illegal user message... gah. well i remember the nights i spent trying to fix that one. I fear this is due to a hardcoded max number of custom message which we exceeded at some point. I fixed this at one point by reusing messages for different purposes but I guess I overused the number again to spread the traffic. I'm not sure this is the reason though, since this error also occurrs if you send an unregistered messge (eg send a message too early before its actually registered). This is ignored in the steam client i fear. I would ahve to setup a WON dev env again and debug this to fix it. I'm not planning to do this though, since I have loads to do with the hl2 port already.

Yep, it's time for a new alpha again. I figured the first of January would be the best possible date for the release. Just like the last one, it is a public pre-release alpha. To me it already feels a lot like a beta but i know there are quite some bugs remaining. So again, join the public Tester Team, increase its numbers and get cracking at this new Alpha version:

http://www.rivalspecies.com/files/rspecies_1260_u3_full.zip
http://www.rivalspecies.com/files/rspecies_1260_u3_to_1261.zip

simply download the two files, copy ".._u3_full" to Your Half-Life 1 folder and extract it with the directory structure in place. You should have a new modfolder called rspecies_test afterwards and a new entry in your steam games after a restart of steam. Afterwards, extract the patch to alpha 1261 to the same mod folder and you should be updated. While extracting, you should be asked whether to overwrite existing files. If that doesn't happen, you're probably doing it at the wrong place.

And as a little eyecandy on top, I'm showing off the latest finished vehicle weapons for the Cadian Guard: The Sentinel Auto Cannon, Multi Laser and Flamer! They've been finished by ChromeAngel and started by someone else of whom I don't have a record of the name anymore.

that's because of recent changes in the alpha. I'm currently testing a new alpha which is not yet released and I accidently installed that work in progress yestrerday. I guess I'll release a new alpha today and thus it's not really worth restoring the current version. Sorry. If there is a special reason to restore it, please joi the IRC channel and tell me.

Yes, I'm late and I feel like a dwarfed version of my former self when writing about this... BUT we do have news for you!


The 'new' model for the Cadian Guard spectator class borrowed from the old observer head by Illpenguin.


The new models for the Tau Spectator and Specialist classes. These are actually rather new and we still lack the full set of weapons to include a full fledged map for playing them. Jiggaman and Jove did these models ages ago and Olimnuz recently finished the skin for the tau drone.

The weapons we have for them are the following:

They are also all 'new' and dandy by Jiggaman and mostly Chromeangel. In one case I'm not 100% sure anymore though.

Plus, I'd like to draw your attention two news below! There I'm still updating a public alpha (currently at update 39) which represents the current state of development and also has a 24/7 public server. Our current beta doesn't seem to be played anymore, but you may find some testers on the public alpha server on very rare occasions in a year.

Oh and just in case you didn't notice: Yes that is a new logo :-).

Oh well, and according to the news_agenda, I should write about the following:
- kroot hands by zenarion
- kroot rifle by zenarion

http://www.banntal.de/rivalspecies.com/files/rspecies_1260_u3_to_1260_u39.zip

fixed the aforementioned bugs ^^

okej, another new one :-). fixed most of what was mentioned before. lets see if this'd be worth a beta?

http://www.banntal.de/rivalspecies.com/files/rspecies_1260_u3_to_1260_u38.zip

well, and a new bug report:

DONE: shift the damage classes for melee
Bahl: made the claws weaker
Bahl: maybe too weak

UNKNOWN: desynchronized models after mapchange
Bahl: i pressed that new button on the deathmenu
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: how come i see you in one on the middle of the outside plains?
Bahl: wel i see zou at zour spwn location
Bahl: i saw zou first somewehre else
Bahl: did u spawn as a driver at some point?
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: i hear you walking and see you shooting but your standing still on top of  rock in the centre of the map
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: no i didnt
Bahl: thats where i was when zou spawned
Bahl: since then your client hasnt been updating my position
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: i accidentaly pressed spectate in the death menu, and then went to classmenu and changed to marine and spawned again
Bahl: and my client hasnt been updating zours
Bahl: ok that could be it
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: spectate->marineclass->respawn
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: thats what i think i did in the deathmenu
Bahl: lets leve teh hl client and restart the game
Bahl: but models are still out of sznc
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius:  saw tracers now
Bahl: i saw ur flames
Bahl: also at the correct positions
Bahl: which is good
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: flames seem to be shooting from some point over my head though
Bahl: since it means my weapon effects are independant from this crap
Bahl: that depends on whee u aim
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: now you are stuck where i first saw you
Bahl: ur model spawned where u where when i joined
Bahl: yeah sae here
Bahl: interesting
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: and shurikens stick to your model
Bahl: ill make us go back to platform
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: i see damage feedback consistet with armour hits

DONE: round doesnt end without players and
Bahl: there i am again
Bahl: now i used secret dev access to end the round amnually
Bahl: ill cause a mapchange
] deathmenu

MAP: the turret has wrong status at the beginning
++ this is due to the turret end sticking out into the walkable area. its a map bug. ++
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: and something is wrong with the turret
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: start to use it and move away, and it is still moving and you dont have any guns
Bahl: it seems correc tnow
Bahl: but it was wrong first
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: no damage to me
Bahl: by shoots or hits it doesnt go below 56
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: I cant throw nades now
Bahl: me neither
=][=Vet.Srg.Korkonius: my hp hasnt moved at all

DONE: reconnect crashes server
Bahl: ill reconnect
that crashed the server

WONT the necrons need to be a bit tougher
Servitor: in general the basic necrons feels a little flimsy
Servitor: nah, dies easy vs basic marine
++ well, I guess thats because they're slow (and supposed to be). remembr they can resurrect and have more lives! ++

DONE
=][=Apo. Alhaus killed Bahl with Claws
=][=Apo. Alhaus: lol this class seems a bit uber
Bahl: maybe its indeed uber

DONE necrons
Bahl: tehy seem to need a bit mroe speed

WONT
=][=Apo. Alhaus: chainsword seems weaker than knife
++ please test that thoroughly. according to code, chainsword is 1.5 times of a knife. ++

DONE the terminator guns are too strong
=][=Apo. Alhaus: how tough are termies these days?
Bahl: right now the terminator is killing like a god though
=][=Apo. Alhaus: only against warriros

DONE spider too fast
=][=Apo. Alhaus: btw is the tomb spider ment to move tha fast?
=][=Apo. Alhaus: was gonna say if its ment to be a bike type thing then the destroyers would be better
=][=Apo. Alhaus: mega fast dread
ZO: holy shit thats a fast dreddie

CANT the points for livs are reset at roundstart
Bahl: the resetting points
++ it works on windows, but is a bug on linux due to underlying file system dependencies. I've added a debug line to see with the next alpha whats up. ++

DONE the energy sometimes doesnt recharge
Bahl: the not recharging BT flyer
Bahl: its just sometimes that the energy isnt recharging...
Bahl: has to do with my zero check

DONE the lava doesnt kill you for the metaengine
=][=Apo. Alhaus: the lava bug
=][=Apo. Alhaus: you die but dont die...
Bahl: hl dead but not rs dead

DONE the chainswords are available for non-sergeants
=][=Apo. Alhaus: btw Bahl am i a sergeant?
Bahl: nope u arent
=][=Apo. Alhaus: am i ment to have a chainsword then?
Bahl: nope
Bahl: itll say sergeant on the scoreboard
=][=Apo. Alhaus: says marine
Bahl: k clearly a bug hen

CANT sometimes animations stall
Servitor: its not working
Servitor: no animatosn are playing
Servitor: no i mean none at all
Bahl: i could never confirm such a bug
=][=Apo. Alhaus: ok now no anmations or sounds are playing
=][=Apo. Alhaus: and my ammo counter isnt going down
=][=Apo. Alhaus: i have no idea how much ammo i have
Bahl: thw roundstate is fucked ight now
Bahl: were way into negative roundtime
Bahl: i buggered out of my classmenu somehow
Bahl: then reentered it bycommand
Bahl: and now the round never ends
++ i think this may have to do with a buggered roundstate. still need more info ++

DONE somehow the menue sometimes allows non-affordable classes (point bug?)
=][=Apo. Alhaus: thats what happens when i take a forbidden class
Bahl: feel free to take an affordable one
=][=Apo. Alhaus: i would if it gave me the menu...
=][=Apo. Alhaus: if i do class menu in the consol i can afford the propper stuff
Bahl: class u cant afford
Bahl: another bug

DONE the scarab is imprevious to lava
Bahl: ur a spectator
=][=Apo. Alhaus: im impervious to lava like this

CANT
Bahl: my recoil isnt resetting
++ I think this is maybe related to the roundstate as well. its not reproducable at least. ++

CANT
=][=Apo. Alhaus: cant see anyone on scoreboard
++ ive added a debug line to see next time what happened ++

CANT votemap doesnt work anymore
Bahl: feel free to votemap
=][=Apo. Alhaus: that wok?
Bahl: nope
Bahl: needs a menu as well i think
Bahl: i know it worked int eh alst version though
++ i think its buggered beause of the file system problem. I've implemented a simpler feature called votenextmap. that basically advances to the next map in the mapcycle if 50% agree. depends on the same stuff as votemap but easier to test. ++

CANT gunfire misplaced
=][=Apo. Alhaus: i can see it over here
Bahl: i think its because valves visible areas are buggered
Bahl: they dont ely on them but i changed the code to rely on them
Bahl: and ha to find out its not reliable now..
Bahl: too bad
++ I skimmed my code and my assumptions are wrong. I take the information for the attack origin directly from the physics code and transferr it. there is hardly a way to make this fail. thus i need more information on how to reproduce this to find out about the special circumstances. for example I think the damage is done correctly but the effect may be played incorrectly visible to somebody shooting himself. do you ever hapen to not see your weapon effects? and if, what triggers that? ++

DONE the menues can be confused at roundstart
Bahl: i know how to fuck up the menus
Bahl: u hit continue on your first started up menu right after the round ahs restarted
Bahl: i have to disconnect to get out of the enu loop
=][=Apo. Alhaus: im getting no death menu