Open Beta for Update 1.5.7

[rbodleyscott]

Hi everyone,

You are all invited to join an open beta for the next update. No sign up required, and no NDA.

To access the STEAM beta

1) Go into your STEAM library.
2) Right-Click on Field of Glory II: Medieval in your list of games in the Steam Library
3) Select "Properties"
4) In the menu that appears, select the BETAS tab on the left side
5) From the drop down list, select "beta - Open Beta"
6) Close this box by clicking on the X in the top right corner
7) Steam should now automatically update your game to the Open Beta Branch. If it does not start automatically, click the Update button.

Note that you only have one STEAM build on your system at a time, so if you want to go back to the release version (which you will need to do to play any MP games started with the release version) you just follow the above procedure again and select "None" from the drop down menu.

This process only takes a few seconds.

To access the standalone version

You can download the standalone beta installer from

https://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/Fieldof ... .05.07.zip

The standalone beta build does not replace your release build, but is installed in parallel. You need to have the release build installed in order to run the beta. You cannot therefore take part in the beta if you do not own the game.

If you have previously installed a FOG2 Medieval beta, you need to uninstall it ("Field of Glory II: Medieval Beta") before running the v1.5.7 installer. DO NOT uninstall "Field of Glory II: Medieval".

You MUST NOT install the beta into the same directory as the base game. We have set up this beta so that you can run both a retail version of the main game and this beta side by side without one affecting the other, but only if you don't install them in the same folder. You are advised to install the game into the default directory as chosen by the installer.

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Note that there is a separate MP server for the Beta, so you cannot mix them up.

[rbodleyscott]

Changelog:

Open Beta Version 1.5.7

• MP Login and user names:

• o FOG2M MP Login will now accept usernames up to 32 characters long (was previously 16), and combined Slitherine/Matrix account creation has been corrected accordingly – it previously accepted usernames up to 64 characters long. This caused some tournament battles not to function if one of the players signed up to the tournament with a username longer than 16 characters.
  o If your current username is longer than 32 characters, it will not be changed automatically, but please email support@slitherine.co.uk about changing it to a shorter version.

• Gameplay:

• o Routers now disperse if they have not rallied after 3 consecutive rout moves. (it was previously 5). As there is no chance to rally after the initial rout move, this effectively reduces the number of turns in which routers who have outdistanced pursuit get a chance to rally from 4 to 2, and consequently halves the overall chance of routed troops rallying. (Actually the chances of rallying are in fact less than half of what they were previously, because units that are pursued further - see below - no longer get a last chance to rally when their pursuers stop pursuing).
  o Note that this also reduces the distance away from the main battle that routers can travel and still rally. However, it does not reduce the distance that pursuers can pursue because routers do not disperse while they are being actively pursued. (Precisely so that pursuers do have the opportunity to pursue long distances). So this change intentionally won't speed up the process of getting units that pursued back into the action. When the pursuers do finally stop pursuing, if the routers have reached or exceeded the normal number of rout moves, they will disperse next turn without any opportunity to rally.
  o If a general joins a routing unit that is not being actively pursued, and is not autobroken, it will take an immediate rally test. Of course if it does not rally then, or in any subsequent rally test, the general will be lost when the unit Disperses.
  o To avoid terrible mistakes, Generals are now prevented from joining routed units that are autobroken or being actively pursued.
  o TIME WARP only: Heavy Chariots now get +50 POA in Impact and Melee vs steady Defensive and Offensive spearmen. (Unless these are behind an obstacle). Not against steady pikes.

• UI:

• o Added Cursor Lock Enable/Disable to Options. The Default is Disabled.
  o Enabling Cursor Lock locks the mouse cursor to the game window, which should allow moving the mouse cursor to the edge of the game window to move the map reliably when using windows smaller than the full screen resolution, or other custom setups.
  o The Shadows options have been moved to the More Options page to make room.

• Unit Costs:

• o Welsh Spearmen and Early Scottish Spearmen reduced from 50 to 47 (because of unmanoeuvrability).
  o Light Foot Slingers increased from 24 to 27. (Superior slingers – Time Warp – increased from 33 to 36.)

• Army Lists:

• o Some armoured spearmen (sergents de pied) added to French 1320-1349 list.
  o Ottoman 1362-1429 list changed so that Janissaries and Azab Massed Archers have optional stakes, and FF can only be used in Defensive battles.
  o Mounted handgunners added to Danish and Swedish lists from 1450.
  o Added Genoese army lists for the periods 1320-1399, 1400-1449 and 1450-1475.
  o Added Oarsmen to Venetian (Colonial) list.

• Autodeployment:

• o Light infantry less likely to be autodeployed behind mountains on mountainous maps.

• Bug Fixes:

• o Fixed bug that made “Use Stakes” button disappear in Force Selection if the Sort buttons were clicked.
  o Fixed bug that prevented placement of FF by longbowmen normally equipped with stakes if "Use Stakes" turned off, but "Use FF" turned on, in "Own Side Defending" scenario.
  o Fixed issue of units in Editor-created scenarios (Epic Battles) losing their custom unit or general name when they deploy or disembark war-wagons. (Or dismount, if the scenario has a Deployment phase).
  o Enemy light troops will no longer occasionally deploy in the fortress in “Relieve Besieged Fortress” scenario on Very Narrow Map. (This combination only occurred vs English armies with large numbers of stakes).
  o Corrected cost of Medium_Axemen (”Axemen”) in Time Warp.
  o Corrected MP Kosovo victory conditions.
  o Fixed issue of Editor trying to offer TestObjects (Miscellaneous) as a base terrain type.
  o TIME WARP only: Fixed bug whereby Heavy Chariots and Scythed Chariots only got +100 instead of +150 and +250 respectively vs non-steady pikes, offensive spearmen and defensive spearmen at impact in open terrain.
  o White Sheep Turcoman 1470-1500 list given correct Handgunner unit.
  o Fixed bug that could cause Editor-created reinforcement messages to crash the game.

[rbodleyscott]

Please make all comments in the Field of Glory II: Medieval - Open Beta v.1.5.7 subforum:

https://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=715