G’day Forts Fans! Back fresh from GDC in San Francisco, we’re full of new ideas and excited to get into it. Today the EarthWork Games team is bringing you a big update full of much needed improvements. As ever we appreciate the bug reports and feedback that make many of these possible.

The highlights of this update include localisation in Hungarian, environment mods can customise music (try the Mars One 3v3 map), and much improved stability. We’ve added a new dedicated host mode which will allow us to run tournaments on a rented server in New York, reducing the ping for competitors without losing player slots. Full lobbies will now show up in the lobby search screen, better reflecting multiplayer activity.

If you’re new to the game feel free to join our Discord server to chat with us and the friendly Forts community. Our next tournament is on tomorrow! Find out the details, including stream links here.

Build 2018-04-07a Changelist

Add: Hungarian translation
Add: allow environment mods to mod music.lua
Add: mods can include Fmod sound banks in a folder called audio
Add: extra slot for dedicated host mode (add DedicatedHost = true, in settings.lua)
Add: show full games in the lobby browser
Add: allow placement of devices on structure at all zoom levels
Add: allow projectiles to survive going below the world bounds if gravity is negative
Add: system chat messages now appear in grey
Add: “downloading” icon to local player ready state while waiting for item downloads
Add: localised versions of subscribe and download messages
Optimise: #pragma optimize turning optimisation off in PhysicsManager
Optimise: remove terminal velocity test from physics inner loop
Optimise: precalculate the ToG icon state of built-in maps to reduce map select display time
Fix: projectile collision is skipped when the previous projectile is destroyed
Fix: rockets veer off target if they clip something during launching
Fix: projectile collision position isn’t where the collision was
Fix: projectile collision effects are reversed compared to impacts with structures or ground
Fix: missile can be placed underground when snapping to adjacent devices
Fix: Hurricane weapon reload progress skips ahead when activating
Fix: fonts are loaded twice
Fix: missiles circle in the air when launched close to their target
Fix: can’t add animated props to maps or environments
Fix: line highlight is offset to left in Map Editor menu
Fix: projectiles prematurely fade out in low gravity due to freefall test
Fix: default FortGroups for non-symmetrical maps assume all forts are identical, which is unlikely
Fix: device ambient event not audible when construction is completed
Fix: host doesn’t close Steam connection when a client disconnects
Fix: set_background without a parameter causes a crash
Fix: Enemy Contact (10 multiplayer games) achievement fails
Fix: clients can’t connect if there’s an observer in the lobby
Fix: Multiplayer::LogoutClient doesn’t invalidate clients if they are in certain states
Fix: clients can time out if they click on Maps (and potentially mods)
Fix: lobby chat text overlaps scroll bar
Fix: shields are damaged by flak projectiles
Fix: missiles can be hover-refired once without a sniper
Fix: negative masses causes the physics to destabilise
Fix: Factory loading tip is obsolete
Fix: lasers can penetrate too far when the leading strut is hit by a bullet
Fix: collision of a projectile with strut allows Eagle Eye laser sight to pass
Fix: some text in console is bold
Fix: Neutral structures can be claimed by both teams, ending the game
Fix: struts and devices are destroyed at the world bounds before completely outside
Fix: commander charge not received when structure and devices fall outside of map
Fix: reactor destruction splash damage is not counted towards commander charge if it’s the last one on a structure
Fix: when holding control or shift the joint preview doesn’t snap to existing joints
Fix: AI doesn’t activate commander during team death match
Fix: join button visible when client connects after game has ended
Fix: join button visible when returning to lobby and host still playing
Fix: upgrading mines sometimes isn’t reflected in the production rate
Fix: players not always removing themselves from the lobby, creating ghost or hidden lobbies
Fix: pressing Enter does not accept the password, and escape doesn’t exit
Fix: password is not reset when trying another lobby
Fix: losers hear victory music in team deathmatch
Fix: invalid prop search message unnecessarily shown in console
Fix: desync when creating a turbine while Architect is active plus fast-build
Fix: P2P error 4 is meaningless to player, now says ‘time out, try again’
Fix: lobby heartbeat, ping and ban timers not updated during multiplayer load/screen, making it hard to connect
Fix: 20mm reload animation and sound out of sync
Fix: failure to receive global stats drops the console, confusing player
Fix: blocked player slots appear available in lobby
Fix: if client joins after game is over host desyncs or player is stuck on waiting screen
Fix: “XvY” tag not being applied to uploaded workshop maps
Fix: subscribe/download mod robustness and messaging in file select screen and lobby
Fix: updated maps/mods failing to remove subscribe warning icon
Fix: subscribe buttons being added to pending download items
Fix: lobby crash
Fix: subscribed banned items are automatically excluded and unsubscribed
Fix: item download failures in lobby (allows retry)
Fix: “SUBSCRIBE_MODS” button visible in lobby if there are no more mods to subscribe to after clicking to download individual mods
Fix: Workshop manager fails symmetry test for a symmetrical map
Fix: crash when clearing the sorted effects of an explosion that has expired
Fix: explosion may be destroyed without the manager immediately forgetting the id

Build 2018-04-10a Changelist

Fix: desync when AI create missile silos under bracing
Fix: desync when doors locked by weapons become unlocked
Fix: time limit is not applied at a reliable frame, causing desync
Fix: projectiles are not destroyed to the left or right of world
Fix: Normal win condition can trigger after time limit expires, showing different result
Fix: when closing the doors of a deselected group, not checking if device is in use
Fix: crash in WorldScript when dereferencing old sWorld pointer
Fix: when mShutWhenUnlocked expires door_control messages are sent by every client
Fix: stop screen blacking out when going to maps and mods in multiplayer
Fix: unrepairable devices report their repair cost via the context menu

Thanks for playing Forts!

Cheers,
EWG