Absolute Annihilation 2.23

Neuralize · Post by **Neuralize** » 05 Oct 2006, 03:06

Yeah, okay, I'm cool with the 33 megabytes of mods, but the extra 40 megabytes of maps is not in good taste.

Mecha Sonic · Post by **Mecha Sonic** » 05 Oct 2006, 03:38

Man, this sucks. I'm on 56k and I don't wanna download 80 megs for a bunch of mods and maps I probably won't be playing much. If you made the map and mod packs seperate, then that would be perfect, as 33 megs isn't too bad for me.

Ishach · Post by **Ishach** » 05 Oct 2006, 03:59

First impressions of 2.2

The biggest thing that jumped out at me is the new radar range. This is gonna shake up alot of playstyles. The overhead involved in covering a map in T1 radar is going to be to stressfull in energy and built time to be really viable. So we might see people starting to go air to get scoutplanes, instead of the 2.11 trend of getting air for fighters to assassinate enemy commanders.

On the topic of air. Atlases are very pain-free to build now. Previously the build time (and energy cost?) of atlases was so high, if you wanted to use them to air drop you needed a substantial amount of build power behind them, meaning it was resitricted to mid game. Now a couple of cons can guard an air lab and get the atlases out in very nice time.

Flash Tanks VS Instigators
To be honest I still thing instigators are still better. But I admit im not used to playing arm, or using flash tanks. So it might be my inept microing of them.

Minelayers
Maybe minelayers in conjunction with Dragons Eyes will be used more for intelligence with the radar nerf.

Stumpies
Still not great for skirmishing, but nice for airlifting with the new atlases

Will update when i play some more

Nixa · Post by **Nixa** » 05 Oct 2006, 04:41

Yeh i have to agree with isaac there, the radar range makes t1 radars not really viable anymore... After all they are radar, now they're more sticks with wings that see things close enough to them.

But yeah, going air for scouts works, instead of just using air for fighters.

Guess it will all be worked out with a little game time

REVENGE · Post by **REVENGE** » 05 Oct 2006, 04:45

The people who complain about this archive being a bit too big do have a good point. I mean, the intention is to get more people to play these mods right? Well putting them together into a package no-one wants to download is not helping the situation, it's just being counterproductive. That being said, the logical thing to do would be to put a file-size cap on the package and include files up to that point only.

LordMatt · Post by **LordMatt** » 05 Oct 2006, 04:53

Nixa wrote:Yeh i have to agree with isaac there, the radar range makes t1 radars not really viable anymore... After all they are radar, now they're more sticks with wings that see things close enough to them.

I didn't like this in the betas either (and mentioned so in the previous AA thread), but either I didn't get enough support behind reverting it or Caydr didn't want to change it back.

jackalope · Post by **jackalope** » 05 Oct 2006, 05:22

REVENGE wrote:The people who complain about this archive being a bit too big do have a good point. I mean, the intention is to get more people to play these mods right? Well putting them together into a package no-one wants to download is not helping the situation, it's just being counterproductive. That being said, the logical thing to do would be to put a file-size cap on the package and include files up to that point only.

actually the large file size does help people play other mods:

[10:21:33 PM] <nonamed> PLZ upload AA2.2 final version to unknow-files!
[10:21:51 PM] <Spiderldr> damn
[10:21:58 PM] <Crappage> So is AA 2.2 ONLY available thru the Community Pack?
[10:21:58 PM] <Spiderldr> 79mb on 56k
[10:22:02 PM] <KAPTAINKOOL> o.0
[10:22:05 PM] * borgplayer has left #main (Quit)
[10:22:10 PM] <Spiderldr> That wont happen tonight or tomorow
[10:22:14 PM] * borgplayer has joined #main
[10:22:18 PM] <Crappage> Yeah, I'm on 56k too

[10:22:18 PM] <Spiderldr> fuck that
[10:22:23 PM] <Spiderldr> I'm playing xta then

hrmph · Post by **hrmph** » 05 Oct 2006, 05:35

Neuralize wrote:Yeah, okay, I'm cool with the 33 megabytes of mods, but the extra 40 megabytes of maps is not in good taste.

I feel the exact same way.

Elmokki · Post by **Elmokki** » 05 Oct 2006, 06:40

While I generally don't care since I atm am downloading the package with 296kb/s, I still don't think it's a good idea to release stuff you don't need with the mod because apparently people still have ancient methods to connect internet.

I remember when I still used to have a 56k and had to download something bigger.

rattle · Post by **rattle** » 05 Oct 2006, 06:58

Would take up to 3hrs 13mins on 56k if you get the full 7kb/s or 4+ hours if you don't...

REVENGE · Post by **REVENGE** » 05 Oct 2006, 07:42

jackalope wrote:
REVENGE wrote:The people who complain about this archive being a bit too big do have a good point. I mean, the intention is to get more people to play these mods right? Well putting them together into a package no-one wants to download is not helping the situation, it's just being counterproductive. That being said, the logical thing to do would be to put a file-size cap on the package and include files up to that point only.
actually the large file size does help people play other mods:

[10:21:33 PM] <nonamed> PLZ upload AA2.2 final version to unknow-files!
[10:21:51 PM] <Spiderldr> damn
[10:21:58 PM] <Crappage> So is AA 2.2 ONLY available thru the Community Pack?
[10:21:58 PM] <Spiderldr> 79mb on 56k
[10:22:02 PM] <KAPTAINKOOL> o.0
[10:22:05 PM] * borgplayer has left #main (Quit)
[10:22:10 PM] <Spiderldr> That wont happen tonight or tomorow
[10:22:14 PM] * borgplayer has joined #main
[10:22:18 PM] <Crappage> Yeah, I'm on 56k too
[10:22:18 PM] <Spiderldr> fuck that
[10:22:23 PM] <Spiderldr> I'm playing xta then

OH! So that's why there've been so many more XTA games going on!
[I SMELL CONSPIRACY!!! *POINTS FINGER AT...MONG!!!!]

NEWSBOT3 · Post by **NEWSBOT3** » 05 Oct 2006, 08:31

whilst i appreciate your idea in putting it with a load of other stuff Caydr, I can't really see the logic in forcing people to download stuff they don't want just to get 6mb of files that they do.

Particularly putting the maps in was a dumb idea imo, especially as i don't recall seeing ANY games on 3 out of 4 of them (although i've been idle lately, i admit).

Fine, have a community pack, but also have the seperate option to just download what you want to.

Besides, someones just going to ignore you and mirror the AA files. I'm tempted to do it myself frankly, given how many people seem pissed at not being able to just get what they want.

Neddie · Post by **Neddie** » 05 Oct 2006, 08:36

Three people have been editted out after doing it, so I wouldn't recommend it.

Nixa · Post by **Nixa** » 05 Oct 2006, 08:37

Yeah I don't really see the point of trying to push people into playing other mods... Spring is public, people can play and do whatever mod they want.

We do appreciate the work you've put into AA Caydr, even Min3 does whether he admits it or not

Without AA we would all be playing EE or XTA... and god knows what road that could lead us down

SwiftSpear · Post by **SwiftSpear** » 05 Oct 2006, 09:16

What all is included in the community pack?

Lolsquad_Steven · Post by **Lolsquad_Steven** » 05 Oct 2006, 09:45

Thanks for the latest patch caydr, so far i can really groove to it.

SpikedHelmet · Post by **SpikedHelmet** » 05 Oct 2006, 09:47

For those with fast internet connections, there's absolutely no reason to bitch like little girls that you have to download 70mb.

For those with 56k, fuck off, the world doesn't need your backwards scummy asses.

And although my Communistic ways push me to disagree with the decree to protect his intellectual property, I must confess, it is his work and his release, and he can damned well do what he pleases with it.

Fucking whiny girls.

MR.D · Post by **MR.D** » 05 Oct 2006, 09:48

4 maps,

19.5 mb | Altored_Arctic - Caydr's new 4 corners map in FFA style
9 mb/8.2 mb | RiverDale+Sparewood - 80% of spring players already have
7.5 mb | Nano_ArenaV2

16.5 mb | AA 2.2 + all variants
4.6 mb | Spring_1944 - ww2 mod
0.74 mb | Wolf's Battletech - Beta Mechwarrior mod
14.8 mb | Expand&Exterminate v.163 - Fast paced mod
9.4 mb | NanoBlobs - Mod about little blobby things? (never played it, heard good reviews though)

a zip called _Futureproof.zip ??
a zip called _Shadowhack.zip ??

Links for all of these mods, a manifest readme for all contents, and a changelog for AA 2.2, and some misc documents.

** BTW, you guys really need to stop the flamewar, its not going to solve anything. **

MR.D · Post by **MR.D** » 05 Oct 2006, 10:14

I've been playing 2.2 alot tonight, and overall it seems pretty good and I only have a few gripes.

* Annihilator's Health bar is invisible, and you can't see how much Hp it has unless you run your cursor over the actual unit.

* Flak for both sides, the explosion for its weapon is barely visible and its hard to tell what its even shooting at.

* Mercury/Screamer explosions for the weapon are same as Flak, the orb used for the explosion is almost invisible and unless it hits the ground you have no idea where it even hit, all you see is the particles of its target flying all over..

* Nukes seem pretty excessive..

Particularly the Core nuke, it has a shockwave that is so massive that it wiped clean a massive area of the map on Altored Divide..
* Make a grid that is 3 blocks wide by 3 blocks tall on Altored Divide. the crater filled the entire center block....and nothing within it survived..

Perks -

* All of the new effects are outstanding, from the new flames to the beam and beam origin flashes.

* Blast effects from Impulse/wide area weapons are very refined and appropriate, well done.

* Early game units and balences seem awesome, nothing feels out of whack and combat really shines in LVL1.

* Commander is no longer worth 15,000 metal, so losing a commander to the enemy's economy isn't a gamestopper anymore, and players can't self-D their own commander for a uber Economy metal burst.

* Mavs seem fair, and not as grossy overpowered as they once were, I'd say that they're as close to perfect as they "should" be.

* LvL-1 AirTransports are sooo much easier to make and use effectively now for early combat.

Wishes -

* Beams on some weapons need some small tweaks to get colors closer to their origional looks.
-Annihilator looks pink/light purple in color.
-Instigator's beam looks a bit to white

* Catalyst Cruise missles/ Arm EMP cruise missles really need the elevation boost and weapon flying speed that the MERLS/DIPLOMAT use

* AA LVL-2 kbots will not be a forgotten dream

* A big round of applause and a hug from the Community for Caydr for busting his ass to give us this great mod, and trying to help some other mod's out.

hunterw · Post by **hunterw** » 05 Oct 2006, 10:27

Coming from someone who went directly from 2.11 to 2.2, let me say that this mod's gameplay is virtually alien to me that so much has changed.

I really do like all of the bugfixes - they are definitely welcome. As far as gameplay modification is concerned...well, I like the usual pace of AA modifications - only a few units here and there changed around.

AA 2.11 -> 2.2's changelog is so astronomical that it is an entirely different game, basically. I just gave up reading the changelog - it was pages and pages long. I decided that it's better to just learn 2.2 from the ground up and forget all of my strategies and build orders used in 2.11

I certainly appreciate all of the time-consuming work spent on such a massive project...I just wonder if this final release will be widely accepted, or if the community will fragment apart, as such a massive gap has grown between versions.

Spring RTS Engine

Absolute Annihilation 2.23