BlameThePixel!

Quoted :: Deadcode
Beta Patch Update

For those not familiar with the history of the Beta patch, here is a brief summary —

In early 2002, Spadge recruited me to work on an Official Patch for Worms Armageddon — I was honored to accept. This culminated in the Beta 2 patch that everyone is familiar with by now.

The original plan was that I would do the job at Team17 HQ in England. This didn't work out. Instead, I have done my work at home, submitting it remotely.

I took a long break roughly after Beta 2 was released, doing very little with W:A for quite a while. In the meantime, the Beta Patch has become ubiquitous. Perhaps some people have forgotten that it is a Beta, seeing how it hasn't changed for so long.

Well, the sabbatical did me good. A bit over a month ago the inspiration collided with me head-on, to continue work on Worms Armageddon! I have gotten a lot done so far. Here are some highlights:

* Game sessions are recorded to files and can be played back later. This is not like recording a video... it is the actual moves that are saved, which means the files are small and the playback is smooth and fully scrollable, just like the real thing. Speed can be controlled and the chat can be viewed.
* Full colour maps can now be played online. PNG compression is used, to minimize download time. "Map lag" is no longer a problem, since maps are sent in chunks with visible progress indicators.
* Map previews/thumbnails are anti-aliased for a smooth, informative appearance. All types of maps are now visible as a thumbnail preview, eliminating guesswork.
* Gameplay bugs are fixed, including: girder-anywhere cheat; lock-up after a timeout in placement; loss of worm selection and/or weapons in multi-round games
* Backwards compatibility. People using the latest W:A version will be able to play with people who still haven't upgraded from a previous beta. The newer versions will emulate older gameplay logic where necessary to ensure compatibility and synchronisation.
* Many rough edges in the GUI front end are smoothed over; for example, scroll bars and buttons are much improved, and chat bars get the default focus, eliminating the need for an extra mouse click.

Whilst I continue to work, things are being arranged at Team17, and gears put into motion. Cleanair is being released from the project, and his source collected; this will mean freedom in handling the server end of things. And, the future release cycle is being sorted and planned. Expect further updates on this.

Wormingly,
Deadcode / David