Empires 2.4 patch has been released, as development has been started up fully again. Now with an improved user interface, updated models and maps, entirely new maps, additional gameplay elements and much much more!

Posted by Trickster on Jan 3rd, 2013

Empires 2.4 has been released!

After a long period of development, Empires has finally been patched with a whole host of new additions. A conversion to an improved Steam delivery system will now allow us to patch much more frequently, making development of the game much easier from this point onwards. Released for 2013, we're looking forward to a great year of progressing this Award Winning Mod even further, showing how unique the RTS/FPS Hybrid genre really is.

In other news, our main website has been revamped, and is currently undergoing improvements. Head over there now to see how it's progressing. It's also worth mentioning that since Team Fortress 2 became Free to Play, Empires is actually free for everyone, with no prior source games required!

Key Empires v2.40 features:

5 new Official maps, taking the total to 20.

Improved performance.

Reskinned User Interface.

Makeovers and improvements to 8 current Official maps.

New models for the Brenodi Heavy Tank and Heavy Pistol, and the Northern Faction APC.

Vehicle carcass recycling for the engineer. Making the battlefield a greener place!

Kill Assist points.

8 Steam achievements.

Added:

+ Added 8 steam achievements.

+ Single commander attack orders reimplemented.

+ Improved orders.

+ Ability to switch weapon group with mousewheel.

+ Player names appear on corpses

+ Engineers with revive now have a different colour icon on minimap.

+ When dead, friendly Engineers with Revive have a green revive icon above their head.

+ Diminishing returns on Refineries. (When controlling lots of refineries the return is non linear, should give losing teams a better chance to fight back)

+ Attack orders targeting infantry now show delayed positions.

+ Added version number to menu screen.

+ Spawn point auto selection.

+ Players now receive rank points for kill assists (will also tell you the name of the player that you assisted).

+ Class loadouts are now saved for duration of map.

+ Turret gibs (Turrets break apart after being destroyed).

+ Game time counter now shown in HUD.

+ Added ability for mappers to set custom CV freeze times on their maps (emp_sv_commander_freeze_time_override).

+ Non squad leaders can now invite players to their squad.

+ Can now leave squads by using the 'F' (popup) menu

+ Can now accept squad invites by using the 'F' menu.

+ Players wages are now saved after disconnection from a server (the same way that skill points are).

+ Skills in empty skill slots are now automatically selected if the player doesnt choose any.

+ If players dont select a squad they are now automatically assigned to one when they first spawn.

+ Dead players will now have a revive icon above them when playing as engineer with revive skill.

+ Engineers can now recycle vehicle carcasses with their repair tool for additional resources.

+ Commander can now abort recycling of a building by pressing the recycle button again.

+ Grenadier defusal skill now shows a defuse icon above enemy mines.

+ Re enabled DirectX 8.

+ Squad commands accessed from the 'F' menu can now be bound in the main controls menu.

+ Many new particle effects.

+ Added convars for setting seismic, HEMG, and DUMG damage multiplier against map buildables.

+ Revive Engineers can now see the names of dead players.

+ Added mine indicator icon for Grenadiers.

+ Added new Brenodi Empire Heavy Tank model.

+ Added new Brenodi Empire Heavy Pistol model.

+ Added new Northern Faction APC model.

+ Added emp_eastborough to official maps.

+ Added emp_palmbay to official maps.

+ Added emp_bush to official maps.

+ Added emp_midbridge to official maps.

+ Added emp_chain to official maps.

+ Added emp_arid to official maps.

+ Added new pine tree model.

+ The game now updates the commander vote time if it's changed in-game (using the existing emp_sv_vote_commander_time convar).

+ New button in command view in the vehicle building screen. "Show me this Factory", centres view on the selected vehicle factory.

+ Added news panel to main menu.

+ Added link to forums in Message of the Day.

Fixed:

* Respawning in APC didn't fully change the loadout.

* Enemy units sometimes appear in the wrong area of the mini-map.

* emp_force_kill no longer prevents revive after respawning.

* Buggy cancellation of attack orders on infantry.

* Multiple selection for attack orders. (A box attack order now only selects one unit from the box for the order.)

* Client-side mortar collisions.

* Flag GUI not displaying on the first flag capture zone entered.

* Health/stamina panel not appearing when in command vehicle.

* Missiles no longer explode in NF light tank when fired to the right of the vehicle.

* Fixed incorrect implementation of scout vehicle speed upgrade skill.

* Designing a BE APC in the Vehicle Factory now shows correct side model view (AFV was shown before).

* Lost Coast models and materials will now work correctly (instead of Error boxes).

* Sudden death text at top of GUI no longer draws over number of tanks.

* BE wall now spawns at same height as NF wall (allows them to be fired over by infantry).

* Sabotaged turrets will no longer shoot at its hidden saboteur after being repaired.

* Scouts hide skill will no longer hide them from their own teams minimap.

* Smoke grenades in a vehicle factories build area no longer prevents the construction of vehicles.

* Health upgrade skill can no longer upgrade health to max health + 1.

* Vehicle camouflage textures now use significantly less video memory.

* When an enemy changed sides their corpse could be revived and they would remain on your side.

* Armour in vehicle factory build menu was the wrong length on some models.

* Engineer build menu no longer has title "Class/Weapon selection".

* When scout rifle was zoomed and weapon was changed with 'Q' there would be a strange zoom out effect each time you changed weapon as scout.

* Target display has been raised so targets on players are no longer at their feet.

* Skill bugs where skills could sometimes be selected but not working.

* Commanders no longer get stuck in command view if they open the servers message of the day.

* Can no longer see your name when looking directly up in spectator.

* Several exploits that could be used to crash servers.

* Armour no longer overlaps the vehicle factory vehicle customisation image for certain vehicles.

* Can now pick up mines after being revived.

* Can now enter command vehicle while its sliding down a hill.

* Crosshair could disappear when playing as scout when looking at certain distances.

* Vehicle heating could be applied by holding handbrake and forward or reverse buttons simultaneously.

Modified:

/ Instant Heal removes bio damage.

/ Health crates don't give health in commanderless map Sudden Death.

/ Players can't be revived in commanderless map Sudden Death.

/ Players are moved to Spectator when dying in commanderless map Sudden Death.

/ The green crosshair when pointing at friendlies now extends across further distances.

/ Attack orders now expire depending on the position of the targeted unit.

/ Autospotting by buildings modified to spot only after an enemy unit attacks the building.

/ Changing emp_sv_commander_freeze_time now requires cheats to be enabled.

/ If a player with less than 100 health gets health upgrade skill their health isn't automatically increased to 130HP.

/ No longer need to join squads in order.

/ Research is now free.

/ Skill boundaries are now: 0/10/30/60.

/ Players now have hard collisions.

/ Reduced damage modifiers against map buildables for seismics and Depleted Uranium.

/ Increased Engineer tool healing distance by 50%.

/ Minimum value for spawn protection is now 0 seconds (server variable).

/ Increased vehicle costs.

/ Updated floor texture for Brenodi Empire Barracks.

/ Show squad menu when joining a team.

/ Minimum ammo box placement interval is now 60 seconds.

/ Building sabotage Damage Over Time reduced by 75%.

/ Vehicle weapons now have limited ammo again.

/ Updated emp_canyon.

/ Updated emp_glycencity.

/ Updated emp_crossroads.

/ Updated emp_urbanchaos.

/ Updated emp_escort.

/ Updated emp_slaughtered.

/ Updated emp_money.

/ Many balance changes. (These include, vehicle hull armour, engines and weapons, player weapons and walls among others) - These are far, far too numerous to write down individually. They'd end up with their own changelog if we did, so you'll just have to take our word for it that a lot has been done.

/ Updated NF Jeep model to improve visibility

Removed:

- Ear ringing effect from explosions.

- Autospot from buildings. Cameras and Radars still function as normal.