sourceforge.net/conq/conquest-musicpak-8.3.tar.gz

         SVN tagged release:
         http://conq.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/conq/tags/conquest-8.3b

         SVN current (possibly unstable) development:
         http://conq.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/conq/trunk

     This is a possible 8.3.1 (stable) release candidate.  Yay. :)

     This version reworks the innards of hud rendering and adds
     client-side orbital calculations for smoother orbital movement
     around fast-moving objects.  Dead handling has been enhanced.

     In addition, a new 'hud_info' option was added to allow the
     display of certain information on the last (i)nfo'd ship/planet
     in the hud.

     A variety of other fixes and enhancments were made - here is the
     HISTORY section for this release.


8.3b (devel) 07/21/2008

   - rework 'dead' handling.

     - Now, at least in the GL client, when you die you will actually
       see it.

     - The 'dead' node has been converted to an overlay node.  After
       you've died, you will still see what is going on around you.

     - in the dead node, hitting ESC will take you back to the main
       menu, hitting [TAB] will re-enter your ship directly without
       having to go through the menu.

   - clients now compute orbital position directly rather than using
     the server's idea of your ship's position in orbit around a
     planet.  This provides for much smoother movement when you see
     ships (including your own) that are in orbit around fast moving
     objects.

   - fix doomsday motion.  Instead of simply stopping when within range
     of a locked-on planet or ship, continue to stay in range when
     possible
     (ie: should the planet/ship move out of range).

   - conquestd (server) changes

     - dead rework.  No longer sleep for 2 seconds after a ship is
       killed.

     - in the menu state, no longer wait for 1 second before updating
       the client.  Now we update at full speed.

     - got rid of the driver countdown timer.  There is really no need
       to kill the driver (if your client driver started it) just
       because your ship has been dead for more than 15 seconds.  This
       is the 21st century after all.

     - Older clients playing on newer servers will notice that you go
       immediately to the 'dead' screen when you die, since the server
       no longer sleeps for 2 seconds on ship death.

     - Newer clients playing on older servers will notice that when
       they die, ship and planet updates will decrease to one per
       second.  After 15 seconds, and if you are the only player,
       updates will stop entirely.

       Other than these changes in behavior, client/servers are still
       compatible.  As usual, use the latest client on the latest
       server for the best results :)

   - fix bug that prevented you from seeing your own torps on LR scan
     if you were at war with your team.

   - redo how data data is cached and stored in the GL client.  New
     hud.c and hud.h files handle the setting of hud information (alert
     level, warp, damage, etc).  Move this stuff out of GL.c.  Move hud
     caching out of gldisplay and into the hud data structs where it
     belongs.

     This should speed up hud endering somewhat by avoiding
     unneccessary computations and string generation.

   - reworked the 'alt_hud' stuff.  When enabled, this would allow
     certain information (distance, direction) about a ship or planet
     that was last (i)nfo'd to be displayed.

     This option is now called hud_info, and is enabled by default.

     For the GL client, this data is displayed below the ship's status
     icon in the hud.  For the curses client, this information is
     displayed just below the viewer.

     The alt_hud config option is still present but does nothing.  In
     the future it will be used to enable an experimental cockpit
     (hud/viewer), if one is ever written.

   - re-implemented the 'REPAIR' and 'CLOAKED' icon ship indicators to
     just render the text directly rather than use textures.

     got rid of the icon cloak and repair textures since their services
     are no longer required.  There were 8 of them, though only two
     were even being used.

   - got rid of the 'BETTER_ETA' defines.  This code has been in use
     forever, I think it works, so no need to conditionally compile it
     :)

   - initGLShips() - don't go all fatal on us just because some
     textures couldn't be found...

   - When pausing during playback of a recording, use the framedelay
     rather than spinning as fast as possible.

   - rework the way the playback speed and time is displayed in both
     the curses and GL clients.  Now show the percentage into the
     recording you are currently viewing, and instead of displaying the
     internal framedelay, show the 'speed' (1x, 2x, -3x, etc).

   - fix UDP error on Solaris (possibly others).  Use write() rather
     than sendto() when a UDP connection has already been properly
     established (EISCONN).

   - standardize how some buttons are referenced in the game's text for
     consistancy:

     RETURN -> [ENTER]
     TAB    -> [TAB]
     ESCAPE -> [ESC]

   - rename clPutShip() -> clbPutShip(), like most everything else in
     conqlb.

   - minor code cleanups

-- 
Happy cheese in fear                 | Jon Trulson
against oppressor, rebel!            | mailto:jon at radscan.com
Brocolli, hostage.       -Unknown    | #include <std/disclaimer.h>