Posts on Nov 2012

Build 580

Just a minor fix build to help SirSalami develop the default “official” config for KAG CTF, and to disable g_debug in public builds. Take that, abusers!

Another scripting dev update coming later in the week, so many networking bugs to fix 🙁

Geti/Max

Hotfix on Build 572

I just pushed another patch to build 572.  The build number is still 572.  Here is what was changed:

– fixed a bug with the new tcp rcon feature which caused windows servers to crash as soon as you start them

– fixed a bug where using /msg without any players in the server would crash the server badly

– improved autoupdate; autoupdate now reuses one connection for all files instead opening a new http connection for every file.  This creates up to an (estimated) 75% performance increase for small files, especially for users who are outside the USA or otherwise far away from the update servers latency-wise.

Build 572 Update – Remote RCON Administration

Hi All,

You may have noticed that an update just went out, still labeled build 572.  This update brings a feature that has been requested of me by many server owners – the ability to execute RCON commands without being in-game with a client.  This feature, which I have been referring to as “tcp rcon” or “remote admin”, allows you to connect to the server’s game port via tcp (with telnet or another client).  From there you can monitor/access console output as well as execute RCON commands.

I actually started the design of this feature months ago, but this past week I have been traveling and had time to work on it while I was on the train.

This update also contains a small memory corruption bugfix.

More information about this new remote admin feature (such as how to enable and use it) can be found in the wiki and questions/discussion of the feature can be found on the forums.

Discussion of this announcement/update itself can be found here.

Feels good to be back and actively working on KAG —

FliesLikeABrick

KAGoween Finals!

The finals are this week end, starting with the runners up match between YB and BoW at ~21:00 GMT and then MOLE vs POWER for the winners title at ~22:00 GMT

Discussion is ongoing here, including begging WanderMark and Contrary to host more events like this every few weeks! 😉

»CLICK HERE« to link into the LiveStream and be part of the event as it happens! Be sure to cheer on your favourite clan!

GET HYPE!

HOTFIX: Build 572

Hotfix coming as soon as it’s built, along with less sticky/slow water.

Fixes

• Spike strangeness
• Fall damage being applied wrong
• Water Slowness
• Any attacking through tiles
• Stomp no longer “sometimes hurts them, sometimes you” + higher stomp min height.
• Memory leaks

Additions

• Knights can surf
• Archers can stomp

Gold servers with water should be ~500% more fun and less full of stalemates, though buildings at the water’s edge are still powerful.

Get onto patching asap, especially those still on 548, we’ll be bringing all the servers for 548 down at some point soon.

Continue discussion: HERE

Max/Geti

Classic Actually Probably Final Build 569 + Insight

IF YOU SEE NO SERVERS AND NO AUTOPATCH, PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND REINSTALL KAG FROM HERE: 

http://kag2d.com/en/download

SOME BUILDS MAY HAVE BEEN CORRUPTED AND WILL NOT AUTOUPDATE. WE APOLOGISE FOR ANY HASSLE CAUSED BY THIS SLIP UP, THOSE RESPONSIBLE HAVE BEEN SMACKED ACCORDINGLY.

More bug fixing went on these past few weeks, with both good and exhausting results.

• Support wierdness fixed + vars added
  – support_added_vertical = 1
  – support_cost_ladder = 8
  – support_cost_bridge = 4
  – support_cost_castle = 4
  – support_cost_wood = 3
• Fixed Beeping in console + potential crashes from that.
• Fixed bloody spikes are dark
• Fixed more % related issues
• Massive optimisations (50+ player servers shouldn’t beat up your CPU quite as much)
• added swap_team_cooldown variable for team switching (to prevent rapid swapping abuse, defaults to 1 min, a value of 1800)
• reworked autobalance logic a little (now based on time since join)
• added balance_teams_on_nextmap variable, balances the teams based on score at the end of each match (or should, this one may need more testing/attention)
• Fixed spikes blend players when moving sideways (slight push backwards added).
• Fixed shonky raycasts
• Fixed attacking around corners
• Fixed attacking upwards/downwards

Overall, this is largely a bugfix build again to help make sure the intermission before any public release of the scripting build is as enjoyable as possible 🙂

As an insight into development, a few words on where we’re at:

We’ve been working hard on the scripting build of course, but we’ve decided over the last few months to “do this right” – we could have finished the game in a matter of weeks a while ago by hacking in a ballista, porting the fire stuff to the normal build and adding a fire arrow item, but we decided to recode the vast majority of the game in scripts in order to gain experience with networking a scripted system, and to ensure the game can survive long after we can afford to continue working on it.

This means that there will be none of these legacy bugs will carry over to the final full version of KAG, and that any new or persisting bugs will be visible and able to be modded away or at least brought to our attention. Its been amazing seeing what modders can do with the current config-file based interface, we’re excited to see what happens once we throw a scripting interface with a large collection of examples at you!

Obviously, doing things the right way comes at a cost. We are currently actually months past our initial deadline – while we’ve been able to get around that and have the freedom of the game being “done when it’s done”, it still feels like it’s taking forever on our end, as well as on yours. Please don’t feel that we’re being lazy or that progress is not being made – Michal and I have been working furiously long hours (minimum 8, usually 10-16 hours each) every day for the last few months, suffering and working through burnout and illness (and in my case, the end of semester and exams at the same time). We want to see this done even more than you guys do, and we want to see it done right. Bear with us while we do that 😉

Discuss this post HERE

Max/Geti