VCMI 0.74 released!

After another two months of development we are proud to present a new release of VCMI.
It brings many improvements, fixes and features including:

  • partially done sieges. Walls are present and blocking movement, turrets are shooting. Catapult can attack and destruct the walls.
  • redone stack queue, now with info about stacks quantity. New queue graphics for high resolutions. Now ‘Q’ button toggles the queue. Thanks to Dru for the graphics! Stack acting order was also improved (though still not perfect).
  • improved pathfinder. It now supplies GUI with information about accessibility of tiles and cost of movement. That allowed implementation of most of adventure map cursors.
  • creature banks (and several other objects)
  • vastly improved creature animation handling in battles
  • implemented save game and scenario information windows
  • new resolutions (full list further in the news)

Please also check items implementation status for the full information.

Download link: forum.vcmi.eu/dload.php?action=download&id=14 (3.3MB, ZIP Archive)

Installation:
Extract the package into your main Heroes folder.
WoG 3.58f is required. We strongly recommend using English version.
If you have older version of VCMI, you have to overwrite it.


Save format has been changed, savegames from previous versions won’t work with 0.74.

VCMI supports 800x600, 1024x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1440x900 and 1600x1200 screen resolutions. To use custom resolution, type (before starting the actual game!) in the console “resolution” and pick appropriate one. Alternatively, you can change default resolution by the editing config/settings.txt file.

Acknowledgements:
Thanks for AlienX, Boulie, dikamilo, Fnord, GrayFace, Ivan, krystian1995, majaczek, pHOMM, Steven Aus, Zamolxis, Zjarek and everyone else who helped us with testing and improving VCMI.

Special thanks to Ivan, Ubuntux and Zamolxis for the new resolutions graphics. Special thanks to Ivan for deciphering positions of wall parts and obstacles.


For the general information about our project look here.

Our project isn’t really playable now, but it gives you an idea of progress we have made so far. We’re hoping that you’ll like it.
Starting with VCMI 0.74 we are deploying separate bugtracker. Please report bugs using this form. Check this thread for list of known bugs and details.

We hope you’ll help us develop the project - details are available here. VCMI is an open source project licensed on GNU GPL 2.0 or higher. Our SVN repository with all the sources is available here.
You can look get help in building and developing VCMI sources in the development board.

CHANGELOG
0.73 -> 0.74 (Oct 01 2009)
GENERAL:

  • Scenario Information window
  • Save Game window
  • VCMI window should start centered
  • support for Necromancy and Ballistics secondary skills
  • new artifacts supported, including those improving Necromancy, Legion Statue parts, Shackles of War and most of combination artifacts (but not combining)
  • VCMI client has its own icon (thx for graphic to Dikamilo)
  • Ellipsis won’t be split when breaking text on several lines
  • split button will be grayed out when no creature is selected
  • fixed issue when splitting stack to the hero with only one creatures
  • a few fixes for shipyard window

ADVENTURE INTERFACE:

  • Cursor shows if tile is accesible and how many turns away
  • moving hero with arrow keys / numpad
  • fixed Next Hero button behaviour
  • fixed Surface/Underground switch button in higher resolutions

BATTLES:

  • partial siege support
  • new stack queue for higher resolutions (graphics made by Dru, thx!)
  • ‘Q’ pressing toggles the stack queue displaying (so it can be enabled/disabled it with single key press)
  • more creatures special abilities supported
  • battle settings will be stored
  • fixed crashes occuring on attacking two hex creatures from back
  • fixed crash when clicking on enemy stack without moving mouse just after receiving action
  • even large stack numbers will fit the boxes
  • when active stack is killed by spell, game behaves properly
  • shooters attacking twice (like Grand Elves) won’t attack twice in melee
  • ballista can shoot even if there’s an enemy creature next to it
  • improved obstacles placement, so they’ll better fit hexes (thx to Ivan!)
  • selecting attack directions works as in H3
  • estimating damage that will be dealt while choosing stack to be attacked
  • modified the positioning of battle effects, they should look about right now.
  • after selecting a spell during combat, l-click is locked for any action other than casting.
  • flying creatures will be blitted over all other creatures, obstacles and wall
  • obstacles and units should be printed in better order (not tested)
  • fixed armageddon animation
  • new spells supported:
  • Anti-Magic
  • Cure
  • Resurrection
  • Animate Dead
  • Counterstrike
  • Berserk
  • Hypnotize
  • Blind
  • Fire Elemental
  • Earth Elemental
  • Water Elemental
  • Air Elemental
  • Remove obstacle

TOWNS:

  • enemy castle can be taken over
  • only one capitol per player allowed (additional ones will be lost)
  • garrisoned hero can buy a spellbook
  • heroes available in tavern sould be always different
  • ship bought in town will be correctly placed
  • new special town structures supported:
  • Lookout Tower
  • Temple of Valhalla
  • Wall of Knowledge
  • Order of Fire

HERO WINDOW:

  • war machines cannot be unequiped

PREGAME:

  • sorting: a second click on the column header sorts in descending order.
  • advanced options tab: r-click popups for selected town, hero and bonus
  • starting scenario / game by double click
  • arrows in options tab are hidden when not available
  • subtitles for choosen hero/town/bonus in pregame

OBJECTS:

  • fixed pairing Subterranean Gates
    New objects supported:
  • Borderguard & Keymaster Tent
  • Cartographer
  • Creature banks
  • Eye of the Magi & Hut of the Magi
  • Garrison
  • Stables
  • Pandora Box
  • Pyramid

Full changelog is available here.

VCMI Team
(still growing!)