"Dev News please! Can we please have some development news Rats, whats coming in the next patch whats the plans for the near future?". Well, OK, since you asked so nicely. Most of what we're working now on is updating and refining Host and Core technologies as well as bug fixes. Eleven years have passed since the original coders sat down and started creating what was then something unique. Many of the issues we have today with CTDs and MR.P are caused by outdated Host code. Time to rip it out and build something spiffy.

"Awe man that sound like boring stuff, can you jazz it up a little with what these boring thing are going to do to bring exciting things. Damn i thought you were suppose to be some kinda public relations guru. First i get no valentines card now you wont put some sprinkles on the dull bits. Pritty please!"

I'll do my best, Obear71.

Here's some stuff that's in development. Some is for 1.34, some is for later down the road. Some I can comment on, some I can't. If you've got a question, post it below. GOPHUR will be replying to as many as he can next week.

General:

• New Battles Tab
• New permanent MMHost connection which opens the door to many, many things including fixing MrP and the locked personas
• Improved host performance for improved infantry updates and smoothing

Host:

• Complete rework of the update system
• Cell host efficiency / performance for US and China
• Quality of infantry game lay experience for BE
• Resolution of many long standing online issues (strange states, warping, stuck firing, etc)
• Strat/map updates without clicking
• CP and Facility messages Host -> Client directly
• Replaced the underlying "Grid" system with clone of the Chat Grid system
• Replaced the "biasing" system with a highly optimized version that processes an entire vis list at a time rather than a vehicle at a time
• Vehicle "remove list" sent independently to client
• Time and Weather updates sent independently to client
• World Update packer on host is now single-pass rather than multiple-pass
• Fixes stuck firing bug
• Eliminates a number of potential state bug causes
• Increases cell host efficiency by 10-15%
• New system now working on dev cluster with other players visible, mobile and most importantly very smooth

Game

• OIC changes:

Formalizing and coding in a new Brigade OIC role. A variation on the Volunteer Brigade OIC, it will allow interested players to run through an automated training and testing that grants them authorization to step into the Brigade OIC role without being in the HC. This eliminates the need for an HC officer to approve of a volunteer OIC over and over again. While not technically in the HC, it can be a jumping off point for interested players who can move onto more advanced training.

• Bringing the HCTool in game

The current tool set is old and breaking down and is hosted outside the game. We'll be moving the essential tools into the game for ease of use and maintenance.

• Improved Event and Scenario tools

The idea of bringing the events and scenarios into the UI and creating a whole set of events that can be quickly designed and executed is something we're excited about. With the help of BEGMs Xiper, we're getting close to having the ability to set up and run some kick ass events much easier than we can now.

• New emote system

Stripped out of the recent infantry remodel, there is a new library of emotes we're looking at bringing in.

• Increased performance from new compile as in 1.33.1

Always great news!

• Future upgrade to OpenGL 3.2 (latest stuff)
• Revisiting the PPO feature and evaluating what should be looked at next including more infantry PPOs and possible extension of the feature to include naval (boats and inf) play. Though nothing is slated for release on that we expect that the turnaround time will be pretty short for these

So that's what's in the pipeline right now. Please post your questions below for Gophur to reply to next week.

And, Obear, if that's not fun enough for you, I present you with this:

S!