Patch 3603

About 3603 patch

Dateline – August 22, 2009. Forged Alliance Unsupported Beta Patch 3603.

DISCLAIMER: THIS PATCH IS UNSUPPORTED BY THQ, CANNOT BE UNINSTALLED WITHOUT A FULL REINSTALL OF THE GAME, AND IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THE GAME, SAVED GAMES, MODS, AND THE RANKED LADDER.

Please read the following before installing this patch:

GPGNet stability has been restored, and we are happy to say we finally have a Forged Alliance beta patch to release.

Our goal at GPG is to provide this open Beta patch to the community for the purpose of ensuring that it meets or exceeds the stability of the current FA version 3599. If this patch proves to be a stable improvement we’ll make it an official update.

We are primarily interested in maintaining the current level of balance and stability of Forged Alliance. This Beta patch is optional and unsupported. THQ Tech support is not responsible for problems that arise from its use, and the "official" competitive version of Forged Alliance remains 3599 until 3603 is fully tested.

The good news is that this patch incorporates over 70 major system updates, including balance, exploits, and AI revisions, as well as video, CPU, and sound performance optimizations.

The bad news is that this Beta is incompatible with previous versions, saved games, mods, and the ranked ladder. There is no uninstall routine, so reverting to a previous version will require a full reinstall of Forged Alliance. Please keep that in mind if you play in GPGNet tournaments or on the competitive ladders.

Taking all of this into account, if you wish to test this patch you can begin your download here:

http://supremecommander.filefront.com/file/FA_Patch_3603;102949

Important Warnings:

• Currently this patch can only be used offline. GPGnet does NOT support the patch as of now. We are looking at ways to enable the patch for Custom games. This post will be updated if/when that occurs.

• This patch is provided as-is, and is not officially supported by THQ Tech Support

• Version 3603 is incompatible with previous (or future) versions of Forged Alliance, and as always, multiplayer games require that all players use the same version.

• GPG and THQ are not responsible for any loss of data or incompatibility with previous save games, replays, or mods from previous officially supported builds of Forged Alliance. The last official build version number is 3599.

• This patch is incompatible with the current Ranked game ladder of GPGNet. Although our desire is to eventually update the Ranked version number, GPG and THQ make no guarantees to that effect, and until further notice Ranked games will require version 3599.

• There is no uninstall feature provided with this Patch. Reversion to an older version will require a complete reinstall of Forged Alliance from scratch. See Uninstall below.

• This patch will automatically update both versions 3596 (Retail install from Disc), and the latest officially supported version 3599. Intermediate builds will require updating to 3599 before installing version 3603. A complete list of patches and officially supported links can be found here: http://forums.gaspowered.com/viewtopic.php?t=33332.

• Automatic update uses registry information to identify the proper install. GPG strongly recommends a fresh reinstall to avoid incompatibility problems with relocated files or installed mods.

Instructions:

• Ensure that your currently installed version number is 3596 or 3599 (seen in the upper right corner of the main menu).

• Copy the patch locally to the target machine.

• Execute the patch by double clicking. Poor internet connection can cause delays in the initial authentication process. Normal install time is 5 minutes.

Uninstall:

• There is no uninstall feature provided with this patch. Reversion to previous versions requires a complete uninstall of Forged Alliance followed by normal patching to the desired version. A complete list of previous patches can be found here: http://forums.gaspowered.com/viewtopic.php?t=33332.

Patch Content

• 'No Game ender' restriction changed to restrict T3 & T4 Artillery, Paragon, Novax and Yolona Oss

• 'No Nuke' Build restriction now correctly also restricts nuke carrying naval vessels, strategic missile defense buildings, and the experimental nuke launcher.

• Cybran Hoplite health changed from 650 to 450.

• UEF Mongoose health changed from 900 to 650

• Seraphim T3 Engineer build rate increased to 20 from 15

• Aeon T3 Engineer build rate increased to 20 from 15

• UEF Engineering Station Rover rebuild cost increased to 250M 2500E 750 time from 50M 500E 150 time (only applies if its shot down). Build rate decreased to 15.

• Cybran Engineering Stations: T1 cost increased to 500M 2500E from 450M 2250E. T2 build rate decreased to 25 from 30. T3 build rate decreased to 35 from 45.

• T1 Bomber cost decreased to 80M 1400E 400time from 100M 2250E 500time

• Restorer max airspeed reduced to 8 from 10, health reduced to 6000 from 7200 and anti ground damage per shot reduced to 24 from 32.

• Reduce t1 & t2 transport costs, increase t2 transport hitpoints.

• Bug fix to prevent commander upgrades to be acquired at a lower cost through cancelling.

• Fixed restoration field upgrade and advanced restoration field upgrade to not repair the ACU.

• All Units shooting at the Seraphim ACU now aim at the correct bones instead of the feet.

• Pausing a Mass Extractor while in mass deficit does now correctly stop mass consumption

• Bomb drop prediction corrected on all T1 T2 T3 bombers

• Land Experimental cost increased ~20%, the cheaper ones increased more than the expensive ones (percentage wise).

• T3 Air and T3 Naval Factories changed: mass cost equals land t3 factory now.

• T3 Air Factory energy cost increased.

• Decrease T3 ship costs (~15%) and buildtime (cut in half for many).

• ACU Death nuke now does 50.000 damage to units, 2500 to ACUs and 500 to Buildings.

• T2 Mobile missile launchers damage increased 50%

• T3 Mobile missile launchers damage increased 100%

• Mercy fuel increased from 70 to 110

• T1 Transports can pick up ACUs again.

• Overcharge and Energy Storage gameplay improvement.
o Energy Storage now costs 250M 1200E (from 120M 2400E), stores 5000E (from 2000E),
o explodes for 2000 damage in a 5 radius (from 500 damage 3 radius), and has 500 health (from 1200).
o Start resources go to 4000E from 5000E, ACUs now generate 20E instead of 10 to compensate.
o Overcharge now costs 5000E (from 3000). Damage vs Units is unaltered, damage vs ACUs is 400 (from 100), vs buildings 800 damage (from 500).
o Overcharge has an increased damage radius of 2.5 (from 2), and a reload of 0.3 (from 0.2).
o Factories and Engineers no longer increase Energy Storage.

• Billy reload timeout increased to avoid rapid firing through assisting

• T1 Mass Extractor Health reduced to 600 from 800

• Increased Cybran Deceiver (t2 mobile stealth generator) speed, acceleration and brake to match the values of other factions t2 mobile shields

• Increase Shield ship cost by 30% from 1040M 10400E to 1300M 13000E

• T3 Nuke submarines conventional and nuclear weapon rebalanced:

• Seraphim Battleship now correctly plays a 'nuclear launch detected' sound when launching a nuke.

• The Novax now correctly launches its satellite when the player is at pop cap.

• Cybran Nuke Warheads now correctly detonate at their impact altitude, and not 20 units above

• Nano Regeneration now gives Seraphim SCUs the correct amount of hitpoints (14k instead of 45k)

• Seraphim SCU is no longer reclaimable

• UEF Lobo t1 artillery health changed from 205 to 200

• Cost (M, E, time) of T2 Gunships decreased by 20%

• Decrease T3 Air Transport costs by 30% (final E cost further adjusted by other changes)
o Landscout diversification:
o Uef damage = 4 (+2)
o Cybran cloak energy drain -5
o Aeon radar range +5, new health = 20 (-3)
o Seraphim radar range +5

• T3 Air Energy costs increased 50%, with the exception of the Solace and Air superiority Fighters, who increased +100%. The Mass cost and buildtime on all these Units stays the same.

• Restorers cost 50% more energy than a Air Superiority fighter now.

• UEF T2 Cruiser now can correctly use all weapons simultaneously

• Seraphim Advanced Regeneration Field no longer provides a health bonus. It was permanent and wasn’t removed if the unit left the aura.

• Lowered T3 Bomber maxairspeed by 1 (18 -> 17)

• Decreased Frigate & t1 submarine cost by 10%

• Buffed Cruiser Anti Air damage by 25%

• Made T2 tanks slightly tougher and slower. T2 tanks now move at a 2.5 - 2.7 speed now, and have 20-25% more hitpoints in return. Cybran t2 tank got buffed more as it was too weak compared to the others.

• Increase striker, aurora and thaam movement speed by 0.1 (from 3 -> 3.1 or 3.3 -> 3.4)

• Increase frigate anti-air dps to 15, attack boat anti-air dps to 35, and Battleship Antiair dps to 60

• Fix Fatboy, Monkeylord, Megalith and the brick being able to fire from shallow water,
being unattackable from land while doing so.

• Increase lifetime & Speed on T3 Torpedo bomber torpedoes to avoid units outrunning them.

• Cybran and Seraphim T2 Point Defenses dps increased.
o Cybran +20% damage
o Seraphim +10% damage

• Change Naval yards to be hit with torpedoes, collision box lowered by 1

• Hoplite now uses the correct amount of transport clamps

• Firebeetle changed to deal 4500 damage, health lowered to 300, Firing tolerance increased to 100.

• Transferred 2600 from the Harbringer’s shield to its health

• Gifting Units to allies bugs fixed

• Eye of Rhianne remote viewing radius decreased from 45 to 25.

• T3 SAMs costs reduced significantly from 1400M 12000E to 800M 8000E

• Seraphim cruiser direct fire Anti Air weapon and seraphim T3 Anti Air cannon building weapon improved muzzle velocity.

• Cybran Missile health normalized so that the parent missile has 1 health and the child missiles have 1 health each as well.

• Seraphim Battleship nuke no longer flies at very high altitude.

• AI
o AI will now build firebases
o AI will now build Percivals or Rhinos
o AI can now consistently transport all valid units.
o The AI unit groups that are assigned to guard bases will no longer attack all over the map
o The AI now fires the Experimental nuke launcher more than once
o AI now sends out more than only the first land scout
o AI now can build the Megalith
o Cheating AIs now actually use their experimental units

Credits:

Special thanks to Modders - Prepare, Ragnarok_X, Combine, Ornedan, Recon, DeadMG, Gowerly, Ze_PilOt, Brute51 and Legion_Darrath for their assistance on some components of this patch. Thanks also to the SupCom community who provided early testing of many elements during prototyping.