New Development Release 0.43.4 for Megamek, MegaMekLab, and MekHQ

[Hammer]

Hi Everyone,
It's a new Development release time.
 
This is one of the biggest Development releases we have ever done. So before we get to the good stuff.
 
1)   Make backups of your campaigns and customs.
2)   When you install this release DO NOT overwrite an existing install. IT MUST BE TO A NEW FOLDER
        One of the reasons for this is a lot of the unit files have had tech level tweaks.
3)   Lastly use at your own Risk, this is likely to be one of more bug filled releases.

Let’s start with the 800 lb Gorilla in the release.


Interstellar Operations and Tech Progression.
Replaces older method of calculating tech level in any given year with a suite of tools that use the Universal Technology Advancement Table from Interstellar Operations, pp. 32-63. There is more detail in this data, including separate dates for specific faction and in many places approximation of dates.

So, what does this mean, well every piece of equipment has a Tech Progression (TP) with dates defining when that equipment is experimental then become advanced then into common.  In the code we look at every piece of equipment that goes into a unit then calculate when the unit would be Experimental or Advanced, or Extinct. This is set as an option rule but it allows for an extreme degree of realism. A Royal Unit from the SLDF would be a higher Tech Level than say a unit from a house.

For Example this picture shows a Chippewa's 7w Tech Progression.


Tech Progression allows us lots of options. For example in the MegaMekLab you can have an option to restrict components to year and house. In MekHQ those playing era play will find that the number of out of era units and equipment showing up should be fixed (or that’s the intent). 

All this said in Megamek if you want to try it out you can turn it on in Game options-Allowed Units-Variable Tech Level.

Oh....I nearly forget to mention MegaMek has LAMs and Glider Proto's now :)

Megamek.
If you’ve been checking out the Coming soon to MegaMek thread you’ve seen a good chunk of the awesomeness that has been coded.

•   Glider Protos
•   LAMs (yes LAMS)
•   Princess can use Turrets (better not perfect and you should still deploy them for her)
•   Some new SPA
•   Updated Skins
•   Also ground work has been laid for a Large Space Craft Editor
•   We also have a contributor working on improving the Space game in general

The Coming soon to MegaMek thread for screenshots and details.

Also a reminder to drop into the Slack channel to meet other players and harass the devs that drop in and out.

MegaMekLab.
As mentioned Tech Progression has been implemented, we got some bug fixes. Behind the scenes a major code clean up which will allow us to do more with MegaMekLab in the future.

MekHQ.
MekHQ has had some bug fixes, Support for LAMs, MRMS has been overhauled to make it faster and more efficient.  The change log shows the specifics.

Megamek.
MegaMek v0.43.4 (Development)

Code: [Select]

• Issue #573: Jumping through buildings.
• Issue #414[MekHQ] - Longinus (WoB) not showing in Hanger
• Fixing issues with sprite names in the mechset.
• Fixing some quirks to be inline with the new BMM
• Plasma weapons should have the energy weapon tag.
• New Sprites and Maps(Thanks arekP64)
• Bug: gyro hits require PSR for tracked mechs and QuadVees in vee mode instead of the other way around.
• Issue #542: Megamek can't exit attack phase using fighter squadrons 0.43.1
• Enhancement #581: Implement Log4J
• Made the resetLogFile method public so that it can be used by MML and MHQ.
• Issue #587: Squadron disband damage is not applied correctly
• Issue #588: Split equipment on Super heavies
• Issue #593: Wrong destroyed unit icon for Centurion aerospace fighter
• Feature #479: Added BV listing to unit tooltip.
• New Sprites and mechset fixes.
• Updated GUIPreferences for BV Matching and changing default splash screen.
• Feature: LAMs and glider Protomechs.
• Feature: TacOps VTOL bombing and strafing option (per pending errata, VTOL strafing is a separate unofficial option).
• Issue #539 - Enable Princess to rotate turrets and use "extended torso twist" quirk.
• Data - LRM Infantry date fixes. Also Clan LRM infantry become unofficial since LRM Infantry is a IS weapon.
• Issue #598: Terrain Impassable to ASFs? Airborne Units?
• Issue #606: Aerodyne DSs Dropping Units on Ground Map Have Issues.
• Data: New Sprites and GE/BA Sprite Clean up
• Issue #603: New Data: Wars of the Republic Era RATs
• Updates to Skins
• Issue #604 - Packrat LRPV PKR-T5 unable to carry 1 ton of troops
• Issue #596 - Bandit (C) Invalid units
• Issue #620: Image Atlasing breaks tilesets that flip images
• TileMapImageLoader now fails if the file it's trying to load doesn't exist
• Issue #609: Ice not working with unit displacement correctly
• Added Random Skills dialog button to Random Army Dialog (helps if using to reinforce mid-game)
• Issue #624: Mechs with destroyed gyros can't eject
• Issue #579: Reflective armor takes strange damage from physicals
• Issue #625: Initial BV in Entity tooltip can be wrong
• Issue #626: Reinforced units don't count against a players total BV
• Issue #623, #627: Missing mech icon crashes UnitSelectorDialog
• Issue #628: Gained BV On Round Two (LAMS, Tripods, & QuadVees)
• Issue #582: Crash when spotting for LRM indirect fire
• Issue #582: LRM/SRM smoke munitions now use current TO rules, fixes rare NPE
• Fixed a bug where some ancillary images weren't working, along with the largeTextures tileset
• PR #613: Aero partial repairs
• Issue #645: Princess continues to stop at one point.
• PR #635: Terrain Master SPA (Forest Ranger, Frogman, Mountaineer, and Swamp Beast)
• PR #640: Improved Princess turret placement (including preventing illegal turret deployments)
• PR #642: Feature: Configure starting fuel points in lobby
• PR #642: Feature: Damage KF Boom, Cargo/Transport Bays and Bay Doors in lobby
• PR #642: Save the above to/load from MUL files
• PR #642: Feature: Add functionality to KFBoom critical hit
• PR #642: Feature: Strategic Fuel use calculations
• PR #642: Feature: Implement Superheavy Vehicle Bays
• PR #642: Feature: Prep work for adding all of the above as MHQ parts
• PR #642: Feature: Add docking collar and KFBoom damage display to Aero/SpheroidMapSet Critical Hits list
• PR #642: Bug: Fix right thruster hits, which were displaying left thruster hits
• PR #642: Bug #597: Fix NPE when recovering aeros within visual range of the enemy
• PR #642: Bug: Fix recovery slot update on Small Craft Bays
• PR #642: Bug: Change recovery code to always put ASFs in an available ASF bay first if one is present
• PR #642: Bug: Remove landing gear crit checkbox from unit editor for Jumpships, warships and stations
• PR #655: Popup mines (fixed loading and validation problems, added modes for squads larger than 4 troopers.
• PR #650: IO Tech
o Updates all tech intro dates to the Universal Technology Advancement Table in Interstellar Operations.
o New era-based play option to vary unit tech level according to year.
o Numerous unit validation fixes.
• PR #656: BA Quad turrets (displays equipment location correctly; no change in function)
• Issue #657: Right click -> Set all MGs to burst fire doesn't work [also hotload and searchlight].
• Issue #646: NPE in Compute canMoveOnPavement.
• Data: New Sprites and some unit file fixes.
• Issue #664: Weird punching behavior [Nightly Build 363]
• Set GUIPreferences.java to use correct BW skin.
• Data: New Sprites/Quirk Fixes/RAT fixes.
• Fixed some quirks that where assigned to units they shouldn't be

MegaMekLab.
MegaMekLab v0.43.4 (Development)

Code: [Select]

• Issue #58: Right-click > Left/Right Torso > Add to Left/Right Torso for targeting computer makes it use only one crit slot
• Issue #63: Double Heat Sinks are allowing "doubling up" on Super Heavy Mechs
• Issue #70: Updated project URL on the About dialog.
• Issue #52: Gyro switching and validation
• Issue #66: Jumpjets on Vehicles greyout out on loading (0.43.3)
• Feature: LAM construction rules.
• Fixed issue setting fluff image on tanks
• PR #79: IOTech
o Updates all tech intro dates to the Universal Technology Advancement Table in Interstellar Operations.
o New configuration options for filtering construction options by tech level in a given year or
by faction availability.
o Rewrote structure tab code to implement consistent filtering of options by intro year and tech level.
Some minor layout changes.
• PR #80: BA Quad turrets

MekHQ:
MekHQ v0.43.4 (Development)

Code: [Select]

• Updating the repo with 0.43.3 Data
• Issue 418: Add log4j support to MekHQ.
• Make the log files reset between MHQ runs.
• Fixing references to crew.special_energy to match fixes in MegaMek
• PR #398 Fix for no probe defender missions #413
• Feature #363: Feature Request: Order from Warehouse
• Support for LAM repairs and hiring/assigning LAM pilots.
• Refactor MR/MS/MRW and move much of the code to a service level class from the dialog.
o Fix multiple bugs related to 'impossible' fixes such as damaged hip/shoulders, missing parts, etc...
o Make the process much more efficient by not making checks that aren't necessary over and over.
o Add additional color-coded messaging when parts can't be fixed due to configuration or
existing techs.
• Issue #431: When starting a scenario in MegaMek the camo for units seems to be the defaults.
• Issue #426: Adding or removing bombs from ASF does not update Warehouse
• Issue #437: ATB ambush mission generates the incorrect amount of enemy units
• Issue #410: Allied traitors scenario no longer working
• Issue #436: BA in MekHQ's mechlab has incorrect tonnage
• PR #425: Implementation of Issue #339 - Prisoner ransoming instead of bonus
• PR #451: IO Tech
o Updates all tech intro dates to the Universal Technology Advancement Table in Interstellar Operations.
o New options to vary part and unit tech level according to campaign year and/or faction.
• Update Era.java to match MUL and add Dark Age information.
• PR #453: Overhaul much of the logic in MRMS to be better and faster.
o Fix multiple bugs around rush jobs and repeated fixes
• Issue #455: Repair bay uses the wrong ammo bin.
• PR #480: Faction.java redesign to fix issue with Eras. (More precise faction name and starting planet changes)

Enjoy everyone.

Link to current Stable Version

[neoancient]

We've also had some people willing to do some pre-release testing, so hopefully we won't have the sort of major bugs that found their way into 0.43.3, all of which should be fixed now.

[bblaney]

One bug of note. When generating missions using MekHQ, there is no base contract compensation. Every contract starts with 0 on that line.

[Hammer]

One bug of note. When generating missions using MekHQ, there is no base contract compensation. Every contract starts with 0 on that line.

Best to open a bug report with the campaign file and any custom on the trackers. Links in my sig

[bblaney]

Best to open a bug report with the campaign file and any custom on the trackers. Links in my sig

Thanks and will do

[Wrangler]

I can't wait to try this.

[NickAragua]

If someone happens to play against a Princess and give her turrets, try letting her place them - I'd greatly appreciate hearing feedback regarding her new-found turret placement ability. She will still occasionally stack multiple turrets on a single building, but only if the building is exceptionally tough and tall compared to other buildings in the deployment zone.

[Liam's Ghost]

Mixed tech, at least with battlemechs so far, appears to be completely unusable in megamek lab. Any attempts to adjust the allocation of the armor or the tonnage of the chassis causes the tech level to switch to clan, reverting the engine, structure, armor, and heat sink types to standard in the process (probably the gyro as well).

This is especially annoying because early clan battlemechs would necessarily be mixed tech, since the intermediate weapons (those improved autocannons, lasers, and missiles) predate all the fancy modern clan hardware.

EDIT: And the virtual reality piloting pod doesn't seem to allocate properly. And I can't add prototype improved jump jets past the maximum number for standard jump jets... Probably more stuff. I think I'm going to really stress test it to see how many errors I can create before making a formal bug report.

[Hammer]

Mixed tech, at least with battlemechs so far, appears to be completely unusable in megamek lab. Any attempts to adjust the allocation of the armor or the tonnage of the chassis causes the tech level to switch to clan, reverting the engine, structure, armor, and heat sink types to standard in the process (probably the gyro as well).

I'm not seeing this at all. I can set the year to say 2820, select Mixed tech and everything works. What steps are you using?

[neoancient]

Under some circumstances the tech base selection will set to the one before what it should be. For instance if you select an era when IS mixed tech is available and set to Clan mixed it will change to IS mixed when refreshed. I haven't been able to reproduce a switch from Clan mixed to Clan, but I don't doubt it's possible. I suspect it would happen if trying to build a mixed tech QuadVee.

As for early Clan tech, a lot of the base tech that we think of as IS is presented as both in IO, and is available to Clan units up until its extinction date in Clan space. So you can use standard lasers and autocannons, etc. on a Clan design up to about 2840 without having to designate it as mixed tech.

Fixed the prototype IJJ and VRPP. In the latter case, there wasn't any code in MM to add the critical slots. I'm about to go through the list and make sure there aren't any other cockpits that don't have the construction rules implemented.

[Stormforge]

MekHQ Windows package seems to be broken for me. Downloaded it twice now. MekHQ runs, but running MegaMek.exe gives a Java exception, and MegaMekLab.exe does nothing. Clean install, always extract to a new folder for each new version.

Downloaded both of those individually then overwrote the files in MekHQ, first with all of the MegaMekLab files, and then with MegaMek. Seems everything is working now.  ???

Edit: You guys are awesome! Playing with some of the new toys. Did find, when messing with LAMs in the Lab, that Endo, Endo-Composite, and most armor types, except Hardened and Stealth, are still selectable. Is this a known issue?

[Easy]

Edit: You guys are awesome! Playing with some of the new toys. Did find, when messing with LAMs in the Lab, that Endo, Endo-Composite, and most armor types, except Hardened and Stealth, are still selectable. Is this a known issue?

If this is broke, I don't want it fixed. The Word of Blake do not deserve a monopoly on high-tech LAMs.

[Stormforge]

Nothing really special about the WoB LAMs other than IJJ and Clan tech.

Going and just looking over the Stinger LAM and customizing it a bit...

30 tons, Conv. Equip., 5 tons armor, 6/9/6, 10 SHS (Alt. DHS), RA/LA 2 Medium Lasers (Alt. ERML), 2 Bomb Bays/3 Bomb Bays if using a Small Cockpit.

Rocket pods and TAG in bomb bays should be usable on the ground (haven't checked if they are in MM). You can also put fuel pods in there for 40 extra points per bomb bay, Thunder mines, and not to mention the other nasty surprises they can carry.

[Easy]

This deserves it's own thread. Since LAMs are still forum-legal I'm going to start one.

http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=58977.msg1355890#msg1355890

[Hammer]

This deserves it's own thread. Since LAMs are still forum-legal I'm going to start one.

Tigershark has a LAM thread going in General.

[PurpleDragon]

Question about the campaign options repair and acquisitions tab, under acquisitions:  Is the acquisitions limit set per administrator or other? 

[Sir Chaos]

Question about the campaign options repair and acquisitions tab, under acquisitions:  Is the acquisitions limit set per administrator or other?

Per character with the required skill.

[PurpleDragon]

Per character with the required skill.

Thank you;   So, assuming I am using the admin skill with a limit of 1; 5 admins get me five acquisitions per day.   Does it take into account for others with the admin skill who are not admins if I have the "only support personnel..." box unchecked? 

[Sir Chaos]

Thank you;   So, assuming I am using the admin skill with a limit of 1; 5 admins get me five acquisitions per day.   Does it take into account for others with the admin skill who are not admins if I have the "only support personnel..." box unchecked?

It only checks if a character has the required skill, not their role; it picks the character with the lowest target number who still has not exhausted their limit for the day.

[Stormforge]

Decided to start a new campaign on this build. Set up all my options, and was about to start adding personnel when I noticed I forgot to add portraits. Saved and closed it. Now it will not open. Any help would be appreciated.

Code: [Select]

java.lang.NullPointerException
at mekhq.campaign.universe.RandomFactionGenerator.addBorderEnemy(RandomFactionGenerator.java:531)
at mekhq.campaign.universe.RandomFactionGenerator.updateBorders(RandomFactionGenerator.java:502)
at mekhq.campaign.universe.RandomFactionGenerator.updateTables(RandomFactionGenerator.java:454)
at mekhq.campaign.Campaign.restore(Campaign.java:3030)
at mekhq.gui.dialog.DataLoadingDialog$Task.doInBackground(DataLoadingDialog.java:194)
at mekhq.gui.dialog.DataLoadingDialog$Task.doInBackground(DataLoadingDialog.java:116)
at javax.swing.SwingWorker$1.call(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.SwingWorker.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)

[Hammer]

Decided to start a new campaign on this build. Set up all my options, and was about to start adding personnel when I noticed I forgot to add portraits. Saved and closed it. Now it will not open. Any help would be appreciated.

Code: [Select]

java.lang.NullPointerException
at mekhq.campaign.universe.RandomFactionGenerator.addBorderEnemy(RandomFactionGenerator.java:531)
at mekhq.campaign.universe.RandomFactionGenerator.updateBorders(RandomFactionGenerator.java:502)
at mekhq.campaign.universe.RandomFactionGenerator.updateTables(RandomFactionGenerator.java:454)
at mekhq.campaign.Campaign.restore(Campaign.java:3030)
at mekhq.gui.dialog.DataLoadingDialog$Task.doInBackground(DataLoadingDialog.java:194)
at mekhq.gui.dialog.DataLoadingDialog$Task.doInBackground(DataLoadingDialog.java:116)
at javax.swing.SwingWorker$1.call(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.SwingWorker.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)

I've opened a bug report here - https://github.com/MegaMek/mekhq/issues/490

[neoancient]

This was triggered when trying to find potential enemies for pirate hunting and riot duty contracts for pirate factions. As near as I can tell, the bug has been there since the beginning but was not triggered because pirate-controlled planets were too distant from the campaign location to be considered. This changed with updated data that gives pirates control of Acamar from 3058-3061.

I fixed the code to prevent the NPE. Workaround for now is to set the campaign in a different time or use a planets.xml file from a previous version.

[Andras]

In MML, for Battlearmor, how do you install a AP weapon mount? The only way I found to install a AP weapon is to hold it in an armored glove. There are open slots for AP weapons on the assign critical page, but I can't seem to use them.

Thanks

[Hammer]

In MML, for Battlearmor, how do you install a AP weapon mount? The only way I found to install a AP weapon is to hold it in an armored glove. There are open slots for AP weapons on the assign critical page, but I can't seem to use them.

Thanks

Looks like we have an issue with the IS version of these.

[Andras]

Also, Megamek won't recognize turreted weapons in quad BA imported from MML.

[Hammer]

Also, Megamek won't recognize turreted weapons in quad BA imported from MML.

Can you zip up a file and post it here.

[Iceweb]

Found a minor pair of bugs in Lab. 

First gave stealth armor to a mech and then adjusted the engine to a light. 
Since the engine wants the first crit slots in the torso but stealth is there it removes all the stealth crits from the design, but the armor is still typed stealth. 

Second was that because I was trying to figure the stealth issue I had added a ton of armor as a placeholder. 
When I had put all the stuff I wanted I then pressed use remaining to assign the last 10 tonnes to the mech. 
However since 10 tonnes remained it set the armor to 10 tonnes and I still had a free ton. 

Both are relatively minor but I wanted someone to make sure they could be duplicated before I put bug reports in. 

Thanks

[Andras]

Can you zip up a file and post it here.

attachments deleted, issue resolved

[Hammer]

What version of Megamek are you using?

[Andras]

Can you attached you megameklog as well.

attachments deleted